Wikipedia:Attack sites

This page is about the failed proposal of non-Wikipedia sites harassing Wikipedians. For attack sites on Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Attack pages.

Attack sites are websites outside Wikipedia that are used to facilitate, promote, or encourage the harassment of individual Wikipedia editors. Harassment of those who choose to edit the encyclopedia is a serious matter. It discourages participation, and may put people in danger. These websites' activities include the malicious posting of abusive comments, physical threats, libel, and attempts to disclose the private information of Wikipedians.

In order to try and ensure the safety and well-being of the Wikipedia community and its individual editors, attack sites should never be linked to or in any other way promoted.

What is an attack site?

For the purposes of this proposal, an attack site is a site outside Wikipedia that engages in any of the following:

• Compiles or sponsors efforts to obtain evidence that may be used to discover the real world identities of Wikipedia contributors;
• Harasses or sponsors harassment of Wikipedians;
• Makes or sponsors legal threats toward Wikipedians

An attack site might be run by an individual, in the form of a private website or a blog, or it could be a virtual community, such as another wiki or discussion forum.

Dealing with attack site links, promotion, or content

Links to, promotion of, or material imported from any attack site may be removed. The removal of such material is not subject to the three-revert rule. If the material removed was on a user page, you may leave the user a note explaining why it was removed. If found in article or project space, or in archives, removing it with a note in the edit summary would be sufficient.

Spam blacklist

Particularly virulent, deplorable, or hostile websites, may be placed on the spam blacklist for the safety and well-being of all Wikipedia users.

Blocking

Users who repeatedly insert links to attack sites, import material from them, or persistently promote them, may be blocked for disruption after being warned. The appropriate length of the block depends on the severity of the violation, past warnings, and whether it is likely to be repeated.

See also

• Privacy policy from the Wikimedia Foundation
• Off-wiki personal attacks
• Wikipedia:Harassment
• Wikipedia:Blocking policy
• External links normally to be avoided
• Wikipedia:Linking to external harassment
• Wikipedia:Attack page

Previous consensus, rulings, practice

• Some rulings from the Arbitration Committee on linking to attack sites

• "Any user, including an administrator using administrative powers, may remove or otherwise defeat attempts at harassment of a user. This includes harassment directed at the user themselves." See #Combating harassment
• "Links to attack sites may be removed by any user; such removals are exempt from 3RR. Deliberately linking to an attack site may be grounds for blocking." See #Links to attack sites
• "Users who link to webpages which attack or harass other users or to sites which regularly engage in such activity are responsible for their actions." See #Support of harassment
• "A website that engages in the practice of publishing private information concerning the identities of Wikipedia participants will be regarded as an attack site whose pages should not be linked to from Wikipedia pages under any circumstances." See #Outing sites as attack sites