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gender-related disputes or controversies or people associated with them
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A rouge TARDIS (or the closest thing I could find on Commons), for having made a closure soRouge that its effects travelled through time and were being challengedbefore you even issued it. . . . But to be serious, I appreciate that you undertook to close, and closed so thoughtfully, such a large and complex discussion even as it was getting international attention and pushback. Someone had to do it; the discussion was open for so long as to suggest no-onewanted to do it; I appreciate you doing it.-sche (talk)16:08, 21 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
The Hobbit sounds like a great palate cleanser! I was reading hisSea-Bell the other day and learning about the neat words Tolkien coined or resurrected in that and other writings (which might interest you, as a wordsmith, if you don't know them already), likeruel-bone andwikt:eucatastrophe. :o-sche (talk)21:55, 21 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Hey, I have a special interest in improving articles with the 'written with advertisement like language' tag, or similar tags, especially corporate articles written in business talk instead of encyclopedic language. Do you know how I can find a list of such articles, or if there is a wikiproject focused on that?JoeJShmo💌23:33, 15 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Hey wordsmith. Hope all is well. I have a question relating to a case I'm involved in. Can a topic ban ever be justified because of a perceived lack of experience and/or policy knowledge? Per ARBPIA, an editor must be EC to edit in certain topics, however, is it up to an admin to determine, even after an editor reached EC, whether that editor has enough experience to be able to edit in that topic?JoeJShmo💌21:35, 22 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Hi, about this SPI case you handled:Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/PakistanHistorian/Archive#24 June 2024. You had temp blocked 2407:D000:F:0:0:0:0:0/48, 92.40.0.0/16 (?) but these still appear to be quite active with the sock network and disrupting quite a lot of pages. Can the block be extended here again?
Well here is thelatest one (needs PP for socking), mere hours after a previous IP sock was reverted. Others that I recently reverted include[1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6],[7],[8]. [Most of the recent edits from2407:D000:F:0:0:0:0:0/48 are from the sock network.]
Hi, I see that you've noted that sockpuppetry was a strong possibility in the recent report of AraxesTheThief, but without technical evidence (as CU was declined), you can't be confident to place a block. Can I rerequest CU on that basis, as declining it may potentially let long-term sockpuppetry pass, which you've noted as a strong possibility?Aintabli (talk)06:27, 9 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Unfortunately that's not possible. All the known socks are already stale, so the Checkuser tool won't be able to provide any evidence which is why they already declined it. If there's future sock-like activity from that account or others, a new SPI can be opened and the new behavioral evidence can be evaluated as well. Or if their edits are disruptive, that can be handled through the normal channels.The WordsmithTalk to me13:22, 9 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Oh okay. We'll have to wait and see then. Thank you for the explanation. It wasn't clear to me that CU wouldn't be useful either way. Wish you a great Friyay.Aintabli (talk)13:59, 9 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Sadly the Checkuser tool is more limited than a lot of people think it is. Unless there's another account to compare it to that's edited en.wiki in the last 90 days, the tool is unlikely to show anything except maybe sleepers. After 90 days, IP data for logged-in accounts is generally discarded by WMF policy. For those, behavioral evidence is all we have to go on and we need to be confident in our findings to avoid blocking an innocent editor. Sometimes that unfortunately will result in illegitimate users avoiding blocks, but in my experience they often slip up and give us enough evidence to block sooner or later.The WordsmithTalk to me15:31, 9 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I am happy to see you changedGreat Britain into US. A foolish mistake by a nitwit.Taksen (talk) 05:55, 11 August 2024 (UTC) Perhaps you can changeborn in 1704 very childish.Taksen (talk) 05:59, 11 August 2024 (UTC) Also the category1799 deaths is a mistake.Taksen (talk)06:03, 11 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Oh, that was reverting a sockpuppet who was adding inaccuracies into articles (especially around estimated dates of birth/death). If you're willing to take responsibility for the edits, you're welcome to make the changes again. Though since Henry Hope's son (also named Henry Hope) was born in Massachusetts, it seems like him moving to the US is correct.The WordsmithTalk to me18:56, 14 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Hi, can you have a look at these IP ranges? I think they belong toAnujror as they originated from the same geographical location(Pakistan) and have an obsession with manipulating the result of a page move discussion onTalk:Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty just like the last range that you blocked[13].
