Killing people off

Hello: I am very new to this, so please forgive me if my terminology is a bit off.

I am an author, currently writing a book on the history of the diffusion of knowledge. I am just coming to the end of the book's Part Three, which is about the storage of knowledge - libraries, encyclopaedias, that sort of thing. I will finish the chapter by talking about the history of Wikipedia.

So - I was happily writing along on the evening of March 27, about the invention of hypertext, and the naming of this concept in 1965 by Ted Nelson. To check on his biography I looked him up on Wikipedia, only to find to my great surprise that he had died, and on the very day, March 27 2022, that I was writing about him. The coincidence was so odd I wrote a footnote on my page, and then a Tweet, saying how odd, and how additionally odd that there were no obits about him, despite his considerable fame in the computer world.

Next morning I found out why. He wasn't dead at all. Nor were some ten other people who had been killed off, as it were, by the same anonymous person. And which led me to you, since your name is up on the page relating to all of this mayhem.

I have many questions - not the least of them: how does one find out the identity of the scoundrel who did this, and presumably gets some bizarre thrill from doing such things. But assuming that is one thing I'll never find out - how can I learn a little more about the process that drives Wikipedia's army of volunteer verifiers or administrators? I would like to know some of the jargon - there are references to socks, for example - and of the hierarchies within the administration who manage to keep Wikipedia clean and accurate and fair, and it generally now seems to be.

Any help you might be able to offer, I'd be most grateful. My email is simonwinchester@mac.com, my Twitter @simonwwriter. Here or anywhere, any help or suggestions would be very welcome. There is a wikipedia entry and just for now it seems more less right. I ope posting this doesn't put it at risk!

Thanks for reading this, if you or anyone else did.

Simon Winchester. Massachusetts. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Simonw46 (talkcontribs) 21:08, 31 March 2022 (UTC)Reply


Hi Simon, identities are private in Wikipedia, even for vandals. You might find WP:ADMIN, WP:VANDAL, and WP:SOCK useful reading. PhilKnight (talk) 09:03, 1 April 2022 (UTC)Reply

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22:53, 15 April 2022 (UTC)

Your block of 2.137.140.173

I think it's a WP:DUCK for a Spanish IP blocked by Widr.   –Skywatcher68 (talk) 13:47, 21 April 2022 (UTC)Reply

Thanks for letting me know. I will extend the block. PhilKnight (talk) 21:09, 21 April 2022 (UTC)Reply

TPA

Hi there... you might want to revoke talk page access for IQBAL Hasan JCD, as they're still posting self-promotional content on their user talk page after you blocked them. Thanks. --Drm310 🍁 (talk) 16:12, 28 April 2022 (UTC)Reply

Hi, they haven't edited since the block. PhilKnight (talk) 16:26, 28 April 2022 (UTC)Reply

Thanks

Hi PhilKnight. Just letting you know about this as a courtesy. I think there’s probably no need for further clarification unless you or another oversighter/admin want to explain the specific policies that were applied or the processes that were involved. — Marchjuly (talk) 19:20, 3 May 2022 (UTC)Reply

Hi Marchjuly, thanks for letting me know. PhilKnight (talk) 20:29, 3 May 2022 (UTC)Reply

a few more

Hello. These are probably spambots as well. Kindly take a look. --Minorax«¦talk¦» 12:39, 5 May 2022 (UTC)Reply

Thanks. All blocked. 13:01, 5 May 2022 (UTC)

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Revoke IP TPA

Hey! Could you revoke the TPA of the IP 180.253.44.41? They clearly aren't using their talk page to request an unblock (in fact, they removed the warnings and block notice, the block notice has to remain) ― Blaze WolfTalkBlaze Wolf#6545 14:44, 17 May 2022 (UTC)Reply

  Done PhilKnight (talk) 15:04, 17 May 2022 (UTC)Reply
Thanks! I made a post about this at WP:ANI as well since you were taking a few minutes to respond (understandably) and the IP continued. ― Blaze WolfTalkBlaze Wolf#6545 15:09, 17 May 2022 (UTC)Reply

