Wikimedia Forum/Archives/2025-01

2024 – Top pageviews statistics

The top for en.wikipedia.org (unfiltered list from dump files) is:

              1741486105 Main_Page
               710854643 Special:Search
               364736470 -
               175040102 Wikipedia:Featured_pictures
                49955454 Cleopatra
                49937590 Deaths_in_2024
                42188457 YouTube
                36587897 XXXTentacion
                31518426 Pornhub
                30809103 2024_United_States_presidential_election
                29368966 Kamala_Harris
                27178237 Donald_Trump
                25856616 .xxx
                24738175 Indian_Premier_League
                22415352 Deadpool_&_Wolverine
                20808010 Portal:Current_events
                20213711 Project_2025
                18812555 ChatGPT
                18436303 2024_Indian_general_election
                18393096 Elon_Musk
                18229680 Taylor_Swift
                17337762 2020_United_States_presidential_election
                16497375 United_States
                16151824 Lyle_and_Erik_Menéndez
                16100081 2024_Summer_Olympics
                15894834 XXX_(2002_film)
                15807745 Facebook
                15659568 UEFA_Euro_2024
                15294908 Joe_Biden
                15051723 Kalki_2898_AD

More infos and another wikis: https://archive.org/details/2024-top_2k_user_pageviews Dušan Kreheľ (talk) 08:07, 1 January 2025 (UTC)

This section was archived on a request by: Johannnes89 (talk) 07:27, 25 January 2025 (UTC)

Where are these images held

Images such as https://en.wikipedia.org/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-wordmark-en.svg: where are they held? They don't seem to be on Commons. Is that because they're copyrighted? Is there a complete collection of such images? 2601:644:907E:A70:819F:BBAE:7203:E590 18:01, 13 January 2025 (UTC)

Commons mostly has copyrighted images. Sure enough, see c:File:Wikipedia-wordmark-en.svg. —Justin (koavf)❤T☮C☺M☯ 18:03, 13 January 2025 (UTC)

@Koavf That's interesting, then why isn't https://en.wikipedia.org/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-tagline-simple.svg on Commons also? 2601:644:907E:A70:819F:BBAE:7203:E590 18:07, 13 January 2025 (UTC)

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ How did you even find this file? —Justin (koavf)❤T☮C☺M☯ 18:16, 13 January 2025 (UTC)

I noticed that the line "The Free Encyclopedia" on en: had been replaced with "Simple English" on simple: and I used "inspect element" to find out how this was done. The other thing I noticed was that the alt text for "Simple English" was "The Free Encyclopedia" (which seemed like a mistake). 2601:644:907E:A70:819F:BBAE:7203:E590 18:23, 13 January 2025 (UTC)

https://github.com/wikimedia/operations-mediawiki-config/tree/master/static/images/mobile/copyright contains all wordmark and taglines. --~aanzx · ✉ · © 18:27, 13 January 2025 (UTC)

Static images for the site are managed in git, mostly under https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/plugins/gitiles/operations/mediawiki-config/+/refs/heads/master/static/images/. Jdforrester (WMF) (talk) 14:34, 14 January 2025 (UTC)

This section was archived on a request by: Johannnes89 (talk) 07:28, 25 January 2025 (UTC)

What do I do on here?

Hi I am Adelaide, I have never usually been on a sister site of Wikipedia, I have been editing Wikipedia since 2024, I joined in 2023 and haven't been active a whole lot since 2024. So what do usually editors like me do here? Or isn't there anything to do? Since this is a meta site of Wikipedia after all... Please feel free to reply back, if you have an answer. Thanks! :) Adelaideslement8723 (talk) 19:00, 14 January 2025 (UTC)

Meta-Wiki is about the larger Wikimedia movement and discussion at a hi level, so if you haven't edited much on the actual content projects, you probably won't find things that are very interesting here, but you are certainly welcome to participate. —Justin (koavf)❤T☮C☺M☯ 19:22, 14 January 2025 (UTC)

Hi Justin! Thank you for replying! I usually edit Wikipedia like in my language, which is English, so yeah I have been editing in my language, but ever since the incident at the English Wiki, haven't been editing since. :/

But overall thanks for replying! Very much appreciated! :) Adelaideslement8723 (talk) 19:47, 14 January 2025 (UTC)