I've applied semiprotection to the talkpage. Those IP edits are probably Anujror or a similar sock drawer, but they seem to be one-offs. Blocking them would probably not have any effect as he's probably already moved on, and it looks like there are a bunch of legitimate users on those ranges. Protection is usually the better option in cases like this.The WordsmithTalk to me00:43, 14 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Ok. I wasn't sure if you had access of not. Because it was an open SPI with a CU request, Ithink they left it up to the CU to review (got a standard response a couple weeks ago before the check) but I will double check. I will be opening up a new one for new socks I found anyway but was waiting until the weekend in case I came across others and might include Elianaisaac again depending on the response I get. Thanks for all the work you do, The Wordsmith.S0091 (talk)18:10, 15 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Unfortunately SPI is extremely backlogged at the moment. Somebody will get to it as quickly as we can, but if there's vandalism or urgent disruption then the normal venues likeWP:AIV are also available and usually have a faster response time.The WordsmithTalk to me04:12, 17 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Following anRfC, there is a newcriterion for speedy deletion:C4, whichapplies to unused maintenance categories, such as empty dated maintenance categories for dates in the past.
The arbitration caseHistorical Elections is currently open. Proposed decision is expected by 3 September 2024 for this case.
Miscellaneous
Editors can now enter intogood article review circles, an alternative for informalquid pro quo arrangements, to have aGAN reviewed in return for reviewing a different editor's nomination.
Hello; given you closed the sockpuppet case I had opened[15], for future reference, what is the threshold of evidence needed to support a finding of IP addresses being used as sockpuppets? The timing and nature of the IPs' actions seemed quite suspicious to me, even though there weren't many instances to point to.
The timing is questionable, but not enough by itself. As far as the thresholds for evidence, "more likely than not" is usually enough to at least open an SPI case for either an account or an IP. In addition, the sock or IP needs to actually be doing something forbidden inWP:BADSOCK, rather than something allowed inWP:GOODSOCK orWP:EWLO. Administrators will do their own investigation or ask you for more evidence if needed, but for a positive conclusion the standard isobvious beyond a reasonable doubt that sockpuppetry is occurring. Essentially, if there's another reasonable explanation then we generally need toWP:AGF in the absence of technical evidence.
One other thing that filers don't often ask themselves before opening a case is "What is actually being gained by sockpuppetry here?" In this case, it was two minor rephrasings of a small amount of text, switching from a paraphrase to a quote. It doesn't seem controversial at all, especially in comparison to many of the other contested edits on that page. The IP also has a history of edits, which doesn't have any real overlap with Superb Owl. If he had (for example) been warned for edit warring or approachedWP:3RR before the IP started editing, that would be much stronger evidence. As it stands, the more likely explanation is that two people have a similar opinion on how that information should be presented.The WordsmithTalk to me22:05, 18 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Got it; appreciate the explanation. My rationale at the time was: I had thought the pattern of both IPs (cosmetic edits on random articles, but substantive edits seemingly only on the Electoral fraud or similarly politically charged articles) could be an obfuscation attempt. And I thought they would have something to gain from these edits, as we have devoted a lot of time to disputing phrasing in the article where differences seem relatively minor.[16]JSwift4913:41, 19 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Hi, could you please review on my recentSPI report on Asphonixm? If you don't have the time to do so, could you at least check whether the report was correctly opened? I'm a bit worried because I messed up the previous one, which was malformed and not properly opened. Thank you.Ckfasdf (talk)07:18, 25 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I don't have time to fully review the case right now, but it looks like it was opened properly. For the previous one, it was missing the{{SPI case status}} template. That template automatically adds it to the categories that put it on the SPI dashboards.
Personally I think filing SPI cases by hand is too fiddly and unreliable, but it's a complex process so it has to be.WP:TWINKLE has a module that fills in the case request for you; I use that so I don't have to deal with all the manual bits.The WordsmithTalk to me18:01, 25 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Serendipity:A Wikipedian at the 2024 Paralympics User Hawkeye7 opens up on his experience as a media representative following the Australian team at the latest Summer Paralympics in Paris.
Opinion:asilvering's RfA debriefing User asilvering reflects on their recent successful request for adminship.
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I'm requesting a DRAFT of this article restored toDraft:Mayor's Cup (Missouri–South Carolina) for further development and the addition of new citations to establish notability of the trophy. Will move to article space only upon significant improvement to the article and ensuring it meets GNG.
Significant coverage of this trophy exists that was not discussed in any previous AFD:
Followinga discussion, the speedy deletion reason "File pages without a corresponding file" has been moved from criterionG8 toF2. This does not change what can be speedily deleted.
Thank you for your sensible action on the AfD forPeter Middlebrook, and particularly for the note on the AfD page + page protection. I think that should probably handle the disruption. Apologies (also toIzno) if my SPI report was a little bit of a mess. The 1 week timeline at AfD puts some time pressure, but I should've at least requested CU. I'll try to do better next time!Russ Woodroofe (talk)08:23, 11 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
No worries, SPI is a complicated process even for what should be a pretty straightforward case. You didn't do anything wrong with it! Your filing was fine (better than a lot that I see) and had all the evidence available. I think those accounts are either socks and or were canvassed by the article subject or someone very interested in them, but since the CU was negative the 1-2 edits from each don't give me enough behavioral evidence to prove it.The WordsmithTalk to me15:05, 11 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
No, I think your report had the right amount of detail. It gave the evidence I needed without me having to spend ages digging up evidence on my own. If all SPIs were that well done, there probably wouldn't be such a backlog at SPI.The WordsmithTalk to me16:00, 18 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
In the media:Off to the races! Wikipedia wins! Perplexing persistence, pay to play, potential president's possible plagiarism, crossword crossover to culture, and a wish come true!
