[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan

[James Heilman]

Here is the press release from Feb 3, 2023 from the WMF urging Pakistan to
unblock Wikimedia Projects.

https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2023/02/03/wikimedia-foundation-urges-pakistan-telecommunications-authority-to-restore-access-to-wikipedia-in-pakistan/

Appears the reason has to do with religious content

https://netblocks.org/reports/wikipedia-restricted-in-pakistan-over-alleged-sacrilegious-content-nAg35pAp

James

On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 6:40 PM Neurodivergent Netizen <
idoh.idreamofhor...@gmail.com> wrote:

> IP block exemption is already automatically granted to admins, at least on
> the English Wikipedia; it’s rarely needed enough that further automatic
> exemption doesn’t really make sense. VPNs, typically costing money, aren’t
> an accessible workaround, anyways. Let’s redirect attention back to getting
> Commons unblocked.
>
> From,
> I dream of horses
> She/her
>
>
>
>
>
> On Mar 19, 2024, at 2:40 PM, Alessandro Marchetti via Wikimedia-l <
> wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org> wrote:
>
>
> It's intriguing (to me) to contemplate how the notion of restricting IP
> editing in specific circumstances is often viewed as a violation of
> principle, even when supported by examples or data, yet a restriction like
> requiring long-standing users to jump through hoops just to use a VPN for
> privacy—something standard nowadays—is considered necessary and acceptable.
> Both policies aim to address issues while weighing the pros and cons and
> inevitably curbing some degree of freedom.
>
> Personally, I question the efficiency of the VPN restriction. I hold a
> different perspective: implementing a one or two-year, 100-500-edit
> registration threshold for automatic exemption of registered users seems
> reasonable.
>
> Nevertheless, it's important to recognize that nothing is inherently
> necessary; these are always political and not technical choices.
>
> It's not just vandals ruining it; it's also the approach taken. By
> granting trolls immense power to disrupt everyone's activities, you fuel
> their mischief. Thus, every time these extreme measures are enforced and
> standardized, they inevitably lead to wasted time and endless debates about
> the status quo, and regular users pay a price. Not hypothetically, for
> real we know. Whoever prioritizes the pursuit of trolls and vandals
> over the work of regular users, de facto feeds the troll.
>
> It's important to clarify: as seasoned users, many of us have kinda
> learned to navigate this "mess" and endure it... similar issues have been
> grappled with for years, Commons management shows little sign of
> improvement and we just don't care anymore.
>
> However, for those who haven't mastered it or are stuck in some nationwide
> quagmire as this one, suggesting VPNs as a solution is impractical—unless
> you anticipate tens of thousands of users from a country with millions of
> inhabitants to individually request IP exemptions. It's evident that the
> log of such a system would not be sustainable.
>
> I remain skeptical that an alternative solution will be implemented, given
> the likelihood that the approach will mirror that of the VPN case or other
> instances—utilizing massive and/or indefinite self-referential strict
> measures that are seldom evaluated on the long term with some metrics.
>
>
>
> Il martedì 19 marzo 2024 alle ore 20:24:15 CET, Neurodivergent Netizen <
> idoh.idreamofhor...@gmail.com> ha scritto:
>
>
> ___
> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, 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/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/5BTBH6H4PEHX7CCUBYKUDKDXDC3VOAX5/
> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org
> Unfortunately, there’s a history of an overwhelming amount of  vandals
> using VPNs to, well, vandalize Wikipedia, hence the block on known VPN and
> the bureaucracy surrounding them. If the block is removed, it’ll quite
> likely become a problem again. It really is a situation of people behaving
> poorly ruining it for everyone.
>
> From,
> I dream of horses
> She/her
>
>
>
>
>
> On Mar 19, 2024, at 12:17 PM, Alessandro Marchetti via Wikimedia-l <
> wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org> wrote:
>
>
>
> That doesn't seem logical or fair. If a user is registered and not already
> blocked, the IPs they are using shouldn't matter at all.
> Personally, I've never used a VPN before I got it this way (even living in
> the PRC), but I understand that some people might need to do so for privacy
> reasons. So, this restriction should be removed. Registered users should
> have the freedom to access the platform how they want. If there's an issue
> with a specific user, it's more appropriate to block their username rather
> than restricting their access when logged in based on IP addresses. Adding
> more bu

[Wikimedia-l] Re: Outcomes from the March Meeting for the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees

[Samuel Klein]

These updates keep getting better.  (I left out the board updates from my
recent thanks for regular newsletters lifting all of our boats :)

I realize this is the smallest footnote of a long and significant update,
but: does this mean *3% of donors* who saw a thank-you note inviting them
to edit went on to make an account and at least one unreverted edit?  3% of
all donors is almost as many new editors as we get each year.  That's
spectacular, staggering, superb.  Let's please see how this scales in
various dimensions.

W♥, SJ

We heard from the Advancement team about donor thank-you page changes
> ,
> which invited donors to edit and yielded 4,398 new user accounts being
> created [8
> ].
>
>
___
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https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l
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To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org

[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan

[Neurodivergent Netizen]

IP block exemption is already automatically granted to admins, at least on the 
English Wikipedia; it’s rarely needed enough that further automatic exemption 
doesn’t really make sense. VPNs, typically costing money, aren’t an accessible 
workaround, anyways. Let’s redirect attention back to getting Commons unblocked.

From,
I dream of horses
She/her





> On Mar 19, 2024, at 2:40 PM, Alessandro Marchetti via Wikimedia-l 
>  wrote:
> 
>  
> It's intriguing (to me) to contemplate how the notion of restricting IP 
> editing in specific circumstances is often viewed as a violation of 
> principle, even when supported by examples or data, yet a restriction like 
> requiring long-standing users to jump through hoops just to use a VPN for 
> privacy—something standard nowadays—is considered necessary and acceptable. 
> Both policies aim to address issues while weighing the pros and cons and 
> inevitably curbing some degree of freedom. 
> 
> Personally, I question the efficiency of the VPN restriction. I hold a 
> different perspective: implementing a one or two-year, 100-500-edit 
> registration threshold for automatic exemption of registered users seems 
> reasonable.
> 
> Nevertheless, it's important to recognize that nothing is inherently 
> necessary; these are always political and not technical choices. 
> 
> It's not just vandals ruining it; it's also the approach taken. By granting 
> trolls immense power to disrupt everyone's activities, you fuel their 
> mischief. Thus, every time these extreme measures are enforced and 
> standardized, they inevitably lead to wasted time and endless debates about 
> the status quo, and regular users pay a price. Not hypothetically, for 
> real we know. Whoever prioritizes the pursuit of trolls and vandals over 
> the work of regular users, de facto feeds the troll. 
> 
> It's important to clarify: as seasoned users, many of us have kinda learned 
> to navigate this "mess" and endure it... similar issues have been grappled 
> with for years, Commons management shows little sign of improvement and we 
> just don't care anymore.
> 
> However, for those who haven't mastered it or are stuck in some nationwide 
> quagmire as this one, suggesting VPNs as a solution is impractical—unless you 
> anticipate tens of thousands of users from a country with millions of 
> inhabitants to individually request IP exemptions. It's evident that the log 
> of such a system would not be sustainable.
> 
> I remain skeptical that an alternative solution will be implemented, given 
> the likelihood that the approach will mirror that of the VPN case or other 
> instances—utilizing massive and/or indefinite self-referential strict 
> measures that are seldom evaluated on the long term with some metrics.  
>  
> 
>  
> Il martedì 19 marzo 2024 alle ore 20:24:15 CET, Neurodivergent Netizen 
>  ha scritto:
> 
> 
> ___
> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, 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/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/5BTBH6H4PEHX7CCUBYKUDKDXDC3VOAX5/
> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org 
> 
> Unfortunately, there’s a history of an overwhelming amount of  vandals using 
> VPNs to, well, vandalize Wikipedia, hence the block on known VPN and the 
> bureaucracy surrounding them. If the block is removed, it’ll quite likely 
> become a problem again. It really is a situation of people behaving poorly 
> ruining it for everyone.
> 
> From,
> I dream of horses
> She/her
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>> On Mar 19, 2024, at 12:17 PM, Alessandro Marchetti via Wikimedia-l 
>>  wrote:
>> 
>>  
>> That doesn't seem logical or fair. If a user is registered and not already 
>> blocked, the IPs they are using shouldn't matter at all.
>> 
>> Personally, I've never used a VPN before I got it this way (even living in 
>> the PRC), but I understand that some people might need to do so for privacy 
>> reasons. So, this restriction should be removed. Registered users should 
>> have the freedom to access the platform how they want. If there's an issue 
>> with a specific user, it's more appropriate to block their username rather 
>> than restricting their access when logged in based on IP addresses. Adding 
>> more bureaucracy isn't the solution if there isn't a problem to begin with.
>> 
>> In any case, nothing will probably change. But please don't say that VPN is 
>> a solution. People have already enough problems that adding more and more 
>> passages. 
>> 
>> Il martedì 19 marzo 2024 alle ore 19:51:42 CET, Neurodivergent Netizen 
>>  ha scritto:
>> 
>> 
>>> A few years ago, I acquired a VPN as part of an antivirus package. However, 
>>> when I tried to use it for other services, I encountered an unexpected 
>

