Hello from the Trust and Safety Team at the Wikimedia Foundation,
First of all, we want to thank the community members alerting us of the
situation through several private notes on the matter that have reached us
over the past few days. Special thanks also go out to Pine and Risker for
their efforts in analysing the situation in this thread.
The situation outlined here appears to be both complex with several years
of history and concerning, and is certainly one that Trust & Safety is
looking at in exploring appropriate actions on our side. As always, please
do keep in mind that we are not a team mandated for fast reaction (except
for situations involving threats of harm, which are handled under a
different protocol, as many of you probably know already). For that reason,
we are inclined to review this thoroughly and act correctly, rather than
quickly. Please understand that while our team is already working on
understanding the intricacies of the situation itself while supporting the
affected individual, we will not be able to publicly share information
about the progress or outcome of our review for privacy reasons. Meanwhile,
our review and any potential outcome deriving from it, should not prevent
the community from continuing to take actions as they see fit and in
accordance to project policies, of course.
Also, bear in mind that we do not systematically monitor the Wikimedia
mailing lists, and may miss information shared about this on such moving
forward. If anyone feels they are in possession of pertinent information
that is worth considering in our review of this case, they are encouraged
to reach out to us directly at our established team inbox: ca(a)wikimedia.org.
Once again, thank you all for being vigilant.
Warm regards and best wishes for 2019,
K.
On Mon, Jan 7, 2019 at 1:04 PM Vi to <vituzzu.wiki(a)gmail.com> wrote:
The lobby of high voltage warning signs
disagrees.
Vito
Il giorno lun 7 gen 2019 alle ore 11:37 Yaroslav Blanter <ymbalt(a)gmail.com
ha scritto:
> Well, in 2019 people should already have come to the notion that blocking
> locally an acting steward is not really a good idea.
> Cheers
> Yaroslav
> On Mon, Jan 7, 2019 at 11:21 AM Vi to
<vituzzu.wiki(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> > Because of a truly great idea
> > <
>
https://am.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E1%88%8D%E1%8B%A9:Log/block&…
> >
> > the involved
user's admin/bureaucrat access was revoked
> > <
>
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Log?type=rights&user=&page=…
> >
> > by Marco Aurelio.
>
> > Vito
>
> > Il giorno lun 7 gen 2019
alle ore 11:02 Amir Sarabadani <
> > ladsgroup(a)gmail.com>
> > ha scritto:
>
> > > Given the response on
the talk page [1] I think it's clear violation
of
> > > nondiscrimination policy [2]
> >
> > > [1]
"promotion of homosexuality will not be tolerated here nor will
it
be
> > forced down our throats to suit anyone's international political
agenda
> if
> > you expect Ethiopians to take part."
> > [2]
https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Resolution:Nondiscrimination
> >
> > > Best
> > > On Wed, Jan 2, 2019, 23:09 Risker <risker.wp(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > > I note that
we are talking about the block of one single user on
one
> > > single project; this particular
account has thousands of edits over
> > about a
> > > dozen projects, but is "attached" to hundreds of Wikimedia
projects.
> The
> > > majority of these "attached" accounts are likely because the
editor
> > > "visited" the various projects while logged in, activating the
> automatic
> > > account creation algorithm. The account was created 8 years ago,
and
> has
> > > actively edited a wide variety of projects, including several
> > wikipedias,
> > > Commons, Wikidata, and Meta. While English Wikipedia is the
account's
> >
"home" wiki, about 55% of the account's global edits have been made
on
> > > Marathi Wikipedia. The Amharic Wikipedia account does not appear to
> have
> > > edited, which suggests that it was automatically created when the
> editor
> > > was "looking at" the project on 9 February 2018. The block
for
> account
> > > name was made on 22 October 2018. I note that accounts were
created
> on
> > > > over a hundred projects over the course of a few days in February
> 2018.
> > >
> > > > The
point being raised in this thread is that it appears this
editor
> was
> > > blocked on one of the 381 wikis on which they have an account,
> explicitly
> > > because of the perception that their username calls attention to
the
>
sexual
> > behaviour of the editor. What we do not know is (a) whether that is
in
> > fact
> > > a legitimate username block reason on Amharic Wikipedia, or (b) if
it
> is
> > a
> > > legitimate username block reason, *why* it would be a username
block
> > > reason. We don't know why this
block was applied so long after the
> > account
> > > was created. We don't know the username policy on Amharic
Wikipedia,
> nor
> > do
> > > we know how it is applied; for example, we don't know if a username
> like
> > > "StraightGuy101" would be blocked. We do know that there are
only
4
> > > administrators on Amharic
Wikipedia, and that there are fewer than
50
> > > active users working on the
project, which may be part of the
reason
> > for
> > > > the delay between automatic account creation and the account block.
> > >
> > > > We also
know that one of the challenges of single user login for
all
> >
Wikimedia projects has highlighted the fact that certain usernames
that
> are
> > acceptable on some projects are blocked on other projects; we've
known
> that
> > for years. We know that each project establishes its own policies
when
> it
> > > comes to usernames. There are legitimate reasons why a username
that
is
> > acceptable in one language is not
acceptable in another language,
even
in
> > cases where the editor had no knowledge that the chosen username
would
> > be a
> > > problem in another language. We do know that there have been lots
of
> > cases
> > > where usernames have been blocked for "username policy
violation"
on
> > all
> > > > kinds of projects, despite the account operating productively on
> other
> > > > projects.
