Wikipedia:Requests for comment (draft user conduct amendments)

This page is here to help develop a revised RfC approach for user conduct issues. The goals are to emphasize resolving disputes and to help reduce frustration by resolving them sooner and in a less adversarial manner. See also WP:RfC and Wikipedia talk:Requests for comment.

Please feel free to make amendments to the suggested text and to discuss the text on Wikipedia talk:Requests for comment (draft user conduct amendments).

Wikiquette alert

Wikiquette alerts are an option for a quick, streamlined way to get an outside view. Just post a single link here to the problem as you see it (for example, a single posting or section of a talk page). Label the comment neutrally and post the date but do not sign or use names.

Outsiders who visit the link are encouraged to make a constructive comment about any Wikiquette violations they see. Postings in this section should be removed after seven days.

Comment about individual users

For comparison purposes, please see: Wikipedia:Requests for comment - Comment about individual users - Original text

Use this section to ask for outside opinions on how best to resolve a dispute you have with an individual user, rather than about article content. You should also state what your goal is with the RFC (for example, what you would like the other person or persons to do or stop doing).

To request comments, please follow the instructions to create a subpage in the appropriate section below. Before requesting comments from other Wikipedians here, you must first try to resolve your disagreement with the other person on a talk page.

Once the request for comment is open, other Wikipedians will hopefully come along with suggestions as to how to resolve the disagreement. This may include suggestions for how one or both parties should modify their behaviour.

Once the request for comment is open, it will remain open for the longer of 14 days or 3 days after the latest new contributor to the page has posted their comments, unless both the disputants request otherwise, for instance, because their dispute has been resolved before this time expires.

After that, it will be deleted. But users are free to keep a copy on their user page.

General user conduct

Discussions about how best to resolve a dispute with another user should be listed in this section unless the issue to be resolved concerns the use of admin privileges or the choice of username. To make a listing, please create a subpage using the following sample listing as a template (anything within {...} are notes):

• [[YOUR USER NAME]] requests outside comments on how to resolve their dispute with /Example user. The dispute concerns : {''one or two'' short sentences giving the dry facts)

Use of administrator privileges

This section is only for discussions specifically related to the use of sysop rights by Wikipedia:Administrators. This includes the actions of protecting or unprotecting pages, deleting or undeleting pages, and blocking or unblocking users. If the dispute is over an admin's actions as an editor, it should be listed under the General user conduct section above. To list a dispute, create a subpage using the following sample as a template:

• [[YOUR USER NAME]] requests outside comments on how to resolve their dispute concerning how /Example admin has exercised their sysop rights. The dispute concerns: {''one or two'' short sentences giving the dry facts.}

Choice of username

If you believe someone has chosen an inappropriate username under Wikipedia's username policy, you may create a subpage here to discuss whether the user should be forced to change usernames. However, before listing the user here, you must first contact the user on their talk page and give them an opportunity to change usernames voluntarily.

Wikipedia:Requests for comment/Example user

Current text is on Wikipedia:Requests for comment/Example user

Note: all headings have been moved down one level for ease of reference on this RfC approach development page

• [[YOUR USER NAME]] , after trying and failing to resolve their dispute with [[OTHER USER'S NAME]] requests outside comments on how to resolve their dispute. All constructive comments on how the dispute may be resolved, including, but not limited to, suggestions that one or both of the above-mentioned users should modify their behaviour, are welcome.

The Request for Comment process is designed to seek a constructive outcome. Users who are involved in the action should use the period this page is in existence for in a productive way to work towards a mutual resolution. It is particularly important, if a successful resolution is to be achieved, that all users look towards moderating their behaviour both on and off this page.

This page will be listed at Wikipedia:Requests for comment until the later of 14 days after first posting and 3 days after the last new contributor has left a comment, unless the above-mentioned users have both requested that it is removed sooner - because, for example, the issue has been resolved. After this period, this page will be deleted, again, unless the above-mentioned users have both requested that it is retained.

As this page is

(Your username | talk | contributions)'s statement of the dispute

This is a summary written by the user making the initial request for comment. Although it should be sufficient to enable users who are unfamiliar with the dispute to understand it, it should be as concise as possible. Only the user initiating the request for comment should edit here.

Users filing RfCs should state what they would like the RfC to accomplish, such as what behaviour should change.

Examples

(Provide diffs and links that illustrate what the dispute is about. To provide a diff go to the "history" page of an article and select to compare a user's edit with the edit immediately preceding that one. Then copy and paste the URL address onto this page and place square brackets either side of it.)

Confirmation that the request procedures have been followed

I confirm that I have tried and failed to resolve the dispute (provide diffs and links and sign).

I confirm that I have informed [[OTHER USER'S NAME]] about this request (provide diff and sign).

Suggested way of resolving the dispute

(Please outline any positive suggestions as to how the dispute may be resolved. These suggestions may include either or both of you might change your approach or an offer to take a break from editing particular pages.)

(Other user's name | talk | contributions)'s response

This is a summary written by the other user. The other user should approach this section constructively, rather than defensively, and should include any suggestions to resolve the dispute, which might how either or both might change their approach or an offer to take a break from editing particular pages.

(Add summary here)

Examples

If there are any diffs or links that illustrate the response, the other user should place them here

Outside views

This is a summary/selection of summaries written by users not directly involved with the dispute(s) mentioned above, but who would like to add an outside view of how the dispute might be resolved.

{Add summary here, but you must use the endorsement section below to sign. Users who partipate in the RfC and do so by contributing to the sections above this comment area may not make comments in this section.}

Users who endorse this summary (sign with ~~~~):

Discussion

All signed comments and talk not related to an endorsement, should be directed to this page's discussion page.