[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan

[Alessandro Marchetti via Wikimedia-l]

  It's intriguing (to me) to contemplate how the notion of restricting IP 
editing in specific circumstances is often viewed as a violation of principle, 
even when supported by examples or data, yet a restriction like requiring 
long-standing users to jump through hoops just to use a VPN for 
privacy—something standard nowadays—is considered necessary and acceptable. 
Both policies aim to address issues while weighing the pros and cons and 
inevitably curbing some degree of freedom. 
Personally, I question the efficiency of the VPN restriction. I hold a 
different perspective: implementing a one or two-year, 100-500-edit 
registration threshold for automatic exemption of registered users seems 
reasonable.
Nevertheless, it's important to recognize that nothing is inherently necessary; 
these are always political and not technical choices. 

It's not just vandals ruining it; it's also the approach taken. By granting 
trolls immense power to disrupt everyone's activities, you fuel their mischief. 
Thus, every time these extreme measures are enforced and standardized, they 
inevitably lead to wasted time and endless debates about the status quo, and 
regular users pay a price. Not hypothetically, for real we know. Whoever 
prioritizes the pursuit of trolls and vandals over the work of regular users, 
de facto feeds the troll. 

It's important to clarify: as seasoned users, many of us have kinda learned to 
navigate this "mess" and endure it... similar issues have been grappled with 
for years, Commons management shows little sign of improvement and we just 
don't care anymore. 
However, for those who haven't mastered it or are stuck in some nationwide 
quagmire as this one, suggesting VPNs as a solution is impractical—unless you 
anticipate tens of thousands of users from a country with millions of 
inhabitants to individually request IP exemptions. It's evident that the log of 
such a system would not be sustainable.
 I remain skeptical that an alternative solution will be implemented, given the 
likelihood that the approach will mirror that of the VPN case or other 
instances—utilizing massive and/or indefinite self-referential strict measures 
that are seldom evaluated on the long term with some metrics.  
 
    Il martedì 19 marzo 2024 alle ore 20:24:15 CET, Neurodivergent Netizen 
 ha scritto:  
 
 ___
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Public archives at 
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To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org  
Unfortunately, there’s a history of an overwhelming amount of  vandals using 
VPNs to, well, vandalize Wikipedia, hence the block on known VPN and the 
bureaucracy surrounding them. If the block is removed, it’ll quite likely 
become a problem again. It really is a situation of people behaving poorly 
ruining it for everyone.
From,I dream of horsesShe/her





On Mar 19, 2024, at 12:17 PM, Alessandro Marchetti via Wikimedia-l 
 wrote:
 
That doesn't seem logical or fair. If a user is registered and not already 
blocked, the IPs they are using shouldn't matter at all.
Personally, I've never used a VPN before I got it this way (even living in the 
PRC), but I understand that some people might need to do so for privacy 
reasons. So, this restriction should be removed. Registered users should have 
the freedom to access the platform how they want. If there's an issue with a 
specific user, it's more appropriate to block their username rather than 
restricting their access when logged in based on IP addresses. Adding more 
bureaucracy isn't the solution if there isn't a problem to begin with.
In any case, nothing will probably change. But please don't say that VPN is a 
solution. People have already enough problems that adding more and more 
passages. 

Il martedì 19 marzo 2024 alle ore 19:51:42 CET, Neurodivergent Netizen 
 ha scritto:  
 
 
A few years ago, I acquired a VPN as part of an antivirus package. However, 
when I tried to use it for other services, I encountered an unexpected issue 
switching on wiki platforms: despite being there as a registered user, I found 
myself unable to edit them.

So how can VPN be a solution?

Right, you would’ve had to use IP block exemption, which would require some 
level of trust from the community that you aren’t a vandal or other blocked 
user trying to circumspect said block.
From,I dream of horsesShe/her





On Mar 19, 2024, at 11:23 AM, Alessandro Marchetti via Wikimedia-l 
 wrote:
 Why is there so much discussion about using VPNs as a solution? A few years 
ago, I acquired a VPN as part of an antivirus package. However, when I tried to 
use it for other services, I encountered an unexpected issue switching on wiki 
platforms

[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan

[Saqib Qayyum]

It's truly disheartening to see the WMF's lack of action, especially when
Yaroslav himself reported the issue to the WMF, and they confirmed the
blockage of Commons in Pakistan.

This neglect is unacceptable, considering Pakistan's significant population
of 170 million internet users, making it the fifth-largest in the world,
surpassing even Russia. How can the WMF overlook such a crucial issue?
--
Saqib Qayyum


On Wed, Mar 20, 2024 at 1:01 AM neurokitty via Wikimedia-l <
wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org> wrote:

