User talk:NTox/Archive 3

Alienation
It turns out that the Marx's theory of alienation link was added, with no explanation, earlier this year. I decided just to take it altogether. The themes listed in the lede are fine as is. Cheers! --- The Old Jacobite The '45  02:40, 30 July 2012 (UTC)


 * Well spotted. NTox · talk 02:41, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

RFC Usernames
thanks for cleaning up after me. I wasn't really sure how to handle once discussions closed. StarM 00:24, 14 August 2012 (UTC)


 * Hey, no problem. I was actually expecting to archive them too, and was pleasantly surprised when I noticed you did it first. Have a good one. NTox · talk 00:31, 14 August 2012 (UTC)


 * Yep. The instructions just aren't too clear on how long to leave there after closing so I figured if someone didn't come along I'd circle back and remove them. From how long Language Hat lingered, wonder if the page needs a clerk or more eyes. StarM 00:15, 15 August 2012 (UTC)

4cancergroup
Hello, thanks for your help and advice. I am new to Wiki and it appears I am causing all sorts of problems. How do I change my username? Thanks NTox! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 4cancergroup (talk • contribs) 06:59, 14 August 2012 (UTC)


 * No worries. It's sometimes a bit rough when someone starts off on Wikipedia. So many rules to keep track of . . even the most experienced editors haven't read them all! Best thing to remember: stay neutral, cite good sources, and stay nice. Others can handle the details until you get more experienced. I think you'll be okay. To change your username, click this link and follow the instructions at the top of the page. Don't hesitate to ask if you need any help. NTox · talk 07:10, 14 August 2012 (UTC)

Question regarding "User:Plllacrosse"
Why did you remove the category of "usernames with possible policy issues"? It's obvious (s)he's editing on behalf of the Professional Lacrosse League. Tom Danson (talk) 15:31, 14 August 2012 (UTC)


 * Because that category only tracks accounts that have been used in the past week. See CAT:UAA. NTox · talk 16:48, 14 August 2012 (UTC)

Your abuse report
Greetings! Thank you for filing an Abuse Report for abusive behavior originating from 64.251.48.66. 71.178.51.185 (talk) 01:58, 18 August 2012 (UTC)


 * Good to hear. Thanks for working on it. NTox · talk 02:02, 18 August 2012 (UTC)

Pickard Handbag Company
NTox:

I am a individual who does not represent the Pickard Handbag Company in any way. The company was disetablsihed in 1962. I am a descendent of the founder. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.160.241.206 (talk) 15:11, 18 August 2012 (UTC)


 * Indeed. I noticed that yesterday, which is why I removed your account from a category that tracks active username violations. I presumed that 'Pickard' is a surname, and that the 'mt' signifies something (perhaps a first name) non-promotional. If that is the case, and you are the only operator of the account, you should be within the terms of our username policy. Thanks for touching base with me, and happy editing. NTox · talk 15:19, 18 August 2012 (UTC)

Thanks. This is still new to me. Pickardmt (talk) 18:33, 18 August 2012 (UTC)Matt

Noms de plume
That's a good question. In the example you brought up, I'd block as it's a non-notable artist—the user is obviously trying to promote themselves. Which leaves the question of what we do do with the names you suggested.

Suppose, for instance, that Whoopi Goldberg decides to open an account under that name (not currently taken) and edits the article about herself. Leaving aside the content of the edits, is it effectively her real name since that's how everyone knows her? But then suppose she uses User:Caryn Johnson (again, an available account), her given name? Is that OK? And what if someone else decides to use it? Are they allowed to because it's not the name Whoopi Goldberg is widely known by?

And what if someone uses a pseudonymous celebrity's given name to edit articles wholly unrelated to that celebrity? Would anyone even notice if User:Stefani Germanotta edited articles about semiconductor manufacturing? If we did, and it wasn't her, would we still have to block them?

We've not yet had to consider this, as far as I know. Daniel Case (talk) 15:23, 18 August 2012 (UTC)
 * Which comments? Daniel Case (talk) 16:06, 18 August 2012 (UTC)

Filter-caught or deleted edits
Sorry for the long delay in responding ... your last message came as I was preparing to go out for what turned out to be most of the day.

I guess it depends on how much time has gone by. My experience has been that most editors trying to promote something that way usually give up after the filter catches them or the article gets deleted. I do quite frequently block promo-username editors whose work has been deleted if I review the edit within a certain time.

