FcoonerBCA

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Contributing

Hi. I recommend reading Wikinews:Pillars of writing, for an overview of what we do here. Then, there's a great tutorial on writing a first article for Wikinews at Wikinews:Writing an article. Cheers. --Pi zero (talk) 14:06, 9 November 2020 (UTC)

@Pi zero: I know we have not always seen eye to eye on wiki-topics, but you are one of the admins I find more predictable around wmf. Maybe because I don't know you very well (just kidding).

Anyway, a discussion on the topic of socks has been simmering at: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Wikiquote:Administrators%27_noticeboard#User:Babe_kebab and I have become fascinated with it, because the atmosphere at WQ encourages frank discussion, because it has always been my view that socking can be beneficial on wmf-sites if handled correctly, and because I believe the way it is handled currently is detrimental to the health of the community. I am not convinced of this though, and who am I to have views on this topic when I have never worked as a patroller. However, I believe open exploration is a good thing.

Anyway I did not come here to bore you with long wallsoftext, but to see if you may be interested in checking this discussion out. I believe it can be educational for admins. Cheers, Ottawahitech (talk) 22:50, 5 January 2021 (UTC)

@Ottawahitech: Puppetry has different implications on Wikinews that on most sisters, due to our treatment of accumulated reputation. --Pi zero (talk) 23:27, 5 January 2021 (UTC)

@Pi zero Thanks for pinging me. Does this mean that globally locked socks are welcome to contribute at wikinews? Just curious, Ottawahitech (talk) 02:04, 7 January 2021 (UTC)

No. We're more concerned with identity here; not less. --Pi zero (talk) 02:09, 7 January 2021 (UTC)

That said, for my own part I would want to know more about the circumstances of a particular case. In particular, whether the user did anything in the first place for which en.wn ought to be protected against them — which is the purpose of a block, after all; it's not a "penalty". The slippery point being, that we're unlikely to want the sort of person would would pretend to be someone else to get around a block (but, again, I'd want to know more about a particular case). --Pi zero (talk) 14:57, 7 January 2021 (UTC)

I believe this is the problem many socks have. No one has the time to investigate what happened in the first place. The most unfortunate thing IMO is that because so many on WMF-sites are blocked, and now, it seems, even globally locked, that it causes the number of volunteers to dwindle. It is also getting the wmf-movement a bad reputation outside its borders, so even less are inclined to volunteer. Just my $.02 Ottawahitech (talk) 18:28, 8 January 2021 (UTC)

@Ottawahitech: I deal out quite a few blocks here on Wikinews that, frankly, I think are quite justified. Most of them are spambots. I give them all the opportunity to object, which almost never happens, and when someone makes a credible request for unblock I grant it (that's happened twice, that I recall atm). On one occasion, iirc, someone I'd chosen not to block, giving them the benefit-of-doubt, was later globally blocked.

From an admin's perspective, I appreciate that relitigating an old case is a tremendous amount of work —much more work than it took to know what was going on at the time of the block— when we can barely keep up with the new cases. And I can also quite appreciate the perspective of one of those occasional people who honestly believe their case should be religitated (which doesn't always mean, btw, that they're right; but, by adopting the perspective of someone honest, one already excludes a large class of mostly-meritless cases).

When you say "it" is getting wikimedia a bad reputation outside its borders, do you mean

• the number of blocks,
• the number of blocks that don't get relitigated,
• the number of un-relitigated blocks that are perceived by the target as unfair, or
• the number of un-relitigated blocks that are perceived by third parties as unfair?

--Pi zero (talk) 18:59, 8 January 2021 (UTC)

• re getting wikimedia a bad reputation":

I guess I was thinking more in terms of the many people I have met online and in real life who will have nothing to do with wikipedia. It is a shame because IMIO some that I know/knew have a lot to contribute.

As far as blocked users just walking away instead of trying to get unblocked, that is in my opinion the result of choosing the path of least resistance. Most, I believe, simply continue contributing as socks, and a few are lost to the movement forever, even spreading their gospel on foreign-online-lands. btw hopefully most socks that remain are busy building up content, but I have personally come up against some pretty bitter individuals that are simply trying to destroy everything that stands in their way. Cheers, Ottawahitech (talk) 19:43, 8 January 2021 (UTC)

Reno wildfires

Hi. I've written up a set of review comments. --Pi zero (talk) 21:42, 20 November 2020 (UTC)

Blocked and then un blocked by the stewards?

Hi FcoonerBCA: I believe we have met before on another wmf-wiki? I had no idea you were blocked and then un blocked by the stewards? Would you share some details with us? Thanks in advance, Ottawahitech (talk) 19:13, 26 December 2020 (UTC)