MediaWiki talk:Blockiptext

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Just a note - I tested blocking "User:Rdsmith4" (rather than the norm, simply "Rdsmith4"), and discovered that, while "User:" is indeed unnecessary, the block works nevertheless. — Dan | Talk 05:11, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Thats useful to know, but I cheated and edited my monobook.js to have the block and blocklog tabs when I'm on a userpage. See Image:Whos wiki.jpg. Btw you're welcome to use it. ∞Who?¿? 06:27, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Contents 1 Tar manual link 2 Updating 2.1 Minor overhaul 2.2 Split information 3 Public relations implications 4 format 5 even more eye catching 6 Order 7 IP lists

[edit] Tar manual link

RexNL removed a "dead link" to the tar manual, but it's actually been moved here. – Minh Nguyễn (talk, contribs) 07:44, 6 March 2006 (UTC)

I noticed this a while ago, and coulsdn't find the MediaWiki page. Iolakana|^T 14:05, 5 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Updating

I've done a bit of updating to reflect the new changes; a group review and rewrite is probably also in order. Essjay (Talk) 12:48, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Great job, Essjay! --Siva1979^{Talk to me} 20:45, 15 July 2006 (UTC)

I've updated this a bit further: many people have been treating AOL dynamically-allocated addresses like AOL proxies, and limiting blocks to these to 15 minutes or less. There is no need to do this: there are over five million addresses in the AOL dynamic address pool, compared to than a few hundred AOL shared proxies; as a result, collateral damage to these addresses should be minimal, although it is relatively easy for users to get new ones; hence the recommendation that blocks in these ranges should not exceed a day or so. -- The Anome 10:13, 18 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Minor overhaul

I've overhauled the page somewhat to make it easier to read, simplify reference, and reduce the excessive length. I changed the instructions from point to prose form, merged the multiple related headers to point-form under a single header, reduced the font size of the AOL ranges reference table, updated various details (ie, one can block account creation as well as write access), and otherwise tweaked it. One major benefit to the changes is that one can use the actual form in reasonably high resolutions without scrolling. // [admin] Pathoschild (^talk/_map) 06:26, 7 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Split information

I moved the information on blocking IPs, which was quite fragmented and overly verbose on this page, to Wikipedia:Blocking IP addresses. I combined information from various sources onto that page and linked to other pages for more in-depth information, and updated some outdated information. I left two tables on this page of IP ranges administrators should not block without reading up on. The block log is thus somewhat more useable, since it can be viewed on a single page again. // [admin] Pathoschild (^talk/_map) 05:25, 22 August 2006 (UTC)

Reverted by Freakofnurture. // [admin] Pathoschild (^talk/_map) 02:12, 23 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Public relations implications

How do I make this section small? <small> does not appear to work.Geni 09:15, 21 August 2006 (UTC)

You don't. This section is important. It is not to be made difficult to see or read. Kelly Martin (talk) 12:15, 21 August 2006 (UTC)

Interesting claim but false. Something like 99.9% of blocks don't involve it. It also fails to cover Canada (we know they have edited), Australia, Scotland, New Zealand, the problem of Germans expanding their activities beyond de (they after all were the first to try). You then have the issue that admins are unlikely to carry out range blocks (particular of anything other than /24) without having a pretty good knowledge of what is going on. Thirdly in most cases the block has only been carried out after we found out who was behind the IP. Fourthly admins have this habit of looking on the talkpages of the people they block (something to do with checking they have been warned and putting up notices informing they have been blocked that kind of thing) which ought to provide sufficient warning. Fifthly the message in it's current form is of limited use since it fails to explain how to contact the Communications Committee and exactly what /20 (you don't think most admins know that generally knowing that /24 knocks out the last 3 numbers is enough). Sixthly it fails to deal with the problems of autoblocks.

admins are not completely stupid they do tend to know when to be careful they don’t need great be warning messages messing up their block page. If you feel the need to be kept informed there are better ways of doing it.Geni 13:21, 21 August 2006 (UTC)

