Welcome to my exact experience on Dutch Wikipedia. Banned for life for 'outing' a power user.
The 'outing' is in huge inverted commas -- (1) enter her on-wiki username in any search engine and you get oodles of vanity page(s) with her full name and (2) she'd done much worse than that to me. I've been called names, articles have been deleted, I've been told by many people that, sure, were it any other person they'd be banned, and sure, when she refers people to [Leck mich im Arsch] it *might* be construed as uncivil, but hey, she's doing good work on vandal patrol and deleting articles, so... Yup. It's very, very toxic at times. And nobody really cares. On 17 May 2016 at 14:47, Pete Forsyth <petefors...@gmail.com> wrote: > Reaching out offlist. Anyone who knows Chris well and has helpful input, > feel free to contact me offlist. > -Pete > [[User:Peteforsyth]] > > On Tue, May 17, 2016 at 5:44 AM, Chris Sherlock < > chris.sherloc...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > > > I've just been blocked forever. I've been bullied, and I'm having > suicidal > > thoughts. > > > > I don't know what to do now. > > > > Right now I'm reaching out to anyone who might listen. I've been called > > obsessive, someone who attacks people, I've not been listened to and I've > > been lectured on policy by people who quote three letter shortcuts at me > > without reading the policy. > > > > An admin just told me that I had submitted too many kilobytes which > > violated some sort of policy. When I pointed out that half of the > kilobytes > > were references I was ignored. When I pointed out that the one reverting > me > > was deleting no contentious stuff I was told I was being contentious. > When > > I pointed out I had been told I'm not allowed to use primary sources in > any > > way and the policy was its ok but to use it with care, and all I was > doing > > was checking a company directorship, I was ignored. > > > > I wrote your [[exploding whale]] article. I invented your [citation > > needed] tag. I started your admins noticeboard. > > > > But I'm not well, and nobody on Wikipedia seems to be kind. You are all > so > > busy power tripping that you forget there is a real, live person on the > > other side. A person who is wounded. I haven't always been this > depressed. > > Not anxious. I stupidly logged into my account yesterday, one that nobody > > knew I used, and tried to edit the Salim Mehajer article. I was surprised > > it wasn't there, but I've never been so obstructed I all my life. It's > not > > even that there was a disagreement, it was like I wasn't worth anything. > I > > spent hours of my time researching the article, trying to do a good job. > > But in an instant the material was ripped away, and I was called > obsessed. > > > > That's not what I was called when I rewrote the [[USA PATRIOT Act]] > > article. People told me it was long, but they were encouraging. My hard > > work was appreciated. > > > > I've never attacked the subject of the article, Salim Mehajer. But when I > > was called obsessive, I guess something broke inside me. I reached badly > > and called the guy who called me obsessive a twit. Then I wrote a bitter > > article and posted it on my blog. You can read it here: > > > > > > > http://randomtechnicalstuff.blogspot.com.au/2016/05/dont-bite-newbies-why-wikipedia-is-such.html > > > > Then I stewed. I couldn't stop thinking about how I'd tried to get a > > decent article sorted out again, but I just couldn't seem to get > traction. > > > > I originally had taken material from the [[City of Auburn]] article that > > was about the individual. I should have realised it was partisan, and it > > was a bad judgement call. I write done more material, but it was far too > > negative. I guess o didn't see it that way at the time. > > > > I recall I went to bed and the next day I was accused of writing an > attack > > article and an admin slapped on not one but two template telling me I was > > about to be blocked. Then I discovered the article had been deleted. > Nobody > > had notified me. I couldn't work out what had happened. Then I realised > it > > had been deleted. > > > > So I tried again. This time I started from scratch. I started to edit > very > > carefully. I started with a paragraph stub which just very, very briefly > > noted Mehajor is a deputy mayor and property developer. I think I wrote a > > short paragraph Bout his wedding which was very notable. It's in the > > history. > > > > Then it was put up for deletion again. In the A7 category. I'm rusty at > > Wikipedia, sure, but what? A7? It was for notability. But, I thought, > how? > > The man is highly significant! Not a day goes by without the media > talking > > of his exploits! > > > > So I objected. The editor rounded on me. He's famous for being famous, > > like a Kardashian! he said. But I said, he was a deputy mayor and he's > been > > in the Australian media extensively! It's