I even have an IP blocking issue on my cell phone for years. I use to upload images. I can't even edit on my phone. I uploaded images that I took. I just stopped uploading images. It wasn't worth it. In fact the last blocker had only been a Wikipedian for about 8 months. This is how we lose editors and stiffle interest in getting people to volunteer.
On Sat, Apr 30, 2022, 4:13 AM Erica Litrenta <[email protected]> wrote: > Thanks, Bobby! > > Please find a reply from the Foundation at > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:No_open_proxies/Unfair_blocking#Help_from_WMF > and do weigh in so we can identify good solutions. > > Hope this helps, > > On Tue, Apr 26, 2022 at 12:40 PM Bobby Shabangu <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> FYI >> >> ---------- Forwarded message --------- >> From: Florence Devouard <[email protected]> >> Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2022 at 20:21 >> Subject: [Wikimedia-l] Open proxies and IP blocking >> To: Wikimedia Mailing List <[email protected]> >> >> >> Hello friends >> >> Short version : We need to find solutions to avoid so many africans being >> globally IP blocked due to our No Open Proxies policy. >> *https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/No_open_proxies/Unfair_blocking >> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/No_open_proxies/Unfair_blocking>* >> >> >> Long version : >> >> I'd like to raise attention on an issue, which has been getting worse in >> the past couple of weeks/months. >> >> Increasing number of editors getting blocked due to the No Open Proxies >> policy [1] >> In particular africans. >> >> In February 2004, the decision was made to block open proxies on Meta and >> all other Wikimedia projects. >> >> According to the no open proxies policy : Publicly available proxies >> (including paid proxies) may be blocked for any period at any time. While >> this may affect legitimate users, they are not the intended targets and may >> freely use proxies until those are blocked [...] >> >> Non-static IP addresses or hosts that are otherwise not permanent proxies >> should typically be blocked for a shorter period of time, as it is likely >> the IP address will eventually be transferred or dynamically reassigned, or >> the open proxy closed. Once closed, the IP address should be unblocked. >> >> According to the policy page, « the Editors can be permitted to edit by >> way of an open proxy with the IP block exempt flag. This is granted on >> local projects by administrators and globally by stewards. » >> >> >> I repeat -----> ... legitimate users... may freely use proxies until >> those are blocked. the Editors can be permitted to edit by way of an open >> proxy with the IP block exempt flag <------ it is not illegal to edit using >> an open proxy >> >> >> Most editors though... have no idea whatsoever what an open proxy is. >> They do not understand well what to do when they are blocked. >> >> In the past few weeks, the number of African editors reporting being >> blocked due to open proxy has been VERY significantly increasing. >> New editors just as old timers. >> Unexperienced editors but also staff members, president of usergroups, >> organizers of edit-a-thons and various wikimedia initiatives. >> At home, but also during events organized with usergroup members or >> trainees, during edit-a-thons, photo uploads sessions etc. >> >> It is NOT the occasional highly unlikely situation. This has become a >> regular occurence. >> There are cases and complains every week. Not one complaint per week. >> Several complaints per week. >> *This is irritating. This is offending. This is stressful. This is >> disrupting activities organized in good faith by good people, activities >> set-up with our donors funds. **And the disruption** is primarlly taking >> place in a geographical region supposingly to be nurtured (per our strategy >> for diversity, equity, inclusion blahblahblah). * >> >> >> The open proxy policy page suggests that, should a person be unfairly >> blocked, it is recommended >> >> - * to privately email stewards[image: (_AT_)]wikimedia.org. >> - * or alternatively, to post a request (if able to edit, if the >> editor doesn't mind sharing their IP for global blocks or their reasons to >> desire privacy (for Tor usage)). >> - * the current message displayed to the blocked editor also suggest >> contacting User:Tks4Fish. This editor is involved in vandalism fighting >> and >> is probably the user blocking open proxies IPs the most. See log >> >> >> So... >> Option 1: contacting stewards : it seems that they are not answering. Or >> not quickly. Or requesting lengthy justifications before adding people to >> IP block exemption list. >> Option 2: posting a request for unblock on meta. For those who want to >> look at the process, I suggest looking at it [3] and think hard about how a >> new editor would feel. This is simply incredibly complicated >> Option 3 : user:TksFish answers... sometimes... >> >> As a consequence, most editors concerned with those global blocks... stay >> blocked several days. >> >> We do not know know why the situation has rapidly got worse recently. But >> it got worse. And the reports are spilling all over. >> >> We started collecting negative experiences on this page [4]. >> Please note that people who added their names here are not random >> newbies. They are known and respected members of our community, often >> leaders of activities and/or representant of their usergroups, who are >> confronted to this situation on a REGULAR basis. >> >> I do not know how this can be fixed. Should we slow down open proxy >> blocking ? Should we add a mecanism and process for an easier and quicker >> IP block exemption process post-blocking ? Should we improve a process for >> our editors to pre-emptively be added to this IP block exemption list ? Or >> what ? I do not know what's the strategy to fix that. But there is a >> problem. Who should that problem be addressed to ? Who has solutions ? >> >> Flo >> >> [1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/No_open_proxies >> >> [2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Log/Tks4Fish >> >> [3] >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Steward_requests/Global_permissions#Requests_for_global_IP_block_exemption >> >> *[4] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/No_open_proxies/Unfair_blocking >> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/No_open_proxies/Unfair_blocking>* >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- [email protected], guidelines >> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >> Public archives at >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]/message/UU76SJ5LZI5MA5F3WC3NSY4UMGDQTGXR/ >> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] >> _______________________________________________ >> African-Wikimedians mailing list -- >> [email protected] >> To unsubscribe send an email to >> [email protected] >> > > > -- > > ------------------------------ > > > Erica Litrenta (she/her) > > Senior Manager, Community Relations Specialists (Product) > > Wikimedia Foundation <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Elitre_(WMF)> > > _______________________________________________ > African-Wikimedians mailing list -- > [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to > [email protected] >
_______________________________________________ African-Wikimedians mailing list -- [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]
