Wikipedia:Topic ban essay
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Topic
Types of topic bans
Among the several types of topic bans editors may be subject to on Wikipedia are:
- Article space topic bans - this type of topic ban requires that the user not edit in the article or meta pages of Wikipedia related to the topic (see #What is a topic? for how this is determined). Such a user is still allowed to contribute to any and all discussion pages (anything with "Talk:" in the title).
- Discussion space topic bans - this type of topic ban requires that the user not edit in either the article and meta pages or the discussion pages of the topic. This type of ban is usually imposed when a user is monopolizing conversation and causing discussions to become unwieldy on talkpages.
- Complete topic ban - this type of topic ban means that the user is banned from making an edit about the topic anywhere on Wikipedia including the user's own talkpage. These sorts of topic bans are usually a last resort for users who have been so disruptive as to warrant a remedy which encourages them to disengage completely from the topic.
- Interaction topic ban - editors may be prohibited from interacting with certain editors.
Note that topic bans are meant to be
In some contentious areas, the arbitration committee has given administrators wide latitude to subject users to topic bans to help solve protracted disputes. In such situations, the administrator is required first to notify a user of the applicable arbitration committee ruling before any topic ban is imposed. Usually a log of when these warnings were given and when any topic bans were imposed is kept on an appropriate subpage of the relevant arbitration case.
What is a topic?
A topic is often centered around a single article or group of related articles. Topics may be "broadly construed" to give wide latitude to enforcement and to prevent
Since how "broadly construed" the topic ban is may be up to interpretation, the onus is on the user under the topic ban to avoid impropriety or even the appearance of impropriety. A good way to do this for users who are actively under a topic ban is for them to contact neutral third-parties to verify that a particular Wikipedia page is not subject to the topic ban before making any edits. This is not a foolproof method, but it has the advantage of adhering to Wikipedia's
Enforcement
Those who violate their topic bans are usually
As blocks become longer and violations of the topic ban continue, a harsher community sanction may be decided upon to prevent further disruption.
Edits by proxy
Topic-banned users subject to the first two kinds of topic bans who see egregious errors that they think require uncontroversial fixes can request that a third-party make the edits for them. A third-party who does this takes full responsibility for the edit in question. Care should be made to be as transparent as possible about such actions since
Editors who are subject to complete topic bans should not be discussing the articles on Wikipedia at all and therefore even edits by proxy are inappropriate. It is the hope, rather, that editors subject to a complete topic ban will turn their attention to other areas of Wikipedia.
Rehabilitation
Most topic bans are in effect for a certain timeframe after which they are automatically lifted. In the case of indefinite topic bans, conditions should be given by which the user can demonstrate rehabilitation and a return to normal editing.