Friendly block
From RationalWikiWiki
A friendly block is a block applied to a user for humorous purposes. It is the opposite of the malicious block, and by far the more common of the two.
On RationalWiki, friendly blocks are when sysops slap each other —and sometimes non-sysops — with short blocks. They often utilize strange block comments. One notable example is the time Kels set about (and succeeded at) blocking every sysop — in alphabetical order.[1]
On occasion, just-registered users are handed a "welcome block" as a sort of initiation rite. It typically lasts less than a minute. Recipients of such blocks usually don’t notice unless they happen to be editing while the block is in effect. Once traditional, this practice has largely lapsed as RationalWiki learns to absorb new editors. A more enduring tradition is encouraging freshly "demoted"[2] sysops to block a few established editors for practice, often Bohdan.
Friendly blocks were once considered a tradition unique to RationalWiki, however, similar blocks are called "joke bans" on Uncyclopedia.[3]
Some people communicate via the block log. This makes their conversations quite difficult to track.
[edit] Notes and references
- ↑ Blocks given by Kels. The relevant entries are consecutive and contain the comment "I need a reason?". Incidentally, Javascap repeated this stunt a few months later, swearing he had no knowledge of Kels's actions.
- ↑ Bad experiences with power-tripping Conservapedia sysops, and the nature of sysop chores have made them call sysopship a "demotion".
- ↑ "Administrators have the right to joke-ban."[1]