>
>- Blocking a free knowledge repository = attack on freedom of speech
>and free knowledge
>
>
>- Suggesting VPN = suggesting to use the backdoor instead of fighting
>back for free knowledge and freedom of speech
>- Foundation is not interested in commons, previous archives informs
>that mystery.
>- One potential reason WMF not interested in Pakistan is, the country
>doesn't have potential donors, or asking for the unblock might not help to
>attract the global attention (unlike other big countries!) as global
>attention is a superset of attention from donors. Money is the only known
>god for the foundation.
>- WMF communications does anything but communication, the name is a
>shame. If it needs to bring a matter to public mailing lists to get heard,
>then everything will collapse. Imagine a wikimedia movement, where everyone
>is forwarding their previous mails to the foundation, to the public mailing
>lists, since foundation didn't care ... ... (If it works, it works, and all
>should do that)
>
>
> Regards,
> *WikiInsaf*
> Insaf jarur milegi
>
> On Wednesday, March 20th, 2024 at 12:13 AM, Risker 
> wrote:
>
> VPNs and IP block exemption may or may not be useful for contributing to
> Commons, but contribution is not the only thing at issue here.
>
> The purpose of Commons is to act as a media repository for (a) all
> Wikimedia projects and (b) the world as a whole, without cost or licensing
> issues. Every day, hundreds if not thousands of Commons files are used in
> news media, academia, and other places outside of Wikimedia projects.
> Commons files appear in the majority of Wikimedia articles. Therefore, free
> and open access to Wikimedia Commons as part of the knowledge available to
> all of humanity is a major objective. It's also where we, as a community,
> store useful documents and files associated with significant information
> about our movement, our projects, and many other things that may affect all
> projects, so access to them is important, too.
>
> I have no doubt that the Pakistani block is motivated by matters that have
> nothing to do with free knowledge or the Wikimedia mission. If I was a
> betting woman, I'd say that this may be an attempt to avoid a public uproar
> about blocking Wikipedia itself, but with Commons being so much less
> visible, it's easier to block that project and wind up with essentially the
> same effect.
>
> I am aware that there are multiple language Wikipedias edited by our
> Pakistani editors. One possible interim solution might be ensuring that
> images can be uploaded directly to those Wikipedia projects, and copies of
> Commons images be hosted on those projects. Some Wikipedias retained their
> own project-specific media storage, and many of their policies, procedures
> and guidelines could be used as a framework for the Pakistani-languages
> wikis to develop their own processes. As English is one of Pakistan's
> official languages, it would be worthwhile to have a discussion on English
> Wikipedia to work on this, too. Bots located outside of Pakistan could be
> used to both bring images to those Wikipedias and to copy their images over
> to Commons for global use.
>
> Of course, the longer-term goal is to have the block lifted entirely. What
> I am suggesting is a mitigation strategy only.
>
> Risker/Anne
>
> On Tue, 19 Mar 2024 at 13:17, Saqib Qayyum  wrote:
>
>> Hello Mr James
>>
>> Certainly, using a VPN is a workaround, but it's worth noting that
>> obtaining an IP block exemption is still necessary to edit Commons, and
>> this is not always feasible for all users. Many may not even be aware of
>> its existence. For instance, I couldn't edit Commons since October 2020
>> until I discovered the option for IP ban exemption. .
>>
>> And because of this, contributions to Commons from Pakistan have
>> significantly dwindled. For instance, I recall organizing Wiki Loves
>> Monuments Pakistan from 2014, where we used to receive thousands of images
>> annually. However, in recent years, the number of uploads has drastically
>> declined, with only a maximum of 100 photos being uploaded each year. This
>> trend underscores the challenges Pakistani users face in accessing and
>> contributing to the site.
>> --
>> Saqib Qayyum
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:55 PM James Heilman  wrote:
>>
>>> Can you not just use a VPN?
>>>
>>> James
>>>
>>> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:29 PM Saqib Qayyu

[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan

[Saqib Qayyum]

I feel this discussion is veering off course. Let's set aside the debate on
whether using VPNs is appropriate or not. Instead, let's focus on taking
action to unblock the website. This can begin with the WMF releasing a
statement. Once this gains attention from the wider news media, authorities
may review their decision to block the website.
--
Saqib Qayyum


On Wed, Mar 20, 2024 at 12:17 AM Alessandro Marchetti via Wikimedia-l <
wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org> wrote:

>
>
> That doesn't seem logical or fair. If a user is registered and not already
> blocked, the IPs they are using shouldn't matter at all.
> Personally, I've never used a VPN before I got it this way (even living in
> the PRC), but I understand that some people might need to do so for privacy
> reasons. So, this restriction should be removed. Registered users should
> have the freedom to access the platform how they want. If there's an issue
> with a specific user, it's more appropriate to block their username rather
> than restricting their access when logged in based on IP addresses. Adding
> more bureaucracy isn't the solution if there isn't a problem to begin with.
>
> In any case, nothing will probably change. But please don't say that VPN
> is a solution. People have already enough problems that adding more and
> more passages.
>
> Il martedì 19 marzo 2024 alle ore 19:51:42 CET, Neurodivergent Netizen <
> idoh.idreamofhor...@gmail.com> ha scritto:
>
>
> A few years ago, I acquired a VPN as part of an antivirus package.
> However, when I tried to use it for other services, I encountered an
> unexpected issue switching on wiki platforms: despite being there as a
> registered user, I found myself unable to edit them.
>
> So how can VPN be a solution?
>
>
> Right, you would’ve had to use IP block exemption, which would require
> some level of trust from the community that you aren’t a vandal or other
> blocked user trying to circumspect said block.
>
> From,
> I dream of horses
> She/her
>
>
>
>
>
> On Mar 19, 2024, at 11:23 AM, Alessandro Marchetti via Wikimedia-l <
> wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org> wrote:
>
> Why is there so much discussion about using VPNs as a solution? A few
> years ago, I acquired a VPN as part of an antivirus package. However, when
> I tried to use it for other services, I encountered an unexpected issue
> switching on wiki platforms: despite being there as a registered user, I
> found myself unable to edit them.
>
> So how can VPN be a solution?
>
> A.
>
> Il martedì 19 marzo 2024 alle ore 18:17:52 CET, Saqib Qayyum <
> saqibqayy...@gmail.com> ha scritto:
>
>
> Hello Mr James
>
> Certainly, using a VPN is a workaround, but it's worth noting that
> obtaining an IP block exemption is still necessary to edit Commons, and
> this is not always feasible for all users. Many may not even be aware of
> its existence. For instance, I couldn't edit Commons since October 2020
> until I discovered the option for IP ban exemption. .
>
> And because of this, contributions to Commons from Pakistan have
> significantly dwindled. For instance, I recall organizing Wiki Loves
> Monuments Pakistan from 2014, where we used to receive thousands of images
> annually. However, in recent years, the number of uploads has drastically
> declined, with only a maximum of 100 photos being uploaded each year. This
> trend underscores the challenges Pakistani users face in accessing and
> contributing to the site.
> --
> Saqib Qayyum
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:55 PM James Heilman  wrote:
>
> Can you not just use a VPN?
>
> James
>
> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:29 PM Saqib Qayyum 
> wrote:
>
> TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
>
> I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a
> critical issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite
> multiple attempts to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's
> communication team, there has been a disappointing lack of response or
> acknowledgment.
>
> For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While
> Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both
> Pakistani and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the
> blockade of Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone
> largely unnoticed.
>
> Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed
> frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this
> issue, only to receive no response.
>
> I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to
> address the ongoing blockage of Commons in Pakistan.
>
> Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
> --
> Saqib Qayyum
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib
> ___
> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines
> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l
> Public archives at
> https://lists.wikimedia.or

[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan

[neurokitty via Wikimedia-l]

- Blocking a free knowledge repository = attack on freedom of speech and free 
knowledge

- Suggesting VPN = suggesting to use the backdoor instead of fighting back for 
free knowledge and freedom of speech
- Foundation is not interested in commons, previous archives informs that 
mystery.
- One potential reason WMF not interested in Pakistan is, the country doesn't 
have potential donors, or asking for the unblock might not help to attract the 
global attention (unlike other big countries!) as global attention is a 
superset of attention from donors. Money is the only known god for the 
foundation.
- WMF communications does anything but communication, the name is a shame. If 
it needs to bring a matter to public mailing lists to get heard, then 
everything will collapse. Imagine a wikimedia movement, where everyone is 
forwarding their previous mails to the foundation, to the public mailing lists, 
since foundation didn't care ... ... (If it works, it works, and all should do 
that)

Regards,
WikiInsaf
Insaf jarur milegi

On Wednesday, March 20th, 2024 at 12:13 AM, Risker  wrote:

> VPNs and IP block exemption may or may not be useful for contributing to 
> Commons, but contribution is not the only thing at issue here.
>
> The purpose of Commons is to act as a media repository for (a) all Wikimedia 
> projects and (b) the world as a whole, without cost or licensing issues. 
> Every day, hundreds if not thousands of Commons files are used in news media, 
> academia, and other places outside of Wikimedia projects. Commons files 
> appear in the majority of Wikimedia articles. Therefore, free and open access 
> to Wikimedia Commons as part of the knowledge available to all of humanity is 
> a major objective. It's also where we, as a community, store useful documents 
> and files associated with significant information about our movement, our 
> projects, and many other things that may affect all projects, so access to 
> them is important, too.
>
> I have no doubt that the Pakistani block is motivated by matters that have 
> nothing to do with free knowledge or the Wikimedia mission. If I was a 
> betting woman, I'd say that this may be an attempt to avoid a public uproar 
> about blocking Wikipedia itself, but with Commons being so much less visible, 
> it's easier to block that project and wind up with essentially the same 
> effect.
>
> I am aware that there are multiple language Wikipedias edited by our 
> Pakistani editors. One possible interim solution might be ensuring that 
> images can be uploaded directly to those Wikipedia projects, and copies of 
> Commons images be hosted on those projects. Some Wikipedias retained their 
> own project-specific media storage, and many of their policies, procedures 
> and guidelines could be used as a framework for the Pakistani-languages wikis 
> to develop their own processes. As English is one of Pakistan's official 
> languages, it would be worthwhile to have a discussion on English Wikipedia 
> to work on this, too. Bots located outside of Pakistan could be used to both 
> bring images to those Wikipedias and to copy their images over to Commons for 
> global use.
>
> Of course, the longer-term goal is to have the block lifted entirely. What I 
> am suggesting is a mitigation strategy only.
>
> Risker/Anne
>
> On Tue, 19 Mar 2024 at 13:17, Saqib Qayyum  wrote:
>
>> Hello Mr James
>>
>> Certainly, using a VPN is a workaround, but it's worth noting that obtaining 
>> an IP block exemption is still necessary to edit Commons, and this is not 
>> always feasible for all users. Many may not even be aware of its existence. 
>> For instance, I couldn't edit Commons since October 2020 until I discovered 
>> the option for IP ban exemption. .
>>
>> And because of this, contributions to Commons from Pakistan have 
>> significantly dwindled. For instance, I recall organizing Wiki Loves 
>> Monuments Pakistan from 2014, where we used to receive thousands of images 
>> annually. However, in recent years, the number of uploads has drastically 
>> declined, with only a maximum of 100 photos being uploaded each year. This 
>> trend underscores the challenges Pakistani users face in accessing and 
>> contributing to the site.
>> --
>> Saqib Qayyum
>>
>> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:55 PM James Heilman  wrote:
>>
>>> Can you not just use a VPN?
>>>
>>> James
>>>
>>> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:29 PM Saqib Qayyum  wrote:
>>>
 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

 I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a 
 critical issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite 
 multiple attempts to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's 
 communication team, there has been a disappointing lack of response or 
 acknowledgment.

 For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While 
 Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both 
 Pakistani and international news media led

[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan

[Saqib Qayyum]

By the way, I don't understand why Pakistan blocked Commons. My guess is it
was blocked by mistake or unintentionally because I don't think there's
anything on Commons that is critical or bothersome to the government. At
least I don't know of any such content. So if WMF raises its voice, I'm
sure it can be unblocked. Why not WMF try at least instead of remaining
silent? When WP was blocked last year, it was unblocked after voices were
raised.
--
Saqib Qayyum


On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 10:17 PM Saqib Qayyum 
wrote:

> Well Twitter has actually been blocked for the past 01 month, right after
> the general election. There's been a lot of uproar about it, but it's
> uncertain when they will unblock it. Meanwhile, at least WMF should issue a
> statement condemning the blockage of Commons.
> --
> Saqib Qayyum
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 10:16 PM Neurodivergent Netizen <
> idoh.idreamofhor...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> While a good stop-gap measure, VPNs can be expensive enough that it’s not
>> really a permanent solution. The ultimate solution is to get Commons
>> unblocked, if that’s possible. Of course, getting it unblocked might prove
>> impossible.
>>
>> From,
>> I dream of horses
>> She/her
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Mar 19, 2024, at 9:33 AM, James Heilman  wrote:
>>
>> Can you not just use a VPN?
>>
>> James
>>
>> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:29 PM Saqib Qayyum 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
>>>
>>> I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a
>>> critical issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite
>>> multiple attempts to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's
>>> communication team, there has been a disappointing lack of response or
>>> acknowledgment.
>>>
>>> For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While
>>> Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both
>>> Pakistani and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the
>>> blockade of Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone
>>> largely unnoticed.
>>>
>>> Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed
>>> frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this
>>> issue, only to receive no response.
>>>
>>> I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to
>>> address the ongoing blockage of Commons in Pakistan.
>>>
>>> Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
>>> --
>>> Saqib Qayyum
>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib
>>> ___
>>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines
>>> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and
>>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l
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>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/H5SMMTKRTUI5QLDKOCLZNWCABGDK3UHL/
>>> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> James Heilman
>> MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian
>> ___
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>>
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[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan

[Saqib Qayyum]

Well Twitter has actually been blocked for the past 01 month, right after
the general election. There's been a lot of uproar about it, but it's
uncertain when they will unblock it. Meanwhile, at least WMF should issue a
statement condemning the blockage of Commons.
--
Saqib Qayyum


On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 10:16 PM Neurodivergent Netizen <
idoh.idreamofhor...@gmail.com> wrote:

> While a good stop-gap measure, VPNs can be expensive enough that it’s not
> really a permanent solution. The ultimate solution is to get Commons
> unblocked, if that’s possible. Of course, getting it unblocked might prove
> impossible.
>
> From,
> I dream of horses
> She/her
>
>
>
>
>
> On Mar 19, 2024, at 9:33 AM, James Heilman  wrote:
>
> Can you not just use a VPN?
>
> James
>
> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:29 PM Saqib Qayyum 
> wrote:
>
>> TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
>>
>> I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a
>> critical issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite
>> multiple attempts to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's
>> communication team, there has been a disappointing lack of response or
>> acknowledgment.
>>
>> For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While
>> Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both
>> Pakistani and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the
>> blockade of Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone
>> largely unnoticed.
>>
>> Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed
>> frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this
>> issue, only to receive no response.
>>
>> I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to
>> address the ongoing blockage of Commons in Pakistan.
>>
>> Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
>> --
>> Saqib Qayyum
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib
>> ___
>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines
>> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and
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>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/H5SMMTKRTUI5QLDKOCLZNWCABGDK3UHL/
>> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org
>
>
>
> --
> James Heilman
> MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian
> ___
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>
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[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan

[Saqib Qayyum]

OMG, how did I miss meeting both of you Yaroslav and Mr. James
--
Saqib Qayyum


On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 10:11 PM Yaroslav Blanter  wrote:

> I have been to Pakistan in July and indeed discovered that Wikimedia
> Commons was blocked. I complained to the WMF (using the Village pump on
> Commons when I was back), they were apparently not familiar with the
> situation but investigated it and acknowledged that Commons is indeed
> blocked in Pakistan (or at least in some locations in Pakistan).
>
> Best
> Yaroslav
>
> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 4:59 PM Saqib Qayyum 
> wrote:
>
>> TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
>>
>> I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a
>> critical issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite
>> multiple attempts to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's
>> communication team, there has been a disappointing lack of response or
>> acknowledgment.
>>
>> For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While
>> Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both
>> Pakistani and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the
>> blockade of Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone
>> largely unnoticed.
>>
>> Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed
>> frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this
>> issue, only to receive no response.
>>
>> I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to
>> address the ongoing blockage of Commons in Pakistan.
>>
>> Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
>> --
>> Saqib Qayyum
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib
>> ___
>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines
>> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and
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[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan

[Neurodivergent Netizen]

Unfortunately, there’s a history of an overwhelming amount of  vandals using 
VPNs to, well, vandalize Wikipedia, hence the block on known VPN and the 
bureaucracy surrounding them. If the block is removed, it’ll quite likely 
become a problem again. It really is a situation of people behaving poorly 
ruining it for everyone.