Well, what are the better ways of doing it? --Siva1979^{Talk to me} 14:25, 21 August 2006 (UTC)

Well normaly we have found talk page messages surfice. For now I have placed it along with the AOL IP adresses although that is only a short term solution. The communications committee has 19 memebers and presumerbly more time to think about this than I have. Since they appear to be trying to take responsibilty for various areas of the mediawiki namespace I think they would say that you should really ask them.Geni 14:54, 21 August 2006 (UTC)

Sorry, but your convenience is not the issue here. Stop editing this. If you persist you may find yourself the first person desysoped by order of the Board. Kelly Martin (talk) 15:14, 21 August 2006 (UTC)

So do you have any counter arguments?Geni 15:44, 21 August 2006 (UTC)

The major PR problem so far has been Congress. We'd like to add the Canadian Parliament but we can't find their IP addresses just now; when we do we'll add them. Whether or not admins carry out range blocks is irrelevant; admins are responsible for knowing what they're blocking and this is notice to admins of a policy change that was forced by the needs of the Communications Committee. This in no way alters the decision whether or not to block; it merely reminds admins of their obligation to inform the Foundation for certain blocks and of their obligation to be civil and reasonable in using the blocking ability. People do NOT always read the talk page, and anyway this is too important to leave to a talk page notice that may be vandalized or otherwise missing. Your fifth point is incoherent, so I simply cannot respond to it.

This reporting requirement is now an obligation of all admins. If you do not wish to comply with it, you may resign your adminship by making a request at Meta:Requests for Permissions. Kelly Martin (talk) 16:56, 21 August 2006 (UTC)

1.nyet we have had problems with german lot a while back. Admins carrying out range blocks know who they are blocking (mostly exactly how AOL allocates IPs is somewhat complex). If you want to be kept informed I suggest getting the devs to get you and RSS feed or the like which could cover autoblocks as well. Obviously that will take time and in the meantime yes we will have to inform you (although you could make that less complex). I have shown how to alter talk page templates so that they are imposible to miss. I have also provided you with the Template:AOL ranges option which you have largely ignored.

you must consider the problem that as you start to load more stuff onto the page people will start to ignoreing it. then what are you going to do?Geni 18:09, 21 August 2006 (UTC)

• How about a new box, to sit over by the AOL box, with this information. Sample: {{User:Xaosflux/Sandbox9}}, which produces:

Large government ranges Take care when formulating your block messages
156.33.0.0/16	156.33.0.0 – 156.33.255.255 United States Senate
194.60.0.0/20	194.60.0.0 – 194.60.63.255 UK Parliament
143.231.249.141	United States House of Representatives
Blocks in these ranges require contacting ComCom on this page

This seems to inlcude all of the information above, plus links, plus the email address and a directive, in a compact size that may also be used in other locations as needed. — xaosflux ^Talk 01:59, 22 August 2006 (UTC)

I don't really care how you format the information, as long as the notification requirement remains very visible to admins. We have new admins almost every day these days, and they need to understand the importance of this issue. Efforts to minimize the impact of this requirement will be unwelcome as a result. Kelly Martin (talk) 02:20, 22 August 2006 (UTC)

I've spammed the talk pages of everyone who's edited this recently, if no objects will add this in in a day or so. — xaosflux ^Talk 02:35, 22 August 2006 (UTC)

Why can't we can't just plug this into the end of the AOL box like we did with NTL back in the day?Geni 10:38, 22 August 2006 (UTC)

Because representatives of the press don't generally call the Wikimedia Foundation office asking why we blocked AOL or NTL. Kelly Martin (talk) 11:44, 22 August 2006 (UTC)

To Freakofnurture, regarding your reversion (we had it perfect before this); from the messages on this page, it's pretty clear that perfect is not where this is. — xaosflux ^Talk 12:17, 22 August 2006 (UTC)

Kelly trying to dodge the question is unhelpful. The new box aproach has much the same effect as extending the AOL box. So what is the problem with extending the AOL box.Geni 12:29, 22 August 2006 (UTC)

