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Always precious

Ten years ago, you were found precious. That's what you are, always. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 06:36, 23 July 2023 (UTC)

WP:Sockpuppet investigations/Hugo Refachinho

Hi! I took a look at the list of recently active CheckUsers and your name came up. Would you happen to have the time to take care of WP:Sockpuppet investigations/Hugo Refachinho, which to my eye is a very straightforward case of a WP:DUCK? TompaDompa (talk) 16:04, 1 August 2023 (UTC)

Shiny thing

The Barnstar of Integrity
For this, amongst other reasons — Trey Maturin™ 16:45, 1 August 2023 (UTC)

I second that. I thought that that was a very humble thing to do. Not everyone could have made that post. Good on you. - jc37 16:51, 1 August 2023 (UTC)

Aw, thanks you guys. I just suddenly realized I had some real opinions on what it is they represent. We're pretty proud of our responsibly managed wild fishery up here. In fact, I just made a bunch of smoked salmon from wild silvers earlier this week Beeblebrox (talk) 01:41, 2 August 2023 (UTC)

Administrators' newsletter – August 2023

News and updates for administrators from the past month (July 2023).

Administrator changes

added Firefangledfeathers
removed

Interface administrator changes

added Novem Linguae

Technical news

Arbitration

Sent by MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 08:53, 8 August 2023 (UTC)

Hey if you can

Can you review my request for rollback thanks not trying to bug you •Cyberwolf• 16:26, 18 August 2023 (UTC)

Apologies

Hey Beeblebrox, I hope you don't mind, but notwithstanding TPG etc, I've removed my original (wholly unnecessary remark) and as a result your reply to me. But I'd like to say here that I apologise for tat remark, impuning your integrity. It wasn't personal, just an excuse to lash out. Pretty fraught todauy, with events, although that's no excuse for taking iot out out on you or anyone else. I was completely petty. I hope you can forgive that lapse. I also hope it was a lapse. Apart from that, I hope this finds you well. SN54129 16:01, 26 August 2023 (UTC)

When I saw the remarks were removed and you came here, this is not what I anticipated. Your apology is of course accepted. As I like to remind myself regularly, everyone makes mistakes, it is what we do after the mistake that is the true test of character, and you've shown yours right here. Beeblebrox (talk) 16:07, 26 August 2023 (UTC)
Beeblebrox, I think that's probably more than I deserve, but I do appreciate it, anyway. Thanks! Have a good weekend too. SN54129 16:43, 26 August 2023 (UTC)

ygm

TonyBallioni (talk) 02:17, 30 August 2023 (UTC)

Administrators' newsletter – September 2023

News and updates for administrators from the past month (August 2023).

Guideline and policy news

  • Following an RfC, TFAs will be automatically semi-protected the day before it is on the main page and through the day after.
  • A discussion at WP:VPP about revision deletion and oversight for dead names found that [s]ysops can choose to use revdel if, in their view, it's the right tool for this situation, and they need not default to oversight. But oversight could well be right where there's a particularly high risk to the person. Use your judgment.

Technical news

Arbitration

  • The SmallCat dispute case has closed. As part of the final decision, editors participating in XfD have been reminded to be careful about forming local consensus which may or may not reflect the broader community consensus. Regular closers of XfD forums were also encouraged to note when broader community discussion, or changes to policies and guidelines, would be helpful.

Miscellaneous

  • Tech tip: The "Browse history interactively" banner shown at the top of Special:Diff can be used to easily look through a history, assemble composite diffs, or find out what archive something wound up in.
Sent by MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 09:21, 1 September 2023 (UTC)

Administrators' newsletter – September 2023

News and updates for administrators from the past month (September 2023).

Guideline and policy news

  • An RfC is open regarding amending the paid-contribution disclosure policy to add the following text: Any administrator soliciting clients for paid Wikipedia-related consulting or advising services not covered by other paid-contribution rules must disclose all clients on their userpage.

Technical news

  • Administrators can now choose to add the user's user page to their watchlist when changing the usergroups for a user. This works both via Special:UserRights and via the API. (T272294)

Arbitration

Miscellaneous

Sent by MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 14:41, 4 October 2023 (UTC)

Need your expertise

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section.

Hello. Are this and this appropriate behavior? Using edits from other articles against you for things unrelated to wiki policy and canvassing people who have nothing to do with the discussion? LittleJerry (talk) 00:25, 13 September 2023 (UTC)

LittleJerry You are doing the same thing that you accuse me of! Leo1pard (talk) 09:44, 13 September 2023 (UTC)

ArbCom is basically overwhelmed with work right now and I'm afraid I really don't have the time to deal with anything else, I'd suggest WP:DR instead. Beeblebrox (talk) 16:40, 13 September 2023 (UTC)
OK, but I hoped that the dispute was finished. Leo1pard (talk) 17:18, 13 September 2023 (UTC)
They weren't talking to you. LittleJerry (talk) 19:19, 13 September 2023 (UTC)
The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

AFDLIST

Fair point, and will work on it for future AFDs. I note that your request probably should have been on my talk and not on the AFD itself. - UtherSRG (talk) 16:50, 20 September 2023 (UTC)