If you're interested in editing in English, the good news is that there are many English and multilingual projects where you could help out, including: b:en:, c:, d:, f:, n:en:, q:en:, s:en:, s:mul:, w:simple:, wikt:simple:, species:, v:en:, voy:en:, and wikt:en:. I personally think that editing on Wikiquote and Wikivoyage are very accessible for someone who maybe doesn't have that much experience, but please follow your heart. I'm sure you have something to give and we're all grateful for your help. —Justin (koavf)❤T☮C☺M☯ 19:51, 14 January 2025 (UTC)

Thanks! :D Adelaideslement8723 (talk) 19:55, 14 January 2025 (UTC)

This section was archived on a request by: Johannnes89 (talk) 07:28, 25 January 2025 (UTC)

Blocking in Wikidata gone wrong

I have been blocked in Wikidata while inserting 285965 IDs, the batches are now stuck, I stopped them, but some already generated "error", because the editing right was removed, cf. https://quickstatements.toolforge.org/#/batches/Meadcreak

On my user page it says "This account is a sockpuppet of Tamawashi and has been blocked indefinitely." But I am not a sockpuppet of Tamawashi. I cannot edit in Wikidata anymore and here the talk page of the user that blocked me, User:Jasper Deng, is protected against editing by me. Does anybody know how the block can be removed?

Shortly before I was blocked I found that a user linked me from the page d:Wikidata:Requests_for_checkuser/Case/MrProperLawAndOrder. That is not even a page about "Tamawashi". On that page one finds several instances of wrong reports, one user blocked without checkuser, then unblocked (User:E2.7182818284590). Also some user is accused of probably being Matlin, but that is labeled "Inconclusive".

At d:Wikidata:Requests_for_checkuser/Case/Matlin some other users are blocked. But it remains unknown, why sometimes users are blocked without checkuser, sometimes the checkuser finds "Likely", sometimes "Inconclusive". What is the basis? Fingerprinting, IPs? I am operating from a shared computer in a larger European city, I have *no* control over the software on the computer nor about what other users use this computer.

It seems most of the users listed at d:Wikidata:Requests_for_checkuser/Case/MrProperLawAndOrder and blocked did edit items about humans, like me. Nothing unusual. User:Jahl de Vautban seems to frequently "report" users there, because they fill gaps in items touched by other users before. That user seems to miss how SPARQL databases work. One can filter exactly for certain gaps and fill them. That is what I did.

What can be done to make the blocking process more reliable, only blocking real sockpuppets of, e.g. Tamawashi/MrProperLawAndOrder/Matlin? Meadcreak (talk) 08:28, 18 January 2025 (UTC)

The metawiki is not a place to appeal blocks on local projects with communities, such as WikiData. For help with blocks on that project see d:Wikidata:Guide to appealing blocks. — xaosflux ^Talk 16:50, 18 January 2025 (UTC)

Did you read until the second sentence or did you stop before? Addids (talk) 09:41, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

@Meadcreak:: I am also blocked by User:Jasper Deng. Like you, I used tools to find gaps filled them, and like you I used tools to add IDs. For the record, I am also editing from a larger European city, to be more precise, a capital of a European Union member state. Addids (talk) 09:44, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

The problem is that these Wikidata admins then ask for blocks here. In the meantime, I was blocked on Wikidata.

It appears to me you get blocked when you happen to discuss errors of established users, especially admins. Weird that they have gotten to that point. Do they try to sweep admin errors under the carpet?

In general, anything coming from Wikidata admins must probably be taken with caution here. e 10:15, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

Advanced permissions of the blocking admin should be removed from the account here. e 10:24, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

Looks like those other two users are now also blocked here. I guess I have to sort it out myself. e 12:48, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

I created a test account and did similar things that the blocked users did. The effect was similar. When User:Jahl de Vautban did accuse Addids it was like that: The last editing was a day before at 22:18, 18 January 2025, then he "woke up", at 08:15, 19 January 2025 he had his first two edits, both related to one topic, and the third thing he did was accusing Addids [1], then he left editing Wikidata. Then later he did "report" another two users in a similar editing process:

1. 09:59 +433 Charterius (Q121494087) Created claim: position held (P39): bishop of Périgueux (Q60543889)
2. 10:02 −429 west wind (Q11030327) Removed claim: part of (P361): Greek mythology (Q34726)
3. 10:49 +771 Wikidata:Requests for checkuser/Case/MrProperLawAndOrder new cases (two usernames)
4. 17:10 +2,010 Wikidata talk:WikiProject Ancient Rome moving topic to Wikidata talk:WikiProject Ancient Rome

So, it is not that he finds users via normal editing which he later reports, but does some extra "research" only to accuse users.

