Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/IncidentArchive917

I am concerned that User:Rjensen has used a race based approach to editing the Reconstruction Era article. Please see African-American Civil Rights Movement (1865–95)#Merge discussion in progress for complete discussion.

He has stated that "much of the Reconstruction article is about how southern whites should be treated" and "much of the reconstruction literature does not deal with blacks Primarily, but deals Primarily with the treatment of whites". I have asked him to cite sources supporting this claim and he has not complied.

He is currently adding content to an article I proposed to merge into the Reconstruction article. The content he is adding appears informative and accurate. The article looked like this before he began adding content today. However, my main concern is that he will edit the Reconstruction article based on the above stated assertions which are categorically false. I am seeking an administrator to step-in and have this user present reliable sources that support his claim. Otherwise, he needs to cease and merge content to the Reconstruction article to avoid the appearance of segregating content based on his unsubstantiated claims.

I have no problem with moving relevant content from the proposed article African-American Civil Rights Movement (1865–95) to Reconstruction Era then create new WP:Hatnotes for each lengthy section to comply with WP:COMMONNAME and WP:Content forking. However, any attempt to limit content on Reconstruction Era article based on race will be vigorously challenged. Mitchumch (talk) 06:22, 14 March 2016 (UTC)

Nonsense. our Reconstruction article is very long and is not a good fit for a merger. The African-American Civil Rights Movement (1865–95) material will get lost in it. They should not be merged. In my opinion The African-American Civil Rights Movement (1865–95) is an important topic that deserves its own article. I did not start the article (it originated in 2009) and only started work on it yesterday. He APPROVES all my edits to it (The content he is adding appears informative and accurate). He then plays his attack card stating: my main concern is that he will edit the Reconstruction article -- well this is not the place to complain about future edits that have not been written but which he might disagree with. I have no plans right now for any major addition to Reconstruction Era, but new RS appear all the time and I scan them for usable materials. Mitchumch hyas changed his tune--yesterday hedemanded a merger because of an illegal fork, which is false. There is no fork and the articles have no POV battles. Rjensen (talk) 07:01, 14 March 2016 (UTC)

This seems like a totally frivolous complaint. Mitchumch has proposed the elimination of a half dozen articles dealing specifically with African American issues. All articles are properly sourced and of significant size. That, to me, seems to suggest that maybe the problem does not lie with other editors. Tom (North Shoreman) (talk) 18:21, 14 March 2016 (UTC)

@North Shoreman: You never addressed the issue nor answered my question. Please leave this matter to someone else willing to do the work. Mitchumch (talk) 21:16, 14 March 2016 (UTC)

I've addressed all the issues you've raised. I can't help noticing that nobody has agreed with your proposals to delete these articles and at least five people disagree with the proposals. You need to quit wasting people's time. The issue raised here is frivolous and should be withdrawn. Your proposals to delete articles through mergers should be withdrawn since, apparently, you have given up on those proposals. Tom (North Shoreman) (talk) 21:38, 14 March 2016 (UTC)

@North Shoreman:First let me apologize for the tone of my last response to you. I could have stated it much better without sounding like a jerk. I am sorry.

What I am trying to say is you have confused my merger proposal for the issue that was posted on this noticeboard. The reason I posted on this noticeboard is separate from the merger issue.

The merger proposal has been posted less than two days. I am currently discussing the merger proposal issues with participants. The merger proposal is not a small proposal. The articles in question have significant content. I understand the participants are nervous about the merger. They don't see or understand the basis for my proposal. Those participants need time to ask me questions and raise issues that they think require my response.

I appreciate your willingness to respond to my noticeboard post. But, you don't seem to understand the reason I posted on this noticeboard. That is why I stated to please leave this matter to others. I still appreciate the time and effort you have placed into responding to this post. Thank you. Mitchumch (talk) 04:28, 15 March 2016 (UTC)

• European Graduate School (edit | talk | history | protect | delete | links | watch | logs | views)

This is a questionable institution which has been the subject of a very long term campaign by a succession of WP:SPAs over a number of years to whitewash criticism of its accreditation status. The latest is Claidioalv (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log). If you review the Talk page you will see that the same demand is repeated over and over and over again. This is a case of WP:RGW, WP:IDHT and WP:TE. I think it is time this user was banned from that article, it is very clear that they are not here to contribute to a neutral body of knowledge, only to whitewash a questionable institution.