Here's my latest... - UtherSRG (talk) 17:47, 20 September 2023 (UTC)
Much appreciated. That's always been what irritated me about it, it's pretty easy to use words instead. Thanks. Beeblebrox (talk) 17:53, 20 September 2023 (UTC)
I'm right there with you. That's always been one of my peeves about Wikipedia too (and computers in general). It's like learning a different language. Reminds me of being on the Slope. "Drop this SDS off over at AIC, and go to APC and pick up some PPE to take over to KPC, and then we can all meet at the SR at KCC for lunch." Always brings to mind that quote from Good Morning Vietnam, "Excuse me, sir. Seeing as how the V.P. is such a V.I.P., shouldn't we keep the P.C. on the Q.T.? 'Cause if it leaks to the V.C. he could end up M.I.A., and then we'd all be put on K.P." --Robin Williams Zaereth (talk) 00:36, 21 September 2023 (UTC)

Request for advice on Airlines and destinations tables

Hi Beeblebrox, I saw that you started this AfD in 2018 on lists of airline destinations. I was wondering if you could provide some insight into something that has been vexing me for a long time: the Airlines and destinations tables in airport articles. I confess that I recently engaged in an edit war over this table after I tried to replace it with prose. My thinking was that the table is hard to reference and contains excessive detail. Now I'm not sure if removing the table is a good idea. Many in the WP:AIRPORTS community support them; in 2016, I started an RfC over there on these tables, and the consensus was to keep them. The main argument seemed to be that since a key feature of an airport is the flights it offers, all should be mentioned in articles. Then we had an RfC about how to cite them, which determined that "searchable" webpages like flight schedules may be used.

I am now thinking about how to cite the table in the Mehrabad Airport article. My ideas include citing:

  • The airline's booking engine or flight schedule - You have to select Mehrabad as the origin, city X as the destination, and a random departure date. Then you see if there are direct flights between Mehrabad and city X. You have to do this for each city. (This is the type of ref used in several articles, eg JFK Airport.)
  • A route map - A few airline websites have these (ex). But it doesn't say when it was last updated.
  • A flight-tracking site - FlightRadar24 has a map of routes from Mehrabad. You have to click on each destination to see which airlines fly to it. Then you have to click on the individual flight to see if it is actually running. (This is especially an issue with domestic Iranian flights, whose status is sometimes reported as "unknown" (ex).)
  • Secondary sources - These only exist for a few destinations.

I don't think any of those options are good. I'm torn because I understand the argument that I mentioned above, but I don't see how to cite the table appropriately. I would be grateful for any light you could shed on this issue. (Sorry, I know I wrote a lot.) Sunnya343 (talk) 02:44, 21 September 2023 (UTC)

My personal opinion is that we should list hub cities, and not even try to maintain complete lists of all destinations, per WP:NOTDIRECTORY, which recently survived an attempt to change it so it does not say what it says. Frankly I think the entire concept is ridiculous, nobody who is trying to decide where to fly or what airline to take is going to base that decision on a Wikipedia article, links to the airline's own websites are all that is necessary. Beeblebrox (talk) 18:03, 21 September 2023 (UTC)
Thank you for offering your perspective. I wonder if the RfC's I mentioned above are examples of WP:CONLEVEL, and I think it would be a good idea to have another discussion that involves the wider Wiki community. Do you know what would be an appropriate venue for such a discussion? Sunnya343 (talk) 22:25, 21 September 2023 (UTC)
@Sunnya343:Sorry for the late reply, been kinda busy in real life. I would say that WP:VPP would be a good location for a broader discussion. Beeblebrox (talk) 17:50, 28 September 2023 (UTC)
No worries! Thank you for the advice. Sunnya343 (talk) 02:09, 29 September 2023 (UTC)

Third-party VANISH request

FWIW, we courtesy vanished her and I blanked her talk. She remains blocked. A little sad this wound up in a forum outside renamer purview. I only saw it looking at Tamzin's request. Thanks for closing it. Best -- Deepfriedokra (talk) 10:31, 22 September 2023 (UTC)

Advice on the evidence threshold for a CheckUser request

Hello. I am contacting you because 1) you're near the top of the active CheckUsers list, and 2) I've seen you comment multiple times on a user about which I have concerns that I'm not comfortable sharing publicly. Allow me to expand:

There is a well-known Wikipedia user who I believe to have used many sockpuppets to harass myself and others. I have circumstantial evidence tying this user to multiple accounts, including similarities in edit patterns, odd patterns of interaction between SPAs and the alleged sockmaster, edit interaction analyses, testimonies of myself and other users who've experienced harassment who agree that the alleged sockmaster and SPAs act the same, and CheckUser confirmation that multiple accounts that I (and others) suspect of being run by the same sockmaster operate on the same IP range.

