User:K6ka/Guide to appealing blocks

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This is an unofficial guide to making unblock requests. If you have been blocked from editing, it most likely means that either you or someone on your IP range has broken wiki policies, and an administrator deemed a technical block from editing was needed to prevent further disruption. Blocks may be lifted, if they have not expired on their own already, if it has been deemed that the block is no longer necessary or was made in error.

In most cases, blocked users accept their block and either wait for the block to expire, or leave the wiki completely to edit on another, or to pursue other interests. However, there are times where the blocked user may want to request that an administrator review their block and, if it has been deemed inappropriate or no longer necessary, the user may specifically request that they be unblocked. In order for an unblock request to even come close to being accepted, it must do the following things:

  1. Sincerely accept the reasons for the block and apologize for your mistakes. Admitting and acknowledging the mistakes are a huge step in getting unblocked.
  2. Promise the community that the reasons for the block will not happen again. If you were blocked for vandalism, then you must not vandalize again to avoid being re-blocked for this reason. If you lie about this in your unblock request, it may destroy community trust and you may be subject to an indefinite block, per the administrator's discretion.
  3. Prove that the block is no longer necessary to prevent disruption. The unblock reason must prove that the disruptive behavior will not continue even if the block is lifted.

How do I request an unblock?[edit source]

In most cases, you should be able to edit your user talk page even when blocked, unless it's been specifically disabled. This is where you'll be able to request unblock and discuss the block on-wiki with other editors and the administrators.

To request an unblock:

  1. Go to your user talk page and edit it.
  2. Add the following to the page: {{Unblock| 1 = Your reason here}}. Replace "Your reason here" with your reason for the unblock. For example: {{Unblock| 1 = I promise not to vandalize the wiki again. I admit it was a horrible mistake.}}
  3. Click on "Publish".

What happens when I request an unblock?[edit source]

When you perform the above actions, your user talk page is automatically placed in a special category, called Category:Requests for unblock. This category lists all the users that are requesting an unblock. Administrators patrolling this category will see your request and are able to act accordingly. Any administrator can see and review your request.

When an administrator reviews your request, they will typically check your log entries, as well as your contributions, as well as any edits you have made that are now deleted. If necessary, they will talk with the blocking administrator. Remember that almost all actions you perform are logged, and with the exception of deleted contributions, they can be viewed by anyone, even by those who are not logged in. The reviewing administrator will look through these logs and try to determine what exactly happened.

Once they have made a decision, they will either accept or decline the request. They will modify the template accordingly in order to state whether the request was accepted or declined, and the reason behind those decisions. If the request is accepted, the blocked user is unblocked soon after the request is fulfilled.

Composing your request to increase the chances of being unblocked[edit source]

When writing your unblock request, keep the following in mind:

  1. Be calm and assume good faith.
  2. Refrain from using ALL CAPS or profanity in your request. Such requests may be declined on sight without further review of your logs and contributions.
  3. State your reason as to why the block should be removed. It's not enough to just say "It was unfair" or "It was wrong". Why was it wrong? Why was it unfair?
  4. Do not accuse another user of breaking the rules in your unblock request. An unblock request is about you, not someone else.
  5. Address the blocking administrator's concerns in your unblock request. Remember, you were given a reason for your block. Your unblock request should address that reason.
  6. Give evidence. Evidence such as diffs are invaluable. The page history doesn't lie; use this to your advantage. If you have not done anything wrong, or if you feel the blocking administrator has missed something important, point it out.
  7. Stick to the point. We don't need you to go rambling about how your little brother got a hold of your computer, or how you spilled soda all over your keyboard and the sticky keys magically started typing nonsense into a page. Brilliant storytelling, but this is an unblock request, and we are not book critics. We don't have time for silly bedtime stories.

Do not make legal threats and do not resort to coercion[edit source]

You are blocked because of concerns about problematic actions. Using threats to try and get around your case will not get you unblocked. You can't evade a punishment by doing more wrong. Making threats that show a lack of you understanding why you were blocked is almost a guaranteed decline; it shows you will not learn in the future and doesn't fulfill the recommendations listed above.

Do not treat your unblock request as a legal proceeding. Just don't go there - The Sims Wiki has no affiliation whatsoever to Electronic Arts or any of its associates. Wikia is a privately owned website - policies enacted by Wikia or its user-created wikis aren't impeded or halted by law. In short - laws and "Freedom of speech" doesn't stop anyone here from enacting their own policies and forcing you to follow them. A block is a suspension of your privilege to edit this website. Any legal proceedings simply won't be carried out. Even if you were serious about it, just think for a moment - is this really worth it? Are you gaining anything from this, or are you simply wasting your time on something so pointless?

