How significant is the risk in just granting autoconfirmed (or similar) users IPBE by default? Why does IPBE expire anyway?
On Thu, Apr 21, 2022 at 10:50 AM DerHexer via Wikimedia-l < wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org> wrote: > Hi, > > Thanks for raising the topic. Being a steward for 14+ years, I've followed > closely the evolution of that problem. > > “When I noticed that range blocks caused more harm than good (countless > mails to stewards), I started to reduce the length of any such block (if > necessary at all; I check every single range intensively if a block would > case more harm than good). The situation with OPs is a bit different > because they obfuscate the original IP address which is pretty often needed > by checkusers and stewards to stop harm against the projects. For that > reason, I agree that we cannot give up on OP blocking. The only way to get > out of these problems are (much!) easier reporting ways, more people who > can give out exceptions (locally and globally) and check outdated OPs and > IPBEs. Maybe it would also make sense to give long-term users an option to > self-assign an IPBE (e.g.) once per week for x hours for such cases like > edit-a-thons. Most of their IP addresses used would still be reported (in > order to prevent abuse) but most problems for that one moment would be > solved (and users could look for long-term solutions).” > > Why the quotation marks? Because I've posted that very same message to the > metawiki > page > <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:No_open_proxies/Unfair_blocking#Comment_from_Vermont> > and > understand it as one step towards a solution. In my opinion, it makes way > more sense to talk publicly about the issue and possible solutions than > losing good ideas (and there have been some already in this thread!) in the > wide world of this mailing list. Let's have that conversation onwiki—and I > also encourage the WMF tech departments to join in that conversation. > Because we as stewards have reported our problems with the current > situation multiple times, sought for technical solutions (e.g., better > reporting tools), indeed did get a better rapport with the WMF teams but > still are not where we need to be in order to serve both interests > (openness and protection). Unsurprisingly, also stewards are individuals > with different opinions and (possible) solutions to that one problem. As > Vito said, we will once again discuss it and will share our thoughts and > solutions. > > Best, > DerHexer (Martin) > > Am Mittwoch, 20. April 2022, 20:19:48 MESZ hat Florence Devouard < > fdevou...@gmail.com> Folgendes geschrieben: > > > Hello friends > > Short version : We need to find solutions to avoid so many africans being > globally IP blocked due to our No Open Proxies policy. > *https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/No_open_proxies/Unfair_blocking > <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/No_open_proxies/Unfair_blocking>* > > > Long version : > > I'd like to raise attention on an issue, which has been getting worse in > the past couple of weeks/months. > > Increasing number of editors getting blocked due to the No Open Proxies > policy [1] > In particular africans. > > In February 2004, the decision was made to block open proxies on Meta and > all other Wikimedia projects. > > According to the no open proxies policy : Publicly available proxies > (including paid proxies) may be blocked for any period at any time. While > this may affect legitimate users, they are not the intended targets and may > freely use proxies until those are blocked [...] > > Non-static IP addresses or hosts that are otherwise not permanent proxies > should typically be blocked for a shorter period of time, as it is likely > the IP address will eventually be transferred or dynamically reassigned, or > the open proxy closed. Once closed, the IP address should be unblocked. > > According to the policy page, « the Editors can be permitted to edit by > way of an open proxy with the IP block exempt flag. This is granted on > local projects by administrators and globally by stewards. » > > > I repeat -----> ... legitimate users... may freely use proxies until those > are blocked. the Editors can be permitted to edit by way of an open proxy > with the IP block exempt flag <------ it is not illegal to edit using an > open proxy > > > Most editors though... have no idea whatsoever what an open proxy is. They > do not understand well what to do when they are blocked. > > In the past few weeks, the number of African editors reporting being > blocked due to open proxy has been VERY significantly increasing. > New editors just as old timers. > Unexperienced editors but also staff members, president of usergroups, > organizers of edit-a-thons and various wikimedia initiatives. > At home, but also during events organized with usergroup members or > trainees, during edit-a-thons, photo uploads sessions etc. > > It is NOT the occasional highly unlikely situation. This has become a > regular occurence. > There are cases and complains every week. Not one complaint per week. > Several complaints per week. > *This is irritating. This is offending. This is stressful. This is > disrupting activities organized in good faith by good people, activities > set-up with our donors funds. **And the disruption** is primarlly taking > place in a geographical region supposingly to be nurtured (per our strategy > for diversity, equity, inclusion blahblahblah). * > > > The open proxy policy page suggests that, should a person be unfairly > blocked, it is recommended > > - * to privately email stewards[image: (_AT_)]wikimedia.org. > - * or alternatively, to post a request (if able to edit, if the > editor doesn't mind sharing their IP for global blocks or their reasons to > desire privacy (for Tor usage)). > - * the current message displayed to the blocked editor also suggest > contacting User:Tks4Fish. This editor is involved in vandalism fighting and > is probably the user blocking open proxies IPs the most. See log > > > So... > Option 1: contacting stewards : it seems that they are not answering. Or > not quickly. Or requesting lengthy justifications before adding people to > IP block exemption list. > Option 2: posting a request for unblock on meta. For those who want to > look at the process, I suggest looking at it [3] and think hard about how a > new editor would feel. This is simply incredibly complicated > Option 3 : user:TksFish answers... sometimes... > > As a consequence, most editors concerned with those global blocks... stay > blocked several days. > > We do not know know why the situation has rapidly got worse recently. But > it got worse. And the reports are spilling all over. > > We started collecting negative experiences on this page [4]. > Please note that people who added their names here are not random newbies. > They are known and respected members of our community, often leaders of > activities and/or representant of their usergroups, who are confronted to > this situation on a REGULAR basis. > > I do not know how this can be fixed. Should we slow down open proxy > blocking ? Should we add a mecanism and process for an easier and quicker > IP block exemption process post-blocking ? Should we improve a process for > our editors to pre-emptively be added to this IP block exemption list ? Or > what ? I do not know what's the strategy to fix that. But there is a > problem. Who should that problem be addressed to ? Who has solutions ? > > Flo > > [1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/No_open_proxies > > [2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Log/Tks4Fish > > [3] > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Steward_requests/Global_permissions#Requests_for_global_IP_block_exemption > > *[4] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/No_open_proxies/Unfair_blocking > <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/No_open_proxies/Unfair_blocking>* > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list -- 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/UU76SJ5LZI5MA5F3WC3NSY4UMGDQTGXR/ > To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org > _______________________________________________ > 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/Y5UMK72JMT2FZY5V455QHEWHZ3W2QGXQ/ > To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org
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