I originally blocked the account as a sock and unblock was declined by two admins but a third unblocked because it was likely meatpuppetry not sockpuppetry (fair, but of questionable relevance as we don't really treat the two differently) and the user was "not being disruptive". I would say the user now is being disruptive and actually I'd argue that they always were, since this is part of a long term POV-pushing campaign, but whatever. No criticism of the unblocking admin, who assumed good faith, but WP:AGF is not a suicide pact. Guy (Help!) 09:37, 9 March 2016 (UTC)

I think you meant Claudioalv (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log). CambridgeBayWeather, Uqaqtuq (talk), Sunasuttuq 11:56, 9 March 2016 (UTC)

As a sidenote: the page is fully protected, which kind of nullifies part of the unblocking administrators reasoning that Claudioalv didn't try to edit the article. I had a short look at the French page about the institution, which comes along a little shorter and completely avoids any mention of accreditation status...but I admit the singlemindedness with which the accreditation topic is tackled again and again leaves me suspecting a strong COI and meatpuppetry. Lectonar (talk) 12:09, 9 March 2016 (UTC)

Thanks, I cannot type for toffee (burn scars on my left hand). Guy (Help!) 16:28, 9 March 2016 (UTC)

• Comment: The article was indefinitely full-protected 10 days ago. There's an RfC which was opened by Vanjagenije a week ago , which should resolve at least one issue the user in question (Claudioalv) has been trying to address. By the way no SPI was filed or CU requested, but the user was indef blocked by JzG after only two edits (both to the talk page). While JzG may have some observational behavioral evidence to back that up, he seems to be acting as judge, jury, and executioner on this article and the users trying to edit it. There's also an ArbCom Request on the subject going on at this time. While I think it's commendable that JzG is looking over this article, I think his entire modus operandi is a little excessive and I think that the article and situation needs more eyes and more admin eyes, not a single-handed dictatorship. The article (or user) should have been brought to ANI or to administrative attention prior to this single-handed harshness, in my opinion. As in some other cases, I think JzG needs to dial back his intensity and POV, and allow for the fact that even COI users have a right to attempt to correct items on Wikipedia, and if there is a concern it should probably be brought to ANI or another noticeboard or investigation board before it blows up on so many fronts like this. Softlavender (talk) 05:16, 12 March 2016 (UTC)

Edited to add: And *sigh* now there's a Request for mediation filed: Wikipedia:Requests for mediation/European Graduate School article content - Accreditation issue. In my mind we have a clueless newbie editor and an overzealous admin; not a great mix, especially when in my mind neither of them is really listening to what the other is saying or trying to say. -- Softlavender (talk) 08:13, 12 March 2016 (UTC)

• I am presently in the midst of reading Ian Kershaw's two-volume biography of Hitler. Let me assure you, JzG is not imposing a "dictatorship." We have enough problems on Wikipedia without hyperbole like this. Shock Brigade Harvester Boris (talk) 05:26, 12 March 2016 (UTC)

Well, however we phrase it, I have to agree with Softlavender that it is problematic to block an editor after two edits without a CU, unless there is transparent discussion about the behavioural evidence. I trust Guy's perspective here, certainly, but when it comes to blocks, I think policy and appropriate caution require more. I won't say that I can't envisage instances when reflexive blocking might make sense, but I'm sure Guy understands why this can be viewed as problematic, especially when it is not a one-off action, but part of a broader effort that may have some suggestion of WP:INVOLVED. Snow ^{let's rap} 02:02, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