Do not threaten or imply retaliation. It will not help you in the slightest but rather will lead only to a more comprehensive block. So don't go there. Please.

Talk about yourself, not others[edit source]

You are blocked because of what you did, not what others did. Thus...

  1. Do not complain about other people. Disagreements should be resolved after you are unblocked by discussion, but your unblock request is not the place for this. Think about yourself, not about other people.
  2. Do not excuse what you did with what others did. Two wrongs do not make a right. Do not make an unblock request that simply asks for another user to be blocked. That's not an unblock request - rather it's the opposite.
  3. Assume good faith to other editors, and assume that others have done the same to you. The administrator will most likely have assumed good faith on your part for your first offense, so there is no need to remind other users to assume good faith.

Agree to follow our customs[edit source]

You will be more likely to be unblocked if you:

  1. Admit to it. Really, admit it. All your contributions to the wiki are logged. There's no point in denying something you did, because those records can and will be checked.
  2. Make people trust you again. Suggest improvements for articles, offer support and encouragement to editors that need it, and voice your opinion in community discussions. Make yourself trustworthy. Put responsibility on yourself and actually do what you promised to do. You don't need to be perfect, but you do need to observe a standard of conduct.
  3. Don't do it again. If you vandalized an article, don't vandalize again. If you insulted someone, don't use insults again.

If unsatisfied despite everything above...[edit source]

Well, let's face it. It's usually best at this point to just accept the block. Do not rant, flame, or attack others even if you feel attacked yourself. Two wrongs don't make a right. It's the worst thing you can do.

If you have checked (and checked) all your evidence and it appears to be valid, yet you are still declined, it's often best to just ask for other opinions, or better yet, ask for what you can do. Other editors may be able to help you if you are calm, polite, and civil with them. Don't be afraid to discuss things with other users. Discussion goes a long way.

If you really cannot get unblocked and few editors are willing to support you, then it may be time to move on. It seems difficult, but remember that life isn't centered around one thing, like The Sims Wiki. It's just one of many different paths to take in life, so if you can't take The Sims Wiki's path, there are many other wikis out there that you may be able to take as well. You can go to another wiki, or even go and try out another hobby. Take up basketball, maybe bungee jumping, or some other activity that you can use to fill up your spare time. There's more to life than just wikis.

Examples of bad unblock requests[edit source]

“ You must not stop me from removing false information from the wiki and inserting the truth! It's the Truth! I know the Truth with a capital T! Unblock me now or this wiki will go to ruin! ”
“ This is an unfair block! I did nothing wrong! The blocking administrator hates me! UNBLOCK ME IMMEDIATELY, THIS IS CENSORSHIP, I HAVE A RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH!!! ”
“ If you block me, you have to block User:SomeOtherUser too! He/She is even more deserving of a block! ”
“ Please unblock me. My sister / brother / mother / father / friend / roommate / enemy / pet / spouse used my computer and pretended to be me. I won't let this happen again. ”
“ Oh lighten up! I was drinking, had a few beers, and was joking around with a friend! It was a joke! Don't you guys have a sense of humor? ”
“ The blocking administrator is just retarded. He/She's a nincompoop! I demand that his/her administrator rights be removed and my block lifted! ”
“ I'm sorry, my account was hacked! Unblock me now, I have control over this account again, and I promise I won't let this happen again! ”
“ If you do not unblock me, I will have no choice but to sue The Sims Wiki to get my editing rights back. ”
“ ARE YOU ****ING KIDDING ME???!!! ARE YOU PEOPLE JUST STUPID? CAN'T YOU SEE THE EVIDENCE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES, YOU BLOCKED THE GUY THAT WAS DOING THE RIGHT THING! YOU ******ES! ”

Global blocks[edit source]

Sometimes, Wikia Staff or VSTF officials may revoke editing access on all wikis on Wikia, not just on one wiki. This is known as a "Global block", and is different from a disabled account. A user that is globally blocked will show up as "BLOCKED" on their userpage, even if the block log on the local wiki is empty or doesn't show an active block. The Sims Wiki cannot assist you with global blocks. If you want to have a global block lifted, please contact Wikia Staff.

See also[edit source]

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