How do tag blocklists work? [duplicate]

Question

I've just discovered the tag-block-request questions on this meta, and wondered how and when this feature is used.

For example, I just discovered that we had a code tag (link) on Electrical Engineering, which was variously used for source code, binary codes, color codes, and official standards. All that, in 7 questions (which I've since edited to remove the tag). None of these is obviously the main target of the word code, so I conclude that the code tag is meaningless, and should be abolished.

• Is a tag blocklist an appropriate action for this tag? How do you decide which tags to block?
• Assuming that the blocklist is appropriate,how can the blocklist be created? I don't see a way to add anything to the blocklist page, and there's no mention of this privilege in the tools that I can find.

Answer 1

The StackExchange Developer Staff are the only ones who have the ability to blocklist tags. That's why you have to post a [tag-block-request] here.

Tags are typically blocked when wide consensus is reached that the tag is bad, and the tag keeps reappearing on the site, despite repeated attempts to obliterate it.

See this blog post for a detailed discussion on the merits (and demerits) of certain tags, and when they become potential candidates for blocking.