The problem is, I don't want to make this allegation public until I have absolute proof. I'd like to submit a CheckUser request to compare the alleged sockmaster to one or more of the suspected SPAs. I'm not sure exactly what evidence is considered the most weighty in regards to a CheckUser request, so I'm not sure which particular SPA to request a CheckUser on. Could you possibly provide some general advice, and/or recommend a venue for bringing this up more candidly off-Wiki, such as via IRC or email to you or the CheckUser team? Thank you. Philomathes2357 (talk) 05:07, 28 September 2023 (UTC)

I'm not particularly active as a CU, I don't think I've used it at all in about a year. So, I'm probably not the best person to ask. However, I do know that some CUs are regularly on IRC, which I also do not use, but if you do that might be a good way of discussing whatever this is all about off-wiki. There is also checkuser-en-wpwikipedia.org which will send ytour email to the VRT queue for checkusers so it cvan be viewed by multiple CUs. Beeblebrox (talk) 17:44, 28 September 2023 (UTC)
Thank you. Philomathes2357 (talk) 03:21, 29 September 2023 (UTC)

Remember B9 hummingbird hovering?

Thought you'd want to know that they are back, blocked as a sock, and requesting an unblock as B9Joker108 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · page moves · block user · block log). Skyerise (talk) 10:46, 1 October 2023 (UTC)

Now there's a name I honestly hoped to never encounter again, I thought they had finally realized they are just a bad fit for this editing environment. Commented there even though the appeal has already been denied. Beeblebrox (talk) 16:00, 1 October 2023 (UTC)
Same. Skyerise (talk) 16:48, 2 October 2023 (UTC)

would you look into this please?

wikipedia user Disdcospinster keeps reverting my meaningful edits. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Torah&oldid=1177858364

I suspect religious motives, ignoring NPOV. Please make him stop. Thank you 2A01:C23:6019:8A00:E19A:5A01:BC9D:CF57 (talk) 17:16, 1 October 2023 (UTC)

Your edit sumarry here is both dead wrong and shows that you are deliberately trolling. I also don't know why you would reach out to me specifically about this as I don't edit in that topic area and don't have an interest in it, so if you want to pursue this further, which I do not reccomend per WP:BOOMERANG, I suppose WP:ANI might be the place to go. Beeblebrox (talk) 17:31, 1 October 2023 (UTC)

RfC

Hi Beeblebrox, I apologize for bothering you again about the RfC on the "Airlines and destinations" tables. Some editors have raised concerns about how I formatted the RfC, even though I see no difference between its design and that of the RfC on airline destination lists that you started in 2018. I was wondering if you could share your opinion. The discussion is taking place under the October 14 comments by the editors Steelpillow and Trovatore. Sunnya343 (talk) 23:05, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

RfA change proposals

Hi,

I seem to remember you writing an essay about how to get an RfC published and set up without descending in a bunch of flames, and could do with some advice. I recently proposed two things I've been mulling over for at least five years, which are :

  1. Ban all comments to votes and make commenting akin to Arbcom cases. Rebukes can happen in the general area, in your own vote, on the talk page, just about anywhere else. It'll reduce calls of badgering and allow people to state their view with a bit less of a feel of being jumped on.
  2. Reduce the "pass" mark to 67% (a supermajority) and 'crats should consider anything about 50%. I'm sure one of the reasons people jump on opposes is that they're "worth" three times as much as supports.

I think the first one might have a chance of being accepted, though I predict a bunch of "Oppose - it's a discussion, get over it" comments that will miss the point. The second is tricker to sell to people, though I don't believe it would have made any material difference to any RfAs, it might have made a climate on some the more unpleasant ones (eg: MB) a bit nicer. Still, I have mentioned it over several years and not got extensively rebuked for it.

I don't know where to post this, where to publicise it (without accusations of canvassing at least) and how to frame it in a way that people will respond. I think one of the biggest problems we have in enacting change is people tend to oppose specific changes rather than general ideas, so nothing gets done. Ritchie333 (talk) (cont) 09:52, 26 October 2023 (UTC)

You're probably thinking of User:Beeblebrox/The perfect policy proposal, a sort of "learn from my mistakes" essay I've had for some time. I tend to agree that the second point is going to be a hard sell, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth a shot. Beeblebrox (talk) 19:29, 26 October 2023 (UTC)

just for form's sake

You are involved in a recently filed request for arbitration. Please review the request at Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case#Lourdes and, if you wish to do so, enter your statement and any other material you wish to submit to the Arbitration Committee. As threaded discussion is not permitted on most arbitration pages, please ensure that you make all comments in your own section only. Additionally, the guide to arbitration and the Arbitration Committee's procedures may be of use.

Thanks, Beeblebrox (talk) 20:34, 1 November 2023 (UTC)

We move on but stay vigilant

I would have to say things will move on from here but I believe the community should stay vigilant in the future since I wouldn't put it past Lourdes to try sneaking back sometime considering she already did it once. Considering the level of effort she put into creating the Lourdes persona, it's clear that she has the means and patience to evade site bans and indefinite blocks. It's alarming that we never once detected it in the nearly 9 years that she was here. Noah, AATalk 22:10, 2 November 2023 (UTC)