The accusations in this second round on 19 January were directed against two users namely Toktiknibem and VerifyToday [2]. The first accusation is deceptive, he writes "from e.g. Elisabeth Brameshuber (Q131691585) is clearly continiung its previous work (batch adding Kalliope-Verbund IDs)" - but on that item no "Kalliope-Verbund ID" exists at all even now when I write [3]. The user was blocked by User:Emu anyway [4] 12:35 without any checkuser nor even reporting back to that checkuser page but at 12:37 removing text by the user he just blocked [5].

The removed text I fully support: Re "but from e.g. Thomas Frank Gordon (Q131602605) it seems to have some collusion with Matlin's." - do you actually understand how Wikidata works? That item was created [6] by one user blocked before by User:Jasper Deng, then a bot did some editing related to GND, then another account, Toktiknibem, did some editing related to GND, ISNI, sex and gender - two of the four most used IDs on humans and a basic property commonly found on millions of items. And that was all to "report" Toktiknibem. How can he know that there is "collusion"? Read a definition at https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/collusion . There is an easy way to find GND redirects via https://w.wiki/AaPR - what method Toktiknibem used I don't know, but he found that error. GND redirects should in general not be kept. ISNI is commonly added, because it is widely used by several libraries in the world and via the ISNI it is easier to find duplicates. Regarding "sex and gender" - there is a WMF Grant closely related to that property Grants:Project/Maximilianklein/humaniki - it seems the whole project is based among other things on that sex/gender property.

I wasn't blocked, but also accused by User:Jahl de Vautban: "VerifyToday: came across the name while veryfing another edit from Toktiknibem (on Rainward Volker Bastian (Q131698642)), only 50 edits, no batches, but it might just be another sock in waiting." All I did on that item was adding a VIAF ID [7], which is something done for millions of humans that have a GND ID.

You can try yourself: Find human items that have a GND ID but no sex or gender or no VIAF ID, or find items that reuse GND IDs but don't have a GND ID, which they should have. A good example is DDB ID, there is a catalog (https://mix-n-match.toolforge.org/#/catalog/6502) which can be used to create new human items, but it is buggy and the creator seems to not understand the relation between DDB and GND ID. Very often a DDB human item is created but no GND ID added. That is clearly a bug. So, other users have to fix that, some doing that manually. And then User:Jahl de Vautban comes around and reports them.

Really, try yourself, create an account, and do one of the above. Or create ~1000 new items from that catalog, and even for that you may get reported.

When an admin like User:Epìdosis does edit items created by a blocked user [8] he is of course not reported. This user frequently disrupts the Wikidata project, see e.g. d:Wikidata:Properties for deletion/P13049 were he claims "redundancy" for a set of IDs, only because the orginaizations using them coordinate the values of IDs. It can be compared to removing the price of bananas in a shop, when the cost the same as apples. "redundant" because it is the same? But if you only buy apples and not bananas then you will not leave the shop with bananas bought. In the list of "redundant" IDs he left one out that he shortly before moved downward somewhere, that is pointed out on the page, Epìdosis removes that text and adds his own, as if he found that "mistake" himself, and also removes an Oppose-Vote against his proposal for mass deletion [9]. He doesn't even leave a notice that he removed text, text critical of what he wrote on that page. VerifyToday (talk) 03:16, 20 January 2025 (UTC)

No need to discuss blocked/locked sockpuppets in this forum. Johannnes89 (talk) 07:27, 25 January 2025 (UTC)

This section was archived on a request by: Johannnes89 (talk) 07:26, 25 January 2025 (UTC)

Process for removal of global rights

What's the current process for this? Does one need to start a full RFC at Requests for comment or is it Meta:Requests for comment? Global_renamers#Removal_of_access seems to require the first one.