From,
I dream of horses
She/her





> On Mar 19, 2024, at 12:17 PM, Alessandro Marchetti via Wikimedia-l 
>  wrote:
> 
>  
> That doesn't seem logical or fair. If a user is registered and not already 
> blocked, the IPs they are using shouldn't matter at all.
> 
> Personally, I've never used a VPN before I got it this way (even living in 
> the PRC), but I understand that some people might need to do so for privacy 
> reasons. So, this restriction should be removed. Registered users should have 
> the freedom to access the platform how they want. If there's an issue with a 
> specific user, it's more appropriate to block their username rather than 
> restricting their access when logged in based on IP addresses. Adding more 
> bureaucracy isn't the solution if there isn't a problem to begin with.
> 
> In any case, nothing will probably change. But please don't say that VPN is a 
> solution. People have already enough problems that adding more and more 
> passages. 
> 
> Il martedì 19 marzo 2024 alle ore 19:51:42 CET, Neurodivergent Netizen 
>  ha scritto:
> 
> 
>> A few years ago, I acquired a VPN as part of an antivirus package. However, 
>> when I tried to use it for other services, I encountered an unexpected issue 
>> switching on wiki platforms: despite being there as a registered user, I 
>> found myself unable to edit them.
>> 
>> So how can VPN be a solution?
> 
> Right, you would’ve had to use IP block exemption, which would require some 
> level of trust from the community that you aren’t a vandal or other blocked 
> user trying to circumspect said block.
> 
> From,
> I dream of horses
> She/her
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>> On Mar 19, 2024, at 11:23 AM, Alessandro Marchetti via Wikimedia-l 
>>  wrote:
>> 
>> Why is there so much discussion about using VPNs as a solution? A few years 
>> ago, I acquired a VPN as part of an antivirus package. However, when I tried 
>> to use it for other services, I encountered an unexpected issue switching on 
>> wiki platforms: despite being there as a registered user, I found myself 
>> unable to edit them.
>> 
>> So how can VPN be a solution? 
>> 
>> A. 
>> 
>> Il martedì 19 marzo 2024 alle ore 18:17:52 CET, Saqib Qayyum 
>>  ha scritto:
>> 
>> 
>> Hello Mr James
>> 
>> Certainly, using a VPN is a workaround, but it's worth noting that obtaining 
>> an IP block exemption is still necessary to edit Commons, and this is not 
>> always feasible for all users. Many may not even be aware of its existence. 
>> For instance, I couldn't edit Commons since October 2020 until I discovered 
>> the option for IP ban exemption. . 
>> 
>> And because of this, contributions to Commons from Pakistan have 
>> significantly dwindled. For instance, I recall organizing Wiki Loves 
>> Monuments Pakistan from 2014, where we used to receive thousands of images 
>> annually. However, in recent years, the number of uploads has drastically 
>> declined, with only a maximum of 100 photos being uploaded each year. This 
>> trend underscores the challenges Pakistani users face in accessing and 
>> contributing to the site.
>> --
>> Saqib Qayyum
>> 
>> 
>> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:55 PM James Heilman > > wrote:
>> Can you not just use a VPN?
>> 
>> James
>> 
>> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:29 PM Saqib Qayyum > > wrote:
>> TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
>> 
>> I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a 
>> critical issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite 
>> multiple attempts to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's 
>> communication team, there has been a disappointing lack of response or 
>> acknowledgment.
>> 
>> For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While 
>> Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both 
>> Pakistani and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the 
>> blockade of Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone 
>> largely unnoticed.
>> 
>> Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed 
>> frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this 
>> issue, only to receive no response.
>> 
>> I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to 
>> address the ongoing blockage of Commons in Pakistan. 
>> 
>> Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. 
>> --
>> Saqib Qayyum
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib
>> ___
>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org 
>> , guidelines at: 
>> https://meta.wiki

[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan

[Alessandro Marchetti via Wikimedia-l]

 
That doesn't seem logical or fair. If a user is registered and not already 
blocked, the IPs they are using shouldn't matter at all.
Personally, I've never used a VPN before I got it this way (even living in the 
PRC), but I understand that some people might need to do so for privacy 
reasons. So, this restriction should be removed. Registered users should have 
the freedom to access the platform how they want. If there's an issue with a 
specific user, it's more appropriate to block their username rather than 
restricting their access when logged in based on IP addresses. Adding more 
bureaucracy isn't the solution if there isn't a problem to begin with.
In any case, nothing will probably change. But please don't say that VPN is a 
solution. People have already enough problems that adding more and more 
passages. 

Il martedì 19 marzo 2024 alle ore 19:51:42 CET, Neurodivergent Netizen 
 ha scritto:  
 
 
A few years ago, I acquired a VPN as part of an antivirus package. However, 
when I tried to use it for other services, I encountered an unexpected issue 
switching on wiki platforms: despite being there as a registered user, I found 
myself unable to edit them.

So how can VPN be a solution?

Right, you would’ve had to use IP block exemption, which would require some 
level of trust from the community that you aren’t a vandal or other blocked 
user trying to circumspect said block.
From,I dream of horsesShe/her





On Mar 19, 2024, at 11:23 AM, Alessandro Marchetti via Wikimedia-l 
 wrote:
 Why is there so much discussion about using VPNs as a solution? A few years 
ago, I acquired a VPN as part of an antivirus package. However, when I tried to 
use it for other services, I encountered an unexpected issue switching on wiki 
platforms: despite being there as a registered user, I found myself unable to 
edit them.

So how can VPN be a solution? 
A. 

Il martedì 19 marzo 2024 alle ore 18:17:52 CET, Saqib Qayyum 
 ha scritto:  
 
 Hello Mr James
Certainly, using a VPN is a workaround, but it's worth noting that obtaining an 
IP block exemption is still necessary to edit Commons, and this is not always 
feasible for all users. Many may not even be aware of its existence. For 
instance, I couldn't edit Commons since October 2020 until I discovered the 
option for IP ban exemption. . 
And because of this, contributions to Commons from Pakistan have significantly 
dwindled. For instance, I recall organizing Wiki Loves Monuments Pakistan from 
2014, where we used to receive thousands of images annually. However, in recent 
years, the number of uploads has drastically declined, with only a maximum of 
100 photos being uploaded each year. This trend underscores the challenges 
Pakistani users face in accessing and contributing to the site.
--Saqib Qayyum

On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:55 PM James Heilman  wrote:

Can you not just use a VPN?
James
On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:29 PM Saqib Qayyum  wrote:

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a critical 
issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite multiple attempts 
to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's communication team, there 
has been a disappointing lack of response or acknowledgment.

For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While 
Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both Pakistani 
and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the blockade of 
Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone largely unnoticed.

Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed 
frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this issue, 
only to receive no response.

I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to address 
the ongoing blockage of Commons in Pakistan. 
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. --
Saqib Qayyumhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib
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-- 
James Heilman
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[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan

[Neurodivergent Netizen]

> A few years ago, I acquired a VPN as part of an antivirus package. However, 
> when I tried to use it for other services, I encountered an unexpected issue 
> switching on wiki platforms: despite being there as a registered user, I 
> found myself unable to edit them.
> 
> So how can VPN be a solution?

