Michael's behaviour is gone beyond annoying at this stage. We have talked and talked about contacting AOL. Has that been done?
If not, can I please as Jim or one of the developers /as a matter or urgency/ to do it. The little turd (sorry if the terminology is unusual but I can think of no less offensive term to call him and a lot stronger) has been moving around various users' pages, invariably the pages of Hephaestos and occasionally others, including Jim O'Regan's now.
Among his targeting of Hep's pages have been : * (cur) (last) . . M 03:50, 29 Aug 2003 . . Hephaestos (Reverted to last edit by Hephaestos) * (cur) (last) . . 03:50, 29 Aug 2003 . . Hephaestos' Account * (cur) (last) . . M 03:50, 29 Aug 2003 . . Hephaestos (Reverted to last edit by Delirium) * (cur) (last) . . M 03:49, 29 Aug 2003 . . Hephaestos' Account (So, you were born on St. Christopher's day 1953, huh?) * (cur) (last) . . M 03:40, 29 Aug 2003 . . Delirium (Reverted to last edit by Hephaestos) * (cur) (last) . . 03:36, 29 Aug 2003 . . Hephaestos' Account * (cur) (last) . . 03:35, 29 Aug 2003 . . Hephaestos' Account * (cur) (last) . . 16:58, 28 Aug 2003 . . Hephaestos (just a note. please?) * (cur) (last) . . M 16:56, 28 Aug 2003 . . Hephaestos * (cur) (last) . . M 00:59, 28 Aug 2003 . . Hephaestos (Reverted to last edit by Hephaestos) * (cur) (last) . . 00:59, 28 Aug 2003 . . Bastard (Hephaestos) * (cur) (last) . . M 00:53, 28 Aug 2003 . . Hephaestos (Reverted to last edit by Hephaestos) * (cur) (last) . . 00:53, 28 Aug 2003 . . Mr. Bush * (cur) (last) . . 05:23, 27 Aug 2003 . . Hephaestos * (cur) (last) . . 22:40, 4 Aug 2003 . . Evercat (rv) * (cur) (last) . . 22:38, 4 Aug 2003 . . 67.121.169.17 (Michael) * (cur) (last) . . M 10:21, 4 Aug 2003 . . Cyp (Reverted to last edit by Notheruser) * (cur) (last) . . 10:20, 4 Aug 2003 . . 202.147.80.212 * (cur) (last) . . M 08:04, 4 Aug 2003 . . Notheruser (Reverted to last edit by Notheruser) * (cur) (last) . . 08:04, 4 Aug 2003 . . 202.147.80.42 * (cur) (last) . . M 07:57, 4 Aug 2003 . . Notheruser (Reverted to last edit by Hephaestos) * (cur) (last) . . 07:56, 4 Aug 2003 . . Homohomo * (cur) (last) . . 07:56, 4 Aug 2003 . . Homohomo * (cur) (last) . . M 07:54, 4 Aug 2003 . . Hephaestos (Reverted to last edit by Notheruser) * (cur) (last) . . 07:54, 4 Aug 2003 . . 202.147.80.220 * (cur) (last) . . M 07:52, 4 Aug 2003 . . Notheruser (Reverted to last edit by Notheruser) * (cur) (last) . . 07:52, 4 Aug 2003 . . 202.147.80.220 * (cur) (last) . . 07:51, 4 Aug 2003 . . 202.147.80.220 * (cur) (last) . . M 07:50, 4 Aug 2003 . . Notheruser (Reverted to last edit by 202.147.80.220) * (cur) (last) . . 07:49, 4 Aug 2003 . . Homohomo * (cur) (last) . . 07:46, 4 Aug 2003 . . 202.147.80.220 * (cur) (last) . . 07:45, 4 Aug 2003 . . 202.147.80.220 * (cur) (last) . . M 19:31, 31 Jul 2003 . . Hephaestos * (cur) (last) . . M 05:35, 30 Jul 2003 . . Hephaestos * (cur) (last) . . M 05:30, 30 Jul 2003 . . Hephaestos (can you not -read-? Do not protect this page without INFORMING me. Thank you.) * (cur) (last) . . 04:11, 30 Jul 2003 . . Evercat (restoring) * (cur) (last) . . 04:07, 30 Jul 2003 . . 67.121.169.17 (Michael) (moved to "User:Hephaestos") * (cur) (last) . . 04:06, 30 Jul 2003 . . 67.121.169.17 (Michael) * (cur) (last) . . 