Wikipedia:Requests for comment/Fenian Swine

Even though the User claims to be a Fenian, the name itself is an attack, and should not be allowed. Zoe 23:58, August 20, 2005 (UTC)


 * Considering the name to be "an attack" is your POV. This is a spurious listing.  Have you advised the user of this listing on his talk page Zoe, in accordance with guidance listed above?  I didn't think so.  Best go do it now so the 'defendant' can be heard. --84.66.120.77 07:23, 23 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Too late, I've done it for you --84.68.18.21 15:48, 23 August 2005 (UTC)

See also: Comments on WP:AN. --84.68.18.21 15:57, 23 August 2005 (UTC)

I am concerned about this user's behavior. Not only the negative response to several requests to change the name, which does appear inappropriate, but other behaviour as well. He nominated a user with fewer than fifty edits for admin. When I posted a polite question asking why, he gave a short reply, but not in English. This is not from an inability to use English but it appears more a refusal to respond to requests and questions. Jonathunder 16:03, 2005 August 23 (UTC)


 * He responded in Irish which, though kinda rude when addressed in English, somewhat corresponds to the Fenian image. Dunno why he uses the name myself - it's a bit juvenile - but he probably means no harm. - Pete C &#9997; 17:34, 23 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Ok, so I checked what he said here, and it was Tá brón orm faoi seo, which simply means, "I'm sorry about this". Just FYI - Pete C &#9997; 18:34, 23 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Thank you for the translation, Pete C. That helps. Jonathunder 19:40, 2005 August 23 (UTC)


 * Again as I have already said to user:zoe,have the common courtesy to inform me about this discussion and don't have it behind my back.Name means no harm.Get over it.Go raibh míle.--Fenian Swine 23:35, 23 August 2005 (UTC)

Sorry, "get over it" doesn't cut it. Your name is offensive. Change it. Period. Zoe 23:54, August 23, 2005 (UTC)

In other words-administrator abusing power,again.I will not change it.I assume your American.--Fenian Swine 00:03, 24 August 2005 (UTC)


 * People from more than one nation have advised you to change the name, F.S. Not that one's nationality has any bearing on the matter that I can see. Frankly, I'm not as concerned about your user name as I am about the tone of your responses. Please be polite and assume good faith. You'll be much more likely to get a positive response from others. Jonathunder 00:14, 2005 August 24 (UTC)

I have not been shown respect eg ''Your name is offensive. Change it. Period.'' by who else but Zoe.In other words she is unwilling to listen to my argument.Also this argument was started behind my back and I only found out about it through an anonimous user.That shows a huge lack of respest and I'm only willing to show zoe respect when she shoes it to me.signed serious editor --Fenian Swine 00:20, 24 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Can we open a subpage for this argument, please? Some of us have this page watchlisted.  Robert McClenon 00:23, 24 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Fenian Swine doesn't read like an "attack" to me. On the chance that it might be some set-phrase slur, however, I googled it, and it's not. It appears to be an allusion to the movie Michael Collins, in which it was part of a throw-away self-reference, not a term of ethnic abuse. A little context goes a long way. If the same name were adopted by an anti-Irish bigot, of course, the bigotry itself would be grounds for action. Unless there's a blanket policy against irreverence, therefore, the name doesn't seem to rise to the level of offensive. Seems pretty tame actually. In conclusion, I would ban the swine for his semiliterate American-bashing instead. Cheers. Squib 00:30, 24 August 2005 (UTC)

America bashing.I must be missing something huge here.When did I bash america.--Fenian Swine 00:34, 24 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Maybe I misperceived an association between your charge of abuse of power and your connected comment, "I assume your American." (Though I wasn't being entirely serious in any event.) Squib 00:42, 24 August 2005 (UTC)
 * No I just wanted to see if she was a Fenian or whether she was American.--Fenian Swine 00:57, 24 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Because after all, there are only two types of people in the word: Fenians and Americans. Acetic Acid 06:59, August 24, 2005 (UTC)
 * Yes .--Play Brian Moore 00:34, 26 August 2005 (UTC)

I see that Zoe has unilaterally blocked this user name. There is no concensus here for that action, nor one at WP:AN. I request, therefore, that A.N.Other admin unblocks this user name until a concensus is reached. --81.79.249.207 07:49, 24 August 2005 (UTC)

If someone is this offended, just change the name. The idea of a wiki is that everyone gets on. If you're really upsetting someone, stop doing it. Sometimes I have to remind myself that we are at least pretending to be here to build an encyclopaedia. The user name is calculated to offend. It offended. Well done. Now you've snared a hotheaded admin and can bait her. Double well done. Zoe, you've done the right thing, now I hope you'll walk away and not feed the fire any more. Clair de Lune 07:54, 24 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Exactly my point - "a hotheaded admin" - who is going to take action against this so called hot head? Which admin is big enough to restore this user name until there is concensus? Why should Fenian Swine be forced to change his user name on the whim of a "hotheaded admin's" POV.  As a result, he cannot participate in this discussion, how ridiculous is that? You also seem to be labouring under the misapprehension that I am Fenian Swine.  I hate to disappoint you, but I am not. --81.79.249.207 08:29, 24 August 2005 (UTC)

On a tangent, and I'm British by the way. If it was 'Fenian Scum' it would definitely be offensive; but 'Swine' has an archaic feel to it, and if someone is using it to describe themselves it seems harmless enough, albeit that passions run high in this field. ('Proddy Bastard' would be beyond the pale.) The problem is that the kind of text-based communication used on Wikipedia doesn't leave any room for nuance, irony or tone; and of course neither us nor any other Wikipedia editor knows Mr Swine as a person.

As for his concerns regarding people going behind his back, I often worry that Wikipedia's rules-bashing goes on out of sight of everyday users, and that one day I will find myself banned for violating a recently-introduced clause at one of Wikipedia's many ever-changing policy sub-pages, just as notification of Arthur Dent's house demolition was posted in an inaccessible, obscure location. I can understand why a new user might be angry at strangers judging him and discussing his fate behind the curtain; although there is a clear warning that new users should choose inoffensive usernames, there's nothing in the standard Wikipedia welcome message that suggests users should frequently check the Requests for Comment section. Where are the real decisions made? IRC? E-mail?

I believe that ''Your name is offensive. Change it. Period.'' is pretty poor form for anyone, certainly an admin on Wikipedia. This isn't Les Miserables. We aren't deliberately trying to root out the evildoers by provocing them, much as we might like to. Judging by her talk page, Zoe has been around for a long time; I have been in that situation myself, and I didn't like the kind of person I became.

Mr Swine's subsequent actions have damaged his position already, and this affair is not a shining example of anything. "Well, who the hell asked you?".-Ashley Pomeroy 11:04, 24 August 2005 (UTC)
 * What is this in relation to ie "Well, who the hell asked you?".--Muc Fíníneach 14:29, 24 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Stop blaspheming me --Mr Swine 16:44, 24 August 2005 (UTC)

I wonder why there was a request for comment made in the first place. Could have saved a lot of time. Squib 18:07, 24 August 2005 (UTC)
 * I agree l r.--Muc Fíníneach 22:26, 24 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Shining example of stage Irishmanship and sockpuppetry, maybe. Please see the latest on WP:AN. Bishonen | talk 22:23, 26 August 2005 (UTC)

Swines, eh?
Oink oink oink oink oink oink oink oink oink oink oink. &mdash; Rickyrab | Talk 03:58, 30 August 2005 (UTC)