Strangely the only one listed about rights is in Meta:Requests for comment, but may global in effect. e 16:39, 20 January 2025 (UTC)

There are several global rights pages which describe the removal processes for those rights (e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5), mainly either through inactivity or misuse/unconfidence. EPIC (talk) 17:22, 20 January 2025 (UTC)

This section was archived on a request by: Johannnes89 (talk) 07:29, 25 January 2025 (UTC)

Global user names and profile pages

Is there any meta policy on what can be used as user name and added to a profile page?

Say, a user creates a user page for "John Doe (A inc)" with the content "User account for John Doe, paid by A inc". This is then displayed on all wikis. In some discussion they then concede that they are no longer paid by "A inc" nor is "A inc" aware of some their edits as they are just personal contributions. e 12:46, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

There is a Title blacklist, which extends to user names, so some names would not be able to be registered here, or if registered on another SUL wiki that doesn't use the same block list, you would not be able to make a user page. Our local Changing username refers to w:en:Wikipedia:Username policy, which is probably a good rule of thumb about the kinds of usernames you could and couldn't or should and shouldn't use. —Justin (koavf)❤T☮C☺M☯ 14:04, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

If one actually works for "(A inc)" and contributes for them on some wiki, the username is a good choice. Title blacklist would block it for legitimate uses. e 14:12, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

In this hypothetical - If someone works for ABC INC, and make a disclosed paid editing account "USERNAME (ABC INC)" - then they are no longer am going to make edits in my capacity as a paid editor of ABC INC, I suggest they simply stop using that account entirely - as it would be linked to such disclosed paid editing in the past. Simply make a new account for contributions made in an independent volunteer capacity. Noting on your new account that you previously made disclosed paid edits under account USERNAME (ABC INC) to move forward. — xaosflux ^Talk 14:19, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

"Paid by" might not even mean they are actually employed by "A inc", possibly they just received some funding from them.

How should these points be addressed policy-wise on Meta? e 14:24, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

Special:Contributions/EBjune_(WMF) is simply "locked" with the explanation "no longer work for wmf", Global_blocks#Guidelines_2 allows for blocks where "a combination of local blocks would be [..] inefficient."

Is the locking of accounts of deceased users based on the same? e 16:13, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

It is mostly common sense. Use a dedicated account for each disclosed paid editing/explicit conflict of interest editing engagement that you want to do, use a separate account for volunteer work. — xaosflux ^Talk 16:27, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

WMF could be systematic about it. No need to explain "common sense" to their staff. I don't think I ever came across a WMF staffer who edited with their staff account. Some of their business hours activity on private accounts might be oddly aligned with their staff projects.

So how do we explain it users who continue using their "A inc" account and what action should be taken? e 16:32, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

There is a special relationship between WMF and the project, as the foundation pays for everything here. WMF staffers that also edit as volunteers almost always maintain 2 accounts, one for contributions made in their capacity as an employee, and one for ones in their capacity as a volunteer. WMF staffers edit all the time, to do things like make WMF announcements.

To your question, if someone is making contributions that you think are inappropriate, use the procedures of the projects where this is occurring to review the situation. — xaosflux ^Talk 17:06, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

Well, profiles are created on this wiki.

From this account list, we can conclude that WMF no longer systematically creates accounts for their staff since December 2021. Special:Log/ERoss_(WMF) stopped in July 2023 deactivating (older) accounts. Is there someone else who took over the role? There are still some 500 active accounts with "(WMF)" in their name.

In general, a good way to go about this would be to contact the organization to review these accounts and deactivate them, if they are no longer in use (WMF can do that directly). e 17:25, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

More recent accounts have "-WMF" not " (WMF)": 2nd list (345 accounts). e 18:13, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

It is really no big deal and doesn't need any action. If a former WMF staffer is actively using an unlocked User:%WMF% account, we can address it as it occurs. — xaosflux ^Talk 18:36, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

It's a risk we shouldn't really take. For WMF it might be easy to check (except on weekends), but less so for "A inc". In the meantime, we would end up with confused users. Some "A inc" people might not even know they shouldn't be doing this.

When looking at the WMF accounts, the query also included User:Sylvain_Boissel_WMFr which is blocked, but apparently only here and not globally. e 18:46, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

There is no requirement for WMF or affiliate accounts to be locked. The foundation usually does it, most other affiliates (e.g. WMDE, WMUK...) don't (or only occasionally). Please don't make a big issue out of something which really is no issue at all. Johannnes89 (talk) 19:33, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

It's good practice in general and inefficient to lock them on Meta only.