Block evasion

Hi Phil, just to let you know that 103.216.213.40 (talk · contribs · WHOIS) that you blocked for 6 months is continuing disruption as 103.216.213.41 (talk · contribs · WHOIS). Cheers, — kashmīrī TALK 21:05, 21 May 2022 (UTC)Reply

Hi Kashmiri, thanks for letting me know. I have now blocked the IP. PhilKnight (talk) 08:25, 22 May 2022 (UTC)Reply
Thanks. — kashmīrī TALK 09:13, 22 May 2022 (UTC)Reply

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Edit summary

Hello! I wanted to bring this edit summary to your attention. I don't know how to request these things to be redacted, so I figured I would let you know, as it should probably be struck through (I guess that's waht it would be called.) Thank you for your time, and have a great weekend! SPF121188 (talk this way) (contribs) 19:58, 10 June 2022 (UTC)Reply

Hi SPF121188, I've revision deleted the edit summary. PhilKnight (talk) 20:06, 10 June 2022 (UTC)Reply

Request for suppression

Hello! I see you just commented on this page. Thank you. Please note I sent an urgent email to Oversight for suppression of some personal information on the page that would put the lives of the people mentioned in the article at risk considering the terrorism threats in the area faced by political leaders. I suggested it be removed and historical edit history suppressed as soon as possible. Kindly please can you assist by reviewing. Thank you very much! — Preceding unsigned comment added by Africakenya (talkcontribs) 21:44, 19 June 2022 (UTC)Reply

103.216.213.44

[1]: you might be interested. Courtesy: DaxServer. Thanks. Dr.Pinsky (talk) 10:05, 27 June 2022 (UTC)Reply

lol 😂 — DaxServer (t · m · c) 10:10, 27 June 2022 (UTC)Reply
Just weird. Thanks for letting me know. PhilKnight (talk) 11:33, 27 June 2022 (UTC)Reply

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TPA

Someone needs to take away his internet access but I suppose just taking away his TPA may do. PRAXIDICAE🌈 19:31, 22 July 2022 (UTC)Reply

TheresNoTime has revoked talk page access. PhilKnight (talk) 06:58, 23 July 2022 (UTC)Reply

User talk:2600:8800:2004:8100:6C96:F47C:E3C7:ACC5

Didja forget to actually block this one? --jpgordon𝄢𝄆𝄐𝄇 04:47, 26 July 2022 (UTC)Reply

Yes. PhilKnight (talk) 08:16, 26 July 2022 (UTC)Reply

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Sockpuppet blocks

Thanks for the blocks here. I just wanted to make sure you did not miss blocking his third account Abdullagh, otherwise he'll probably just keep trying to make autobiographies with that one. Uhai (talk · contribs) 17:06, 7 August 2022 (UTC)Reply

Thanks. Now blocked. PhilKnight (talk) 17:11, 7 August 2022 (UTC)Reply

Hello Phil, the IP 185.53.198.141 who you just blocked for 48 hrs is now making legal threats on their talk page [User talk:185.53.198.141]. Netherzone (talk) 06:08, 14 August 2022 (UTC)Reply

Thanks. Reverted and talk page access revoked. PhilKnight (talk) 06:16, 14 August 2022 (UTC)Reply
Thank you Netherzone (talk) 06:17, 14 August 2022 (UTC)Reply
Same just occurred on IP 185.53.199.29 too. Zinnober9 (talk) 18:33, 14 August 2022 (UTC)Reply
Thanks. PhilKnight (talk) 18:35, 14 August 2022 (UTC)Reply

Sock

Philknight Sock of Iamsilax is back now as Samir Bishal mostly same edits and interested in bengali articles also created Articles without Draftify articles which is same as previous sock [2].117.226.155.138 (talk) 19:51, 24 August 2022 (UTC)Reply

