Thread:Sylvandyr/@comment-5089372-20121109034204/@comment-1025281-20121110031345


 * Edit summaries &ndash: that's good. I think it would be a good idea to note that edit summaries are needed in the policy as well.
 * I think that, from a procedural standpoint, the blocking policy works well now. I do have more suggestions though, which I'll get to.

I also want to go over to kind of language and style applied to policy. Generally, I think the approach to take is for policy to use more neutral language and avoid stuff that sounds more suitable to a legal context. Ambiguity should also be avoided. With that in mind, maybe...
 * The section on user pages could be reworded to be less strong. I think the Wikipedia section on the subject is a good guide. It's shorter and really says the same thing while moderating the tone. I think it better matches what you guys are intending from what you've said to me so far (i.e. you can edit user pages, but only for certain things).
 * I'm not sure language like "violations" and "offences" (and other stuff with similar connotations like "punishment" and "severity") is best. While you want to make clear what the ground rules are for participating on the wiki, I think it's best not make things a bit overblown. Perhaps I would suggest some changes to the thinking here. Wikis are a very chaotic place, and in my experience, it's better to understand that flow and work with it rather than try to impose a kind of order that won't come. So when blocking, I think it's better to view them as a preventative measure designed to keep disruption down, rather than a punishment to deal with offences. This is better because the user who was blocked is less likely to develop a vengeful mode of thinking. You want them to participate when they come back in a meaningful and positive way. It's also better because other users are less likely to develop a mentality against the user who was blocked, i.e. less stigmatisation. It's not a catch-all solution, but I think employing that kind of thinking to blocking is more likely to keep the temperature cool. I think that blocking policies should reflect that.