Wikipedia:Update/1/Enforcement policy changes during March 2009


 * Arbitration policy
 * Changed banner: "This page documents the operating rules adopted by English Wikipedia's Arbitration Committee. It should not be edited without considerable forethought and consensus among Committee members."


 * Banning policy
 * Changed: "[If the banned editor is the only contributor to the page or its talk page, speedy deletion is] invariably correct" to "probably correct".


 * Blocking policy
 * Added: "Administrators should take special care when dealing with new users. Beginning editors are often unfamiliar with Wikipedia policy and convention, and so their behavior may initially appear to be disruptive. Responding to these new users with excessive force can discourage them from editing in the future. See Do not bite the newcomers."
 * Removed from WP:BLOCK: "If discussion with the offending editor has been attempted and exhausted, or in extreme circumstances, then [a block for disruption may be necessary] ..."
 * Added section:WP:BLOCK, which replaces some of the material from WP:BLOCK
 * WP:BLOCK renamed to WP:BLOCK and shortened
 * Substantial changes: WP:BLOCK, WP:BLOCK and WP:BLOCK
 * Changed: "accounts used primarily for disruption are blocked indefinitely" to "accounts used primarily for disruption may be blocked indefinitely without warning"


 * Consensus
 * Substantial changes throughout the page


 * Open proxies
 * Added: "[ Open or anonymising proxies,] including Tor, [may be blocked from editing]"
 * Added: "Additionally, because of the creation of the IP block exemption flag, editors, like those in China, who have a demonstrated need to use proxies or Tor to edit may be given the ability to edit from blocked IPs. See IP block exemption for more."


 * Policies and guidelines
 * Changed "Policies and guidelines express standards that have community consensus. Both need to be approached with common sense: adhere to the spirit rather than the letter of the rules, and be prepared to ignore the rules on the rare occasions when they conflict with the goal of improving the encyclopedia. Those who edit in good faith, are civil, seek consensus, and work towards the goal of creating a great encyclopedia should find a welcoming environment." to:
 * "... our processes are routine methods to serve the above policies and guidelines. Policies and guidelines describe standards that have community consensus, and indeed consensus is itself a core policy and philosophy. Those who adhere to neutral point of view, are civil to and assume good faith in others, seek consensus in discussions, and work towards the goal of creating an increasingly better written and more comprehensive encyclopedia should find a very welcoming environment. Policies need to be approached with common sense; adhere to the spirit rather than the letter of the rules, and be prepared to "ignore all rules" on the rare occasions when they conflict with the goal of improving the encyclopedia."


 * Protection policy
 * Added to WP:PROTECT: "If the user is using sock puppet accounts, see the instructions below.", and "[inappropriate editing] by sock puppet accounts of the blocked user. If the user is not using sock puppet accounts, see the instructions above."
 * Changed in WP:PROTECT: "Such protection is not case-sensitive." to "Such protection is case-sensitive."