Specificially, the AOL box has other uses, making it be more then an AOL box takes away from them. — xaosflux ^Talk 00:37, 23 August 2006 (UTC)

I've put it back to Kelly's version, no box, with a few changes: "public relations implications" is a much less useful heading that "blocks of governmental IP ranges". I really think the prose version is more explanatory. The warning about the blocks is necessary; I'd like to at least give a nice clear explanation to admins as to *why*. (Speaking as one of your friendly neighborhood press contacts who has to answer these people's questions, yes.) Mindspillage (spill yours?) 01:35, 27 August 2006 (UTC)

Further details can be found at Wikipedia:Sensitive IP addresses. Adding specific instructions about what to do in a specific case of a shared IP in terms of block length is insulting. Admins block shared IPs all the time. Knowing to generaly keep the blocks rather short is standard stuff.Geni 07:10, 27 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] format

The AOL box should float in the top right, so that it does not extend past the text, which, for me is shortened by the fact that I do not need to readthispart:

• In general: Do not block any IP address indefinitely unless it is an open proxy.
• Proxy servers: Some ISPs use proxy servers so that a large number of users share a single IP, so that blocks can affect a many innocent users. For example, see the table of AOL IP addresses to the right (see dealing with AOL vandals). Please check "Block anonymous users only" when blocking in these ranges, or keep the block to 15 minutes or less. Administrators and developers will generally clear such blocks promptly because of the collateral damage.
• Dynamically-allocated IP addresses: Unlike proxy server addresses, dynamically-assigned IP addresses change relatively slowly and are typically only used by a single person at a time. Although blocking these will cause far less collateral damage, a single dynamica address will still be used by multiple users over time, so please do not block such addresses for more than a few days.

If you don't know about this, you should read up on it before pushing the block button to begin with. Also, please stop putting the AOL box and the government IP ranges inside the "readthispart" div, because the range numbers in that box are actually useful, unlike these bullet points, and I'd prefer for them not to be hidden by the "readthispart" attribute. As one editor famously phrased it, I'll revert till doomsday. —freak(talk) 16:45, Aug. 24, 2006 (UTC)

An informative edit summary ("moved AOL box out of hideable div (useful reference)") would have prevented any misunderstanding. :) // [admin] Pathoschild (^talk/_map) 23:27, 24 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] even more eye catching

Ok so we now have coloured text surrounded by a thick coloured box. Should be somewhat more eye catching than plain black text. Short of using the blink tag there are not many ways to make the text harder to miss (please no one use the blink tag).Geni 23:13, 26 August 2006 (UTC)

Okey box now tells you to take care with block messages (although I think this runs into WP:BEANS).Geni 01:19, 27 August 2006 (UTC)

Looks great! Definitely doesn't run into WP:BEANS in my opinion. No one can see this special page unless they're an admin and what's the chance they'll find that template in the template space? —Mets501 (talk) 12:59, 27 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Order

I'm putting the numbers in order, to make them easier to find. Rich Farmbrough, 11:35 21 November 2006 (GMT).

[edit] IP lists

Some clarification of these lists would seem to be warranted.

• Are AOL IPs a continuing issue, now that proxies are blocked? For non-proxy AOL IPs, is there any reason they would be different from any other ISP?
• Clearly, the Communications Committee does not need to be notified if the toolserver is blocked; the toolserver is completely different from the others listed under sensitive IPs.
• Canada was added after the U.S. and U.K. ones. Is Canada really warranted on the sensitive IP list? Does the Communications Committee really care about the Canadian government IPs such that an admin "must notify the Wikimedia Foundation Communications Committee immediately" in order to address "political and public relations implications"? If Canada needs to be included, why not Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, and India?
• What are the standards for other IPs? Should any newsworthy item be included, and for how long? Or, how many IP addresses are there that have thousands of users routed through them?
• The longer the list, the less effective it becomes.

—Centrx→talk • 23:43, 3 January 2007 (UTC)