User talk:SpacemanSpiff

Jallikattu

Hi Spiff, could you please watchlist Jallikattu? I've floated an invitation to the noticeboard for India-related topics to get more eyes as well, but I haven't heard anything yet. Jallikattu, a bull-riding/wrestling/taming event was banned by India's supreme court as cruelty to bulls, and the court recently upheld the ban, so there have been numerous recent protests in Tamil Nadu related to this. PETA was involved in the ban as well. (Forgive me if you know all of this.)

I don't really recall how I wound up there, but in the last few days there have been numerous attempts to change the description of the sport from bull-taming and bullfighting to "bullembracing".[1][2] or "bull baiting"[3] Twitter has seen some uptick in "bullembrace".[4]. In my estimation, this looks like POV editing, specifically by shifting the "taming" or "fighting" terminology to something far softer and innocuous. To be fair, from what I've learned, the ancient term for the practice does translate to "bull embracing", but the modern term "Jallikattu" apparently means "coin package". Anyhow, I've semi-protected the article for a week, but wouldn't mind another eye or two there to help with talk page responses and such. This isn't a huge catastrophe, I'm just swamped. Also, the guy you recently blocked, Social Informer, had some intersection at Jallikattu, and he's created an article about one of the protest groups. That raises my suspicions that this might be coordinated disruption, with SPAs posting requests on the talk page. Thanks, Cyphoidbomb (talk) 19:23, 18 January 2017 (UTC)

Social INformer is just here to spam himself and the political outfits he starts. I'll keep an eye on the article. AntanO has edited the ta.wiki article in the past few days, so he may be able to help here editorially. cheers. —SpacemanSpiff 01:50, 19 January 2017 (UTC)

It's on my watchlist and do my best. --AntanO 02:41, 19 January 2017 (UTC)

Great, thanks to you both. Cyphoidbomb (talk) 05:25, 19 January 2017 (UTC)

Cyphoidbomb, your old friend Barney83Stinson is back as FloydLawton and there are at least a couple more that I've seen. I'm comfortable wiht a duck block for this, do you want to file this under the spi for Ponyo to check for the rest? Obviously, can't be CU linked to the old farm, only behaviorally. cheers. —SpacemanSpiff 06:40, 19 January 2017 (UTC)

(talk page watcher) I am familiar with Barney83Stinson. They usually edit articles about upcoming Indian actors/producers. My impression is that all of these socks are somehow connected to an agency called "Whacked Out Media". From the looks of it FloydLawton, MG0167 and Naansayee are definitely socks/meats. Considering the possibility of sleepers, I think it would be worth it doing a checkuser. --Lemongirl942 (talk) 08:39, 19 January 2017 (UTC)

Yes, it's related to WOM but I can't find the relevant WOM articles, the one currently deleted is only linked to Barney but I clearly remember more WOM nonsense that I had to block and protect around. —SpacemanSpiff 09:39, 19 January 2017 (UTC)

Here we go. I think the barney SPI should be merged with Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Tha D.f4c3r based on behavior and the new ones blocked linking to this too. —SpacemanSpiff 09:44, 19 January 2017 (UTC)

Would anyone mind getting the balls rolling here? My day has been busy IRL and I fear this'll slip off the radar. :/ Cyphoidbomb (talk) 16:23, 19 January 2017 (UTC)

Lemongirl942, could you file the SPI please? I think you knw the other accounts involved. I've blocked Floyd per WP:DUCK so there's something new to compare the new accounts to. cheers. —SpacemanSpiff 03:46, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

OK, I will file an SPI later today. If possible, I will try to locate more of their socks. Otherwise, the 3 accounts I mentioned are good enough for a sleeper check. --Lemongirl942 (talk) 04:32, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

Jeeshan patel

I think you are familiar with Jeeshan patel (talk · contribs), who was socking while I was not very active. The 11th edit of this new account seems to be returning to the promotion of connections to the Reddy community, this time at Kapu (caste). I think past targets were that article, Kamma, Velama etc. The Kapu article is under semi-protection, so hitting it on the 11th edit seems fortuitous. Could it be the same person? - Sitush (talk) 17:46, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

Could you file an SPI? THere's at least one more account in that article's recent history that may be linked. Also with just this one duck edit and all other edits just to get autoconfirmed status I'd like to wait without an SPI connection, an SPI should also weed out more of the socks, he usually has 3-4 as you know. —SpacemanSpiff 07:44, 21 January 2017 (UTC)