> > >
> > > > I also
note that there is nothing in this thread that confirms the
> > editor
> > > > themself has raised any concerns about this block, and I am always
> wary
> > > of
> > > > turning an editor into a "martyr for a cause" without their
direct
> > > > agreement, as that can be as abusive as the original action. So the
> > first
> > > > step in this situation would be to confirm with the individual
editor
> > > > whether or not they want their "case" to be examined.
> > >
> > > > Should
the editor be agreeable, I suggest that the next step is for
> > > someone
> > > > who has the ability to converse in Amharic to contact the Amharic
> > > Wikipedia
> > > > and find out why the block has been issued, how it is consistent
with
the
> > username policy on Amharic Wikipedia, whether that policy is driven
in
> part
> > by external considerations (e.g., does the project risk heavy
> governmental
> > scrutiny if it appears to "promote" locally unacceptable
activities). I
> > am
> > > personally curious as to why it took over six months to identify
that
> > this
> > > account did not meet the local username policy, and whether there
was
> > > > internal or external discussion about the username.
> > >
> > > > It is
not clear to me what the desired outcome is in this case - at
> > least
> > > > in part because we have no idea of the opinion of the editor
> > involved. I
> > > > am hard-pressed to say that a project should be required to allow
> > > usernames
> > > > that it has a long history of considering unacceptable, especially
if
> > it
> > > is
> > > > applied evenly to all accounts; in this case, if it disallows
> usernames
> > > > that imply sexual preference regardless of what that preference is.
> > >
> > > > It
seems to me that the WMF Trust & Safety group would probably be
> the
> > > > right group to examine this.
> > >
> > > >
Risker/Anne
> > >
> > > > On Wed,
2 Jan 2019 at 09:42, Ariel Glenn WMF <ariel(a)wikimedia.org>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > >
Additional notes:
> > > > > The user's regular page can be viewed on en wikipedia:
> > > > >
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:QueerEcofeminist
> > > > > Queer may have to do with gender identity as opposed to being
an
> > > > indicator
> > > > > of 'sexual behavior', so the blockers didn't even
get that right.
> > > > Example:
> > > > > I am gender-nonconforming as to my gender identity and
expression;
> > this
> > > > is
> > > > > the primary reason I use the label 'queer'.
> > > >
> > > >
> I believe this should be reported... somewhere. But I don't know
> > where.
> > > > The
> > > > > WMF CoC only covers technical spaces. A little help here?
> > > >
> > > >
> Ariel
> > > >
> > > >
> On Wed, Jan 2, 2019 at 4:26 PM Fæ <faewik(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >
> > Do we have cross project policies to govern or limit local
> policies
> > > > > > for the use of sysop tools? I would like to pass on policy
> advice,
> > > and
> > > > > > any past cases folks here would like to highlight that set
a
> > > > > > precedent.
> > > > >
> > >
> > > The case below is illustrative, though based on my recall of
> > several
> > > > > > complaints which went nowhere over the years, on email
lists,
and
> > > > > Jimmy's talk page,
about apparently arbitrary blocks on
different
> > > > > non-English Wikipedias,
it seems reasonable to believe those
> > > > > complaints are the tip of the iceberg, and there are likely to
be
> > > many
> > > > > > historical cases of blocks that could have been appealed...
had
> the
> > > > > > user been confident to complain in English, and have the
energy
> to
> > > > > > pursue generic WMF policies on terms of use, or
> > > > > > harassment/discrimination, to establish a meta-level case.
> > > > >
> > >
> > > # Example case
> > > > >
> > >
> > > An account block on the Amharic Wikipedia (am.wp) was flagged
up
> >
> > yesterday on the WM LGBT+ Telegram discussion group.[3] The
rationale
> > > > for blocking the account was because the account name includes
the
> > > > > word "Queer"[1]. The incident raises questions about
process
and
> >
> > accountability, particularly as the block gives the impression
that
> > > > > this is the norm or an agreed interpretation of policy for
sysops
on
> > > > am.wp, and because the user is well established using this
account
> > > > > name across Wikimedia projects and has never edited am.wp so
the
> > > block
> > > > > > cannot be based on any prior action or dispute.
> > > > >
> > >
> > > In this example there is no obvious process for appeal, if
sysops
on
> > > > that project think that blocking any LGBT+ related account name
> > > > represents local consensus. After off-wiki discussion, the WMF
Trust
> > > > and Safety team has been approached for advice,[2] as the
rationale
> > > > > for the action appears hostile to any openly LGBT+ volunteers
who
> > > > > > might want to include something queer looking in their
account
> name
> > > > > > (such as my account name, should anyone want to read it as
> > > transgender
> > > > > > related).
> > > > >
> > >
> > > # Links
> > > > >
> > >
> > > 1.
> > > > >
> > >
>
> > >
> >
>
https://am.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%88%8D%E1%8B%A9:Contributions/QueerEcofemi…
> > > > > > ;
> > > > > > the block log states "Names calling attention to your
sexual
> > behavior
> > > > > > have never been allowed here in 15 years and aren't
suddenly
> > allowed
> > > > > > in 2018"
> > > > > > 2.
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Trust_and_Safety
> > > > > > 3.
https://telegram.me/wmlgbt
> > > > >
> > >
> > > Thanks
> > > > > > Fae
> > > > > > --
> > > > > > faewik(a)gmail.com
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Fae
> > > > > >
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_LGBT+
> > > > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
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