In the first case, Lexecute, the eponymous article had been deleted almost two years ago and they had not attempted to recreate since. I doubt anything would be prevented by a block, but if they wanted to edit something else they'd be free to. In the second case, if the edits never showed up to anyone reading, what's the harm? All the damage to the encyclopedia that a block would prevent has been prevented by the filter, and the user can go and edit articles about their favorite band if they'd like. Daniel Case (talk) 03:27, 19 August 2012 (UTC)

Change of name for instantatlas
Instantatlas (talk) 19:40, 19 August 2012 (UTC)Hello there just follow up on what you are saying about change of user name to a real name. We do not actually want to change the username But we are being told to change the name and as I am the Head of Marketing for InstantAtlas it is the only choice we have for the moment. Our information is known as Instantatlas and we service public health organisations around the world who find out how we can help them via information sites such as Wikipedia. By changing the username I can only say it will likely make it more difficuly to find them but if you are saying that we are infringing on your policy and that the name needs to change then the name requested is the name we will need to go with. Many thanks


 * Thanks for getting in touch with me. Your interest in the English Wikipedia is appreciated. Before going forward, I would strongly recommend a read of our username policy. That should answer a lot of your questions. Not only does it cover the appropriateness and inappropriateness of names themselves, but it specifies standards in which accounts may and may not be used. The latter is what's more important, and from that I can advise you what to do: in order to comply with our policy, you have to disconnect the operation of your account from InstantAtlas completely. Accounts have to represent individuals, so that all edits are attributable to a person. What this means is that all of your edits must be made on behalf of yourself - so, even if you are the only person who has access to your account, you still cannot make your edits on behalf of the company. They have to be made on behalf of your self, so that when you are asked about your edits, you can legitimately say 'these are the edits I made', not 'these are the edits we made'. In other words: as far as Wikipedia concerned, editing here is a personal activity, and should never be a professional activity. The actual naming of accounts is a separate but related issue that also needs to be addressed: our community has a consensus that the use of company usernames promote the company every time they are used; therefore, you need to continue with your requested rename by indicating under your request here that you are aware of the risks involved in switching to a real name. As you may be aware, we have had lot of trouble with promotional disruption here when we try so hard to be neutral; as a result, we have developed guidance for people with conflicts of interest. That guideline basically says that a company or organization's interests are none of Wikipedia's concern, and if they infringe on our goals, then the user responsible will be reprimanded. In sum: continue with your username change, delegate your account unto your personal behalf, and contribute neutrally, and you should be fine. Let me know if you have further questions. NTox · talk 20:22, 19 August 2012 (UTC)

The No Spam Barnstar

 * Thank you very much. It is appreciated. NTox · talk 14:26, 20 August 2012 (UTC)

A barnstar for you!

 * Thanks, Catfish. I offer the same appreciation to you. Have a good one. NTox · talk 23:14, 21 August 2012 (UTC)
 * Thanks! Also, do you use Twinkle? Electric Catfish 23:16, 21 August 2012 (UTC)
 * I do, but I have very surreptitiously removed the (TW) from my edit summaries using custom Twinkle settings. ;) Also: Come to think of it, you might like some of the user scripts I use. See my vector.js and vector.css if you're curious. NTox · talk 23:18, 21 August 2012 (UTC)
 * Thanks! I'll remove the link TW and copy all of the scripts. I have the AfD ones, plus the CSDH and AFCH scripts. Best, Electric Catfish 23:34, 21 August 2012 (UTC).

Talkback

 * Thanks. I have opined there. NTox · talk 02:55, 23 August 2012 (UTC)

Please comment on Wikipedia talk:Banning policy
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UAA template
I see you removed the no promotional edits comment from uaa. I wasn't quite sure why you did this, and I find it quite useful. Is there a reason and, if not, could you put it back? ItsZippy (talk • contributions) 20:56, 25 August 2012 (UTC)


 * I could, if you wish for it back. The initial reason why I removed it was because I actually created it myself only a few weeks ago (it has never existed before that) and I noticed that it really wasn't all that popular. I track UAA quite closely and I've noticed that you are the only person that has ever used the template before, and not /super/ regularly at that. (In fact, I had noticed that you seemed to switch to the 'discussing' one as of late). At the time, I had wondered why it wasn't being used real often, and I realized that the template, while true to the 'wording' of the username policy, really didn't seem to capture the /spirit/ of the issue in the way I wanted. i.e., the reason, as you know, that we do not usually block without promotional edits is because we just don't want to bite that user who has edited constructively. Let's retain them and talk. Thus, I replaced the template with 'Discussing with the user, since they have edited constructively', because it's just shorter and seems more articulate: like, "hey, I'm not just mindlessly declining this because there is this wording in the username policy that says no blocks without promotional edits, I'm really concerned with the genuine issue here, that we want to /discuss/ this with this real human being because they have really tried to construct this encyclopedia.' But hey, I'm just one man's opinion, so I can put it back (or maybe have both) if you really liked the original one. NTox · talk 21:33, 25 August 2012 (UTC)


 * Eh, you've convinced me. If it's not there, it'll force me to actually discuss it with the user myself, which must be a good thing. Thanks for the clarification, and sensible reasoning. ItsZippy (talk • contributions) 21:57, 25 August 2012 (UTC)

Username with possible issues category
I'm not familiar with the procedures there - what does this edit mean? This user is clearly acting on behalf of Humming Bird Music. Deryck C. 23:01, 27 August 2012 (UTC)


