Ducks Redux Front Page Article is Aces!

[Triptych]

Just read through "Ducks Redux" on the front page and I've got to extend massive props to Hersch for articulating this phenomenon so well. It is the truth that virtually any common editor can be indefinitely blocked at the mere "suspicion" of socking by virtually any admin. And in fact that the admin need not articulate any reasoned or evidentiary basis at all, he need only say the magic words of "WP:DUCK," and perhaps furnish some embellishing finish like "it is so blindingly obvious and crystal clear."

Except for the power content editors and the long-time ones, who have learned how the process works, the common editor thus blocked has little chance of reversing the block. Why? A) Because the blocker likely as not went ahead and blocked the user talkpage too, B) because the appeal mechanism is awkward, C) because those parked at the appeal notifications webpage are the same WP:DUCKists who administer the blocks in the first place. What this amounts to is that the collateral damage Hersch refers to, i.e. the proportion of innocent editors falsely blocked (which is the vast majority) that never recover, occurs not against established common editors, but rather against newer ones, the project's new blood.

In the meantime the blockaholic administrators rack up their victories, and their behavior receives positive reinforcement from their fellows. As Hersch insightfully opines, "sock-hunting has now moved beyond its function as a system-gaming tactic in article content disputes, to becoming an end in itself for young nerd-obsessive admins who were raised on “World of Warcraft.”" Whether WoW or some other MMORPG, I decidedly agree that it is a game for these types, it is the draw for them and the excitement for them, and indeed they track number of blocks as a winning score.

However I'd go on to liken it to an extension of the IRC experience for them. On IRC the channel admins enjoy flicking the kick and ban buttons, often on mere irritation, and complete with a humorous parting shot. What has happened is a great number of administrators, almost all the arbitrators for one metric, either came to Wikipedia from IRC or have an online existence that actually blends the two experiences. In other words their adminships consist of Wikipedia in the browser window and the official Wikipedia channels in the IRC window. Beyond using IRC with their pals as a joint targeting tool on proposed blockees, which is of course personal bonding, the IRC kick/ban behavior also bleeds over. So the administrative behavior is not much governed by Wikipedia policy, but is rather a reflection of the casual IRC activity.

Of course by this, neither Hersch nor I state that every administrator so behaves. There are some good ones that apply reasoning and sometimes offer a cautious "well wait a minute, policy says we should..." but they are cut off and overpowered by the greater numbers of MMORPG/IRC admins. And in fact they may well find themselves targeted by them, there is an intimidation going on. Ironholds illustrated it a few months back by warning off any unblockers of whomever the victim at the time was "just try it and you're going to get thwapped." He later stated he just meant "trouted" the gently humorous IRC slang, but his message was clearly otherwise at the time: the prominent admin and WMF representative meant by "thwapped" that the unblocking admin would come in for a deluge of WP:AN/ANI scorn and risked losing his or her tools. It was no hollow threat.

It's difficult to know how to fix this project-debilitating phenomenon. Really it becomes more entrenched all the time. I have seen WP:DUCK used several times on blockees, as if policy, and I don't even follow it all that closely. I used to say to administrators "you've got to police yourselves," but I've realized in the current climate that's a risky thing for any well-meaning admin to undertake.

[thekohser]

This page was blocked as "Adult" on the corporate web filter today. And I mean *this* page... not the blog post.

[Zoloft]

It's possibly the link to Encyclopedia Dramatica in Triptych's signature maybe perhaps?

[HRIP7]

It's possibly the link to Encyclopedia Dramatica in Triptych's signature maybe perhaps?

When it comes to that, we also have a "Wikipornia" link in one user's signature that might be a more likely candidate ...

The good thing (if that is what it is) is that signature edits seem to apply retroactively.

[DanMurphy]

It's possibly the link to Encyclopedia Dramatica in Triptych's signature maybe perhaps?

When it comes to that, we also have a "Wikipornia" link in one user's signature that might be a more likely candidate ...

The good thing (if that is what it is) is that signature edits seem to apply retroactively.

Let's remove the link to ED. It's probably not the problem... but removing those links can only be a good thing.

[Zoloft]

Then the Wikipornia one should go as well.

Edit: Which act places us on a footing with the British Government. I can't wait to smash a newspaper's computers right in front of them.

[Zoloft]

Made the live ED link a dead one, but people can still go there if they reassemble the URL.

[Michaeldsuarez]

Hello Cupco. Have you seen using sockpuppets lately?