not just his wedding (which was > > notorious) - it's his property deals, and his companies, and he got his > > entire council sacked! And he is in court all the time and is under an > AFP > > investigation! That *is* notable! > > > > But, I was told, there's not enough In the article. I was referred to > > another acronym about notability. But I know about notability policy, I > > thought. It's about the subject, not the content of the article.., > > desperately I hunted through the policy git the section on this. I'd read > > it before, years ago. If the article was deleted before I got a chance to > > object, I'd be called a troll, or worse. I'd be blocked for recreating > it. > > In the nick of time I found the section and objected, and I asked to have > > it put on Articles For Deletion. And I pointed out I was literally > editing > > the article when it was almost deleted - because it didn't establish > enough > > context. But, I thought, how do you establish context of the article is > > deleted midway through editing it? > > > > The editor took off the CSD template. I breathed a sigh of relief. Then > > they stick on a {{notability}} template. This, I was informed, meant that > > the article could be merged, redirected, or deleted if notability > couldn't > > be determined. But, I thought - I just established that! I didn't want it > > to be deleted midway through editing, and redirecting would have been as > > bad. And merged and redirected to what? It was already redirected to > [[City > > of Auburn Council#History]], but that was clearly wrong. No, it was going > > to be deleted. I objected, and eventually removed the template, to > > strenuous objections from the one who put it on. I suggested it be put up > > for deletion and offered to do it myself. But the editor seemed > reluctant. > > So, I reasoned, well if they truly feel that way they list it for > deletion. > > At least then we'll get consensus one way or another. > > > > So, now templates less but incomplete, I started to add material. I > > decided to start off with his early life. This was good, but every time I > > tried to add more material I found I was getting edit conflicts because > > that same editor appeared to have watchlisted the article. I sent the a > > message asking then to hold off editing. I also asked them not to remove > > huge swathes of information. > > > > Then I got to the bit where a court case was referred to. To establish > > context, I quoted both the widely reported words said by the accused and > > the defendant. I used a secondary source that was very reliable - the > > Australian ABC News website. This was summarily removed. The edit summary > > read BLP violation. > > > > Eh? I know what BLP is, but that can't be right. I asked why on the talk > > page. "It's because of BLPCRIME" they said. "You can't do it". But, I > said, > > I don't want to summarise their words, that could look worse for Mehajer! > > And I need to explain the case fairly do the reader knows what it's > > about... I was told to read the policy. Grumbling, I read it to refresh > my > > memory. It read that non-public figures should not have allegations put > on > > articles. Well, I thought, this does t apply here - Mehajer is a very > > public figure and this was reported widely. > > > > And on and on it went. Every time I edited the article I would be edited > > as quickly. It was like I was being stalked. Eventually, however, the > > exasperation of that editor was too much. He listed the article on > Requests > > For Comment. But, I thought, I remember RFC back in the day. We used to > > hash these things out on the talk page first! And normally there was some > > sort of compromise - line the opposing party would say "why not summarise > > it thusly" and you'd look at it and go "well, OK, but I'd summarise it > like > > this". And the partite would come up with something reasonable. Not do > this > > editor - it was no information on the case at all, just that there had > been > > a case. > > > > So then things went very bad. He decided to ask at the Australisn > > Wikipedias Noticeboard. From there, a South Ausyrslusn editor turned up, > > took a look at the section that detailed vehicle incidents and just > removed > > it. Then on the talk page he panned the edits as "obsessive" and > "trivial". > > In fact, he was just getting started.., > > > > "the compilation of all the companies he's a director of, many of which > > are so non-notable the author has had to refer to business registration > > records, is an atrocious case of original research and absolutely does > not > > belong in this article. These are such trivial details that no journalist > > has bothered to compile them in any of the tens of thousands of stories > > about him for a reason." > > > > I was gob smacked. I had sourced every one if the companies to a > secondary > > source. One of the sources was an article