Wikipedia:Wheel war/Examples
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Hypothetical example cases are given in order to illuminate the bright-line application of 0WW policy. Actual ArbCom proceedings are cited to illuminate both wheel war policy and guidelines.
[edit] Examples
These are some specific hypothetical example scenarios of admin actions which explore the question of whether any admin has violated 0WW policy. These examples do not pretend to exhaust all possible applications of this policy. While none have the effect of policy, all may serve as a guide to interpretation. Note that in any such case, real or hypothetical, one or more admins may well have violated 0WW guidelines and/or other policies and guidelines, such as civility, neutrality, or process. Here we only explore possible bright-line violations of 0WW.
| case | interpretation | |
|---|---|---|
| Admin A blocks User X. Admin B unblocks User X. | Admin A blocks User X again. | Admin A has violated 0WW. |
| Admin A blocks User X again. Admin B unblocks User X again. | Admins A and B have both violated 0WW. | |
| Admin C blocks User X. Admin D unblocks User X. Admin E blocks User X. Admin F unblocks User X. | No admin has violated 0WW. | |
| Admin C blocks User X. Admin D unblocks User X. Admin A blocks User X again. | Admin A has violated 0WW. | |
| Admin B writes on Admin A's talk: Do not block User X. Admin A blocks User X. Admin B unblocks User X. | No admin has violated 0WW. | |
| Admin A protects Page P. Admin B unprotects Page P. Admin A protects Page P again. | Admin A has violated 0WW. | |
| Admin A deletes Page P. Admin B undeletes Page P. Admin A deletes Page P again. | Admin A has violated 0WW. | |
| Admin A deletes similar Pages P1, P2, P3, P4. Admin B undeletes Pages P1, P2, P3, P4. | No admin has violated 0WW. | |
| Admin A deletes similar Pages P1, P2, P3, P4. Admin B undeletes Pages P1, P2, P3, P4; then leaves a comment on A's talk: "Don't delete this kind of page." Admin A deletes a similar Page P5. | Admin A has violated 0WW. | |
| Page P is nominated for deletion. Discussion ensues. Admin A deletes Page P with edit sum speedied as patent nonsense. Admin B undeletes Page P with edit sum restoring out-of-process deletion; XfD process must complete. Admin A deletes Page P again. Admin B undeletes Page P again. | Admins A and B have both violated 0WW. | |
| Admin A blocks Anon (IP) N for one week. Admin B receives an email stating I edit from IP N, which is widely shared. I am not in violation. Please remove this block. | Admin B unblocks Anon N. Admin A blocks Anon N again. | Admin A has violated 0WW. (Responsibility to check block log.) |
| Admin B declines to unblock; block to expire soon. Block expires. Admin A blocks Anon N again. | No admin has violated 0WW. (Unopposed.) | |
| Admin B declines. Admin B replies by email, saying Admin A was wrong to block you. Block expires. Admin A blocks Anon N again. | No admin has violated 0WW. (Ignorance.) | |
| Admin B declines. Admin B messages on Admin A's talk page, saying You were wrong to block N. Block expires. Admin A blocks Anon N again. | Admin A has violated 0WW. | |
[edit] Citations
This is a summary of actual ArbCom findings and remedies relating to wheel warring.
- RfArb/Tony Sidaway: Tony Sidaway (talk • contribs • blocks • protects • deletions • moves) deleted and undeleted a number of pages multiple times. "These include the reversal of more than a dozen different administrators." Remedy given: "Tony Sidaway is prohibited from reversing any administrative action more than once. Each reversal shall be accompanied by an explanation in the appropriate venue...."
- RfArb (on UBX war): "The persistent deletions by MarkSweep and undeletions by Guanaco, across many pages and on many different occasions, constitute a wheel war." -- "Guanaco has a pattern of reversing other admins' deletions or blocks without prior notification or discussion, and without consensus." Remedies given: "For...wheel warring...Guanaco is desysopped." -- "MarkSweep is banned from editing and taking any administrative action with regard to userboxes."
- RfArb/Pedophilia userbox wheel war: "Wikipedia:Wheel warring (undoing an administrative action by another administrator) without first attempting to resolve the issue is unacceptable..." -- "Jimbo Wales blocked Joeyramoney for a week, and Karmafist subsequently intentionally removed the block." Remedy given: "For wheel-warring with Jimbo Wales, Karmafist is to remain desysopped for two weeks after this case is closed...."
- RfArb/Freestylefrappe: Freestylefrappe (talk • contribs • blocks • protects • deletions • moves) blocked Jeffrey O. Gustafson (talk • contribs • blocks • protects • deletions • moves); the latter, being an admin, unblocked himself; the former reblocked. "Administrators should avoid engaging in repeatedly doing or undoing an administrative action. (See Wikipedia:Wheel war.)" -- "[A]n administrator...should not block in a dispute where he himself is a party, nor wheel war." Remedy given: "Freestylefrappe is desyopped."
