== In short ==
IP range blocks were designed to block spam from spammers.
IP range blocks __should not block **trusted logged-in**__ users (as minimum: autopatrol, bot, sysop).
== Why it's important ==
Users with the `autopatrol` flag (trusted content contributors), like all users with the `bot` flag (trusted technical contributors) __at the moment are not considered trusted__ from the IP range perspective. So, autopatrolleds and bots have to manually triage their block and fill a request form (some are public, some are private, both are shared with someone) in order to be manually re-trusted, asking a `global-ipblock-exempt` flag (in addition of their role), and wait for approval, to then turn back operative normally again, just because a new IP range block affects their Internet origin.
This is bad for a number of reasons:
* blocking logged-in trusted technical contributors with the `bot` flag is just never useful
* reliability comes from their username, not the Internet behind them. Bot users should be able to always operate, using whatever private servers, VPN, proxy, etc. not just because we should assume they know what they are doing, but because we assume these advanced users are not spammers.
* interrupting a trusted bot's work without a strong reason causes disruption of community services, instead of helping the community fighting spam
* unblock requests from `bot` accounts waste Stewards' time as well, since all `bot` flags are false positives
* if a bot starts doing vandalism you could just drop its flag
* the physical location of some IT services is sometime best to be left undisclosed ("checkusers" aside obviously)
* avoiding asking for forms with one's IP helps maintain a project with less unuseful sensitive information inside
* blocking all trusted users with the `autopatrolled` flag is not sufficiently justified too
* there is no documentation to show that autopatrolled users become spammers when they come from strange IPs. Therefore, it makes no sense to penalize autopatrollers.
* moreover, autopatrollers may have not the technical skills or enough time to understand what a "range-block" is and why they are blocked, why they need to be re-trusted, how to do it. Again, this wastes volunteers' time and it doesn't help the project to fight spam.
* If the user is spamming, just remove the autopatrolled flag.
* Wikipedia was designed to protect the IP of all registered contributors, so there really must be a good reason to force the registered contributors to share their IP in whatever form.
* decreasing unuseful unlock requests mitigates social engineering
Sorry to fire off a bazooka on this small issue, but I wanted to share my concerns.