Right, you would’ve had to use IP block exemption, which would require some 
level of trust from the community that you aren’t a vandal or other blocked 
user trying to circumspect said block.

From,
I dream of horses
She/her





> On Mar 19, 2024, at 11:23 AM, Alessandro Marchetti via Wikimedia-l 
>  wrote:
> 
> Why is there so much discussion about using VPNs as a solution? A few years 
> ago, I acquired a VPN as part of an antivirus package. However, when I tried 
> to use it for other services, I encountered an unexpected issue switching on 
> wiki platforms: despite being there as a registered user, I found myself 
> unable to edit them.
> 
> So how can VPN be a solution? 
> 
> A. 
> 
> Il martedì 19 marzo 2024 alle ore 18:17:52 CET, Saqib Qayyum 
>  ha scritto:
> 
> 
> Hello Mr James
> 
> Certainly, using a VPN is a workaround, but it's worth noting that obtaining 
> an IP block exemption is still necessary to edit Commons, and this is not 
> always feasible for all users. Many may not even be aware of its existence. 
> For instance, I couldn't edit Commons since October 2020 until I discovered 
> the option for IP ban exemption. . 
> 
> And because of this, contributions to Commons from Pakistan have 
> significantly dwindled. For instance, I recall organizing Wiki Loves 
> Monuments Pakistan from 2014, where we used to receive thousands of images 
> annually. However, in recent years, the number of uploads has drastically 
> declined, with only a maximum of 100 photos being uploaded each year. This 
> trend underscores the challenges Pakistani users face in accessing and 
> contributing to the site.
> --
> Saqib Qayyum
> 
> 
> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:55 PM James Heilman  > wrote:
> Can you not just use a VPN?
> 
> James
> 
> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:29 PM Saqib Qayyum  > wrote:
> TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
> 
> I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a 
> critical issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite 
> multiple attempts to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's 
> communication team, there has been a disappointing lack of response or 
> acknowledgment.
> 
> For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While 
> Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both 
> Pakistani and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the 
> blockade of Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone 
> largely unnoticed.
> 
> Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed 
> frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this 
> issue, only to receive no response.
> 
> I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to address 
> the ongoing blockage of Commons in Pakistan. 
> 
> Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. 
> --
> Saqib Qayyum
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib
> ___
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> 
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> MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian
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[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan

[Alessandro Marchetti via Wikimedia-l]

 Why is there so much discussion about using VPNs as a solution? A few years 
ago, I acquired a VPN as part of an antivirus package. However, when I tried to 
use it for other services, I encountered an unexpected issue switching on wiki 
platforms: despite being there as a registered user, I found myself unable to 
edit them.

So how can VPN be a solution? 
A. 

Il martedì 19 marzo 2024 alle ore 18:17:52 CET, Saqib Qayyum 
 ha scritto:  
 
 Hello Mr James
Certainly, using a VPN is a workaround, but it's worth noting that obtaining an 
IP block exemption is still necessary to edit Commons, and this is not always 
feasible for all users. Many may not even be aware of its existence. For 
instance, I couldn't edit Commons since October 2020 until I discovered the 
option for IP ban exemption. . 
And because of this, contributions to Commons from Pakistan have significantly 
dwindled. For instance, I recall organizing Wiki Loves Monuments Pakistan from 
2014, where we used to receive thousands of images annually. However, in recent 
years, the number of uploads has drastically declined, with only a maximum of 
100 photos being uploaded each year. This trend underscores the challenges 
Pakistani users face in accessing and contributing to the site.
--Saqib Qayyum

On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:55 PM James Heilman  wrote:

Can you not just use a VPN?
James
On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:29 PM Saqib Qayyum  wrote:

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a critical 
issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite multiple attempts 
to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's communication team, there 
has been a disappointing lack of response or acknowledgment.

For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While 
Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both Pakistani 
and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the blockade of 
Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone largely unnoticed.

Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed 
frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this issue, 
only to receive no response.

I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to address 
the ongoing blockage of Commons in Pakistan. 
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. --
Saqib Qayyumhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib
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[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan

[Yaroslav Blanter]

Just to clarify, at least in my case, the embedded Commons files were
visible on Wikimedia projects (including the English Wikipedia) when I was
in Pakistan. I just could not open them on Commons or upload any files.

Best
Yaroslav

On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 7:13 PM Risker  wrote:

> VPNs and IP block exemption may or may not be useful for contributing to
> Commons, but contribution is not the only thing at issue here.
>
> The purpose of Commons is to act as a media repository for (a) all
> Wikimedia projects and (b) the world as a whole, without cost or licensing
> issues.  Every day, hundreds if not thousands of Commons files are used in
> news media, academia, and other places outside of Wikimedia projects.
> Commons files appear in the majority of Wikimedia articles.   Therefore,
> free and open access to Wikimedia Commons as part of the knowledge
> available to all of humanity is a major objective.  It's also where we, as
> a community, store useful documents and files associated with significant
> information about our movement, our projects, and many other things that
> may affect all projects, so access to them is important, too.
>
> I have no doubt that the Pakistani block is motivated by matters that have
> nothing to do with free knowledge or the Wikimedia mission. If I was a
> betting woman, I'd say that this may be an attempt to avoid a public uproar
> about blocking Wikipedia itself, but with Commons being so much less
> visible, it's easier to block that project and wind up with essentially the
> same effect.
>
> I am aware that there are multiple language Wikipedias edited by our
> Pakistani editors. One possible interim solution might be ensuring that
> images can be uploaded directly to those Wikipedia projects, and copies of
> Commons images be hosted on those projects. Some Wikipedias retained their
> own project-specific media storage, and many of their policies, procedures
> and guidelines could be used as a framework for the Pakistani-languages
> wikis to develop their own processes. As English is one of Pakistan's
> official languages, it would be worthwhile to have a discussion on English
> Wikipedia to work on this, too. Bots located outside of Pakistan could be
> used to both bring images to those Wikipedias and to copy their images over
> to Commons for global use.
>
> Of course, the longer-term goal is to have the block lifted entirely. What
> I  am suggesting is a mitigation strategy only.
>
> Risker/Anne
>
> On Tue, 19 Mar 2024 at 13:17, Saqib Qayyum  wrote:
>
>> Hello Mr James
>>
>> Certainly, using a VPN is a workaround, but it's worth noting that
>> obtaining an IP block exemption is still necessary to edit Commons, and
>> this is not always feasible for all users. Many may not even be aware of
>> its existence. For instance, I couldn't edit Commons since October 2020
>> until I discovered the option for IP ban exemption. .
>>
>> And because of this, contributions to Commons from Pakistan have
>> significantly dwindled. For instance, I recall organizing Wiki Loves
>> Monuments Pakistan from 2014, where we used to receive thousands of images
>> annually. However, in recent years, the number of uploads has drastically
>> declined, with only a maximum of 100 photos being uploaded each year. This
>> trend underscores the challenges Pakistani users face in accessing and
>> contributing to the site.
>> --
>> Saqib Qayyum
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:55 PM James Heilman  wrote:
>>
>>> Can you not just use a VPN?
>>>
>>> James
>>>
>>> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:29 PM Saqib Qayyum 
>>> wrote:
>>>
 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

 I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a
 critical issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite
 multiple attempts to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's
 communication team, there has been a disappointing lack of response or
 acknowledgment.

 For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While
 Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both
 Pakistani and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the
 blockade of Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone
 largely unnoticed.

 Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed
 frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this
 issue, only to receive no response.

 I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to
 address the ongoing blockage of Commons in Pakistan.

 Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
 --
 Saqib Qayyum
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib
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[Wikimedia-l] Outcomes from the March Meeting for the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees

[Nataliia Tymkiv]

Dear all,

The Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees met in New York City from 5 to 8
March. As usual I am writing to share the outcomes of the meeting and
information about other sessions held during the week.