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Mass deletions done with theNuke tool now have the 'Nuke' tag. This change will make reviewing and analyzing deletions performed with the tool easier.T366068
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Sorry to the belated response, I've been busy off-wiki for a while. Looking back on that RfD, I think I may have actually fat fingered it and closed it as Delete instead of Keep. I'll go back and re-close it accordingly.The WordsmithTalk to me04:44, 1 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Arequest for comment is open to discuss whether admins should be advised to warn users rather than issue no-warning blocks to those who have posted promotional content outside of article space.
Technical news
The Nuke feature also nowprovides links to the userpage of the user whose pages were deleted, and to the pages which were not selected for deletion, after page deletions are queued. This enables easier follow-up admin-actions.
The discussion will take place atWikipedia:Articles for deletion/Imakuni? (2nd nomination) until a consensus is reached, and anyone, including you, is welcome to contribute to the discussion. Users may edit the article during the discussion, including to improve the article to address concerns raised in the discussion. However, do not remove the article-for-deletion notice from the top of the article.
Sorry for the late response, I've been away for a while. Yes, IP hopping vandals can be frustrating like that. Semiprotection is usually the best option in that case, but I don't see much current activity. If the disruption resumes,WP:RFPP is probably your best bet to get it protected quickly.The WordsmithTalk to me04:31, 1 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Hello again TW. In line with what I mentioned a few months ago, sockmaster ByzantineIsNotRoman apparently continues to evade their block in the pagePersecution of Muslims during the Ottoman contraction, using certain IP addresses with a similar geolocation. The aforementioned 8.48.3.236 (IP details) remains active; their last edit was on 18 May 2025 (contribs). Furthermore, 24.24.234.102 (IP details) is obviously associated with 8.48.3.236; besides the similar geolocation, they also added information that had been previously requested by the latter back in January 2025 (diff1,diff2). I know you cannot publicly comment in respect to the IP addresses perWP:CUIPDISCLOSE andWP:MAGIC8BALL, but can you please personally assess the technical information of ByzantineIsNotRoman you have access to as a checkuser, and consider blocking the aforementioned IPs? I don't think there is enough recent activity by them to warrant semi-protecting the page. –Demetrios1993 (talk)12:02, 25 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Unfortunately I'm not a Checkuser, only a clerk so I don't have access to the technical data. I can't determine if those IPs are BINR or not, but that article already has a long term history of low-level vandalism/POV pushing so I've gone ahead and semiprotected it for 3 months.The WordsmithTalk to me17:43, 26 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Hi Wordsmith, Last year you understandably deletedAdèle Cutts Douglas as it was created by a sock puppet. Would it be ok if I made a new page with this title for the Women in Red project or is this page not allowed to be created? Please let me know. Thank you for your help.Nayyn (talk)14:04, 4 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Go for it! There's no reason a new page can't be created, as long as it isn't being done by a banned user. I'd just be cautious about the sources I use, especially copies of the now-deleted article on Wikipedia mirrors – this particular banned editor,Slowking4, is a prolific sockmaster known for creating massive amounts of articles that have factual errors and/or copyright violations.The WordsmithTalk to me04:28, 7 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Administrators can nownuke pages created by a user or IP address from the last 90 days, up from the initial 30 days.T380846
A 'Recreated' tag will now be added to pages that were created with the same title as a page which was previously deleted and it can be used as a filter inSpecial:RecentChanges andSpecial:NewPages.T56145
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Community view:24th Wikipedia Day in New York City Wikimedians and newbies celebrate 24 years of Wikipedia in the Brooklyn Central Library. Special guests Stephen Harrison and Clay Shirky joined in conversation.
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Opinion:Sennecaster's RfA debriefing User Sennecaster shares her thoughts on her recent RfA and the aspects that might have played a role in making it successful.
Arequest for comment is open to discuss whether AI-generated images (meaning those wholly created by generative AI, not human-created images modified with AI tools) should be banned from use in articles.