in The Australian, a major > Aussie > > newspaper. It pointed to a PDF which detailed a list of companies > > associated with Mehajer. > > > > And at this point we end at the beginning. I rage quit, then I was > > messages by an editor from Perth, who taunted me, telling me I had > > relevance deprivation syndrome. I was already feeling fragile, but this > > egged me on I suppose. If I'd been feeling less fragile I just would have > > let it go. > > > > So I did something inexcusable. I told the editor who had been stalking > me > > what I thought of them. I swore at them and called them bad names. It was > > reverted. > > > > I continued editing. It was hell or high water! I knew if I could just > ask > > them to explain there decisions I could get the article into shape. So I > > asked again why non-controversial material was removed. Nobody would > > answer. I put back material and wrote a long talk message. I was reverted > > with a response that didn't answer why it was a problem. I kept tweeting > > because there was nothing else I could do. Even important material, > utterly > > non-controversial, was removed. > > > > Eventually, however, they started to suggest what the issues were. They > > said it was fine to include his traffic offenses, but it had to be cut > > down. But, I explained, it's actually only one sentence and I detailed > what > > the offenses were otherwise it might give an impression his offenses > were a > > lot worse than they were! I asked what they should be changed to. And, I > > pointed out, you still haven't explained why the other material is a > > violation of Biographies of Living People! > > > > There was no response. Instead, I was reverted. So I reverted again > > because no answer had been provided. > > > > Then I got a message. I was told that actually the admin hadn't read the > > material but he'd noticed that the total kilobytes of text had ballooned. > > But, I said on my talk page - half of that size is in references! > > Irrelevant, I was told. You aren't editing to consensus. If someone > removes > > material, under no circumstances must you ready it until you discuss it. > > > > But the other editor is refusing to discuss it with me! Again I pointed > > out the bits that were being removed without being discussed. Tough I was > > told. > > > > In sheer bloody minded frustration I reverted the admin. Then I posted to > > the admins incident page pleading for someone to see reason. Then I got > yet > > another message telling me I had been reported for edit warring. > > > > I tried post, got in the first bit to appeal. But then I tried list more, > > to plead my innocence and rotary to make someone understand I ha dead at > > the end if my tether. My wife came in and startled me. I literally jumped > > and yelled, severely startling her badly. I felt dreadful. > > > > Then I raced out of the house, got in my car and parked in a quiet spot. > I > > posted to the only place I had left. A bitter post, stating who I had > been > > and what I had contributed and what I had just been through. > > > > This wax reverted by the admin Nick-D, from Western Australia who banned > > my rage quitted account (whose passwords scrambled, so it's inaccessible > > anyway) and had my mobile IP address blocked got a week, though I had > tried > > to explain I would be home later and it's best block my other IP address > > which is my NBN IP. It was, I had said in the message, a relief. > > > > But not only was this rolled back, but the user page was locked. > > > > My despair and humiliation is total. So here I sit, contemplating the > mess > > my life is in and how it's not worth even the ability to edit Wikipedia, > > Wikipedia the project I loved and I gave do much if my time and date to. > A > > project where I worked to gain consensus and wrote amazing article with > > others, and researched for and went to meet ups and borrow books from the > > library to ensure the world got the best possible information I could > > locate about a subject. > > > > I know I'm not well. I have fought this feeling for a decade. It's why I > > left the Tbsdy_lives account when Brad emailed me. At least then you gave > > me small degree of dignity, and deleted my user pages. > > > > There is no more dignity to be given me. I've used up my portion. > > > > And I sit here in my car and contemplate suicide. My despair is total. > > There is not a kind one amongst you. You have taken my right of appeal, > my > > ability to protest and my dignity. You have let others mock me, and I > have > > failed to contribute to Wikipedias great mission - one I feel so keenly. > > > > I failed. I'm not sure what I'm going to do next. I will drive, I don't > > know where. I pray my family forgives me. > > > > Chris > > Ta bu shi da yu > > > > Sent from my iPhone > > _______________________________________________ > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe>
