 | This is a humorousessay. It containshumorous advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors and isn't meant to be taken seriously. This is not an encyclopedia article or one ofWikipedia's policies or guidelines and may not representcommunity consensus. |
 | This page in a nutshell: Scientists have noted that unflattering mentions atANI are associated with an increased incidence of sudden-onset debilitating illness. |
Everyone does things they shouldn't, now and then, some more than others. Some prolific editors have – wittingly or unwittingly – built unfortunate reputations on the project for repeated edit warring and belligerent behavior. Occasionally this culminates in the opening of aWP:ANI thread discussing the imposition of restrictive sanctions or even community banning. Even admins are no exception: If an admindeletes pages on obviously notable topics too often, orpulls a controversial block on a longstanding editor, anangry mob may gather with torches and pitchforks and open anArbitration Committee case request. How do you get out of that? The same way you do in real life – feign sickness, or in extreme situations death.
Supposing you're an ostensiblyunblockable prolific editor with a long term pattern of incivility and edit warring who has exhausted the patience of respected senior community members, and you find yourself the subject of an ANI thread; or, supposing you’re an administrator who's done something really stupid, and the community is cross about it enough for you to be a subject of an Arbitration case request. What options have you got?
Surely there's some other way of getting out of it. Well, why not simplycall in sick? Nobody's ever going to question your actions if you're in poor health. So pull a sickie and watch for thread to close as "no action". (You don't have to actuallysay that you're sick. Simply going silent – as if you've fallen into a coma or inexplicably lost use of your fingers – until discussion peters out is an effective way to avoid sanctions:"[Username] hasn't edited since [date], so it looks like the disruption has stopped.")
The symptoms of ANI flu are sudden, and affect an editor’s ability to reply to criticism, no matter how egregious the conduct complained of. The only known cure is to close the ANI thread or Arbitration case in question, whereby the communication abilities are miraculously restored.
Be advised that if the community isreally angry at you, an episode of ANI flu can befatal.
Depending on context, accusing someone of ANI flu might be construed as apersonal attack. You never know what's really going on with someone, so use this essay sparingly and in good faith (i.e. humorously).
Those playing ANI Possum may be quarantined (desysoped or blocked) to prevent further harm to the community.
The phrase was popularised by the 19th-century poetPercy Bysshe Shelley in his poemThe Masque of Anarchy, which contains the line "Ye are ANI, they are flu".[1] Likewise, it has been suggested as the origins of the UKLabour Party's slogan, underJeremy Corbyn's leadership, "For the ANI, not the flu".[2]