[Triptych]

This page was blocked as "Adult" on the corporate web filter today. And I mean *this* page... not the blog post.

The others suggest it's my Encyclopedia Dramatica link. Does the corporate web filter let you access Encyclopedia Dramatica directly?

Does Encyclopedia Dramatica even feature porn or "adult" content?

I post in a bunch of threads here, and my signature occurred in each, so why would this particular thread warrant the block.

It sounds to me like you all are barking up the wrong tree, swatting at shadows. Still, one or more of the site's Wikipedia "enemies" might be filing false reports against it to Norton and whomever, that is true. I'd suppose it might even be able to do such a thing anonymously.

[thekohser]

Does Encyclopedia Dramatica even feature porn or "adult" content?

You're really not one to investigate things yourself, are you? ED is mostly porn and "adult" content.

[Hersch]

Just read through "Ducks Redux" on the front page and I've got to extend massive props to Hersch for articulating this phenomenon so well.

You're very kind, but mainly I was just trying to set the stage for the Monty Python video, which presents an uncannily accurate analogy for how Wikipedia actually works.

[Michaeldsuarez]

Hello Cupco. Have you seen using sockpuppets lately?

http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Michaeldsuarez&diff=102382334&oldid=100471486:

== Hello from Cupco ==

I want my socks discovered so I get proper attribution for my work, but I can't count on Alison any more after she figured that out. Can you please find a better checkuser? [[Special:Contributions/74.219.71.20|74.219.71.20]] 14:44, 21 August 2013 (UTC)

LookAtMeImAnAttentionWhore.jpg.

[Michaeldsuarez]

Hello Cupco. Have you seen using sockpuppets lately?

http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Michaeldsuarez&diff=102382334&oldid=100471486:

== Hello from Cupco ==

I want my socks discovered so I get proper attribution for my work, but I can't count on Alison any more after she figured that out. Can you please find a better checkuser? [[Special:Contributions/74.219.71.20|74.219.71.20]] 14:44, 21 August 2013 (UTC)

LookAtMeImAnAttentionWhore.jpg.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/EJM86

Too easy. Neo_Poz (T-C-L) and EJM86 (T-C-L) share similar interests (e.g. "Algae fuel").

I believe that Cupco might still be using Colorado-based Qwest / CenturyLink IP addresses (background information on Cupco's history with Qwest IP addresses):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/70.59.30.138

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/71.215.86.35

http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/71.212.227.127

Although Cupco recently posted a message on my talk page using a Indianapolis-based Road Runner IP address.

[Michaeldsuarez]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/EJM86

Too easy. Neo_Poz (T-C-L) and EJM86 (T-C-L) share similar interests (e.g. "Algae fuel").

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/UKecongraphsup

UKecongraphsup (T-C-L) uploads graphs onto Commons, and within a few hours, EJM86 (T-C-L) adds one of the graphs to an enwiki article.

The graphs that UKecongraphsup upload are in the PNG format (as opposed to the SVG format). Most of the graphs uploaded by Cupco and his sockpuppets (also on the subject of economics) are in the PNG format:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=upload&user=Cupco

http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=upload&user=Neo_Poz

http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=upload&user=CLDunlap

Alison blocked CLDunlap (T-C-L) on March 9th, and EJM86 (T-C-L) was created a few hours later.

EJM86 and UKecongraphsup are sockpuppets of Cupco / Neo_Poz / CLDunlap.

[Michaeldsuarez]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/EJM86

Too easy. Neo_Poz (T-C-L) and EJM86 (T-C-L) share similar interests (e.g. "Algae fuel").

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/UKecongraphsup

UKecongraphsup (T-C-L) uploads graphs onto Commons, and within a few hours, EJM86 (T-C-L) adds one of the graphs to an enwiki article.

The graphs that UKecongraphsup upload are in the PNG format (as opposed to the SVG format). Most of the graphs uploaded by Cupco and his sockpuppets (also on the subject of economics) are in the PNG format:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=upload&user=Cupco

http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=upload&user=Neo_Poz

http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=upload&user=CLDunlap

Alison blocked CLDunlap (T-C-L) on March 9th, and EJM86 (T-C-L) was created a few hours later.

EJM86 and UKecongraphsup are sockpuppets of Cupco / Neo_Poz / CLDunlap.

"EJM86" has been blocked as a sockpuppet of James Salsman / Cupco, along with an account called "Pointer_wrangler" and an IP address.

[EricBarbour]

Salsman is amazing, he never gets the point. That Wikipedia, which he loves sooo much, doesn't want him around.