• I am heartily sick of this user. Look at the recent edit history, including trying to take this to ArbCom. So we can now add WP:FORUMSHOP to WP:TE, WP:IDHT, WP:RGW, WP:SYN and all the others. Banhammer, please. This is not about an "over zealous admin", check the article's history, there are a mountain of single purpose accounts - including socks and puppeteers. This is a long-term programme of POV-pushing plainly orchestrated by the school, a more aggressive version of what happens at Bircham International University (edit | talk | history | protect | delete | links | watch | logs | views). Guy (Help!) 12:01, 12 March 2016 (UTC)

• Kudos to Guy for reality-based adminning. BMK (talk) 03:43, 13 March 2016 (UTC)
• BMK is correct. There are lots of highly dubious organizations which earn money by selling fake academic qualifications, and their #1 priority is to fix their Wikipedia article. Anyone wanting to support the SPAs should think hard about text they add because this diff shows a claim that the school is accredited in Malta—the ref used to support that has a title starting "School that spawns activists...". Such WP:UNDUE material should not be used to obfuscate the core issue, namely that the organization is not accredited in the U.S., and Texas says it issues "fraudulent or substandard degrees". AGF is great, but reality also needs to be considered. Johnuniq (talk) 04:46, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

• I am glad that someone is reading my contribution and the issue I raised. That is the reason why I joined Wikipedia. I find some information inaccurate, misleading and partially false (i.e. Michigan) about the EGS article and I thought having joined the civil discussion in Wikipedia should have worked. I did not worked so far, but at least some administrators are discussing about the problem. My hope is that people would address the issue in the EGS article, even if I am quite sick of JzG, as he acted like the Supreme Court, the last say of the article (e.g. when a different editor amended the article with the Malta accreditation he reverted the article after half an hour because there is no consensus). What I want to repeat here is that the article was built by JzG in a malicious way because he just did not like EGS. Proof of that statement are 2: i) even if the School was accredited as Higher Education Institute since April 2015 he promply took off this info from EGS article. Now the school is accredited as a University in Malta [Malta is a European and Sovereign country and the link I posted comes from the official governmental body and not "dubious organization" as I read above], three different administrators have written that this info should be included in the RfC (I do not think three of them are crazy and JzG is the only one in his right mind); ii) the accreditation section about US in inaccurate because: a) the Michigan information is false (it is not official because derives from a U.K. link and not the US) and outdated (I have been posted which is the current Michigan Civil Service Commission link and recently I have opened a RfC); b) the Maine information is oudated because their current official statement is "The Maine Department of Education does not mantain the list of unaccredited postsecondary institution"; 3) the Texas info is outdated because the Malta accreditation was not on their record and they are currently reviewing the EGS inclusion "Status under review per European Graduate School's request". Sorry for the lenght, I like to be detailed and I have been posting this information in the talk page, in the RfC, Mediation and Arbitration request (both denied). Everyone can check, I do not want be disruptive, but I want someone who verifies that, because the current EGS article is questionning the EGS reputation and this is not fair, especially if it relies on inaccurate and outdated sources. thanks Claudioalv (talk) 15:59, 15 March 2016 (UTC)

DJ SG Gayashan appears to have two other accounts: Sajithgayashan and SG Gayashan. While this is acknowledged at User:DJ SG Gayashan and User:Sajithgayashan, it is not clear what the purpose of having these multiple accounts is. Those two user pages are also fake articles, which suggests that the user is trying to use Wikipedia for self-promotion. I'm not sure what the appropriate course of action is here - it's not sockpuppetry, but is nonetheless problematic. Cordless Larry (talk) 08:06, 15 March 2016 (UTC)

What fake articles?-Serialjoepsycho- (talk) 08:41, 15 March 2016 (UTC)

That's not breaching anything—he's clearly not trying to imitate an encyclopedic article, and consensus has always been that we allow "about myself" and reasonable external links on userpages. Since there's no attempt to deceive, this isn't breaching the multiple accounts policy either. Nothing to see here. ‑ Iridescent 08:56, 15 March 2016 (UTC)

Do you not think that the infoboxes and discographies make the user pages look like articles? Cordless Larry (talk) 09:02, 15 March 2016 (UTC)

Note that Graeme Bartlett previously blanked User:Sajithgayashan as a fake article. Cordless Larry (talk) 09:09, 15 March 2016 (UTC)

