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id="siteNotice"></div> </div> <div class="pre-content heading-holder"> <div class="page-heading"> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-namespace">Wikipedia</span><span class="mw-page-title-separator">:</span><span class="mw-page-title-main">Indefinite is not infinite</span></h1> <div class="tagline"></div> </div> <ul id="p-associated-pages" class="minerva__tab-container"> <li class="minerva__tab selected"> <a class="minerva__tab-text" href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Indefinite_is_not_infinite" rel="" data-event-name="tabs.subject">Project page</a> </li> <li class="minerva__tab new"> <a class="minerva__tab-text" href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk:Indefinite_is_not_infinite&action=edit&redlink=1" rel="" data-event-name="tabs.talk">Talk</a> </li> </ul> <nav class="page-actions-menu"> <ul id="p-views" class="page-actions-menu__list"> <li id="language-selector" class="page-actions-menu__list-item"> <a role="button" href="#p-lang" 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data-event-name="menu.edit" data-mw="interface" class="cdx-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--icon-only cdx-button--weight-quiet edit-page menu__item--page-actions-edit"> <span class="minerva-icon minerva-icon--edit"></span> <span>Edit</span> </a> </li> </ul> </nav>  <div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div> </div> <div id="bodyContent" class="content"> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><script>function mfTempOpenSection(id){var block=document.getElementById("mf-section-"+id);block.className+=" open-block";block.previousSibling.className+=" open-block";}</script><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><section class="mf-section-0" id="mf-section-0"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Essay on editing Wikipedia</div><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238436933">.mw-parser-output .ombox{margin:4px 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.mbox-invalid-type{text-align:center}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .ombox{margin:4px 10%}.mw-parser-output .ombox.mbox-small{clear:right;float:right;margin:4px 0 4px 1em;width:238px}}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output table.ombox img{max-width:none!important}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .ombox-speedy{background-color:#310402}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .ombox-speedy{background-color:#310402}}</style><table class="plainlinks ombox ombox-notice" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/Essay.svg/30px-Essay.svg.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="36" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/Essay.svg/45px-Essay.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/Essay.svg/60px-Essay.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="35" data-file-height="42"></span></span></td><td class="mbox-text"><div style="padding-top: 6px; padding-bottom: 5px;"><b>This is an <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Essays" title="Wikipedia:Essays">essay</a>.</b><br><div style="font-size: 90%;">It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Policies_and_guidelines" title="Wikipedia:Policies and guidelines">Wikipedia's policies or guidelines</a>, as it has not been <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Consensus#Levels_of_consensus" title="Wikipedia:Consensus">thoroughly vetted by the community</a>. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints.</div></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>"<b>Indefinite does not mean infinite</b>" is a common refrain in Wikipedia discussions, particularly when considering <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:INDEF" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:INDEF">indefinite blocks</a>. The purpose of this brief essay is to explain what that means in practice. </p> </section><div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section section-heading" onclick="mfTempOpenSection(1)"><span class="indicator mf-icon mf-icon-expand mf-icon--small"></span><h2 id="Common_use_cases_for_indefinite_blocks" data-mw-thread-id="h-Common_use_cases_for_indefinite_blocks"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Common_use_cases_for_indefinite_blocks"></span>Common use cases for indefinite blocks<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Common_use_cases_for_indefinite_blocks"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"> <a role="button" href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Indefinite_is_not_infinite&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Common use cases for indefinite blocks" class="cdx-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--icon-only cdx-button--weight-quiet "> <span class="minerva-icon minerva-icon--edit"></span> <span>edit</span> </a> </span> </div><section class="mf-section-1 collapsible-block" id="mf-section-1"> <p>The most obvious and common uses of indefinite blocks are for <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:VOA" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:VOA">vandalism-only accounts</a>, as well as trolls, sockpuppets, spammers, and other people whose purpose in being here is clearly at odds with Wikipedia's purpose. In these cases, indefinite usually does mean infinite. As a general rule, we don't want these people back, though I'm a big believer in reasonable second chances and I like to think that anyone can change. </p> </section><div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section section-heading" onclick="mfTempOpenSection(2)"><span class="indicator mf-icon mf-icon-expand mf-icon--small"></span><h2 id="Long-term_editors" data-mw-thread-id="h-Long-term_editors"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Long-term_editors"></span>Long-term editors<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Long-term_editors"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"> <a role="button" href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Indefinite_is_not_infinite&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Long-term editors" class="cdx-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--icon-only cdx-button--weight-quiet "> <span class="minerva-icon minerva-icon--edit"></span> <span>edit</span> </a> </span> </div><section class="mf-section-2 collapsible-block" id="mf-section-2"> <p>The phrase "indefinite is not infinite" is most commonly used when discussing blocks of long-term editors rather than throwaway accounts. While there are, or should be, <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:NVC" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:NVC">no vested contributors</a>, indefinite blocks of established editors who have put a lot of time and effort into Wikipedia, and are "<a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:HERE" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:HERE">here to write an encyclopaedia</a>" should be rare. These blocks are always to be lamented, but sometimes the issues with an editor's conduct are such that an admin feels they have no choice. In these cases, the block usually does not need to be in<i>finite</i> (as in forever) even if it is in<i>definite</i> (as in having no fixed duration). </p><p>Admins usually make this choice because the blocked editor's conduct is disruptive enough that it would be inappropriate to issue a fixed-term block, which the blocked editor can wait out. An indefinite block does not expire automatically and can only be lifted by action not inaction. This means that, to be unblocked, the blocked editor must convince the blocking admin or the community that they will change their editing in some way that means that they will not repeat the conduct which led to the block. Sometimes this may take hours or days, and sometimes it may take longer, possibly considerably longer. The timing is largely up to the blocked editor, who must make a commitment to change in order to be unblocked. </p><p>For example, an editor blocked for copyright violations will need to demonstrate a better understanding of Wikipedia's copyright policies; an editor blocked for chronic edit warring may need to agree to a <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:1RR" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:1RR">revert restriction</a>; somebody blocked for <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:BATTLE" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:BATTLE">battleground behaviour</a> will need to show that they have made progress in not personalising disputes. In some cases, mentorship may be appropriate. </p><p>In others, admins or the community may not be comfortable unblocking for quite some time, especially if the conduct was egregiously disruptive or the blocked editor has a long history of sanctions. Even these blocks are not necessarily infinite, and may well be lifted once enough time has passed and if the blocked editor can make a convincing request. </p> </section><div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section section-heading" onclick="mfTempOpenSection(3)"><span class="indicator mf-icon mf-icon-expand mf-icon--small"></span><h2 id="See_also" data-mw-thread-id="h-See_also"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-See_also"></span>See also<span data-mw-comment-end="h-See_also"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"> <a role="button" href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Indefinite_is_not_infinite&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: See also" class="cdx-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--icon-only cdx-button--weight-quiet "> <span class="minerva-icon minerva-icon--edit"></span> <span>edit</span> </a> </span> </div><section class="mf-section-3 collapsible-block" id="mf-section-3"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Blocking_policy" title="Wikipedia:Blocking policy">Wikipedia:Blocking policy</a>, for the rules governing when a block may be placed or lifted</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Standard_offer" title="Wikipedia:Standard offer">Wikipedia:Standard offer</a>, a possible path to return for indefinitely blocked editors</li></ul>    </section></div> <noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1&useformat=mobile" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; 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