I suggest you file a WP:SPI. PhilKnight (talk) 15:10, 25 August 2022 (UTC)Reply
Hey, I can't file SPI cause the main account Kolkatacine there are no SPI page created about that account, if you create an SPI page for that account then I can file. 117.227.98.27 (talk) 18:43, 25 August 2022 (UTC)Reply
Sorry for the delay. I have created Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Kolkatacine. PhilKnight (talk) 11:12, 27 August 2022 (UTC)Reply
@Philknight: I can't file the SPI cause there are error of automated filter, can you file it ? 117.227.50.66 (talk) 12:51, 27 August 2022 (UTC)Reply
Given that another admin has blocked you for harassment, I am not going to help any further. PhilKnight (talk) 08:13, 28 August 2022 (UTC)Reply
Thanks for the tip Bbb23. PhilKnight (talk) 15:05, 27 August 2022 (UTC)Reply
Given your latest comments, I've deleted the shell SPI per WP:G6. If that was wrong, please feel free to restore, although it was already creating some confusion for others.--Bbb23 (talk) 13:40, 28 August 2022 (UTC)Reply
Thanks Bbb23. PhilKnight (talk) 14:51, 28 August 2022 (UTC)Reply
No problem. Not sure if you know, but generally when an IP wants to create a new SPI, they create the SPI Talk page and request that it be moved to the project page. In that way, they can create the entire SPI including the required evidence before the SPI is created.--Bbb23 (talk) 15:01, 28 August 2022 (UTC)Reply
Thanks for the advice. PhilKnight (talk) 13:11, 29 August 2022 (UTC)Reply

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Ty

Cheers for ur help guvna! Ur a real Phil-anthropist Stephanie921 (talk) 15:32, 2 September 2022 (UTC)Reply

No problem. PhilKnight (talk) 15:36, 2 September 2022 (UTC)Reply
Hope my joke made u laugh :) Stephanie921 (talk) 15:37, 2 September 2022 (UTC)Reply
Yeah, it did. :) PhilKnight (talk) 15:39, 2 September 2022 (UTC)Reply
Wonderful, have a lovely day :D Stephanie921 (talk) 15:39, 2 September 2022 (UTC)Reply

The page WanBi Tuấn Anh got vandalized

Dear sir, I noticed some users keep adding many nonsense things to the page WanBi Tuấn Anh, you can read here.
I suspect those are sockpuppets created by one person. Can you please check their IP and block them if they are indeed the same person?
Thank you so much.
Sincerely,
SamNg311 (talk) 17:47, 18 September 2022 (UTC)Reply
Sam

Hi Sam, I have blocked Aktm 2019 (talk · contribs) indefinitely. PhilKnight (talk) 17:56, 18 September 2022 (UTC)Reply
Thank you so much. Have a good day, sir :D
SamNg311 (talk) 16:08, 19 September 2022 (UTC)Reply

Disable TPA

You might wanna remove the TPA of the user you just blocked. ― Blaze WolfTalkBlaze Wolf#6545 15:32, 21 September 2022 (UTC)Reply

Thanks. PhilKnight (talk) 15:35, 21 September 2022 (UTC)Reply

Administrators' newsletter – October 2022

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Patrick Müller7519

Hi, could you tell me what the other accounts are? I blocked for socking without tagging because I didn't know. The user had, somewhat incoherently, admitted to having other accounts, and their behavior was troll-like, but it would be helpful to formally connect (tag) the user appropriately. Thanks.--Bbb23 (talk) 12:45, 24 October 2022 (UTC)Reply

Hi, they are Edyn322 (talk · contribs) and C23-13 (talk · contribs). PhilKnight (talk) 16:08, 24 October 2022 (UTC)Reply
Thanks, I did a little tagging, hope you don't mind.--Bbb23 (talk) 16:21, 24 October 2022 (UTC)Reply

"Wikipedia:DEFAULT" listed at Redirects for discussion

  An editor has identified a potential problem with the redirect Wikipedia:DEFAULT and has thus listed it for discussion. This discussion will occur at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2022 October 29#Wikipedia:DEFAULT until a consensus is reached, and anyone, including you, is welcome to contribute to the discussion. 1234qwer1234qwer4 16:59, 29 October 2022 (UTC)Reply