I thought that it was not so bad that speedy delete U5 was required. The user was also editing other pages too. But the lower part of the page was unsuitable for a user page. That's why I blanked it. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 09:44, 15 March 2016 (UTC)

JzG has deleted the two user pages. Cordless Larry (talk) 17:12, 15 March 2016 (UTC)

The User:Sajithgayashan incarnation also caused problems by taking an unattributed (copyright violating) copy of Draft:Alex Gilbert (which had twice been declined at AFC review) and copying it directly into article space as Alex Gilbert (TV Presenter). I pointed out the problem to him but he contested the prod and then tried to delete the AFD tag after I'd raised an AFD to replace the prod. The copyright-violating article was speedied after I raised an AFD, so hopefully the draft can be allowed to be reviewed again when the original author has done further work on it. We obviously need to keep a careful eye on User:Sajithgayashan and his other accounts. --David Biddulph (talk) 10:56, 15 March 2016 (UTC)

User: 67.81.5.244, has been making a habit of introducing his personal opinions to sourced text to articles about Slavic ethnicities. Specially about the genetical relations between Poles and Belarussians. He is habitually adding text that is contrary to the sources given. He had done so here, here, here, here, here, and specially mind this edit and its edit comment, here and frankly I could go onGerard von Hebel (talk) 03:49, 15 March 2016 (UTC)

I'm looking at articles talk pages and this users talk page but failing to see where you attempted to discuss the issues you find problematic with this user. Can't really much reason to take action there, Though there is a slow motion edit war going on which is a good reason to take action.-Serialjoepsycho- (talk) 07:58, 15 March 2016 (UTC)

-Serialjoepsycho-, I've tried to explain in the edit summaries that it's problematic when people start to add things to sourced text, that are not in the sources given or is even contradicted by the sources given. Unless of course they come with additional sources. Just saying the source is wrong won't do. I see it happen a lot on articles on ethnicities. Specially with statistics. Gerard von Hebel (talk) 17:05, 15 March 2016 (UTC)

I've added some text to the effect to the talk pages of the two articles. Frankly I'm also a bit concerned about al this haplogroup stuff anyway. Gerard von Hebel (talk) 17:15, 15 March 2016 (UTC)

This report relates to user editors SchroCat and Tim riley. It refers to the wiki article John Gielgud. This article seems to have been created by or significantly fleshed out by two editors, SchroCat and Tim riley.

On the 2nd March, I corrected a minor grammatical and stylistic solecism in the text. The change I made is this: the original text read:

"After Hillside, Lewis had won a scholarship to Eton, and Val had done likewise to Rugby, but John, lacking their academic achievement, did not follow them.[10]"

This sentence has three subordinate clauses in one and a quarter lines; contains a category error (i.e. the use of 'academic achievement' when 'academic prowess' or 'academic talent' is clearly meant); and what grammarians call a 'denied conclusion' (i.e. it says 'John... did not follow them' thus implying the question 'Follow them where?' To Rugby? Or to Eton? Or to any public school?).

I changed the sentence to:

"After Hillside, Lewis had won a scholarship to Eton, as Val had done likewise to Rugby, but John, lacking their academic achievement, did not follow them."

By the 6th of March, the change was reverted by Tim riley. I reverted it again (the 3rd edit), and then completely rewrote the lineSchroCat - this was then reverted by SchroCat (which I believe breaks the WP:3RR convention. I opened up a topic in the talk page providing grammatical and stylistic reasons for my changes and asking them not to revert the edit. I did, I admit, ask them not to revert correct changes simply out of loyalty to their own edits.

On the talk page, I was abused by both SchroCat and Tim riley - with SchroCat suggesting, amongst other things, that I was a non-native English speaker who should defer to his own own native English-speaking status. A rude message was posted on my Talk page which I have since deleted.

Today - 12th March - six days after the last edit, I restored the corrected sentence. Within six minutes, it was reverted by SchroCat.

I am therefore making a report here of disruptive editing; I ask that my edit be reviewed; I also request that the page be protected.