I would not be the least bit surprised if they already had a sleeper on deck.
I'd love to gloat a little here and act like I knew all along, but the truth is I also took them at face value and never suspected the truth. I just thought they had a poor temperment for an admin and couldn't seem to see it.
I suppose claiming to be a somewhat notable person, then turning around and asking for all evidence of that claim to be supressed was a fairly clever way to gain sympathy and perhaps credibility. You wouldn't believe the lengths they went to in private communication with me and arbcom, claiming to have been abused in the past and that things I'd done and said were re-traumatizing them (I have no idea, and they probably don't either, if that person has actually been the victim of abuse), claiming the press would go crazy if they "found out" this notable person was a WP editor, (obviously what they would have found out was that this was completely false) and eventually, claiming that I was mentally ill and should be forced into counseling by the committee. Seriously. All to hide the fact that they were not that person at all and shouldn't be here at all.
I believe I am simply going to take the rest of the day off from all WP-related things and drink some wine with my wife, who is an actual real woman and not some dude in India scamming people. Beeblebrox (talk) 22:35, 2 November 2023 (UTC)
Alright, have a good one. To be honest, I believe we all could use a stiff drink after the last 24 hours. Noah, AATalk 22:38, 2 November 2023 (UTC)

Notice

Hello Beeblebrox, the arbitration case request in which you were named as a party has been declined. For the Arbitration Committee, –MJL ‐Talk‐☖ 22:43, 2 November 2023 (UTC)

A bottle of amarone for you

Amarone
 Bottle of amarone
Have you ever had an amarone? If not, I recommend one. Thank you for putting in motion one of the weirdest series of events I've seen here. Jip Orlando (talk) 14:57, 3 November 2023 (UTC)

May your chalice never run empty!

May your chalice never run empty!
What started as a simple run-of-the-mill admin conduct case revealed something much worse. It's not very often that we get to see an actual witch burn, given how many false witch-hunts take place. Whether or not the case was the final blow dealt that resulted in her demise, we will never know for sure, but it certainly revealed the witch's true form as she shed her facade. Take pride in knowing that her house of deception has come crashing down upon her and that she was purged from this plane by the holy light of truth. Rejoice in knowing that you have made Wikipedia a better place through your actions. I figured you deserve this WikiLove given everything you have endured over the years as a result of her. Good luck with the future and I hope more pleasant days await. May your chalice never run empty! Noah, AATalk 15:37, 3 November 2023 (UTC)
I like witches, so I find the wording just above to be somewhat insensitive, but anyway thanks for your work on the committee, and may the powdery mildew always bypass your garden. Folly Mox (talk) 13:31, 15 November 2023 (UTC)

Administrators' newsletter – November 2023

News and updates for administrators from the past month (October 2023).

Administrator changes

added 0xDeadbeef
readded Tamzin
removed Dennis Brown

Interface administrator changes

added Pppery
removed

Guideline and policy news

Technical news

Arbitration

  • Eligible editors are invited to self-nominate themselves from 12 November 2023 until 21 November 2023 to stand in the 2023 Arbitration Committee elections.
  • Xaosflux, RoySmith and Cyberpower678 have been appointed to the Electoral Commission for the 2023 Arbitration Committee Elections. BusterD is the reserve commissioner.
  • Following a motion, the contentious topic designation of Prem Rawat has been struck. Actions previously taken using this contentious topic designation are still in force.
  • Following several motions, multiple topic areas are no longer designated as a contentious topic. These contentious topic designations were from the Editor conduct in e-cigs articles, Liancourt Rocks, Longevity, Medicine, September 11 conspiracy theories, and Shakespeare authorship question cases.
  • Following a motion, remedies 3.1 (All related articles under 1RR whenever the dispute over naming is concerned), 6 (Stalemate resolution) and 30 (Administrative supervision) of the Macedonia 2 case have been rescinded.
  • Following a motion, remedy 6 (One-revert rule) of the The Troubles case has been amended.
  • An arbitration case named Industrial agriculture has been opened. Evidence submissions in this case close 8 November.

Miscellaneous

Sent by MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 17:22, 7 November 2023 (UTC)

Cheers to the wiki news of the year

Well i guess the 2020s get crazier by day. To be honest I didn't know that it went down. Also something to note he probably already started a account beforehand to keep doing it after he unmasked so I guess it's just going to continue But let's cheer for the sake he did un mask himself let's have a cheers to lourdgate scandal •Cyberwolf• 23:29, 9 November 2023 (UTC)

notice of intent

Thanks everyone for your messages about the recent ridiculousness.

I made this decision before all of this went down, but with WP:ACE2023 starting tomorrow, I'd like to publicly state that it is not my intent to run again. I feel generally positive about my time on the committee, and I'd like to keep it that way. I also find I increasingly just do not have the time to keep up with all the committee business, and we need and deserve arbitrators that are able to remain engaged with the work they are elected to do.

And we need new blood on the committee, always. If anyone has been thinking of running, I encourage you to consider it, but also read User:Risker/Thoughts for Arbitration Committee Candidates, even if you just read the section titles, you'll have gotten some great advice. Beeblebrox (talk) 01:00, 10 November 2023 (UTC)

Thank you for serving this community on the committee, Beeble. --ARoseWolf 13:43, 15 November 2023 (UTC)

ArbCom 2023 Elections voter message

Hello! Voting in the 2023 Arbitration Committee elections is now open until 23:59 (UTC) on Monday, 11 December 2023. All eligible users are allowed to vote. Users with alternate accounts may only vote once.

