Last modified: 2012-05-23 03:24:13 UTC
This:- http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Range_blocks is incomprehensible. Admins should just be able to enter a range from $foo to $bar and just bonk a button to block.
Added more relevant summarisation. Supporting explicit ranges (X through Y) and/or wildcard formats for specification might alleviate the problems we have with administrators who don't understand the whole CIDR thing blocking entire German telecommunications providers.
I think the best solution to this problem is having a policy requiring local administrators performing rangeblocks to know how to use CIDR-notation.
Or in other words, only technowizards get to range-block? No mileage in it. Admins shouldn't have to be expected to know binary.
You don't need to be a technowizard to understand range-blocking. You need to read the provided documentation, and/or do your homework. Range-blocks are inherently technical - simplifying it to $x->$y won't fix the problem of sysops that do not understand what ranges to block.
"People should read the docs" isn't an excuse for poor usability.
"People don't read the docs" isn't an excuse for dumbing down an already adequate interface.
Actually, it is, if by "dumbing down" you mean "making simpler". Interfaces should *always* be as simple as possible without sacrifice of flexibility, speed, etc. This is a basic tenet of good software design.
Agree with Simetrical; blocking sometimes has to be done fast, and that can't happen if one has to stop and think, especially if you're not too sure anyway. Range blocking problems would be cut in two if we made this process simpler. We can leave support for CIDR notation, of course.
I feel that a user who is unable to understand and use CIDR notation is likely to be also unable to determine appropriate ranges to block.