The edit itself is the correction of a tiny piece of grammar. However, the unfriendly, discourteous and factually (or at least grammatically) incorrect approach by these two editors is exactly the kind of hostile behaviour that discourages good Wikipedia editors from participating.

Note: I should also say, I am a relatively inexperienced Wikipedia editor - if I have made any incorrect steps in trying to use the Disruptive Editing Report protocols, please inform me and I will correct them. Hubertgrove (talk) 16:23, 12 March 2016 (UTC)

• Hubertgrove, I'm sorry you were having a bad experience--but you come with guns blazing on that talk page, and if you're dealing with an FA, that's rarely a good idea. I left a note or two on that talk page; I do not (yet) see any need for administrative involvement, though I will be happy to block for anything; now that I went up in the ranks, my block payments have doubled. Drmies (talk) 16:33, 12 March 2016 (UTC)
  • Thanks for your reply, Drmies (talk - which I do take to heart. Perhaps I was not sufficiently gentle in my tone; however I was not abusive and my changes were in fact necessary and correct. However, my complaint I think is still valid. I'm being double-teamed by two editors who are engaged in disruptive reversions of a correct edit. One of whom makes racist allusions. I really don't think this should be dismissed even with the friendly comment: 'Oh, you should have been nicer to them after they reverted you for the third time'. Is there nothing that can be done? Hubertgrove (talk) 16:39, 12 March 2016 (UTC)
    • There is something that can be done, sure, but you may not like it. First, you have to understand this is ANI, where we don't really deal with content but with behavior. Second, what could be done is I could, in much more stern language, point out to you that "you sound like British English is not your first language" or words to that effect is not a racist comment, and that bringing supposed racism into this muddies the water and makes you, in fact, guilty of the kind of thing that WP:NPA warns us about.

      So, your content edit may be valid, but the things you said in relation to it, I'm sorry--they are not. But I'm waiting for SchroCat or Tim riley to come by here to explain, in cool and calm words, how the milk of human kindness is to be distributed. Thank you, Drmies (talk) 16:43, 12 March 2016 (UTC)

• Again, thank you for your comment, Drmies. [I am going to pass on your opinion'"you sound like British English is not your first language" or words to that effect is not a racist comment,' though I do personally hope you may return to it. I believe other editors, perhaps from the UK and the Commonwealth too, and perhaps younger, might come to another conclusion. I am also very concerned that you think raising an issue of racism is itself a form of personal abusive; moreso, it seems than the actual real abuse on the talk page].

To the actual issue: You seem to view my complaint from my opening paragraph which while using 'stern language' was still not rude nor abusive, It was, however met with rude and abusive language. I cannot understand how you can let that pass.

With respect, you seem to have missed - or possibly deferred from commenting on - that I rewrote the offending sentence, to which you yourself objected, so that it avoided stylistic and grammatical solecism. It is this sentence which has been reverted without explanation.

I hope you understand that I am really not trying to be argumentative. I am just defending a correct edit and pointing out hostile editor behaviour. Hubertgrove (talk) 16:57, 12 March 2016 (UTC)

Hubert, I think you might be missing the crux of what Drmies is trying to tell you here. Let me preface my own comments with some context: I am quite at-home with British English, but also the dialects of the other anglophone countries I have lived in, all the more so for the fact that I have a degree in comparative linguistics. And I had the exact same reaction to that talk page comment as did Drmies (and apparently Schrocat and Tim riley). This is not a matter of syntactic variation between American and British English, I can assure you. That said, I actually fully agree with you that the phrasing of that statement was/is extremely unwieldy, even borderline garbled, and could use improvement. The problem is not your editorial approach to the content, it's your approach to your fellow contributors and generating consensus amongst them. Maybe you are right, maybe Schorcat and Tim riley are too attached to this content and maintaining it in exactly its current form (or for whatever reason they just don't see the grammatical issue that you do here). But assuming these factors as a given in your very first talk page comment is just a stupendously ill-conceived plan of action for resolving the matter amicably, and indeed borders on a blatant violation of one of Wikipedia crucial behavioural guidelines, WP:Assume good faith.

