Wikipedia:WikiProject Conservatism/Discretionary sanctions FAQ

I just received a notice on my talkpage. Am I in trouble?

 * No, the notice is purely informational.

Why was this placed on my talk page?

 * To alert you that the article you're working on is in a controversial topic area so "edit carefully." You can't be sanctioned unless you get this notice.

What does "edit carefully" mean?

 * It means that admins watch the article more closely than other articles, and policies are more strictly enforced, so you won't be able to get away with personal attacks or edit warring. Discretionary sanctions allow individual admins to use sanctions, including blocks and formal warnings, without going through a noticeboard such as WP:ANI.

Is the person who posted this an admin? Do they have any "authority"?

 * Anyone can post these notices. The editor who posted yours is probably just a regular Joe/Josephine, not an admin. In fact, if you observe someone with the potential to be disruptive go ahead and spread the love and put a notice Ds/alert on their talk page! Just make sure they haven't received one in the last 12 months.

Is the article I'm working on subject to 1RR?

 * Most articles are not under 1RR. But it's extremely important to check the article talk page to make sure. Trump-related articles are generally 1RR, but your city councilman probably is not. Look for a banner which says something like "WARNING: ACTIVE ARBITRATION REMEDIES." You can't miss it. It takes up almost the whole screen. Topic areas within Conservatism-related articles that fall under discretionary sanctions include:
 * Abortion (case)
 * Articles with biographical content relating to living or recently deceased people (case)
 * Post-1932 politics of the United States (case)

What if another editor attacks me on an article in the controversial topic area?

 * This is one of the things Discretionary Sanctions was set up to address. The first step is to ensure that the editor is aware that the topic is under DS. There are several awareness criteria, but the most common is a DS Alert message left on the user's talk page. If they haven't been notified within the past year (check their user talk history), you may post the Ds/alert template on their talk page. As with any article, follow the advice at Responding_to_personal_attacks. If the disruption continues after they are notified and you want to proceed with a report, you can go to WP:AE which is closely watched by administrators and specifically addresses DS issues. Another option is to file a report at WP:AN/I which encourages community involvement, so be sure to identify the issue as DS.

What if another editor edit wars on an article in the controversial topic area?

 * Again, this is what Discretionary Sanctions was set up to address. Report them here WP:ANEW and make sure to ask for DS.

Still have questions?

 * Get more info here Discretionary sanctions. You can ask questions at Teahouse which specializes in assisting newer editors, or at the Help desk.