Stewards' noticeboard/Archives/2022-07

Email sent from E. Imanoff

Hi, This email was sent to me from E. Imanoff, who asked me to add this content to the page: Turkmen ^talk 08:45, 5 July 2022 (UTC)

Please help me:: Dear Stewards, First time - the request was not granted - https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Steward_requests/Global/2022-w09#Global_lock_for_E.Imanoff ,

The second request too - was not granted https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Steward_requests/Global/2022-w14#Global_lock_for_E.Imanoff ,

Third time - It is clear that to file a complaint again 6 days after the second appeal is to disregard the steward's decision, which is similar to vandalism. Serious action should be taken against the Turkish user (nicknamed Kadı) who created this unpleasant situation, perhaps his intention was to block me in advance, so he repeatedly sent block requests without any serious reason. It is like accepting a request by negotiating with someone. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Steward_requests/Global/2022-w15#Global_lock_for_E.Imanoff

In a few words, explain what wiki policy was violated:: Incorrect evaluation of sockpoppets and misunderstanding, which is similar to vandalism.

What users are you complaining about? Provide their wiki usernames:: User:Kadı, I want to complain about User:Kadı, please eliminate the injustice and unblock my block

Add any other information that you believe to be relevant for the understanding of this case.: Please read the discussion among the Azerbaijani admins, https://az.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vikipediya:%C4%B0nzibat%C3%A7%C4%B1_m%C3%BCzakir%C9%99si&oldid=6459256#Elshad_Iman_(El%C5%9Fad_%C4%B0man)-%C4%B1n_yanl%C4%B1%C5%9F_olaraq_bloklanmas%C4%B1 because I have admitted my mistake and I ask you to allow me to make my edits and I promise that this will not happen again. I can't edit in English, unfortunately, because I'm blocked.

Please let me use the account E.Imanoff, because I do my editing in Azerbaijani languages articles.

At the moment, I am blocked globally for no good reason. Please take action to get out of the global block.

Ruslik0, thoughts? Vermont 🐿️ (talk) 23:43, 7 July 2022 (UTC)

Because of lack of time, I am posting the following message without proof-reading it. Apologies if there are any errors.

• A while ago the editor approached me for help on this. I have put a considerable amount of time looking into this, but unfortunately I have found it very confusing. There's a very large amount of discussion there, spread over a number of projects, much of it in languages I don't read, so that I have had to have recourse to Google translation. Consequently I have been unable to come to a completely clear conclusion. However, it does look to me as though it may be true that the editor has been blocked, and then globally locked, without any good reason. The block log for E.Imanoff on English Wikipedia, (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Log&page=User%3AE.Imanoff&type=block) cites w:az:Vikipediya:İdarəçi müzakirəsi#Elshad Iman (Elşad İman)-ın yanlış olaraq bloklanması. However, the linked discussion expresses the view that the editor was blocked on English Wikipedia "due to misunderstanding" (Google translation from Azerbaijani) so I don't understand how that can be given in support of a block on English Wikipedia.
• The history of blocks on the accounts Elshadiman and Elshad Iman (Elşad İman) on English Wikipedia is substantially as follows.
  • There was a block on one of the accounts, and also on another account By Elshad Iman, in October 2014, but the editor was allowed to continue to edit from one of the accounts. There wasn't, as far as I can see, any abusive use of the multiple accounts, and the fact that the blocking administrator allowed one account to continue in use is consistent with that. Strangely, the blocking administrator did not make any comment on the reason for the blocks on the talk page of any of the accounts, nor, as far as I can see, anywhere else, making it difficult to see why the blocks were made, but, with no obvious abusive editing, with the editor allowed to continue editing, with the administrator making no comment, it doesn't seem to be a significant problem, on the scale of blocks leading to global locks.
  • In March 2019, the account Elshad Iman (Elşad İman) was unblocked, and Elshadiman blocked instead. This was just to allow the editor to edit with the same global account on English Wikipedia as on Azerbaijani and Russian Wikipedias, and is of no significance.
• The significant block, however, came in October 2021. It is documented at en:Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Elshadiman/Archive, but the title of that page is misleading, because at the time it was Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Wikiazeus. There was a complex list of sockpuppets there, as a result of several investigations. Then this edit led to a CheckUser on the account Elshad Iman (Elşad İman), with the conclusion "Likely per technical evidence, blocking mainly on behaviour". Not being a CheckUser I can't assess the technical evidence, but since the block was "mainly on behaviour" I can assess the evidence which was mainly responsible for the block, and I regard it as suggestive but nowhere near persuasive. I would certainly not have blocked on the basis of the behavioural evidence. THere are also noticeable differences between the editing of the Elshadiman and some of the other supposed sockpuppets. However, the editor's accounts were blocked, and the sockpuppet investigation page renamed after Elshadiman, because of the convention of using the oldest known account.
• A later investigation on the same page said "Majorbaku, Ferzali46, Leolelo, and Nikosayagi9 are all confirmed to Bakhram9 and NILSON7728 from the Elshadiman case, although there's still not a clear line all the way back to Elshadiman." (My emphasis.) That appears to mean that there are accounts which are confidently believed to be all the same person, but the CheckUser/administrator in question is not confident that they are the same person as Elshadiman.
• Looking beyond English Wikipedia I cease to have such a complete knowledge of events, because of the complexity of all the different discussions in different places, and the language problems. I don't know the full circumstances which led to a global lock, but it seems to me that it grew out of the block on English Wikipedia. The account Elshadiman is not blocked on any project other than English Wikipedia, and Elshad Iman (Elşad İman) is blocked only on English and turkish Wikipedias, for completely different reasons; on en for sockpuppetry, and on tr for "Profilde belirtilmeyen maddi çıkar", which appears to mean undisclosed paid editing.
• As I have already indicated, I have found this case far too confusing to cone to any clear and definite conclusion. However, it really does not seem to me as thought the sockpuppet case on English Wikipedia, which appears to be essentially the basis of the global lock, is solid enough to justify locking the editor out of all projects, and there is even room for doubt as to whether it is enough to justify the block on en Wikipedia, though of course that is not a matter to be decided here. JBW (talk) 22:29, 9 July 2022 (UTC)