Drmies is absolutely on-target with their assessment that you went "guns blazing" on this issue, with the predictable result that you dramatically undermined the ability of the editors you needed to work with to view your perspectives in the best possible light. Even if you felt from the edit summary exchanges that you had reason to expect resistance to your editorial stance, the best thing to do in that instance is still to calmly present your argument (based on content and policy) without reference to what you think are the motivations of the editors involved. If they disagree, respond likewise to counter-arguments and if it looks like the issue is becoming intractable, and you think your version of the content is worth contesting over, host a WP:Request for comment or seek WP:Dispute resolution. Only after unambiguous and persistent evidence of a disruptive mindset is it appropriate to start making implication of WP:OWN mentalities or other behavioural accusations. Starting out with that is just begging for raised barriers and a magnificent waste of everyone's time as you struggle to overcome the combative mindsets when they are established at the very beginning of discussion. In this context, I don't think their behaviour was in any way more "rude and abusive" than was yours.

My best advice is that you go back to the talk page, admit you got off on the wrong foot and ask them why they are so married to original wording of the statement. If you feel they are stone-walling without a good policy reason, RfC the issue. If you are correct on the content matter, and garner the necessary consensus to support your view, they will have to accept it. But they definetly don't have to accept (or tolerate) speculative assumptions about their motivations for their editorial decisions, per WP:NPA. Best of luck. Snow ^{let's rap} 23:17, 12 March 2016 (UTC)

Thank you Snow Rise. Hubertgrove, pointing out that "English is not your first language" is not racist. Doing so is silly. The comment can be factual, it can be snarky, it can be full of admiration, it can be lots of things, but it really can't be racist, and you can pass on that comment as much as you like but that only makes the observer question your judgment. As it happens, English is not my first language, and I don't understand where this misdirected anger comes from.

Now, it would be very nice if some other admin, preferably someone more competent in English than I/me/myself, would see if this shouldn't be closed. I think Snow Rise said all that needed to be said--wait, that makes this comment kind of redunda — Preceding unsigned comment added by Drmies (talk • contribs) 00:24, 13 March 1026 (UTC)

Drmies sadly passed away in the midst of this comment, but not before managing to hit the Enter key. ^[FBDB] clpo13_(talk) 00:27, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

Oh thank goodness, it looks like Drmies didn't die afterall; they were simply sent 990 years, 7 months, 28 days, and 13 hours into the past (at least according to sinebot). What a relief! Snow ^{let's rap} 03:27, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

Is Drmies trying to put in place preparations to stop the Norman invasion of England? Which won't happen for another 40 years....Blackmane (talk) 07:38, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

^[FBDB] Ha, ha! Blackmane used a sentence fragment! Blackmane used a sentence fragment! EEng 13:52, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

And that's all you're getting from me today! Blackmane (talk) 10:47, 14 March 2016 (UTC)

I realized I was being redundant and tried to get off that train before it passed the station again. Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated; my demise is of course factual--in fact, it's almost an anagram. Drmies (talk) 14:56, 15 March 2016 (UTC)

^[FBDB] And indeed, one anagram of Drmies is Die, Mrs.! EEng 19:46, 15 March 2016 (UTC)

This edit to London Underground appears to be yet another incarnation of the various IPs offering legal threats regarding Tube Challenge. See 81.101.104.252 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · filter log · WHOIS · RDNS · RBLs · http · block user · block log) for one blocked example. --David Biddulph (talk) 13:03, 14 March 2016 (UTC)

• Ah yes. And so ungrammatical. Drmies (talk) 14:53, 14 March 2016 (UTC)

I blocked an NHS IP for NLT on my talk page several weeks ago, and I think this is the same person. Similar 'going to personally sue' me and JBW and whoever else. I'd make the block longer than 31 hours but I'm not going to override Drmies. Katie^talk 14:56, 14 March 2016 (UTC)

The pages are now semiprotected (not by me). Guy (Help!) 15:11, 14 March 2016 (UTC)