 * It looks like you're right on the violation. But CAT:UAA only tracks usernames that have been used in the last seven days, otherwise it starts overflowing and becomes unmanageable. The other reason is that the vast, vast majority of accounts in that category are forever abandoned shortly after receiving their username warning, whether because of the warning or not. Best practice is usually to keep removed ones watchlisted, just in case. I'll add it to mine too. See the description on the cat page for more information, and thanks for contacting. NTox · talk 23:23, 27 August 2012 (UTC)

Mootzoid / Eric Mootz
Hello NTox,

I got a mail shortly after editing the wiki page Fluid simulation. In the mail (or rather in the user talk) you wrote the following:

''Welcome to Wikipedia. I noticed that the username you have chosen, "Mootzoid", seems to imply that you are editing on behalf of a group, institution, company or website. Please note that Wikipedia does not allow usernames that are promotional or appear to be shared by multiple people. Please take a moment to create a new account or request a username change that represents only yourself as an individual. You should also read our conflict of interest guideline and remember that promotional editing is not acceptable regardless of the username you choose. If you believe that your username does not violate our policy, please leave a note here explaining why.''

Let me try to explain: My name is Eric Mootz and my 'artist name' is Mootzoid. I do not own a company, meaning that Mootzoid is really just some sort of nickname and definitely only stands for a single person... which would be me. I am a freelancer who codes plugins, tools and gizmos that do all sorts of things and I do those things out of pure passion. Some of my tools are available as plugins for professional 3D applications (e.g. Softimage) and some of them are commercial plugins that I sell in order to make a living.

Being an absolute "wiki newbie" I am of course thankful for any comment, critic or suggestion regarding the wiki user name or the edit that I made to the wiki page! I have already created a new wiki account (user name is EricMootz, signature is Eric Mootz) and will use it from now on instead of my old "Mootzoid" account in order to avoid any misunderstanding. Unless any of the elder wiki-people tells me it is okay to use Mootzoid. I am good either way.

Thanks! Eric — Preceding unsigned comment added by EricMootz (talk • contribs) 19:06, 28 August 2012 (UTC)


 * Thanks for getting in touch with me, Eric. I remember looking at your case, and I have now looked at it again. The message was, as you have probably noticed, triggered because you added a link to the website mootzoid.com. After reviewing the website the term did not initially appear to me to be personal pseudonym, that is intended to refer to you as an individual. Therefore, I had sent that message as a reminder that accounts cannot represent websites. But since the name is in fact a personal pseudonym the case could in fact be made that the username is allowable; however, I would recommend going with the EricMootz account to avoid future confusion, as you have done. One purpose of these warnings is indeed to gather more information when circumstantial evidence suggests that there may be a problem. It looks like you have found a solution despite everything that will be good for this site. Thanks very much. NTox · talk 19:47, 28 August 2012 (UTC)

Re: Declining Of Speedy
No worries mate. I'll bow to your experience. Porterjoh (talk) 20:45, 29 August 2012 (UTC)

Name change - Indumission to ColinWalker
As long as this meets wiki requirements i'm happy with changing Indumission to ColinWalker


 * Thanks for letting me know, Colin. NTox · talk 15:51, 30 August 2012 (UTC)

YasniYasni
Hi. Is there any possibility to update a company's entry? A member of our staff updated it with her private wikipedia account and got problems ("conflict of interests") - you can get an idea on the AfD-Page. I thought we could solve the problem with a company's account. :( We did not intend to make advertising but a lot of information are outdated. I want to update or rewrite the article. (But I can not, of course.... conflict of interests. Grrr!) Other companies use sock puppets or PR agencies. We want to operate openly. Is there a way? --YasniYasni (talk) 13:16, 30 August 2012 (UTC)


 * Yashni: Thank you for your honesty. It looks like you're trying to do the right thing. The message I had sent you had to do with your username, rather than your editing. Our community has a consensus that any account that is named or operated by a company is prohibited. However, that is of course not to say that if you work for a company, you can't have an account here. It just means that you need to choose a name that is unrelated to the company, and that the account must only be controlled by yourself. You brought up our concept of conflict of interest. As you are aware, I am sure, we have had many problems with people who are more interested in advertising than writing an encyclopedia page. Therefore, Wikipedia has decided that best practice is for people with conflicts of interest to limit their editing on their company's article page. What I would recommend for you: create a new account, unrelated to the company, then go to your company's article's talk page and declare that you work for them. If you have any really big changes you want to make to the article, suggest them there, and write above your edit. If you are simply doing small things, like changing straightforward outdated information, feel free to edit the article page directly, but carefully. Sorry for some of these hiccups in your first days of editing. We can be very protective at times of neutrality. NTox · talk 16:06, 30 August 2012 (UTC)
 * I understand. Thank you. I'll do it that way. --YasniYasni (talk) 08:39, 3 September 2012 (UTC)