The Arbitration Committee is the panel of editors responsible for conducting the Wikipedia arbitration process. It has the authority to impose binding solutions to disputes between editors, primarily for serious conduct disputes the community has been unable to resolve. This includes the authority to impose site bans, topic bans, editing restrictions, and other measures needed to maintain our editing environment. The arbitration policy describes the Committee's roles and responsibilities in greater detail.

If you wish to participate in the 2023 election, please review the candidates and submit your choices on the voting page. If you no longer wish to receive these messages, you may add {{NoACEMM}} to your user talk page. MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 00:27, 28 November 2023 (UTC)

First!

I would have gone with 'Dirk Cjelli' myself... Only in death does duty end (talk) 10:00, 28 November 2023 (UTC)

It's (mostly) my favorite song by The Fall (band). I actually attempted the same rename shortly after Mark E. Smith died, but at the time it was not possible for users with over 50,000 edits or something like that. Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 17:33, 28 November 2023 (UTC)
I gotta say, this is going to take some getting used to. It reminds me of something my friend once said back in high school, "What's the perfect thing to write on the front of a van that's coming right for you? Dodge." but just step sideways works just as well. (Unlike the movies, where "run right down the middle of the road" is always the reaction.) I get it though. I picked my name as sort of an anglicized version of one of my favorite bands, because at the time I was listening to Hair of the Dog, and a google search back then revealed no other Zaereths on the entire internet. Zaereth (talk) 18:39, 28 November 2023 (UTC)
I actually considered going ahead and doing a clean start, but those almost never work for an experienced user, and I'd have to stay away from Alaska-reated content to avoid blowing it, so that's prettly much a dealbreaker for me. Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 19:48, 29 November 2023 (UTC)
If you don't mind me asking, why did you change your username? QuicoleJR (talk) 20:12, 29 November 2023 (UTC)
Back in 2007 when I started my account, people still did dumb things like name their accounts after their pets, use their home address as a password, and other stuff that people running scams just love. So, I had a cat named Zaphod Beeblebrox. I believe the name of my other cat at the time was my first WP password. So basically I've been named after a cat this whole time, it's just that the cat in question was named after the fictional charachter. I'd kind of been wanting to change it for a while, but as I mentioned above, it didn't use to be possible to change the name of an account with a certain amount of edits. When I bacame aware that this had been fixed, I was on the Arbitration Committee and it didn't seem appropriate to change my name while filling that role, but that problem just solved itself. Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 22:11, 29 November 2023 (UTC)
Isn't it Just Step S'ways... but that would prob confuse the average Wikipedian  :) great number, personally prefer Jawbone. But it's as good as Iceland, and nearly as good as the v. naughty Classical. Hup! Aah! ——Serial 17:29, 2 December 2023 (UTC)

☹️

I liked your old name better ☹️ 92.40.201.98 (talk) 12:08, 28 November 2023 (UTC)

See above. It does feel kind of weird, but it's growing on me. Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 22:13, 29 November 2023 (UTC)

Cheers

Hey Beeb JSS, I don't understand what just happened, whether you did something wrong or not, whether this sanction was an overreaction or not, etc. But I didn't want to recloak and just let it go by without saying that I always thought - and continue to think - you were one of the better Arbs we've had. Sometimes we strongly agreed, and sometimes we strongly disagreed, but I never doubted your clear thinking, good faith, and interest in the best for WP. Doesn't really affect me much any more, but I hope for the sake of my friends who are still active that you stick around, Arb/CU/OS or not. Cheers. Floquenbeam (talk) 18:24, 28 November 2023 (UTC)

I've been looking for a way to say pretty much what Floq says all day. I don't agree with you on everything and I don't love the company you keep on WPO but I've always respected you and never doubted that you do what you do because you think it's best for Wikipedia. Hopefully we'll get a chance to meet in person again sometime. HJ Mitchell | Penny for your thoughts? 18:37, 28 November 2023 (UTC)
Thanks to both of you. I think something people get wrong about WPO is thinking everynoe there is there for the same reasons, and those reasons are always nefarious. I mean, right now, the mods over there are perfectly aware of what I said over there, as they did me the courtesy of removing it when other arbs were upset by it, and they have kept it that way. It seems almost nobody outside of the committee has any idea what even happened here, thanks to the mods at WPO.
There are for sure some truly stupiud conversations that go on over there, and there are people whose comments I generally don't even bother to read because they never have anything important to say, but I could say exactly the same thing about WP itself. Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 20:01, 29 November 2023 (UTC)
I think what stops me from going over there is that most of the legitimate criticisms made there (and there are some) could be made on Wikipedia, but the people making them don't have the standing to do so, usually because they're banned. It's a lot easier to snipe from the sidelines than it is to try to do something about the problem, and it's a lot easier to say "Wikipedia is corrupt and broken and doomed to fail" than it is to look at one's own behaviour, so it becomes a support group for sour grapes rather than a source of enlightenment. But each to their own. HJ Mitchell | Penny for your thoughts? 20:21, 29 November 2023 (UTC)

I don't know what happened & Arbcom ain't gonna tell me. But, wish you hadn't changed your name ;) GoodDay (talk) 18:05, 30 November 2023 (UTC)

Hey. Take care. I think of you fondly. Drmies (talk) 04:14, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