A new filter has been added to theSpecial:Nuke tool, which allows administrators to filter for pages in a range of page sizes (in bytes). This allows, for example, deleting pages only of a certain size or below.T378488
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What exactly doesthis do? (Since there's no clear explanation beyond the somewhat opaque syntax, and I'm not noticing anything while loaded, if there's supposed to be some echo...) ~Loftyabyss21:36, 18 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
@Lofty abyss: Sorry I didn't see your message until now. I don't remember writing that, but it looks like it was supposed to echo the wikilink when you put text inside double brackets. Assuming it worked in the first place, it's very possible that AdiIRC changed something so it may no longer work.The WordsmithTalk to me23:31, 7 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Hi there, you recently closed a report of a possible Mikemikev sock as insufficient evidence - but there's two reports on the page. Did you close my report, the other person's report or both? Just asking as I'm unsure whether I can unwatch the page or if I should keep it watchlisted in case of future follow-ups.Simonm223 (talk)12:31, 27 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
The other report was the one I closed, yours is still open. I'm really not sure what to do with that one yet; there doesn't seem to be enough behavioral evidence to block on that alone but there's at least some evidence there. If you happen to have any more evidence showing similar edits or behavioral quirks to Mikemikev or other socks, that might help tip the balance otherwise I'll give it some more thought before endorsing or declining (unless someone else gets to it first).The WordsmithTalk to me19:47, 27 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I'll have another look tomorrow and see if I can find something. With so many socks I tried to stick to the obvious stuff - the very specifc POV being pushed - but there may be other evidence.Simonm223 (talk)20:17, 27 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Alright I've gone back and added some additional evidence. It's not a lot - three diffs really. I'll be honest, with how new the account is, there's not much more to show with them. I've been over literally every article talk comment they've made at this point. So if that's insufficient evidence then you can probably close.Simonm223 (talk)12:03, 28 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
@The Wordsmith please see:[17][18], the user whom I reported inthis SPI seems to be taking my articles to AfD out of personal reasons (revenge?), well it's rather intriguing. Can I ask you to please look into the SPI again? I can surely add up more evidence.Heraklios15:25, 1 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
CU came back Unrelated, and the behavioral evidence alone wasn't near enough to determine sockpuppetry. In fact, it just barely scraped past the bar for endorsing a CU. The more likely scenario is two people with similar views on Indian military history. You're free to file another SPI, but be aware that unless you can present evidence that issignificantly stronger it could potentially be seen as disruptive.The WordsmithTalk to me17:57, 2 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
News from the WMF:Product & Tech Progress on the Annual Plan A look at some product and tech highlights from the Wikimedia Foundation's Annual Plan (July–December 2024).
Hello, you deleted the page Q120868333, Dr Jemma B King Last year. there is nothing appearing in the deletion log. Is it possible to have teh page reinstated or get some details as to why so we can have it reinstated.Cowoaks (talk)04:04, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
The articleJemma King was deleted because it was created by a sockpuppet evading their block. They also have a history of copyright violations, so I will not restore the article. Can I ask who "we" refers to?The WordsmithTalk to me17:35, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
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Hi, I see you've fully-protected thePope Leo XIIV page. I think this is an embarrassing typo that has no reason to exist on Wikipedia, and was about to nominate it for speedy deletion underWP:R3. Please consider deleting it or nominating for deletion.Kwpolska(spam me/contributions)17:29, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
There was some chaos going on involving multiple page moves and round-robin swaps to incorrect targets (there's alsoPope Leon XIIV so I just fullprotected the ones I could find. I have no issues with deleting them, but first I think it would be best to give it at least a little time for the dust to settle so we can take care of it in one go. We also need to make sure none of these pages have history that needs to be retained or histmerged anywhere, so there's no harm in giving it a couple hours to breathe while we get it straightened out and catch anything else..The WordsmithTalk to me17:42, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
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Starting 4 November, logged-out editors will no longer have their IP address publicly displayed. Instead, they will have atemporary account (TA) associated with their edits. Users with some extended rights like administrators and CheckUsers, as well as users with thetemporary account IP viewer (TAIV) user right will still be able to reveal temporary users' IP addresses and all contributions made by temporary accounts from a specific IP address or range.
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Changes to theAccess to Temporary Account IP Addresses Policy's disclosure rules include broadening the consecutive-blocks exception to cover all admin actions and removing the requirement to revision-delete permissible disclosures once they become unnecessary (instead requiring only their removal). SeeWP:TAIVDISCLOSE for more information.
Due to the result of a recentmotion, a rough consensus of administrators at thearbitration enforcement noticeboard may impose an expanded topic ban on Israel, Israelis, Jews, Judaism, Palestine, Palestinians, Islam, and/or Arabs, if an editor'sArab-Israeli conflict topic ban is determined to be insufficient to prevent disruption. At least one diff per area expanded into should be cited.
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There is currently a discussion atWikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard regarding an issue with which you may have been involved. The thread isMin968_unban_request. Thank you.Yamla (talk)22:08, 1 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
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