User talk:Ilkecan

--UTRSBot (talk) 20:41, 3 November 2018 (UTC)

Yesterday, I appealed to unblock my account which is rejected. I am not satisfied with the reasoning and there was not a reply link to further query so I will trying to explain myself here. I am mostly using a VPN (which is not a public VPN) to access Wikipedia due to necessity. But when I try to edit something, I am blocked by this message:

You are currently unable to edit Wikipedia.

Editing from your IP address range (167.99.0.0/16) has been blocked (disabled) on all Wikimedia wikis until 20:05, 12 May 2023 by Vituzzu (meta.wikimedia.org) for the following reason: hosting service with open proxies such as 167.99.248.239

This block began on 20:05, 12 May 2018

You can contact Vituzzu to discuss the block and you may make unblock requests or file appeals at meta:Steward requests/Global. Your current IP address is 167.99.136.95. Please include all above details in any queries you make.

I find it reasonable to block an IP address range where possible vandalism and abuse come from. And I agree that it should be whitelisting instead of blacklisting in this case. What I don't understand is why my account can't be whitelisted. The block is not towards me personally but rather to a IP address range. Unless it is a technical problem, which I doubt, I would except my account (not my IP address behind the VPN) to be whitelisted unless there becomes a block towards me personally.

If you need further information, I can answer where I can.

If the decision still stays the same, I will accept it although I don't agree with it. If that happens I just want to know the reason if possible, whether it is a technical difficulty or something else.

Ilkecan (talk) 09:07, 4 November 2018 (UTC)

The only edits that this account has made come from a not-blocked /16 range. No technical obstacle exists that blocks that range...you appear to have access contrary to implied necessity. Others are freely using that range as well. IP block exemption is an option for trusted users but we don't issue that to new accounts to prevent sockpuppets from getting it. — Berean Hunter   (talk)  12:17, 4 November 2018 (UTC)


 * Hello
 * Yes I know I only made edits to Wikipedia from outside the aforementioned blocked range. Since it is blocked how could I made edits from there? I created this account and trying start contributing Wikipedia after the block decision is made. I never claimed I have been making edits from there before. I was just trying to.
 * As for how I can make edits at all or even write this, I didn't want to give repetitive information again since I already did here. I assumed you have access to that.
 * I am currently in my university campus network and strangely Wikipedia access is not blocked from here. What I am trying to achieve is I want to be able to make contributions to Wikipedia outside the campus and for that I need a VPN to even access the website. It is not a public VPN, I am paying a cloud service to use their server and set up a VPN there. I have a static IP address behind the VPN and as long as I am using their service that IP address will be used by me. I don't know how this is different from connecting from the IP address given by a ISP. Like If I move to a new house and IP address given to me by the ISP in there is somehow used before me for vandalism, how is this different from my case?
 * I understand the necessity of scrutiny in a case like this but I feel all I heard in the process is "You are behind a proxy, you can't edit Wikipedia."
 * "I should be able to make contributions to Wikipedia only within my campus and that is only because for some reason countrywide block doesn't have an effect there and in the future if the block starts to have an effect I shouldn't be able to make contribution to the 'free' encyclopedia at all." is what I understood from your response, is this correct?
 * I don't understand why the legitimate people become collateral damage when it could have simply been:


 * 1) Block the necessary IP address range where possible vandalism come from.
 * 2) Legitimate users in mind, still make it possible to create an account and making edits from that IP range only after careful examination. Make it such that process requires human interaction and can't be completed by a computer. Maybe with an interview.
 * 3) If the process is completed successfully, threat that account just like a normal account. If account shows vandalism etc. block the account.
 * May be last bit doesn't belong here but honestly I am just frustrated.
 * Ilkecan (talk) 14:38, 4 November 2018 (UTC)


 * Just a note for the next reviewing admin - I won't review this one as I am technically the blocking admin. This is also a global block - so even if unblocked locally, the address would still be blocked. DigitalOcean is absolutely a webhost, and is commonly abused for vandalism, and sockpuppetry via VPN. SQL Query me!  15:37, 8 November 2018 (UTC)


 * I never realized there are 2 different blocks while trying to edit from the mentioned IP address until mentioned. It seems they both effect the 167.99.0.0/16 range. What is the reason there are 2 blocks instead of 1? Are they achieve different purposes?
 * Also what does the administration qualify as open proxy? It is defined as "a proxy server that is accessible by any Internet user" in the relevant Wikipedia page. But do paid services like Private Internet Access VPN qualify as one?
 * Ilkecan (talk) 21:05, 8 November 2018 (UTC)


 * The IP range in question is globally (that is - across all projects, not just here on the English Wikipedia) by a, a Steward (One could think of that group as a sort of global admin). Open or anonymizing proxies are prohibited globally by the policy found at No open proxies. You will find that most VPN services, and webhosts, as well as VPS providers (such as OVH, DigitalOcean, Linode, etc) are blocked, or will be blocked upon detection. They are functionally open proxies - as anyone can access them for a trivial price (or even free with promotions sometimes). Trusted users having a real need to edit via an anonymizing proxy may follow the directions found at this page in order to gain IP Block Exemption (a way to bypass blocks such as these). In this case, as the VPS provider is globally blocked as well - you would also need to get the same userright globally. The instructions for that can be found at IPBE. SQL Query me!  21:23, 8 November 2018 (UTC)
 * I still think new editors should considered innocent unless proven guilty but I guess you have experienced many cases where this is abused. So I decided to remove the unblock request for now because currently having practically zero contribution, I understand my case is not enough for unblock exception. Later I might request again if I have more acceptable history but for now I will try to make contributions while in the campus.
 * Ilkecan (talk) 22:15, 8 November 2018 (UTC)