Ah good, people more eloquent than I have already posted :-) And I see there was something I didn't see. All the same, it's a damned shame you have now joined the ranks of those shafted by Arbcom. I would much rather have been able to vote for you this time around; you might have been my only yes vote. HJ Mitchell, there are now relatively few banned users on Wikipediocracy, and as Beebs Just Step Sideways says, the moderators are decent sorts; I almost signed up myself a month or two ago, and I am far from a Wikipedia critic. Yngvadottir (talk) 10:33, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

You're right, it's probably a biased perception that it's mostly populated by banned editors. Nonetheless, an awful lot of sniping and axe-grinding goes on (at least in the public forum). Such that it's difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. I respect people like Beebs who try to explain some of our more opaque processes, I just don't think most (or at least the most vocal) participants there are interested. HJ Mitchell | Penny for your thoughts? 11:00, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

For what it's worth, I think you're one of the best arbitrators I've seen during my time here and read of in any archives. Your morals were sound and you had the courage to take the right course of action, even if it's transiently unpopular. All the best. ProcrastinatingReader (talk) 10:49, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

Comment?

You have, of course, written quite extensively on the whole issue -- but if you want to add anything to what's at Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Next issue/News and notes, let me know, and I can quote you. jp×g🗯️ 06:01, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

As you say I've written quite a bit already. I think there's plenty to quote, probab ly way too much, already, but thanks for the consideration. Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 02:49, 2 December 2023 (UTC)

To add a little Color and maybe some sunlight to your talk page considering the recent unpleasantness.

Have you visited Hidden Lake (Alaska) again? --ARoseWolf 20:53, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

Thank you for the article, again. It's still one of my favorite to pop in and view from time to time. --ARoseWolf 20:54, 1 December 2023 (UTC)
We made it out to that general area just once this year, but decided to camp at a lake we had been avoiding since the fire in 2019. Watching nature try to start over has a certain beauty all its own even if it is rather sad to stand somewhere where there used to be a forest and now its just gone. Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 02:48, 2 December 2023 (UTC)
Others may disagree but I find it very beautiful standing where nature begins its processes anew after a fire. There is just something about the the chaos and discord of the results of a fire, I think of it as a well loved song played on an out-tune piano or other instrument. As a matter of fact that's almost the music I hear. But then to sit amongst nature, to exist in this place where so much chaos reigned and see nature rebuilding itself is so very exhilarating. Thank you for sharing that experience with me. --ARoseWolf 18:09, 4 December 2023 (UTC)

Curious...

What's with the username change? :-) ~Oshwah~(talk) (contribs) 04:45, 2 December 2023 (UTC)

Yes, even though neither of us is George. Enquiring minds want to know. CambridgeBayWeather (solidly non-human), Uqaqtuq (talk), Huliva 14:07, 2 December 2023 (UTC)

See the section entitled "first" up above. Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 16:48, 2 December 2023 (UTC)
That's confusing! First is ninth. CambridgeBayWeather (solidly non-human), Uqaqtuq (talk), Huliva 03:55, 3 December 2023 (UTC)

Update your signature

Could you update the links in your signature to point directly to the new username instead of the redirect from the old username? Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today would become Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today. GeoffreyT2000 (talk) 15:34, 3 December 2023 (UTC)

I actually created the sig just before putting the rename request, and I guess I forgot to go back and update it. Hmm. thought I got it but the link to the talk page isn't working. Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 18:01, 3 December 2023 (UTC)
The user talk link should work on any page except for this one. A wikilink to the same page as being posted on is automatically unlinked and bolded, I think :) –Novem Linguae (talk) 21:00, 3 December 2023 (UTC)
Having the default signature means that the link works on your own talk page (see mine). If that isn't your cup of tea, you can change it to User talk:Just Step Sideways#top as a hack . Sdrqaz (talk) 00:03, 4 December 2023 (UTC)

Taking a break

if you're looking for me, I'm probably here fiddling with plants and hydro systems

It was always my intention to take a prolonged break after my term was up, it's just up a few weeks sooner than expected. I may still upload photos on Commons and add them to article over here, but I will otherwise not be around on-wiki for a while. Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 20:50, 6 December 2023 (UTC)

Look after yourself. For what it's worth when you come back, I always find article writing much more fulfilling than the internal politics. HJ Mitchell | Penny for your thoughts? 20:58, 6 December 2023 (UTC)
While I was on the committee I paused a long-term project I had to make every entry at Alaska State Parks a blue link. I'll probably take that back up. You can have the internal politics for a while. Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 21:01, 6 December 2023 (UTC)
I've had the same goal for a while. Let me know if you would like to do that when you get back. Maybe we can split the entries and collaborate together to make them all blue. --ARoseWolf 12:09, 20 December 2023 (UTC)
I always liked the Beeblebrox username. I pictured a scowling beetle browed person, quite ready to handle disagreeable whipper-snappers. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beetle-browed#:~:text=adjective,a%20beetle%2Dbrowed%20old%20man Wishing you all the best in your new mode. Edison (talk) 00:00, 8 January 2024 (UTC)

Administrators' newsletter – December 2023

News and updates for administrators from the past month (November 2023).

