Fandom/Gamepedia Discussion: Why I Have Been Blocked in A fandom Wiki

There are 2 types to know first: Local and Global block

### Local blocks

Most blocks are set by the admins of a community, and only stop you from editing or posting on that one wiki.

The name of the blocking admin will be on the block notice you see when you try to edit there.

You may be able to contact the blocking admin by making a post on your own message wall. This is usually still open to blocked users and changes will usually be seen by others in the community. A link to your message wall can be found under the profile menu at the top right of any page.

Alternatively, you can try contacting the admin on their wall on Community Central and ask for a review of the block.

If these options are not possible in your situation, then you will likely have to wait for the block to expire or join one of the many other Fandom communities available.

However, if you believe your block breaks Fandom policy, please see 'How blocks should be appealed' on that page for how to proceed.

### Global blocks

If your block is global (preventing you from editing all wikis), please contact us.

   In order to look into your global block, we'll need some additional info. You can find this info when you try to edit a page - you will see a message titled "Your username or IP address has been blocked", similar to this above

**Reasons and why block**

Every community needs to have their own rules set up and block according to them fairly.

Since the rules can vary depending on the community, users can be blocked for many reasons, though blocks are usually given for:

* Vandalism, such as inserting false information.
* Spamming.
* Repeatedly adding pages that violate copyright.
* Abusing user rights.
* Harassing or insulting other users.
* Offensive or misleading usernames/avatars and refusing to change them.
* Impersonating another person.
* Breaking other policies.

While each community needs to have its own blocking policies, blocking should not be considered a standard disciplinary measure. Admins are advised to discuss the matter with the user first, warning them about the consequences of their behavior, and only block if the warning does no effect. Blocks are used to prevent damage or disruption, not to punish users.

In most cases, a short block should be enough to resolve the matter. IP addresses should never be blocked for longer periods of time, with an absolute maximum of three months, to avoid situations where a dynamic IP is used by a completely different user and they find themselves unable to edit.

Blocked users are unable to edit pages, upload files, move pages, and perform other actions that additional user rights would grant. Effectively, this makes the wiki read-only for those users; attempting to edit while blocked brings up a message telling them they are blocked from editing. Until MediaWiki 1.17, sysops or others with access to the unblocking interface may still unblock others (as well as themselves if they have the unblockself right). However, since MediaWiki 1.17, blocked users who are in user groups that allow them to block nevertheless may not block or unblock other users while blocked.

## Who can block?

In most cases, local administrators and Fandom staff can block, but in some rare cases other users like moderators have this ability. The definitive way to check is to know the user rights group and see if they have the "block" right listed in Special:ListGroupRights.

For users with this ability you should see the following line for their user group:

* Block other users from editing (`block`)

Other groups that can usually block:

* Fandom Helpers
* Global Discussions moderators
* SOAP members
* Wiki Representatives

## How to block?

Users can be blocked through the Special:Block:

1. Enter the **username or IP address** of the user or IP you want to block.
2. Select an **expiry time** for the block. Blocks are usually best kept as short as possible. You can customize the block duration by typing it in the box. Infinite blocks can be made this way by typing *infinite* or *indefinite* in the box.
3. Enter a **reason** for the block. If a suitable reason isn't in the drop-down, then type it into the box below. Remember that the reason will be public, so keep it clear, informative, and polite.
4. An IP block will block all users with that IP, whether they are logged in or not. Since IPs can be shared, you can leave logged in users unaffected by the block by leaving the box "**Prevent logged-in users from editing from this IP address**" in the bottom section of the block page unchecked.
5. If a logged-in user is blocked, they can try to evade the block by logging out and editing anonymously. To prevent this, you can set the block to include the IP address that the logged-in user is using. Check the box marked "**Automatically block the last IP address used by this user, and any subsequent IPs they try to edit from**".
6. The blocked user can be prevented from editing their Message Wall by selecting the "**Prevent this user from posting on their Message Wall while blocked**" option.

* Click "**Block this user**" to complete the block.

