NSWiki:Dealing with vandalism

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Note that this policy is still evolving. Discussions should occur on the talk page.

When dealing with vandalism it is important to remember that the vandalism might have occurred accidentally, or the user could be experimenting with the vast editing privilege everyone is granted and a simple kind word might change his editing habits.

The first step is to detect a vandalised page, for instance the content was removed or profanity was inserted into the article. To correct the problem, simply revert the page. You might also go through the recent edits done by the vandal's IP address to correct any other obviously bad edits.

Adding someone to "vandalism in progress"

If you happen to observe what you believe is an act of vandalism, record the person's IP number or username. If the vandalism happened to be particularly malicious, or it is a sustained attack, add the IP number to NSwiki:Vandalism in progress.

Blocking vandals

Remember that blocking a user is a serious action. The IP address could be used by multiple people, or it could be dynamic. We certainly want to avoid blocking innocent potential contributors, so blocking vandals should only occur in the face of repeated vandalisms, and the extension of the block should be as relatively short, unless continued action warrants otherwise. Further, attempts should be made to contact the user in his talk page, kindly telling him what is wrong with his edits, and directing him to information that explains how and what to contribute. The relevant information should already be at NSwiki:Vandalism in progress, so any additional misconduct should be taken care of quickly.

When considering to block a user, remember to keep a level head. As Theodore Roosevelt said, Speak softly and carry a big stick. Issues like this should be kept relatively quiet, and be dealt with by the wiki community. Often, trolls and vandals just want to get your attention and want to know that they succeeded in aggravating you. Don't give them the satisfaction. Just quietly do your job to make this wiki a useful resource for the FIRST community.

Before blocking, see Wikipedia's Dealing with vandalism and Wikipedia's Blocking policy. Also, it is generally considered good practice to warn another sysop who is on duty of the anticipated action. Once a user is blocked, fill out the page NSwiki:Why_we_blocked. A block can be appealed at NSwiki:Arbitration.

Note that a blocked user can still view pages from the wiki, but cannot edit them.