[WikiEN-l] Userboxes: A modest proposal.

Fri Feb 17 15:48:43 UTC 2006

I've suggested this on the workshop page of the Tony Sidaway RFAr
(which is basically the AC case that had *better* deal conclusively
with the userbox issue) and I present it here for your esteemed
dissection.

Ignoring procedural matters (the AC has yet to make policy that it
isn't damn sure  is already consensus), here's a proposal:

"The Arbcom recommends to Jimbo a declaration as policy:
* Rather than permitting all userboxes and disallowing only the worst
ones, policy shall follow the model on de: and move to certain
userboxes being permitted and all others limited or forbidden.
* Userboxes for human languages spoken and for geographic location are
unlimited.
* A user may display three other userboxes, whether by template, page
transclusion, code substitution, image or other means. Other userboxes
may be subject to deletion discussion on WP:TFD, except those
susceptible to speedy deletion under T1."

Cutting the Gordian knot.
* de: has Babel and location only and has yet to collapse in user
civil war. I deliberately didn't include "and others per community
consensus" as
    (a) purported "community consensus" going against the actual aims
of the project was how we got into this mess;
    (b) any attempted "community consensus" on the subject of
userboxes has become a festering mess of sockpuppets, meatpuppets,
getting the vote out, wheel warring, process-addict querulousness
versus hipshooting IAR and several multi-volume fantasy epics' worth
of flamewars.
* The "or other means" takes care of the userbox warriors.
* Where you take bad userboxes to kill them is spelt out.

Note also that my own userpage would presently fall afoul of this one.

Please discuss.

- d.