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|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|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}}
Logging
editUsing 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
editWhen leaving a user an Alert, you must replace |topic code – select from list
with the relevant topic code:
Note that the ap and tpm topic codes are interchangeable. tpm is preferred.
Advanced users' notes
edit- 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
edit
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).