04:05, 30 Jul 2003 . . 67.121.169.17 (Michael) * (cur) (last) . . 04:04, 30 Jul 2003 . . 67.121.169.17 (Michael) * (cur) (last) . . 04:02, 30 Jul 2003 . . Notheruser (moved to "User:Hephaestos") * (cur) (last) . . M 18:46, 27 Jul 2003 . . Koyaanis Qatsi * (cur) (last) . . 18:34, 27 Jul 2003 . . 67.121.191.130 * (cur) (last) . . M 10:17, 21 Jul 2003 . . Hephaestos (Reverted to last edit by Maveric149) * (cur) (last) . . 10:16, 21 Jul 2003 . . 66.235.39.157 * (cur) (last) . . M 03:17, 20 Jul 2003 . . Maveric149 * (cur) (last) . . M 03:16, 20 Jul 2003 . . Hephaestos (I could almost agree with that. My mom might take offense... :) ) * (cur) (last) . . M 02:37, 20 Jul 2003 . . Hephaestos (Reverted to last edit by Notheruser) * (cur) (last) . . 02:37, 20 Jul 2003 . . The Winner * (cur) (last) . . M 23:07, 18 Jul 2003 . . Notheruser (Reverted to last edit by Hephaestos) * (cur) (last) . . 23:06, 18 Jul 2003 . . 67.121.168.151
Michael's pseudonyms
* User:Michael Contributions * User:Michael (Unbanned User) Contributions * User:Michael/Crass Contributions * User:Michael/NOFX Contributions * User:Michael/Trapeze Contributions * User:No-Fx Contributions * User:Weezer Contributions * User:Weezer/NOFX Contributions * User:Eddie Contributions * User:Fuck Contributions * User:UPSyNDROME Contributions * User:George Washington Contributions * User:NOFX Contributions * User:Michaelese Contributions * User:Crass/Tapeze Contributions * User:My Green Dice Contributions * User:Punk Contributions * User:Twister Contributions * User:Maynard James Keenan Contributions * User:Michaelism Contributions * User:Unbanned User Contributions * User:Jar Jar Binks Contributions * User:Steve Ignorant Contributions * User:George Washington (president) Contributions * User:Michael (Banned User) Contributions * User:Michael still wins! But Hephaestos still loses! Contributions * User:152.163.xx.xx Contributions * User:205.188.xx.xx Contributions * User:The Winner Contributions * User:Xxx.xxx.xx.xx Contributions * User:Michael's IP Contributions * User:67.121.169.17 (Michael) Contributions * User:Banned User Contributions * User:Michael-ish Contributions * User:Banned User Addition Contributions * User:24.130.213.242 (Michael) Contributions * User:MutantY Contributions * User:Michael J.J. Contributions * User:Michael vs. Hephaestos Contributions * User:Capable as Michael Contributions * User:Michael's Justice League Contributions * User:Mr. Bush Contributions * User:Bastard (Hephaestos) Contributions * User:The Bastard (Hephaestos) Contributions * User:The Bastard (Michael) Contributions * User:Mr. Banned User Contributions * User:64.12.9x.xx Contributions * User:Hephaestos' Account Contributions
Whereas his early contributions focused on music pages, recently most of his targets are users' pages.
I have had to protect Hep's pages on occasions when he isn't around and Michael is running riot over them. We need action to deal with this nutter as he obviously has no intention of going away. I don't think any other troll has delberately caused as much damage. At least DW/Black widow/JoeCanuck etc and Adam/Lir/Vera/Susan/Dietary Fiber/PP (who is back again BTW) did make positive as well as negative contributions, but Michael has done nothing but vandalism.