== Board Meeting ==

Our official board meeting took place on March 7, and we were joined by
members of the Movement Charter Drafting Committee (MCDC). At the meeting,
we approved the December meeting minutes [1], made changes to the Executive
Committee Charter [2], and updated the Board committee composition [3]. The
terms of our current Vice Chairs, Shani and Esra’a, came to an end, and we
welcomed Lorenzo and Kathy into those roles [4].

I would like to acknowledge and thank both Shani and Esra’a for their hard
work over many years. The role of Board Vice Chairs is an important one,
and I, as Chair, appreciate the additional input and time they have
provided over the past three years, supporting the Board and the
Foundation’s leadership, as well as their commitment to supporting this
transition. I also look forward to working closely with Lorenzo and Kathy
as their terms as Vice Chairs begin now. The overall updated Trustee
membership is here [5].

During the meeting, Dariusz, Chair of the Board Selection Working Group,
gave an update on the 2024 Board selection process status, which you can
read more about here [6]. We also heard from Foundation staff on various
topics and received an update on the current fiscal year and progress
against the Annual Plan [7]. We heard from the Advancement team about donor
thank-you page changes, which invited donors to edit and yielded 4,398 new
user accounts being created [8]. This experiment was conducted based on
feedback from volunteers. As usual, the Board received committee updates in
advance of the meeting, which included an important update from the Audit
Committee [9].

In its most recent meeting, the Audit Committee discussed and approved a
change in how unrealised gains or losses are reported. They will now be
counted as non-operating revenues instead of operating revenues, which will
bring the financial statements in line with how the Foundation budgets for
operating revenues. The Audit Committee also approved an updated Investment
Policy that guides how operating reserves are invested. The official Board
meeting ended after a brief update from the staff team monitoring the 2024
global elections work.

== Other Sessions & Meetings ==

Movement Charter

The Board, MCDC members, and staff met for a half-day workshop after the
Board meeting. I thank the MCDC for their work over the last 2.5 years. It
is not easy to take broad recommendations and flesh them out. We spent time
together reflecting on the draft Movement Charter and the Foundation’s
perspective, particularly about the role of the Global Council [10]. The
Foundation’s perspectives will be one of the topics on the agenda at the
Open Conversation with the Trustees, hosted by the Community Affairs
Committee (CAC) on March 21 [11].

Strategic Retreat

We ended the week on March 8 with a Strategic Retreat, a joint session held
with the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees, the Endowment Board of
Trustees, representatives from MCDC, and Wikimedia Foundation leadership.
This included presentations on our three priority topics: (1) financial
model, including updates on online revenue trends, Wikimedia Enterprise,
and Wikimedia Endowment; (2) product and technology; and (3) roles and
responsibilities. We built on the themes established at last year’s
Strategic Retreat, including more focus on longer-term planning about the
work of the Foundation, and what it will take to ensure our projects
continue across generations [12], both technologically and in terms of our
financial model. This retreat is one important space for the various
leadership groups within the movement to plan, brainstorm, and engage as
partners.

Governance Workshop

Our first full day together as the Board, March 5, was focused on a
governance workshop for members of the Board. We focused on the role of
trustees and committee chairs and shared best (and worst) practices from
other boards some of us sit on. This is part of a more comprehensive larger
professional development plan that trustees have engaged in over the last
three years. We ended the day with a reception hosted at the New York City
Chapter’s new shared space (also the home to rescued turtles!) - many
thanks to the organisers for your hospitality! We also greatly enjoyed the
wiki fashion show!

Sessions with Foundation Leadership

On March 6, we joined Foundation staff for a session on the Annual Planning
process. We ended the day with a Board Executive Session which also
included discussions with the executive team about leadership development,
career growth, and best practices for succession planning at all
organisational levels.

The Board will meet again virtually in June to approve the Foundation’s
annual plan and budget, and then again in-person at Wikimania i

[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan

[Risker]

VPNs and IP block exemption may or may not be useful for contributing to
Commons, but contribution is not the only thing at issue here.

The purpose of Commons is to act as a media repository for (a) all
Wikimedia projects and (b) the world as a whole, without cost or licensing
issues.  Every day, hundreds if not thousands of Commons files are used in
news media, academia, and other places outside of Wikimedia projects.
Commons files appear in the majority of Wikimedia articles.   Therefore,
free and open access to Wikimedia Commons as part of the knowledge
available to all of humanity is a major objective.  It's also where we, as
a community, store useful documents and files associated with significant
information about our movement, our projects, and many other things that
may affect all projects, so access to them is important, too.

I have no doubt that the Pakistani block is motivated by matters that have
nothing to do with free knowledge or the Wikimedia mission. If I was a
betting woman, I'd say that this may be an attempt to avoid a public uproar
about blocking Wikipedia itself, but with Commons being so much less
visible, it's easier to block that project and wind up with essentially the
same effect.

I am aware that there are multiple language Wikipedias edited by our
Pakistani editors. One possible interim solution might be ensuring that
images can be uploaded directly to those Wikipedia projects, and copies of
Commons images be hosted on those projects. Some Wikipedias retained their
own project-specific media storage, and many of their policies, procedures
and guidelines could be used as a framework for the Pakistani-languages
wikis to develop their own processes. As English is one of Pakistan's
official languages, it would be worthwhile to have a discussion on English
Wikipedia to work on this, too. Bots located outside of Pakistan could be
used to both bring images to those Wikipedias and to copy their images over
to Commons for global use.

Of course, the longer-term goal is to have the block lifted entirely. What
I  am suggesting is a mitigation strategy only.

Risker/Anne

On Tue, 19 Mar 2024 at 13:17, Saqib Qayyum  wrote:

> Hello Mr James
>
> Certainly, using a VPN is a workaround, but it's worth noting that
> obtaining an IP block exemption is still necessary to edit Commons, and
> this is not always feasible for all users. Many may not even be aware of
> its existence. For instance, I couldn't edit Commons since October 2020
> until I discovered the option for IP ban exemption. .
>
> And because of this, contributions to Commons from Pakistan have
> significantly dwindled. For instance, I recall organizing Wiki Loves
> Monuments Pakistan from 2014, where we used to receive thousands of images
> annually. However, in recent years, the number of uploads has drastically
> declined, with only a maximum of 100 photos being uploaded each year. This
> trend underscores the challenges Pakistani users face in accessing and
> contributing to the site.
> --
> Saqib Qayyum
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:55 PM James Heilman  wrote:
>
>> Can you not just use a VPN?
>>
>> James
>>
>> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:29 PM Saqib Qayyum 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
>>>
>>> I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a
>>> critical issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite
>>> multiple attempts to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's
>>> communication team, there has been a disappointing lack of response or
>>> acknowledgment.
>>>
>>> For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While
>>> Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both
>>> Pakistani and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the
>>> blockade of Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone
>>> largely unnoticed.
>>>
>>> Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed
>>> frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this
>>> issue, only to receive no response.
>>>
>>> I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to
>>> address the ongoing blockage of Commons in Pakistan.
>>>
>>> Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
>>> --
>>> Saqib Qayyum
>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib
>>> ___
>>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, 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/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/H5SMMTKRTUI5QLDKOCLZNWCABGDK3UHL/
>>> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> James Heilman
>> MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian
>> ___
>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines

[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan

[Saqib Qayyum]

Hello Mr James

Certainly, using a VPN is a workaround, but it's worth noting that
obtaining an IP block exemption is still necessary to edit Commons, and
this is not always feasible for all users. Many may not even be aware of
its existence. For instance, I couldn't edit Commons since October 2020
until I discovered the option for IP ban exemption. .

