Introduction to contentious topics
You have recently edited a page related to See #topic codes for options, a topic designated as contentious. This is a brief introduction to contentious topics and does not imply that there are any issues with your editing.
A special set of rules applies to certain topic areas, which are referred to as contentious topics. These are specially designated topics that tend to attract more persistent disruptive editing than the rest of the project and have been designated as contentious topics by the Arbitration Committee. When editing a contentious topic, Wikipedia’s norms and policies are more strictly enforced, and Wikipedia administrators have an expanded level of powers and discretion in order to reduce disruption to the project.
Within contentious topics, editors should edit carefully and constructively, refrain from disrupting the encyclopedia, and:
- adhere to the purposes of Wikipedia;
- comply with all applicable policies and guidelines;
- follow editorial and behavioural best practices;
- comply with any page restrictions in force within the area of conflict; and
- refrain from gaming the system.
Editors are advised to err on the side of caution if unsure whether making a particular edit is consistent with these expectations. If you have any questions about contentious topics procedures, you may ask them at the arbitration clerks' noticeboard or you may learn more about this contentious topic See #topic codes for options. You may also choose to note which contentious topics you know about by using the {{Ctopics/aware}} template.
 | This template should always be substituted (i.e., use {{subst:alert/first|topic code}}). Any accidental transclusions will be automatically substituted by a bot. |
 | This template is within the jurisdiction of the Arbitration Committee, as one of its associated enforcement processes. Therefore, you must not make significant changes to the wording or functionality of this template without the Committee's consent. Thank you! |
Usage
Some pages and topics on Wikipedia are covered by contentious topics. Users editing these pages may be alerted about the contentious topics system. If this is the editor's first alert, you must use this template if you alert them. Otherwise you can use Template:Contentious topics/alert for alerts after their first alert, or Template:Contentious topics/alert/DS if their last alert was for the old "discretionary sanctions" system.
Alerts ensure a user knows what is expected of them. Alerts are a neutral courtesy; never use them to intimidate, coerce, or shame another editor.
To alert a user, open a new section on their user talk page. Paste the following code into it, replacing topic code here – select from list with the corresponding code from the table below. Type an appropriate subject line, then save the page.
{{subst:alert/first|topic code here – select from list}} ~~~~
You also should not issue alerts to editors who have posted a {{Contentious topics/aware}} notice on their talk page for a particular topic area, thus declaring they are already aware of the topic sanctions. If that is the case, the filter will remind you that leaving an alert for this user is not necessary.
The template is flexible through the parameters |2=, which adds text to the box, and |sig=, which adds your signature.
{{subst:alert/first|topic code here – select from list|2=If you have questions, please contact me or ask at the [[WP:AC/CN|Arbitration Committee Clerks Noticeboard]].|sig=yes}}
| Parameter | Description | Type | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The contentious topic code | 1 topic t | What contentious topic applies to this page. Specified using a shorthand code listed on this template's documentation page. | String | required |
| Extra content | 2 | Extra content that is appended to the alert but placed before your signature. | String | optional |
| Add your signature? | sig | Whether to include your signature at the end of the message. Any text as the value adds your signature. | String | optional |
| Include a heading? | heading | Whether a heading to the message should be included. Default is that it is included. | Boolean | optional |
| Custom heading text | headtext | Text for the heading that is used instead of the default. | String | optional |
Logging
Using this template will trigger EditFilter 602. As a result, your edit containing the alert will be tagged with "contentious topics alert". Edits with this tag can be searched for in user contributions, user talk page histories, Special:RecentChanges, and the log of EditFilter 602.
Therefore, an automatic system log of all alerts is maintained. You need not do anything except leave the alert.
To see whether a user has been Alerted for a contentious topic, load the history of their user talk page and search for contentious topics alert under the 'tag filter' field. You can use the {{Contentious topics/log}} template (usually alongside {{user}} in noticeboard reports) to quickly generate links for conducting searches of issued alerts.
If your alert does not log, please seek assistance at Template talk:Contentious topics.
Codes
When leaving a user an Alert, you must replace |topic code – select from list with the relevant topic code:
Advanced users' notes
- Edits containing a substituted instance of this template will trigger AbuseFilter 602. The exact text which triggers the AbuseFilter are declared in the publicly viewable filter conditions.
- If the parameter
|1=fails to display,|topic=or|t=can be used instead. - This template will return an error if:
|1=or an equivalent is not declared;- the template is not substituted; or
- the template is used outside the user talk or user namespaces.
- Template:Alert is a redirect to Template:Contentious topics/alert. Instructions for this template, Contentious topics/alert, are often given with reference to the template name Alert. This is for brevity's sake; the two template names refer to the same actual template.
- Information on adding new topic areas to the index above is given at the bottom of Template:Contentious topics/list/single notice, which is displayed at the bottom of the main template page.
- This template is included in Category:Wikipedia templates to be automatically substituted, so AnomieBOT will automatically substitute it. (As the template returns an error if used unsubstituted, AnomieBOT will not have to frequently, if ever, do this.)
Standardised Arbitration Enforcement (AE) templates
This section transcluded from: Template:Contentious topics/list/single notice [edit] [Contentious topics template subpages]
Alerting
- {{alert/first}} ({{Contentious topics/alert/first}}), to alert an editor to the CT system which is mandatory for the first time an editor is alerted to contentious topics (except if they've previously been alerted to discretionary sanctions in any topic area)
- {{alert}} ({{Contentious topics/alert}}), to alert an editor to the CT system
- {{alert/DS}} ({{Contentious topics/alert/DS}}), to alert an editor to the CT system who had previously been alerted of DS
- {{Contentious topics/aware}}, to register oneself as already aware of CT
- {{Contentious topics/talk notice}}, for announcing CT in a talk page messagebox
- {{Contentious topics/editnotice}}, for announcing CT in an editnotice
- EditFilter 602, which automates the logging of alerts
- Log of recent alerts
Enforcement
- Individual restrictions
- {{AE sanction}}, for telling a user they have been sanctioned (under CT or otherwise)
- {{AE sanction/topicban}}, specifically for an AE topic ban
- {{Uw-aeblock}}, for notifying users of arbitration enforcement blocks
- {{Uw-aepblock}}, for notifying users of arbitration enforcement partial blocks
- Page restrictions
- {{Contentious topics/page restriction editnotice}}, editnotice that must be used for announcing active page restrictions (except page protection)
- {{Contentious topics/page restriction talk notice}}, talk page messagebox that should be used for announcing active page restrictions
- {{Contentious topics/list}} & {{Contentious topics/table}}, the lists of contentious topics
- Contentious topics enforcement templates, the category for all enforcement-related templates created for the current contentious topics template
- Case/decision specific enforcement templates
- {{Contentious topics/log}}, to display links for searching whether a user has ever been alerted; use like/alongside {{user}}.
Whenever contentious topics are (de)authorised for a topic, update these: {{Contentious topics/list}} (edit), WP:GS §3.1 (edit), and {{Contentious topics/table}} (edit).