Will do if they return. Meanwhile, this is becoming tiresome. I did open a discussion on the article talk page, and I have previously issued the sanctions alert. - Sitush (talk) 09:39, 22 January 2017 (UTC)

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh

Why exactly did you revert? Within 30 seconds? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.182.129.86 (talk) 12:00, 22 January 2017 (UTC)

vested sold out editor

Needless to say you are a vested stooge of your political masters. Clearly I gave the proof of the link where Atal Bihari Vajpayee categorically denied on Aap ki Adalat that he ever called Indira Gandhi Durga. I don't know which all masters of yours you want to keep happy by providing unverified and wrong information by pining wrong info on other tall leaders. And don't try and threaten me ever again or write despicable messages to me. This is my country and I am given full rights of freedom of speech and expression under Article 19 of the Constitution of India. You think you can delete my privileges. I snatch that undeserving power bestowed upon you and am deleting my account. I don't want to be a part of free information movement where people involved have lost their objectivity and integrity. I don't have and never will. Cheerios! — Preceding unsigned comment added by HimachalPradesh (talk • contribs) 14:46, 22 January 2017 (UTC)

delete my account

Sadly there is no way to delete an account on Wikipedia. Use your undeserving power and go ahead and delete my account. I wouldn't want to touch Wikipedia ever again even with a pair of tongs. — Preceding unsigned comment added by HimachalPradesh (talk • contribs) 14:50, 22 January 2017 (UTC)

Obviously that's not going to happen, but I've indefinitely blocked this editor with an explanation that if they state that they will edit constructively and refrain from personal attacks I'll support any Admin wishing to unblock them. Doug Weller talk 15:10, 22 January 2017 (UTC)

I doubt that's ever going to happen, been treating this as a blog since they joined, I should have blocked a long time back for the nonsense in article space, but I was too kind I guess. —SpacemanSpiff 07:26, 23 January 2017 (UTC)

User Nishant k. pandey coi?

I just ran across these [5] edits to Ramdev that significantly change the pov, remove sources, and adds a source that verifies little or nothing. It looks like WP:REFSPAM of some sort, but it's not clear. When I saw that the last comment on Nishant k. pandey (talk · contribs)'s talk page was a coi-notice from you, I thought it might be a good idea to look into it a bit more. Looking over the edits prior to your notice, I assume it has to do with your speedy deletion of Satya bhanja. Anything you can tell me that you think might be relevant to the edits to Ramdev? --Ronz (talk) 17:23, 25 January 2017 (UTC)

Ronz, I believe I'd given the COI notice for editing related to Ramdev (see this version of the Trust's article, not the Satya Bhanja article which was a misguided one line stub about a non-notable IT professional (although it might have caused me to look at the other edits). As for the new edits from last week, Ramdev is generally known as a Yogo guru and he is definitely a businessman (Patanjali Ayurved), so while the referencing issues are troublesome, I can't fault this specific content change. Even if this goes to COIN, I don't see any particular action coming out of it at this point. cheers. —SpacemanSpiff 02:12, 26 January 2017 (UTC)

Glad I asked. As far as I understand it, "guru" is not to be used without context as it is often derogatory. Likewise, I'm having a hard time seeing anything appropriate in the removal of sources, the removal of his political activities, the emphasis on a person mentioned once in the article, and the addition of a source that apparently supports none of this. --Ronz (talk) 15:33, 26 January 2017 (UTC)

I don't think the use of guru is derogatory in this context, while I agree that removing the source is problematic, I don't think he's particularly well known for his "work in politics", but that's something that someone like Vanamonde93 or Kautilya3 who edit in this space can address better. Even if removing the "known for work in politics" is problematic, I don't think it's straightforward enough for any admin action at this point. cheers. —SpacemanSpiff 03:13, 27 January 2017 (UTC)

I took a look at this editor's contributions. I concur with Spiff that their editing circa March 2015 was problematic, in a COI sense. The recent edits? Meh. Yes, "work in politics" is puffery, but they've been warned about sourcing, and I think that's enough. I'm much more bothered by the state of that page in general: for instance, any material critical of him should not be segregated into a separate section, and should be summarized in the lede, where it currently isn't. Vanamonde (talk) 03:55, 27 January 2017 (UTC)

I have put it on my watch list too. But I am afraid I don't know a whole lot of the subject. -- Kautilya3 (talk) 08:52, 27 January 2017 (UTC)

