Battlestar Wiki talk:Think Tank/Username policy

Vague and Arbitrary

I mean no offense, but the following: "The name uses profanity that cannot be used over the public airwaves as defined by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission." is pretty arbitrary. I understand what you're getting at, but unfortunately the FCC is so haphazard in how it determines what is allowable any given day that it seems difficult for admins/b-crats/users to try to predict how they would rule on a given word. I'd propose instead to either a concrete list that we can point to, or go more vague and just codify "common sense"/discretion. If you've heard/read some of the podcasts you'll see that the lines that Standards and Practices people/FCC write in are not only not written in stone, they're not even written in sand. --Steelviper 12:53, 18 January 2007 (CST)

I actually thought hard on that, and had to select some group that is sufficiently anal. It was arbitrary, and leave the floor open for any other authority that can keep usernames at a "G" rating. --Spencerian 12:58, 18 January 2007 (CST)

I can see both sides. Using the FCC as any kind of standard is a bad, bad idea. But own standards are just as arbitrary. Like saying something like "Names that violate decency and courtesy". What does that cover? And creating a full list of banned names is impossible too --Serenity 13:01, 18 January 2007 (CST)

~~Any internet-based standards we can apply? --Spencerian 13:22, 18 January 2007 (CST)~~Strike that. Take a look at the SafeSurf rating system. There is also a self-rating form that can be filled out to determine our own rating for outselves, although I don't think that's really what we want--we'd get Battlestar's rating! --Spencerian 13:28, 18 January 2007 (CST)

Aye. So far I agree with the Proposed Policy. Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 14:14, 18 January 2007 (CST)

How to deal with violations

Where would admins discuss if a username is inappropriate or not? The user talk page? The admin board? --Serenity 13:01, 18 January 2007 (CST)

I'd recommend the user's talk page. More direct, allows the user to see the discussion and decision and actively join in. Also it provides excellent CYA for us where admins don't talk "outside" of the user's hearing. --Spencerian 13:22, 18 January 2007 (CST)

Of the times its happened I have just posted on the persons talk page advising them to change. --Mercifull ^{(Talk/Contribs)} 12:14, 19 January 2007 (CST)

It might be overkill, but we may need a quickie template that puts a notiable stock banner that says something like "The use of your username conflicts with Battlestar Wiki's username guidelines. Contact bureaucrat to request a username change." That way there's little to type, makes it easy to see a warning or request, and keeps things consistent. --Spencerian 14:04, 19 January 2007 (CST)

Vote

With no other debate (and if you need to, continue to do so above), I call for a vote. Please add your vote below. --Spencerian 16:00, 19 January 2007 (CST)

Date Started: Friday, January 19, 2007 at 12:00 (UTC)
Date Ending: Friday, January 26, 2007 at 12:00 (UTC)

Instructions: Use {{Support}}, {{Oppose}}, {{Abstain}}, and {{Neutral}}, supported by a reason and appropriately signed using the four tildés (~~~~).

Other users are encouraged to vote as well, simply use {{vote}} to add your vote. Refer to Template:Vote for complete instructions.

Joe Beaudoin Jr. - Support -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 20:01, 19 January 2007 (CST)
CalculatinAvatar - Abstain. Automatic leave of absence due to inactivity.
Day - Abstain. Automatic leave of absence due to inactivity.
FrankieG - Support
Mercifull - Support agree with Peters comment below --Mercifull ^{(Talk/Contribs)} 20:14, 19 January 2007 (CST)
April Arcus - Neutral I'm not sure this needs to be codified, but I don't see it hurting. --April Arcus 20:03, 19 January 2007 (CST)
Serenity - Support Aye --Serenity 16:06, 19 January 2007 (CST)
Shane - Support Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 16:10, 19 January 2007 (CST)
Spencerian - Support as the policy champion. --Spencerian 16:01, 19 January 2007 (CST)
Steelviper - Support If the b-crats want codified procedure around the process, then I'll oblige them. --Steelviper 20:40, 19 January 2007 (CST)
Talos - Support --Talos 19:49, 19 January 2007 (CST)