Wikipedia:Contentious topics/Comparison with discretionary sanctions

Arbitration​Committee

The guide is used to describe the differences between the former discretionary sanctions procedure and the new contentious topics system. For a detailed version or if you are not familiar with discretionary sanctions, it is instead recommended to read the contentious topics procedure page.

Awareness

The awareness rules have significantly changed. Editors no longer need to be alerted every 12 months, as they are presumed to remain aware after their first alert. When alerting an editor who has never received a contentious topic or discretionary sanction alert for any topic, you must use {{alert/first}}. In other cases you may use {{alert}}, {{alert/DS}} or any message that conveys the contentious topics restriction is active.

Restrictions

• Single uninvolved administrators may impose restrictions from the standard set of restrictions for a particular topic. These can be seen in the topic specific subpage for the restriction, but usually are the ones at section "Standard set".
• Contentious topic restrictions imposed by a single admin become ordinary administrator actions after one year
  • Single-admin placed page restrictions can be renewed by an administrator, and the last renewal date is used to determine when the page restriction becomes an ordinary administrator action.
• Sitewide blocks either as single-admin or at AE become ordinary administrator actions after one year.
• Page restrictions must use Template:Contentious topics/page restriction edit notice or one of the topic specific editnotices to detail the page restriction that has been applied.
• Warnings can be logged by an administrator. These are appealable like other editor restrictions and can be placed even if the editor was not aware.

Appeals and amendments

• Logged warnings can be appealed
• AE / AN can specify no appeals for up to a year except from ARCA
• Contentious topic restrictions imposed by a single admin are considered normal admin actions for modification and removal after a year since renewal / imposition

What happens to discretionary sanctions restrictions?

Any restrictions imposed under the former discretionary sanctions system are governed by the contentious topics procedure for appeals and modifications. However, the following transitional rules apply:

• Single-admin DS page restrictions can be renewed, modified and removed in the same way as contentious topics restrictions
• Single-admin DS editor restrictions do not become subject to modification and revocation after a year.

Templates

• New templates have been created which are at Template:Contentious topics and it's subpages.

Misc

• Instructions for administrators on the contentious topics procedure have been created and can be viewed at WP:CT/ADMIN.
• Topic specific subpages of the contentious topics procedure have been created and contain information specific to the topic. You can find these using Special:PrefIndex