Maybe it's time to contact system administrators at the NHS. It cannot possibly be part if this person's job description to add crap to Wikipedia while at work. They may be able to trace "andi james" down. But then I guess he'll sue them too. HandsomeFella (talk) 15:16, 14 March 2016 (UTC)

The NHS is one of the largest employers in the world. As well as all the employees many NHS services provide public wifi for members of the public to use. (And the NHS deals with over a million patients every 36 hours, which doesn't include carers or relatives). The NHS is not a monolithic organisation - there are CCGs, Hospital Trusts, Ambulance Trusts, Mental Health Trusts, GP surgeries, etc. Telling the NHS is unlikely to achieve anything. DanBCDanBC (talk) 18:46, 14 March 2016 (UTC)

• Maybe. Katie, you are always welcome to override me; I did not see much point in blocking that IP address any longer, given that I saw no other similar edits in the last 500 from that IP address. That 81 IP is a different kettle of fish--but HandsomeFella, I don't think the NHS is going to care much for that one edit from the 194 IP. Drmies (talk) 17:36, 14 March 2016 (UTC)

I don't have much perspective to share on how the tools should be used here, but I'm inclined to agree on both observations. The thing about IPs making legal threats is that they are not trolls in the typical sense. That is, their aim isn't disruption in and of itself; they have actually convinced themselves that they can leverage these threats to get their way. The best way to deal with that mentality is to simply to apply the minimal effect block and otherwise WP:DENY them attention until they realize their threats gain them no traction. Sometimes they just go away afterwards, sometimes they switch to tactics that require a greater deal of containment, and maybe once in a blue moon they learn to contribute in a less disruptive fashion. But trying to follow them off-project, aside from being completely infeasible in a majority of cases (this one in particular) only plays into their delusions of influence. Snow ^{let's rap} 01:02, 15 March 2016 (UTC)

(non admin observation) the 194 IP address is part of a several-node corporate internet gateway for the NHS, so blocking the IP alone is largely pointless, and potentially has some collateral damage. Gricehead (talk) 11:57, 15 March 2016 (UTC)

• Semiprotection is the least disruptive way of handling this IMO. It's gone on for way too long, but at a slow burn - and rangeblocks to stop a single not-massively-active vandal are probably not going to fly. Guy (Help!) 16:56, 15 March 2016 (UTC)
• Hopefully, soon some magazine will do a piece about the idiots who think anyone cares about their stupid Tube Challenge, so that the Tube Challenge article can mention the idiocy of said idiots. EEng 20:44, 15 March 2016 (UTC)
  • Or we just delete those silly articles. Drmies (talk) 01:11, 16 March 2016 (UTC)
    • (Non-admin observation) The best idea yet. Haploidavey (talk) 01:34, 16 March 2016 (UTC)

• Smalljim, I don't think whack-a-vandal is really the best choice of words when dealing with the penis poster. EEng 00:18, 20 March 2016 (UTC)

User:Weist.michael is trying to write an autobiography on himself, which in and of itself is not the reason that i am reporting him. The reason is that the user has repeatedly removed reviewer comments as well as review declined submission decisions from the draft. [], [], [] in order to remove criticism and to ask the other parent. Not only that, but this isn't the only version of this submission to be submitted, it was previously deleted: Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Michael_Weist where in the discussion the user apparently created a sock puppet User:Homie123456790 for the sole purpose of arguing against the AfD (presumably because arguing against the deletion of your own article is a conflict of interest). Flagrant misuse of reviewers time. Please block indefinitely.  InsertCleverPhraseHere  00:06, 17 March 2016 (UTC)

It was an honest mistake, I didn't think it would effect things. I was imply trying to clean up my account, I thought all that stuff looked ugly. As previously discussed, I am not the subject. This is not an autobiography. I am a big fan, hence my username, but I am not the subject. I don't know what the "sock puppet" is but i've been trying to get this article made for months so I can show Michael at this event he is going to. I did change my name once by trying to create a different account because I kept running into issues similar to this. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Weist.michael (talk • contribs) 00:53, 17 March 2016 (UTC)