So please, someone with authority, contact AOL and see can anything be done through it about Michael.
In the meantime, sysops cannot ban 'named' users. That is an understandable and safe policy but in an emergency situation, as this is, I would like to suggest to developers that Hepaestos be given the power to do so, in the case of Michael. Hep has shown incredible restraint and solid judgment in dealing with the nutter. I think he can safely be trusted to use such a power responsibly. I will be reducing my commitment to wiki from next week due to work commitments. Mav is on less often. Jim will be away in Ibiza for a couple of weeks. Others used to dealing with Michael won't be around and developers aren't always around when Michael is, so I think it is reasonable to suggest that the target of most of his vandalism be given emergency powers to deal with Michael, pending a possible more permanent solution.
Alternatively remove the power to move user pages, only temporarily, perhaps restricting the power to move a page to sysops, who would do moves requested by bona fide users who want to move their page. Other alternatives might be to allow only the user to move his or her page. Or place a lock on the moving of those user pages Michael continually targets, specifically Hep's.
JT
_________________________________________________________________ The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail
Some thoughts on the "Michael" affair:
With regards to contacting AOL, this would be most effective if done thoroughly, and (as you mentioned) by someone with some official connection to the Wikimedia Foundation (perhaps Jimbo). Probably the best thing to do would be for someone with access to server logs to dig up a lengthy list of IPs and the times they were used. Then the letter to AOL could include a large amount of evidence of repeated vandalism over an extended period despite multiple bannings. Having a few dozen IP address / time pairs might make it easier for them to track down the user account as well, assuming they can be motivated to do something.
Email's probably the best first option, but if no response is forthcoming perhaps a letter by registered mail might get some more attention.
As for additional powers to deal with things like this, one useful and power-neutral code addition would be something analogous to the sysop-quick-rollback, but for page moves. If I could click "unmove" to undo the effect of a move, that'd make it easier to deal with these things (we could just go down his user history and click "unmove" on all of them). Not being a PHP person, I'm not familiar with the wiki code, so have no idea how easy this would be to implement.
-Mark
--- james duffy jtdirl@hotmail.com wrote:
Michael's behaviour is gone beyond annoying at this stage. We have talked and talked about contacting AOL. Has that been done?
Block AOL IP Block for edits.
If people complain, tell them that there is no other way to stop AOL users from damaging the system, and that AOL itself does not care.
I say we might get some advertizing that way.
===== Christopher Mahan chris_mahan@yahoo.com 818.943.1850 cell http://www.christophermahan.com/
__________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com
Christopher Mahan wrote:
--- james duffy jtdirl@hotmail.com wrote:
Michael's behaviour is gone beyond annoying at this stage. We have talked and talked about contacting AOL. Has that been done?
Block AOL IP Block for edits.
If people complain, tell them that there is no other way to stop AOL users from damaging the system, and that AOL itself does not care.
Block *all* AOL IPs? looks like I won't be around any more, guys :(
Christopher Mahan wrote:
Block AOL IP Block for edits.
If people complain, tell them that there is no other way to stop AOL users from damaging the system, and that AOL itself does not care.
I say we might get some advertizing that way.
But we have to contact AOL in good faith before doing this.
-- Toby
I've just made a change to the software which allows sysops to ban logged-in users. See my post in wikitech-l for the technical details. It is currently in CVS. Once it's live, it should be a great help for dealing with Michael.
-- Tim Starling.
As well as the latest persistant vandal, Henrik/Heine/Rikke.
RickK
Tim Starling ts4294967296@hotmail.com wrote: I've just made a change to the software which allows sysops to ban logged-in users. See my post in wikitech-l for the technical details. It is currently in CVS. Once it's live, it should be a great help for dealing with Michael.
-- Tim Starling.
_______________________________________________ WikiEN-l mailing list WikiEN-l@Wikipedia.org http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l
--------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month!