Note that the form also includes useful links that allow you to edit the block reasons template, access the unblock page, or review active blocks.

### Blocking the right user

When selecting which user to block, keep in mind:

1. Usernames are exact and case sensitive. The easiest way to ensure you're blocking the right user is to copy and paste the username from elsewhere on the wiki into the Block box.
2. IP addresses can be blocked using either the IPv4 or IPv6 format. As with usernames, you should only block the exact IP address used by the offending user, or else the block won't work.
3. For vandalism or spam coming from very similar IP addresses, a "range block" may be appropriate. However, this should be done sparingly. See the "*Should we block ranges?*" section on the blocking FAQ page for details.
4. You may also request to check user IPs if a range block may be appropriate for your situation or not. See *"How can I request an IP check?"*.

## How to appeal a block?

If you feel you have been unfairly blocked and wish to appeal, first contact the person who blocked you. Show them the entire message you get when you attempt to edit a page so that they can investigate the matter and unblock you if they believe the block was made in error.

(You can also find your block reason and duration by going to your user profile on the wiki, and clicking on the **Contributions** tab.)

A list of admins on each community can be found by going to the Special:ListAdmins page on that wiki. If you are unable to edit at all on the wiki, you can leave a message on Community Central to the admin of the wiki you're blocked from.

If the block is upheld, the best course of action is to simply wait out the block, perhaps contributing to a different wiki. Repeatedly asking admins for unblocking or leaving multiple messages to that same end may be considered harassment and have the exact opposite effect.

In some circumstances, such as when the block reason violates Fandom's Terms of Use or when the issued block was not firmly tied to rules of that wiki, you may contact Fandom support for advice. While Fandom staff intervention will happen when there is an ongoing problem of blocks unrelated to the rules of the community, they will generally not interfere with local communities and their admins by unblocking users *without* prior consultation.

## How to unblock

Administrators can unblock users through Special:Unblock:

1. Enter the **username or IP adress** you want to unblock.
2. Write a **reason** on the box for why are you unblocking the user.
3. Click "**Remove this block**" to complete unblocking.

### Common block summaries

The drop-down reasons for blocking are editable at MediaWiki:Ipbreason-dropdown. By default, these include:

* Inserting false information
* Removing content from pages
* Spamming links to external sites
* Inserting nonsense/gibberish into pages
* Intimidating behavior/harassment
* Abusing multiple accounts
* Unacceptable username

## How can I appeal a ban?

You can contact the banning admin on Community Central to appeal a ban that is more than one month in length, and we will review the situation. However this does not guarantee that your ban will be lifted.

When appealing, you must present the following information:

* Your Wikia Username
* The blocking admin
* Reason for unbanning
* General intention if unbanned
* Reason for ban
* Additional note(s)

## Until when can I appeal a ban?

You have to wait 30 days after your account got banned to appeal. Unfortunately, if the appeal fails, you must wait another 30 days before sending in another appeal.

## Why is my ban different to my friends when we did the same thing?

We are unable to comment on your friends ban, but if yours is different it is likely that you may have done something along the same lines before. If you break the Rules of Conduct and continue to do so, you will find that your bans might get longer in length. So if this was your friend's first time of doing something against the Rules of Conduct, and it was your second or third, then your ban may be longer.

## What are the reasons for me being banned?

Any user that breaks the rules may get banned. For details on 'some' of these reasons you can find out more under the community tab of the navigation bar.

## My friend, sibling, or cousin got me banned. Can I be unbanned?

Only you should have access to your account. If your friend, sibling, cousin, or anyone else has got your account banned, then they must have had your password.

We are always warning our users not to allow other people on their Wikia accounts. As your account is your responsibility, you should take more care over it. If you've been banned because you let someone else on your account - it's still your responsibility.

## Why did I get a moderator message or alert?

If you received a message from a moderator or staff it is likely that you did something you shouldn't have, and the moderator is giving you a warning to stop. Some messages are just for information so they may be letting you know what is going on from the wiki.