Editing 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. --[[User:Steelviper|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. --[[User:Spencerian|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 --[[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 13:01, 18 January 2007 (CST)
::<s>Any internet-based standards we can apply? --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 13:22, 18 January 2007 (CST)</s>Strike that. Take a look at [http://www.safesurf.com/ssplan.htm 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! --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 13:28, 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? --[[User:Serenity|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. --[[User:Spencerian|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. --[[User:Mercifull|Mercifull]] <sup>([[User talk:Mercifull|Talk]]/[[Special:Contributions/Mercifull|Contribs]])</sup> 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. --[[User:Spencerian|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. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 16:00, 19 January 2007 (CST)

* Date Started: {{dateahead|{{JD|2007|01  |19}}|0}}
* Date Ending: {{dateahead|{{JD|2007|01  |19}}|7}}

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

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

# [[User:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|Joe Beaudoin Jr.]] - {{support}} -- [[User:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|Joe Beaudoin]] <sup>[[User talk:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|So say we all]] - [[Battlestar Wiki:Site support|Donate]]</sup> 20:01, 19 January 2007 (CST)
# [[User:CalculatinAvatar|CalculatinAvatar]] - {{Abstain}}. Automatic [[Battlestar Wiki:Leave of Absence|leave of absence]] due to inactivity.
# [[User:Day|Day]] - {{Abstain}}. Automatic [[Battlestar Wiki:Leave of Absence|leave of absence]] due to inactivity.
# [[User:Gougef|FrankieG]] - {{support}}
# [[User:Mercifull|Mercifull]] - {{support}} agree with Peters comment below --[[User:Mercifull|Mercifull]] <sup>([[User talk:Mercifull|Talk]]/[[Special:Contributions/Mercifull|Contribs]])</sup> 20:14, 19 January 2007 (CST)
# [[User:April Arcus|April Arcus]] - {{neutral}} I'm not sure this needs to be codified, but I don't see it hurting.  --[[User:April Arcus|April Arcus]] 20:03, 19 January 2007 (CST)
# [[User:Serenity|Serenity]] - {{support}} Aye --[[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 16:06, 19 January 2007 (CST)
# [[User:Shane|Shane]] - {{support}} [[User:Shane|Shane]] <sup>([[User_Talk:Shane|T]] - [[Special:Contributions/Shane|C]] - [[Special:Editcount/Shane|E]])</sup> 16:10, 19 January 2007 (CST)
# [[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] - {{support}} as the policy champion. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 16:01, 19 January 2007 (CST)
# [[User:Steelviper|Steelviper]] - {{support}} If the b-crats want codified procedure around the process, then I'll oblige them. --[[User:Steelviper|Steelviper]] 20:40, 19 January 2007 (CST)
# [[User:Talos|Talos]] - {{support}} --[[User:Talos|Talos]] 19:49, 19 January 2007 (CST)