Grants:IdeaLab/Smart Blocking
Project idea[edit]
What is the problem you're trying to solve?[edit]
We have blocked millions of IP addresses in range blocks to try and catch particular harassers and vandals. Many innocent users suffer from this. With smart blocking we can get more of the harassers and fewer innocents.
What is your solution?[edit]
Current blocks on IP addresses block anyone who isn't IPblock exempt.
With Smart blocking the IP or IP range only blocks edits where the checkuser info matches one of the edits that the range block has been set against (the reference edit(s)). If you try to edit in that IP range using the same sort of kit as the target of the block then the smart block will still affect you, but if your setup is different, you won't be aware that the block exists. If the harasser has access to multiple kit then the smart block will need to be extended to look for multiple examples of edits by the blocked editor. I.E. the same IP range may have multiple smart blocks at any one time.
Smart block would be a new and additional option between the existing options of soft and hard block. It would require that the blocking admin supply a diff of the reference edit that the smart block would then compare to other attempted edits in that IP range using the checkuser info. Matching edits would get a blocked message, nonmatches would be accepted as per normal. The admin would not themselves see the checkuser info used in the match.
As well as the IT requirements we would need to amend the privacy policy to retain checkuser data for longer where the edit has been classified as vandalism or harassment and is being used as a reference edit in a smart block.
Project goals[edit]
Smart blocking means that fewer people will be blocked because of other people's blocks, and it could catch more harassers as we may do more smart range blocks than we currently do range blocks.
Get involved[edit]
Participants[edit]
Endorsements[edit]
Expand your idea[edit]
Would a grant from the Wikimedia Foundation help make your idea happen? You can expand this idea into a grant proposal.