Guideline and policy news

Arbitration

  • Following a motion, the Extended Confirmed Restriction has been amended, removing the allowance for non-extended-confirmed editors to post constructive comments on the "Talk:" namespace. Now, non-extended-confirmed editors may use the "Talk:" namespace solely to make edit requests related to articles within the topic area, provided that their actions are not disruptive.
  • The Arbitration Committee has announced a call for Checkusers and Oversighters, stating that it will currently be accepting applications for CheckUser and/or Oversight permissions at any point in the year.
  • Eligible users are invited to vote on candidates for the Arbitration Committee until 23:59 December 11, 2023 (UTC). Candidate statements can be seen here.
Sent by MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 15:54, 8 December 2023 (UTC)

Merry Christmas!

Hi JSS (do you mind if I just call you JSS?). It's always nice to have another Alaskan to talk with once in a while, and it's nice to see all the great work you've done on articles of local interest. Glad to see you're still around after all these years. I wanted to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas, and may the coming New Year be all you hope for. Zaereth (talk) 22:14, 19 December 2023 (UTC)

Wifione

Hi. I remember my extensive interaction with this disgusting creature years ago - the ArbCom and a long time before that. Now I just noticed in the Admin newsletter removedLourdes. Also a name I remember. I searched for any interaction between us. There was something years ago, and I'd say I was suspicious. But then I left this place. I'd say they are lucky that I left .. but I know that a new name is looking at this thread now, smiling, making new "friends" on Wikipedia. Internet gives people a chance to show their worst. Some just take the chance. This Wifione/Lourdes creature think they show us how clever they are and don't realize that they actually show us they are utter scum. I almost feel sorry for them - so many years lost in creating false meaningless online reputation ... poor life. They may be smiling but it's them who actually loose. Sorry for my bad English. Best of luck in real life :) Vejvančický (talk / contribs) 15:54, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

Editor experience invitation

Hi Just Step Sideways. I'm looking for people to interview here. Feel free to pass if you're not interested. Clovermoss🍀 (talk) 13:28, 30 December 2023 (UTC)

Administrators' newsletter – January 2024

News and updates for administrators from the past month (December 2023).

Arbitration

Miscellaneous

Sent by MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 11:54, 1 January 2024 (UTC)

Pokemon section of Malasada article

Hey, can we add the "In media" section back to the Malassada article? Thanks. Polishedrelish (talk) 05:14, 19 January 2024 (UTC)

Administrators' newsletter – February 2024

News and updates for administrators from the past month (January 2024).

CheckUser changes

removed Wugapodes

Interface administrator changes

removed

Guideline and policy news

  • An RfC about increasing the inactivity requirement for Interface administrators is open for feedback.

Technical news

  • Pages that use the JSON contentmodel will now use tabs instead of spaces for auto-indentation. This will significantly reduce the page size. (T326065)

Arbitration

  • Following a motion, the Arbitration Committee adopted a new enforcement restriction on January 4, 2024, wherein the Committee may apply the 'Reliable source consensus-required restriction' to specified topic areas.
  • Community feedback is requested for a draft to replace the "Information for administrators processing requests" section at WP:AE.

Miscellaneous

Sent by MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 18:02, 1 February 2024 (UTC)

Administrators' newsletter – March 2024

News and updates for administrators from the past month (February 2024).

Guideline and policy news

Technical news

  • The mobile site history pages now use the same HTML as the desktop history pages. (T353388)

Miscellaneous

Sent by MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 12:22, 1 March 2024 (UTC)

Check

[1] Is your autocorrect acting up, Just Step Sideways? No sarcasm here. starship.paint (RUN) 13:25, 7 March 2024 (UTC)

Honestly, it has seemed to me for a long time that my autocorrect doesn't play well with WP. If I'm writing an email it highlights the typos, if I'm writing a WP comment, it does not, and I make a lot of typos. Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 18:06, 7 March 2024 (UTC)
I see, well as long as it's business as usual on the human end, then that's all right. Hope it gets better on the technology end! starship.paint (RUN) 15:08, 8 March 2024 (UTC)

Name change

Hi Just Step Sideways, How come you changed your name? You used to be Beeblebrox!! scope_creepTalk 20:21, 7 March 2024 (UTC)

Administrators' newsletter – April 2024

News and updates for administrators from the past month (March 2024).

Administrator changes

removed

Guideline and policy news

Technical news

  • The Toolforge Grid Engine services have been shut down after the final migration process from Grid Engine to Kubernetes. (T313405)

Arbitration

Miscellaneous

  • Editors are invited to sign up for The Core Contest, an initiative running from April 15 to May 31, which aims to improve vital and other core articles on Wikipedia.
Sent by MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 16:48, 1 April 2024 (UTC)

Mostly just an opportunity to say "hi"

But, <pedantic> "project space" refers to WP space, not article space. </pedantic> --Floquenbeam (talk) 16:39, 23 April 2024 (UTC)