And because of this, contributions to Commons from Pakistan have
significantly dwindled. For instance, I recall organizing Wiki Loves
Monuments Pakistan from 2014, where we used to receive thousands of images
annually. However, in recent years, the number of uploads has drastically
declined, with only a maximum of 100 photos being uploaded each year. This
trend underscores the challenges Pakistani users face in accessing and
contributing to the site.
--
Saqib Qayyum


On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:55 PM James Heilman  wrote:

> Can you not just use a VPN?
>
> James
>
> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:29 PM Saqib Qayyum 
> wrote:
>
>> TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
>>
>> I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a
>> critical issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite
>> multiple attempts to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's
>> communication team, there has been a disappointing lack of response or
>> acknowledgment.
>>
>> For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While
>> Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both
>> Pakistani and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the
>> blockade of Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone
>> largely unnoticed.
>>
>> Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed
>> frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this
>> issue, only to receive no response.
>>
>> I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to
>> address the ongoing blockage of Commons in Pakistan.
>>
>> Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
>> --
>> Saqib Qayyum
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib
>> ___
>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, 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/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/H5SMMTKRTUI5QLDKOCLZNWCABGDK3UHL/
>> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org
>
>
>
> --
> James Heilman
> MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian
> ___
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[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan

[Neurodivergent Netizen]

While a good stop-gap measure, VPNs can be expensive enough that it’s not 
really a permanent solution. The ultimate solution is to get Commons unblocked, 
if that’s possible. Of course, getting it unblocked might prove impossible.

From,
I dream of horses
She/her





> On Mar 19, 2024, at 9:33 AM, James Heilman  wrote:
> 
> Can you not just use a VPN?
> 
> James
> 
> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:29 PM Saqib Qayyum  > wrote:
>> TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
>> 
>> I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a 
>> critical issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite 
>> multiple attempts to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's 
>> communication team, there has been a disappointing lack of response or 
>> acknowledgment.
>> 
>> For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While 
>> Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both 
>> Pakistani and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the 
>> blockade of Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone 
>> largely unnoticed.
>> 
>> Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed 
>> frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this 
>> issue, only to receive no response.
>> 
>> I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to 
>> address the ongoing blockage of Commons in Pakistan. 
>> 
>> Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. 
>> --
>> Saqib Qayyum
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib
>> ___
>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org 
>> , 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/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/H5SMMTKRTUI5QLDKOCLZNWCABGDK3UHL/
>> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org 
>> 
> 
> -- 
> James Heilman
> MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian
> ___
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[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan

[Yaroslav Blanter]

I have been to Pakistan in July and indeed discovered that Wikimedia
Commons was blocked. I complained to the WMF (using the Village pump on
Commons when I was back), they were apparently not familiar with the
situation but investigated it and acknowledged that Commons is indeed
blocked in Pakistan (or at least in some locations in Pakistan).

Best
Yaroslav

On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 4:59 PM Saqib Qayyum  wrote:

> TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
>
> I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a
> critical issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite
> multiple attempts to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's
> communication team, there has been a disappointing lack of response or
> acknowledgment.
>
> For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While
> Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both
> Pakistani and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the
> blockade of Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone
> largely unnoticed.
>
> Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed
> frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this
> issue, only to receive no response.
>
> I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to
> address the ongoing blockage of Commons in Pakistan.
>
> Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
> --
> Saqib Qayyum
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib
> ___
> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines
> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l
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[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan

[James Heilman]

Can you not just use a VPN?

James

On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:29 PM Saqib Qayyum  wrote:

> TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
>
> I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a
> critical issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite
> multiple attempts to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's
> communication team, there has been a disappointing lack of response or
> acknowledgment.
>
> For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While
> Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both
> Pakistani and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the
> blockade of Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone
> largely unnoticed.
>
> Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed
> frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this
> issue, only to receive no response.
>
> I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to
> address the ongoing blockage of Commons in Pakistan.
>
> Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
> --
> Saqib Qayyum
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib
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-- 
James Heilman
MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian
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[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan

[James Heilman]

On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:29 PM Saqib Qayyum  wrote:

> TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
>
> I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a
> critical issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite
> multiple attempts to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's
> communication team, there has been a disappointing lack of response or
> acknowledgment.
>
> For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While
> Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both
> Pakistani and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the
> blockade of Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone
> largely unnoticed.
>
> Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed
> frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this
> issue, only to receive no response.
>
> I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to
> address the ongoing blockage of Commons in Pakistan.
>
> Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
> --
> Saqib Qayyum
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib
> ___
> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines
> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and
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-- 
James Heilman
MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian
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[Wikimedia-l] ISA Tool and Women Rights Month : improve the images description in [[category:Women in Art]]

[Florence Devouard]

Dear friends


A few days ago, in a diff article (1), we told you the story on how we 
improved the ISA Tool (2) during a co-organized Hackathon (3).


Key outome is... we are happy to announce that a new version of the ISA 
Tool is now available on toolforge for you to use. Whilst the tool would 
still welcome your technical attention, we were able to fix critical 
bugs and to implement some improvements.

After nearly a year dormant, ISA is back !

*
What is the ISA Tool ? *

ISAis a fun, multilingual, mobile-first/microcontributions/tool, that 
makes it easy for (groups of) people to addstructured data 
to 
images on Wikimedia Commons.


With ISA, you can choose a pre-defined set of images on Commons and then 
ask contributors to 'tag' these with multilingual structured metadata. 
Points are counted for each contribution, and therefore it is possible 
to organize 'tagging' or microcontributions competitions or challenges 
with ISA. Or you can compete against yourself :)


ISA was originally built to provide better multilingual and structured 
descriptions of Wiki Loves Africa images (4). But it is also developed 
to be useful to all of the Wiki Loves X competitions, and eventually 
ended up being meant forall media fileson Wikimedia Commons. More info 
here: (5)



*Campaign #300*

To celebrate both the relaunch AND Women's Rights Month, and to 
demonstrate how the ISA tool works, we are launching an ISA campaign 
about Women in Art.

This is happening here : https://isa.toolforge.org/campaigns/300
Your contributions, small or big, are welcome to improve the 
category:Women in Art



*Create your own campaigns ?*

You are welcome to create your own campaigns (or join older ones). Just 
make sure to log-in and you are good to go.
A piece of advice though... make sure not to create very big campaigns 
with thousands and thousands of images. Toolforge does not digest huge 
sets very well.
500 is ok. 8000 is ok. 200 000 images... is beyond its capacity. We are 
still testing and improving. If you see anything weird or broken, please 
report here (7)



Best regards


Anthere


(1) the diff article : 
https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/03/13/the-triumph-of-wiki-mentor-africas-first-online-hackathon/

(2) the tool : https://isa.toolforge.org/
(3) the January hackathon : 
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:Wiki_Mentor_Africa_Hackathon_2024
(4) the tool page on Commons : 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:ISA_Tool
(5) opportunity to 
remind that Wiki Loves Africa is happening right now : 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Loves_Africa_2024

(6) women in art campaign : https://isa.toolforge.org/campaigns/300
(7) phabricator: https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/project/profile/3981/
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[Wikimedia-l] Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan

[Saqib Qayyum]

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a
critical issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite
multiple attempts to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's
communication team, there has been a disappointing lack of response or
acknowledgment.

For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While
Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both
Pakistani and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the
blockade of Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone
largely unnoticed.

Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed
frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this
issue, only to receive no response.

I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to
address the ongoing blockage of Commons in Pakistan.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
--
Saqib Qayyum
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib
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