Forum:CT Archive/Granting User:ChristopherLeeGallant limited blocking authority

As you may know, Wikia has a new feature called Discussions, which is a message-board forum connected to Wookieepedia that invites a more general outlet for Star Wars discussion topics than we permit on the wiki. At the last Mofference, we agreed to create the Discussions page to define the wiki's relationship to Discussions. The wiki editors and the Discussions users effectively represent separate, distinct communities with their own respective rule sets. And, as our page notes, Wookieepedia administrators reserve moderator power on Discussions, though the forum is more properly overseen by the designated Discussions Moderators.

Although we are separate communities, the wiki and Discussions are linked in terms of the Wikia interface, namely the blocking function. There is no block function on Discussions, and Wikia has expressed that they have no plans to create one. The only way to block someone on Discussions is to block them on the wiki. The practical issue that arises from this is that, since we are separate communities, someone blocked from Discussions will be prevented from editing the wiki despite never having broken any of our respective wiki rules (and vice versa). Whether or not that is fair is something that you, the reader of this CT forum, need to determine for yourself.

Recently, Wikia granted, one of the Wookieepedia Discussions Moderators, "Global Discussions Moderator" rights, which gives him universal access to blocking power across all of Wikia, including Wookieepedia. In plain English, that means CLG now has the same technical ability as administrators to block editors on our wiki. Wikia granted him this right as a way of being able to block people on Discussions. It should be noted, however, that he is currently prevented from using this right on Wookieepedia due to Wookieepedia's Site feature policy. At CLG's request, this CT forum is designed to determine what degree of blocking authority, if any, we will allow him to have.

After holding a joint discussion with CLG and several other administrators, we mapped out a plan that those of us present expressed general approval for. This plan, with community approval, would grant CLG very limited blocking authority on the wiki in order to more effectively moderate Discussions. This flow chart defines the plan that CLG would need to consult each time he wants to issue a block. In short, he would only be allowed to block someone once, for a maximum of 24 hours; if he wished to block the same user again, he would need to consult a Wookieepedia administrator over IRC, who would then either step in themselves or advise CLG on how he may proceed.

The voting options will be straightforward, either support for the flow-chart plan granting ChristopherLeeGallant limited wiki blocking power or opposing the idea outright. Toprawa and Ralltiir (talk) 18:19, October 12, 2017 (UTC)