BBC Doctors Wiki: Blocking policy

**Blocking** is the means by which an Administrator prevents a user account or IP address/range from editing the BBC Doctors Wiki. Blocks are preventive rather than punitive measures used to prevent damage by dealing with vandalism and other offences. Block duration may vary, depending on the severity and longevity of vandalism, but in most instances a block can be lifted if the editor agrees to stop the damaging behaviour.

All users may post block requests on an admin's talk page.

When considering blocking, it is important to remember the axiom "Never attribute to malice what can be attributed to error"; article blanking or addition of fanon maybe just a well-meant attempt to remove inaccurate information or expand the encyclopaedia. Always assume good faith, but remember that the rules apply to everyone equally.

* Grounds for blockingGeneral vandalism - the type of strike depends on the severity of the vandalism
	+ 'Bad-faith' edits made with the intent to lower the quality of the wiki or disrupt the functioning of the community. Users will be issued with a 'Strike 1'.
	+ Spam edits, these are made by user's posting irrelevant spam links in articles, or creating articles which are entirely spam is grounds for a 'Strike 2/3'.
	+ Move vandalism; when an article is moved to a nonsensical or inappropriate title, this is grounds for a 'Strike 2/3'.
	+ Inappropriate account naming. Creating an inappropriate account name - be it in terms of user impersonation/insult, or general rudeness/obscenity is also grounds for an instant 'Strike 3'.
	+ Fanon or fan fiction; users inserting false information will be issued with a Strike 1, and if the user continues they will be issued with a Strike 2/3.
	+ Personal attacks - Users attacking other editors personally (in regards to anything) should be given one warning prior to a cool-off ban. The type of strike depends on the severity of personal attacks.

* + Edit wars - This is when editors who disagree about the content of a page repeatedly override each other's contributions. In some situations users may be blocked for upwards of 2 hours to allow tempers to cool and for discussion to be started on the article's talk page.
	+ Spoilers - Insertion of information about an episode that hasn't aired yet or characters that haven't appeared yet is grounds for a 'Strike 1' and then, if it persists, a Strike 2. If the offender continues to insert spoilers after the block has ended then the user will be issued with a 'Strike 3'.

## Personal attacks

One cannot block another for simply "being annoying", unless the annoying person in question is doing things bad enough to be deemed a personal attack, which is when a user deliberately insults or 'makes jibes' at another to bully or harass them, i.e. swear at them.

## Vandalism

Vandalism is where a user either blanks a page, replaces all content of page with nonsense/vulgarity or inserts nonsense/vulgarity somewhere in the page. If an instance of vandalism seems minor enough to have been an accident then a warning maybe issued. If it is major enough to be obvious vandalism then the offender will be blocked infinitely with no prior warning. If an offender has been warned but persists, then they will be blocked.