  @JBW Thanks for your input, it really makes it less complex. I have been contacted by the user via e-mail multiple times to help with both English-language message and clarification, also the reason I write here is because the user have asked for help recently. According to the user's explanation, he was blocked on English Wikipedia by mistake.

  Back in 2019, he switched the accounts which led to his permanent block from Wikimedia projects in general. For this very reason, he asked for the unblock, which was commented by azwiki admins (including me). The outcome was to apply the ombuds commission, which was fulfilled by the user. As far as I know, the commission declined (or didn't reply) it due to the stewards concensus.

  Coming to Wikiazeus, which is considered his main sockpoppet, it's a bit tangled as well. Elshad Iman have asserted that might only have used the IP he would have never imagined that had been used by Wikiazeus previously, who had multiple sockpuppets had edited and dealt a lot of mess on multiple Wikipedias. I believe him, because it has happened many times due to IP address issues in universities and other institutions in Azerbaijan. Also, the latter sockpuppetry has been done unprofessionally and it could easily be seen in a deletion discussion. Also, you might check out some of the users in this category and can tell the difference between the users immediately. Wikiazeus and its clones had only edited sports-related topics.

  Best, -- Toghrul R (talk) 20:24, 10 July 2022 (UTC)

First I'd like to point out that I haven't delved into user's global activity. My opinion is in favor of serious consideration of the issue. @JBW: As you mentioned, the user's discussion page and other related pages have not been notified about the block. The user's activity on azwiki is quite valuable. Therefore, I am against global blocking and exclusion from all projects. Sincerely --eldarado (talk | contributions | meta page) 10:18, 13 July 2022 (UTC)

Dear Vermont, what do you think about this issue? 89.219.181.244 18:02, 18 July 2022 (UTC)

I do not think that the lock was justified. It's too controversial to happen without proper discussion, especially considering that there was no ongoing abuse. The communication strategies of the users involve don't help; frequent communications of text walls make it difficult for anyone to find the motivation to look into it sufficiently thoroughly, but it is clear that the lock is not preventing any ongoing cross-wiki abuse. In line with that, if Ruslik0 has no objections, I would like to unlock the account. Vermont 🐿️ (talk) 19:19, 18 July 2022 (UTC)

You can but then you will take a responsibility for the behavior of this user in the future. I am personally skeptical that anything good will result from continuing participation of this user in the Wikimedia projects. Ruslik (talk) 20:45, 18 July 2022 (UTC)

If there is not ongoing cross-wiki abuse and there are established editors on local projects saying that this user was constructive, a global lock is not necessary. Vermont 🐿️ (talk) 17:31, 22 July 2022 (UTC)

@Vermont, Ruslik does not ban the opening of the block, just expressed his personal opinion. As mentioned above by eldarado, The user's activity on azwiki is quite valuable. I think you can make a special mark on the user's page and restore his rights and status. 89.219.181.244 16:59, 19 July 2022 (UTC)

unlocked per this discussion and user's agreement to a one-account restriction. Further issues with sockpuppets or logged-out editing will result in reinstatement of the lock. Vermont 🐿️ (talk) 23:52, 23 July 2022 (UTC)

Good done. Thanks Elshad Iman (Elşad İman) (talk) 05:54, 24 July 2022 (UTC)

This section was archived on a request by: Vermont 🐿️ (talk) 23:52, 23 July 2022 (UTC)

Wikipedia injustice

I was accused as a sock puppet and I am not they did not even check it they just accused me and I am innocent. I’m not Cmach77 I don’t even know him all I know is he is an old old user as I just rambled to them all I did was try to be funny I realized it’s not it’s immare and I’m sorry. Gooduser199 (talk) 02:37, 24 July 2022 (UTC)

There's nothing we can do about that here. You shall appeal your block to the English Wikipedia administrators via the usual channels. —MarcoAurelio (talk) 09:53, 7 August 2022 (UTC)

This section was archived on a request by: —MarcoAurelio (talk) 09:53, 7 August 2022 (UTC)

My block

I. Won’t do vandalism I regret it all of Wikipedia is to help peoples not vandalism site I’m learned my lesson 173.23.71.147 21:12, 27 July 2022 (UTC)

This IP appears to only be blocked on the English Wikipedia, they left you directions on how to appeal it here: w:en:User talk:173.23.71.147. — xaosflux ^Talk 18:37, 28 July 2022 (UTC)

This section was archived on a request by: —MarcoAurelio (talk) 09:54, 7 August 2022 (UTC)