MediaWiki:Blockedtext

secure login ''' You are currently unable to edit Wikipedia pages.  You can still read pages', but cannot edit, change, or create them.'' Your account will usually still be able to edit your user talk page and contact other editors and administrators by email, even if blocked.

You are not blocked from reading pages, only from editing them.

If you have just clicked a red link, it means you were blocked from starting a new page as no article on that topic exists yet.

You can still read pages, but cannot edit or create them. If you were only intending to read a page and are seeing this message, you probably followed a red link. These are links to pages that do not exist, so they take users to an editing screen. You should have 0 problem if you follow blue links.

What does this mean?
As on many websites, Wikipedia administrators occasionally block accounts and IP ranges that are deemed responsible for or related to problematic activity. You may be an innocent victim of collateral damage, whereby a block of some other activity has accidentally caused your account to be inaccessible. Alternatively, your account or IP may have been identified by an administrator as responsible for or related to misuse, or some other breach of policy.

If your account has been blocked by mistake, it will be reactivated very quickly, as soon as you let an administrator know of the problem. Otherwise, there is a rapid appeal process which obtains quick review by other independent administrators, and brief discussion of the matter. The box above gives the information you will need in either case, as provided by the blocking administrator.


 * What is a block?


 * A block is a measure used to protect Wikipedia from possible improper use, or modification in breach of editorial policies. Once blocks are over, they become history unless problems recur. Blocks can apply to a user account, an IP, or a range of IPs. A number of automated features identify unblocked usage which apparently should be blocked; this can be quickly rectified if incorrect.


 * Most common causes


 * Your IP matches that used by another blocked account. Ask for further information and/or request unblocking.
 * Your account or a connected IP has been used in a problematic way, or your username was unsuitable and you need to choose another. The reason should be in the box above.
 * You have just clicked a ' red link ' - an article that does not yet exist - but you do not have access to start a new page when no article exists already. Ask someone else to create the page for you, or create an account yourself to do so.
 * The reason given is "Unacceptable username", so you have been blocked for choosing an inappropriate or suspicious username (i.e. TitletownFootballClub, Gfhdsiugdfjsedbktu, DamnAssDamnAssDamnAssDamnAss, 609134686148761480538695136655). Please read that section of our blocking policy for more information. If you do not feel that the name is inappropriate, or if the name was registered by somebody other than yourself, please contact the blocking administrator, as described below.

What do I do now?

 * 1) If you have never edited Wikipedia before, or do not have an account, please see the Unregistered? section for specific information.
 * 2) If the reason given is "username", "user...", "contact an administrator for verification purposes", or something similar, then you have been blocked for choosing an inappropriate username. To request a change in username and be unblocked, please follow these instructions. Alternatively, you can create a new account with a more appropriate name.
 * 3) If you are using Google Web Accelerator, please disable it for this site. This also applies to any other web accelerator software you may have installed.
 * 4) If your computer is blocked as an open proxy, please follow [these instructions].

Innocent?
Sometimes IP ranges or shared proxies are blocked from editing Wookieepedia. This means that innocent people sometimes can't edit. If this is the case, it should be explained in the reason given above.

Also, some individual dynamic IP addresses may be blocked, usually anywhere from one hour to several days, depending on the severity of vandalism. Occasionally, users with dynamic IPs will be blocked accidentally, due to that fact that their present IP was previously used by a blocked user.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If this problem affects you repeatedly, and you would like to help us resolve this issue, you will need to contact a administrator and your internet service provider (ISP). The administrator should be able to obtain the time, date, and IP address used for the inappropriate behavior in question, and describe what the problem was. You can then pass this information on to your ISP, explaining that you are unable to edit Wookieepedia due to the inappropriate actions of another person using this ISP, and ask them to remedy the problem.

A note to AOL users
AOL uses a shared IP system (meaning they give out the same IP addresses to several people), so if you use AOL and are blocked for something you didn't do, contact an admin for assistance. Due to the fact that many of the acts of vandalism to this wiki come from AOL IPs, we use short-term blocks on each AOL IP that made the offense. The only way not to get blocked due to the actions of others is to switch Internet Service Providers (ISPs). If this is not an option, then just refresh your page until the block message goes away and do any major editling offline

What to do next
You can either wait for the block to expire, or contact $1 to resolve the problem that led to the block.

If you wish to contact $1, you may do so via email, or on the wikia IRC channel. If you believe the block is unfair, you may appeal the block. You will need to know: $2
 * Your IP address, which is $3
 * The name of the blocking admin, which is $1
 * The reason you were blocked, which is:
 * Your block ID is $5

Note that you may not use the "email this user" feature unless you have a Wookieepedia account and a valid email address registered in your user preferences. Generally, e-mail is not recommended as the primary means of contacting administrators to discuss blocks. Numerous abuses of the e-mail function have led to many administrators blocking e-mail access.

It is preferable that you use Wikia's IRC channel to discuss blocks, which can be opened in any browser here: irc.wikia.com. Once you enter your username and join #wikia, type the following code: /query $1

This will place you in a private channel with the administrator in question (if available) and you can discuss your block there with him or her privately. Please do not insist on discussing blocks in the main #wikia channel if asked not to.

Also, it's not worth discussing the block with administrators other than $1. Our administrative autonomy policy states that individual administrators are afforded discretion when it comes to matters such as blocks, which can only be overturned by massive consensus.

Unregistered?
MediaWiki, the software that Wikipedia runs on, identifies users without an account through their IP address. However, some IPs are shared by many people, and as a result unregistered users are sometimes blocked for the misbehavior of another editor. Since administrators have no way to accurately tell the claims of an innocent user from those of an anonymous vandal, we strongly encourage you to create an account. This gives you your own contribution history, which administrators can use to determine if you are a trustworthy user who has been inadvertently blocked.

Appealing blocks
If you think the block is stupid, unfair, unjustified, or silmair, you may contest the block by adding in your talk page, but you must read the Appealing blocks article. Please substitute the template as, rather than   Note that you may not use the "email this user" feature unless you have a valid email address registered in your user preferences. You may wish to check the block log or the block list

Editing from the UK?

 * You will be given the

Emailing us
 Due to the high volume of email we receive, you are more likely to get a quick response if you try requesting an unblock via your talk page first.

Before you email us, please make sure your situation has not already been addressed by the above sections. Your talk page may also contain further details related to your block or IP address and we strongly advise that you review it before contacting us.

When sending us an email, please copy-paste and fill out one of these forms.

Help us to help you by copying and using the forms provided. If you don't, the first reply will probably ask you to do so.

Even though emails sent to unblock-en-l mailing list are viewable only by administrators and trusted volunteers, under no circumstances should you email us your account's password or reveal it to anyone else even if asked to. When requesting an account, a temporary password will be generated and emailed to you. Please change the password on your new account as soon as possible.

This list exists for the purpose of reviewing blocks only — any request to make edits to articles on your behalf will be disregarded. Correspondence containing legal threats, personal attacks or rudeness is likely to be ignored and may result in the lengthening of pre-existing blocks.

IMPORTANT: Please do not email us without providing the information requested above. You are wasting your time and ours if you do. [mailto:unblock-en-l@lists.wikimedia.org Click here to contact unblock-en-l].