If it was previously discussed that you are not Michael Weist, excuse me, I was not privy to that discussion. However, if it was "an honest mistake" than how do you explain [This diff] when you wrote "(changes made to citations and some content after last rejection)" in the edit summary to disguise the fact that you were deleting another editor's review comments. (note that no changes were actually made to citations between the comment and this deletion). I want to assume good faith here, but your actions have made it pretty hard. When i wrote that you shouldn't resubmit without a substantial rewrite, instead of doing such a rewrite, you deleted my comments, added a couple of links to Facebook and youtube, didn't rewrite anything, and then resubmitted it for review again.  InsertCleverPhraseHere  03:41, 17 March 2016 (UTC)

I appreciate someone sticking up for me. I have felt nothing but harassed by User:Insertcleverphrasehere — Preceding unsigned comment added by Weist.michael (talk • contribs) 00:57, 17 March 2016 (UTC)

An accusation of harassment is pretty serious, but I'll let my actions stand for themselves. The only interaction I've had with the user is on the AfC draft page as well as on my talk page.  InsertCleverPhraseHere  01:12, 17 March 2016 (UTC)

@Weist.michael: - If Michael Weist is notable enough to have a draft article, and you are not Michael Weist, then you need to change your username, as it is a violation of our WP:Username policy#Real names to have a user name that implies that you are someone who you are not. Please ask for a change of name at WP:CHU. Failure to do so may result in an admin blocking you from editing. BMK (talk) 01:30, 17 March 2016 (UTC)

There are a few inexperienced editors, and this is an inexperienced editor, who think, based on not having read the policies, that the user name of the creator of an article should be the same as the title of the article. Therefore this is probably a good-faith error, but the policy is clear. Ask for a change of name. Robert McClenon (talk) 03:10, 17 March 2016 (UTC)

AGF, this editor is inexperienced, and needs to change their username, as per the link provided by BMK. However, the repeated blanking of comments is more problematic. If it had happened a single time, than I would agree that it could have been an honest mistake. Two or more times and it appears to be a pattern of deceit. This editor hasn't worked on anything else other than this draft. I don't know if a block is warranted, or would even accomplish anything. However, the draft has been declined by at least 5 different editors, and this editor hasn't seemed willing to listen to advice and guidance. Onel5969 ^{TT me} 03:34, 17 March 2016 (UTC)

I made changes to the content of the draft as well. I will request a name change. I didn't know I couldn't erase comments, I thought it was part of the page and I was simply trying to clean it up But I also added some content. I have no idea how to do nearly anything on here, so I haven't edited other's work simply because I don't want to make an error. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Weist.michael (talk • contribs) 17:57, 17 March 2016 (UTC)

Böri (talk · contribs) is determined to add "Abdashtart (Strato I, 365 - 352 BC), king of Sidon" to the dab page at Straton. S/He has been reverted many times, and I have explained on his/her talk page why dab pages don't include entries which don't have a blue link to an existing article. S/He isn't listening. PamD 09:19, 17 March 2016 (UTC)

Protected for now, the user can start an RfC if he thinks it's genuinely valid, or write the article, or whatever. Guy (Help!) 09:23, 17 March 2016 (UTC)

Looks like that got Böri to talk. See Talk:Straton. —/Mendaliv/^2¢/_Δ's/ 15:28, 17 March 2016 (UTC)

• Why should Abdashtart I (which miraculously appeared just now) be linked on Straton? Drmies (talk) 15:32, 17 March 2016 (UTC)
• Never mind. Guy, hope you don't mind: I undid the protection: the problem is over, I think. Thanks, Drmies (talk) 15:35, 17 March 2016 (UTC)

No problem at all, the problem is fixed so no need for protection. All good. Guy (Help!) 22:05, 17 March 2016 (UTC)

• Thanks, Drmies for creating the missing article: Böri seemed determinedly unwilling, or unable, to do so him/herself. So now the link s/he was so keen to add prematurely is perfectly legitimate and all is well. I hope they're grateful to you! PamD 16:20, 17 March 2016 (UTC)