Luckily I had time to look into this in detail today. It's unclear why one would want to have "A inc" users to continue editing. Once the backlog is handled, it should be fairly low volume. e 19:57, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

If you are not just talking about WMF & affiliates, but also about all accounts belonging to any companies (e.g. "A inc"), then we are talking about hundreds of thousands of accounts. There is no benefit in locking them and no local project has ever called for that. It's just a loot of unnecessary extra work without clear benefit. The foundation is locking their own accounts while also managing permissions of those accounts, they are unique in doing that. I see no reason to bother volunteers with role accounts of all 37 chapters and 153 user groups. Johannnes89 (talk) 20:16, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

There are other affiliates doing it.

For a random "A Inc", one would probably ask for a review only when there are issues. Maybe you haven't read the question at the beginning of the thread. e 20:24, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

I've read your initial question which also doesn't make sense to me, there is really no issue that needs fixing. But after your initial question you've started to ask questions about how WMF, WMDE etc. are handling their accounts, that's what I've been responding to. Johannnes89 (talk) 20:33, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

So what solution do you suggest? Let people put whatever they want on their user page? e 20:39, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

The relevant policies are Global user pages#Content + Meta:Inclusion policy + Meta:Civility (+ local policies and some common sense). If content on a global user page violates local policies, it can either be removed or local projects can just override the global user page (e.g. by creating a blank local one). Johannnes89 (talk) 21:02, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

"But after your initial question you've started to ask questions about how WMF, WMDE etc. are handling their accounts" - can you show the diff for that? I cannot even find any statement by that user that includes the string "WMDE". Φ1.6180339887499 (talk) 23:26, 20 January 2025 (UTC)

I contacted User_talk:DSeyfert_(WMF)#WMF_staff_accounts for WMF. e 18:13, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

I came across a summary by @NahidSultan (WMF): at this RfC: "Trust and Safety follows a strict protocol when it comes to userrights assignment to staff members. The staffer requesting the rights has to provide a use case and the duration they would require the rights. [..] We also periodically review staff user rights as part of the T&S user rights audit." Sounds good. @NahidSultan: when is the next review planned? e 16:11, 20 January 2025 (UTC)

@NahidSultan (WMF): "The staffer requesting the rights has to provide a use case and the duration they would require the rights" - is any of the two, the provided "use case" or "duration" publicly visible? What happens after they have been provided, are the rights then granted? Φ1.6180339887499 (talk) 23:34, 20 January 2025 (UTC)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like you are the same person using two different accounts with usernames that have mathematical constants. Is that the case? —Justin (koavf)❤T☮C☺M☯ 23:35, 20 January 2025 (UTC)

No. Φ isn't e. e 05:17, 21 January 2025 (UTC)

Thanks. Weird coincidence, I suppose. —Justin (koavf)❤T☮C☺M☯ 08:03, 21 January 2025 (UTC)

I don't think coincidence is the word as even the number of digits match. e 09:19, 21 January 2025 (UTC)

RfC sorting

Category:Requests for comments were mostly sorted by year (current is Category:Requests for comments in 2025) and status (Category:Requests for comments (open)), a few also by project. I added some subcategories there. Projects with just 1 or 2 RfCs might not have a subcategory. RFCs about non-Wikipedia projects are generally just in the category of that project.

There is now also one for Category:Requests for comments about RFCs. All about individual users could go in another subcategory. Category:Requests for comments related to bots has a few.

The oldest ones are in Category:Requests for comments in 2005. e 10:37, 22 January 2025 (UTC)

Universal Code of Conduct annual review: provide your comments on the UCoC and Enforcement Guidelines

Please help translate to your language.

I am writing to you to let you know the annual review period for the Universal Code of Conduct and Enforcement Guidelines is open now. You can make suggestions for changes through 3 February 2025. This is the first step of several to be taken for the annual review. Read more information and find a conversation to join on the UCoC page on Meta.

The Universal Code of Conduct Coordinating Committee (U4C) is a global group dedicated to providing an equitable and consistent implementation of the UCoC. This annual review was planned and implemented by the U4C. For more information and the responsibilities of the U4C, you may review the U4C Charter.

Please share this information with other members in your community wherever else might be appropriate.

-- In cooperation with the U4C, Keegan (WMF) (talk) 01:10, 24 January 2025 (UTC)