Yeah, I realized after I made the block that I'd screwed the wording up, but I didn't care enought to redo the whole thing. Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 16:48, 23 April 2024 (UTC)
I make enough errors in my edits to be annoying, but nothing grates on me more than doing it in a log entry or an edit summary and knowing I can't fix it without initiating a Streisand effect. Luckily I was here to helpfully point it out even when you didn't try to fix it.
I misunderstood that thread, I thought your block from article space, while leaving project space available, was because you thought they might just be new. Didn't want to reblock at first because I thought it would be stepping on your toes. Floquenbeam (talk) 16:57, 23 April 2024 (UTC)
I think they probably are actually a new user, but not one that was here in good faith. I didn't want to elaborate on exactly what made me sure about it as that would just be giving them advice on how to troll. I guess I basically gave them a chance to prove me wrong, and they did not. Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 17:20, 23 April 2024 (UTC)
Well, I was wrong about that, now CU confirmed as a sock. Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 18:58, 25 April 2024 (UTC)

WT:U

Hi Just Step Sideways. I see that you semi-protected WT:U back in November 2023‎. That's a long time for a Talk page. Is there any chance you can change the protection to pending changes? --62.166.252.25 (talk) 17:53, 1 May 2024 (UTC)

The thing is, the protection log [2] shows that the page was previously protected nine times for short periods, and every time it was unprotected, disruption started almost immediately. It's actually a bit of a head scratcher to me how so many new accounts find their way to that specific page and make posts that have no relevance to the username policy. I guess it's worth a try but if there end up being constant pending garbage edits I expect that I or another admin would put it back to semiprotection. Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 18:05, 1 May 2024 (UTC)
Ok, I've noticed two things: the current protection is set to expire in a week, and it is actually not technically possible to apply PC on a talk page. I probably should've known that.... Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 18:10, 1 May 2024 (UTC)
Okay... Well, maybe you can - and are willing to - answer my question here then. Is there a procedure in place to allow users to obtain their usernames with(out) spaces? For example User:Axel Boldt redirects to User:AxelBoldt; how can one obtain such a redirect. One reason for a redirect is to prevent impersonation, as happened with e.g. User:Broken Segue. A workaround might be to register with(out) spaces, and then get a username change, to force the creation of a redirect. --62.166.252.25 (talk) 18:16, 1 May 2024 (UTC)
I'm pretty sure the procedure would be simply creating the redirect. Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 18:22, 1 May 2024 (UTC)
And creating the redirect will automatically prevent that user registration? For example, if you redirect User:JustStepSideways, then I cannot register as user "JustStepSideways"? --62.166.252.25 (talk) 18:25, 1 May 2024 (UTC)
I don't think it would prevent the account being registered, but we routinely block accounts that are that similar to the name of an active user anyway. Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 18:45, 1 May 2024 (UTC)

Administrators' newsletter – May 2024

News and updates for administrators from the past month (April 2024).

Administrator changes

readded Nyttend
removed

Bureaucrat changes

removed Nihonjoe

CheckUser changes

readded Joe Roe

Oversight changes

removed GeneralNotability

Guideline and policy news

Technical news

  • Partial action blocks are now in effect on the English Wikipedia. This means that administrators have the ability to restrict users from certain actions, including uploading files, moving pages and files, creating new pages, and sending thanks. T280531

Arbitration

Miscellaneous

Sent by MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 17:25, 2 May 2024 (UTC)

Reminder to vote now to select members of the first U4C

You can find this message translated into additional languages on Meta-wiki. Please help translate to other languages.

Dear Wikimedian,

You are receiving this message because you previously participated in the UCoC process.

This is a reminder that the voting period for the Universal Code of Conduct Coordinating Committee (U4C) ends on May 9, 2024. Read the information on the voting page on Meta-wiki to learn more about voting and voter eligibility.

The Universal Code of Conduct Coordinating Committee (U4C) is a global group dedicated to providing an equitable and consistent implementation of the UCoC. Community members were invited to submit their applications for the U4C. For more information and the responsibilities of the U4C, please review the U4C Charter.

Please share this message with members of your community so they can participate as well.

On behalf of the UCoC project team,

RamzyM (WMF) 23:09, 2 May 2024 (UTC)

Hey...

...old friend. I'll get used to the name. Good to see you. I'm about to head out and get a beer; you should come. Drmies (talk) 21:58, 3 May 2024 (UTC)

Hey back at you. It's been a weird adjustment for me as well, but I'm digging it now. I believe I have a couple of cans of "Quilter's Irish Death" in the fridge, it's like 9%ABV and dark as the night, and I don't have anywhere to be this afternoon, so consider it done. Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 22:20, 3 May 2024 (UTC)

Not sure the whole thing should be closed simply because it's being discussed at DYK

I have no objection to closing the 24-hour block issue, but discussion at DYK can't really result in a...well, result. There is an actual problem. Valereee (talk) 22:10, 14 May 2024 (UTC)

The main discussion had actually stalled out pretty much the moment the block subthread was opened, I just left a pointer there in case people still wanted to discuss the underlying issue. Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 22:18, 14 May 2024 (UTC)
For what it's worth I agree with you about the utility of 24-hour blocks. That's actually a big part of why I closed the discussion. Short, timed blocks are usually issued shortly after the incident that justifies them, to stop ongoing disruption. As a 24-hour block was the only sanction being actively discussed, and nobody had issued it after two days, it just seemed pointless to leave it open. Just Step Sideways from this world ..... today 00:02, 15 May 2024 (UTC)
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