I'm not asking for any admin action, just trying to figure out what's going on. Looks like a pr campaign of some sort for Balkrishna . The related articles are a mess. --Ronz (talk) 16:47, 27 January 2017 (UTC)

That page is plain awful with all the spamming. The article is covered by WP:ARBIPA, so please provide an {{alert}} to any editors that may need it. If that's done then handling problematic behavior becomes breezy. —SpacemanSpiff 01:50, 28 January 2017 (UTC)

I've posted article talk page alerts on both Balkrishna and Patanjali. cheers. —SpacemanSpiff 03:44, 28 January 2017 (UTC)

Thanks! I'm just waiting for some communication from one or more of the SPAs at this point. --Ronz (talk) 15:29, 28 January 2017 (UTC)

I figured...

that Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/AbhijitSonavane and Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Theactingeeker were related. May be worth requesting a clerk to merge (if the case is not merged after archiving). --JustBerry (talk) 14:16, 26 January 2017 (UTC)

I don't think they are the same, they are more likely two different groups that happened to interact with each other to help each other out as evidenced by the latest sock; both are political promo farms and it's likely that they figured out the email this user feature. —SpacemanSpiff 03:14, 27 January 2017 (UTC)

Wanting to know why page pyaari yaari was deleted.

I learnt that the page pyaari Yaari was deleted. It was created by my team, the page is about a webseries on YouTube which is legitimate. I would suggest you to contact us on parulekar.amey@gmail.com or shivendu_menon@yahoo.com so we may clarify the possible dought of the legitimacy of the content of the page. Please restore the page. Shivendu menon (talk) 20:28, 28 January 2017 (UTC)

Shivendu menon, Wikipedia is not for advertising your show. THat is why the page was deleted, Also, please read WP:MEAT, use of multiple accounts to further the same purpose is a violation of our policy, even if different people are behind the accounts. —SpacemanSpiff 03:53, 29 January 2017 (UTC)

Dealing with the various permutations of user Worldciv 2017

As you are aware there seems to be a series of new contributors using the general name Worldciv 2017 (with topic suffixes) "contributing" to a range of Indian history related articles. As they seem to be different students doing a history course, their contributions are many and varied. Some are just cutting and pasting material from the internet or from published books without any concern for copyright. Others are making their own written contributions, but have very poor levels of English or have decided that Wikipedia readers will be interested in a massive amount of irrelevant detail.

Is there anything you can do about all of this??

Thanks--Chewings72 (talk) 23:34, 28 January 2017 (UTC)

Chewings72, see User talk:Worldciv207 satavahanas. Utcursch and I have tried to alert them and to ask the instructor to get involved but it doesn't seem to have helped yet. If the behavior continues like this without any engagement from their side then I'm afraid blocks may be needed. Alternately, try checking with one of the education program folks to see if they can help, the last time I tried that I didn't have any luck. There may be other accounts that Utcursch or I haven't found yet, copyvios, plagiarism and OR/NPOV seem to be the standard problems here. —SpacemanSpiff 04:03, 29 January 2017 (UTC)

Thank you. I will keep on eye on any further inputs from these individual(s)and try to encourage them (nicely) to cease and desist.--Chewings72 (talk) 04:15, 29 January 2017 (UTC)

ANI time I think. They are making a mess, maybe someone can help. 07:22, 29 January 2017 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Doug Weller (talk • contribs)

I agree, this is becoming unmanageable now. The instructor is nowhere to be found either. —SpacemanSpiff 10:31, 29 January 2017 (UTC)

I have mentioned them to be aware of the policies of Wikipedia. Also I suggested them to go through guidelines and told them to take help from me. I introduced them about user talk page. As you suggested, I'll mention these things to my professor and request him to see once Wikipedia:Education Program. I am very sorry and apologized for their deeds. Very Very thanks for your valuable response.Worldciv207 satavahanas (talk) 12:56, 29 January 2017 (UTC

Full convo at User talk:Worldciv207 satavahanas‎. —SpacemanSpiff 13:28, 29 January 2017 (UTC)

Dear Spaceman Spiff , We are posting this message as a group from our World Civilizations class at IIT Gandhinagar. We have discussed the issues you raised with our instructor Professor Srinivas Reddy. Thank you for letting us know about the Wiki education program. Since we are outside of US/Canada, we are creating a program in the outreach dashboard and would be open to any and all suggestions. Please know that we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity. Thank you, on behalf of Srinivas Reddy and our World Civilizations class Worldciv207 satavahanas (talk) 04:28, 30 January 2017 (UTC)