User talk:Barts1a

I am under a few editing restrictions for the time being; namely: I am topic banned from noticeboards. I am topic banned from all contentious articles and their talk pages I am not using Huggle I am adhering to the one revert rule

For my old archives please see User_talk:Barts1a/OldArchives

Community ban appeal

Wall of text ban appeal
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
This user's unblock request has been reviewed by an administrator, who declined the request. Other administrators may also review this block, but should not override the decision without good reason (see the blocking policy). Barts1a (block log • active blocks • global blocks • contribs • deleted contribs • filter log • creation log • change block settings • unblock • checkuser (log)) Request reason: I have questioned if this appeal is even worth it. I’m so disconnected from Wikipedia at this point that if I was successful I would be starting from scratch. I have not been successful in talking myself out of this so here we go. TL;DR at bottom. I started my Wikipedia saga in October 2006 under the username Doggie015, later renamed to Barts1a due to lessened insult potential. Over the years I slowly built up edits, complaints, blocks, and editing restrictions until I decided I should try to start fresh under a new account. To this day I cannot tell you the logic behind this decision; but in October 2012; I created the user account PantherLeapord, making it clear that I was also the guy operating Barts1a with my first edit. I was evading my editing restrictions from day 1 on that account, and I had become convinced that some time off to let the heat die down could let me return with a clean slate, so in November 2016 I created the user account Twitbookspacetube, which was readily linked to the Barts1a and PantherLeapord accounts, But I was still the same naïve fool and in September 2017 the community bought the hammer down as a community ban. I made a few appeals of my community ban under the delusional beliefs listed below and obviously they were denied, which caused me to become disinterested in contributing to Wikipedia and take time to truly reflect on what I did. It's a long and complicated saga spanning 11 years, and there is no way to properly sum up the whole thing without writing a biography-length breakdown. But I’m not here to tell you the story, I’m here to appeal the community ban, And to address the various reasons that added up to this outcome. First of all; I would like to present a list of what I believe to be the reasons that ultimately added up to this. I’ve had 6 years to reflect on this but even then I don’t think I got everything. Repeated lies, manipulation, being too eager to do what I see as "helping" regardless of who gets hurt along the way, being like a metaphorical bull in a china shop for filing at ArbCom, failed/Invalid WP:CLEANSTART, Being on what I now see as a false crusade against "Corrupt admins" where none exist, and generally being annoying. I realize that there are some things I would have missed here, and if I have, or you want something further explained; feel free to point it out and I’ll do my best to expand on it. Repeated lies & Manipulation: I didn’t see myself as doing these things at the time, but now that I’ve had time to think about it I can see where these accusations come from. I did my best to work around restrictions I viewed as punitive and overbearing. Every time I would be seen as reformed, and even once managed to get some restrictions lifted, I fell back into my old behavior assuming that the lifting of the restrictions was a final victory against my fictional “corrupt admins” and when they were reimposed, I ignored them because I saw that as proof of these fictional “corrupt admins” retaliating against me. It was done to prevent my antics from damaging the encyclopedia, and the actions of all admins involved would pass any level of scrutiny. Eagerness to help, consequences be damned: I saw myself as a “Hero” of Wikipedia who would lead the encyclopedia into a new golden age without vandalism and disruption. I realize now how stupid I was to assume I could do anything like that. And as I did my “Hero” work, I ignored everyone who I got in the way. I ran through every barrier and every person with no regard for what I did to them. I don’t think I can apologize to everyone, I suspect that a lot of them have left the encyclopedia project, but to those you still able to read this; I humbly apologize for what I did, and I hope I can make up for it. ArbCom bull in a china shop: I was eager to help take down the fictional “Corrupt admins” so in the brief time my restrictions did not include a ban from noticeboards; I looked for cases of bad admin behaviour, posed the question to the community if there were any objections, and upon receiving none; I filed cases at ArbCom. I was assuming that no objections meant the path was clear, even if it proved to be anything but. I should have slowed down and thought about what I was doing and why, but I didn’t. I apologize for the ArbCom time wasted as a result of this, and to the community for bringing these cases without explicit approval. Failed/Invalid WP:CLEANSTART: I assumed that WP:CLEANSTART applied to my case as a “Get out of jail free” card, ignoring that it only applies to accounts without any editing restrictions and active blocks. I was thoroughly mistaken about it and for that, I apologize. I will be sticking to the Barts1a account in the interest of transparency, should the community see fit to give me yet another chance. The false crusade: Underlying all this behavior was my false belief that Wikipedia administrators personally hated me and wanted to do everything possible to prevent me from being the “Hero” of the encyclopedia. This delusion was the driving force behind these actions. I now realize how wrong this belief was and I apologize for it. I cannot undo the many wrongs I have committed, but hopefully, I can make up for them. Being annoying: There’s not a lot to say on this one. I was annoying. I hope that I can be given a chance to prove that I can stop being annoying. I cannot truly express my deep regret for my actions, and I hope that the community can forgive me. I can understand if this forgiveness is denied. And hopefully, this wall of text is not too intimidating. Barts1a / Talk to me / Help me improve 10:39 pm, 14 January 2024, last Sunday (3 days ago) (UTC−5) TL;DR: I started here in 2006, and attempted to evade sanctions and restrictions by changing usernames multiple times, which led to this community ban imposed in 2017. Upon reflection, I truly realize how I was dishonest, and manipulative, and overzealous, and annoying. I have addressed what I view as the major mistakes in the wall of text above. If you find a point I failed to address, let me know. Barts1a / Talk to me / Help me improve 01:26, 16 January 2024 (UTC) Additional: I completely forgot about the Sir Uncle Ned account. I had intended to use that account as yet another WP:CLEANSTART attempt, but I couldn't bring myself to so it so I sent an email to TonyBallioni admitting this, and they got the sockpuppet tagged and blocked. Barts1a / Talk to me / Help me improve 03:51, 15 January 2024 (UTC) Decline reason: carried over to WP:AN -- Deepfriedokra (talk) 18:29, 17 January 2024 (UTC) If you want to make any further unblock requests, please read the guide to appealing blocks first, then use the {{unblock}} template again. If you make too many unconvincing or disruptive unblock requests, you may be prevented from editing this page until your block has expired. Do not remove this unblock review while you are blocked. If someone could copy this to the relevant noticeboard; it would be greatly appreciated.

Great Ghu! Can you make this concise and clear? The longer the |text, the less likely it is to be read. Thanks-- Deepfriedokra (talk) 20:57, 15 January 2024 (UTC)

I'll see what I can do. I may have to make a TL;DR. There's a lot I need to address to have a successful appeal. Barts1a / Talk to me / Help me improve 01:15, 16 January 2024 (UTC)

Hopefully this TL;DR helps. I used ChatGPT to get the general format of it and used that to build this in my own words. I can't condense those points any further. Barts1a / Talk to me / Help me improve 01:26, 16 January 2024 (UTC)

I probably missed this, but which is your original account? Why are you not appealing via Twitbookspacetube? -- Deepfriedokra (talk) 11:44, 17 January 2024 (UTC)

This is the oldest account and therefore the original account. I was community banned under twitbookspacetube, but I can’t appeal there because that account has their talk page blocked due to my misuse of it. Barts1a / Talk to me 12:42, 17 January 2024 (UTC)

Thanks. It'll take a while as the feeling in my fingers returns -- Deepfriedokra (talk) 13:21, 17 January 2024 (UTC)

carried over -- Deepfriedokra (talk) 14:08, 17 January 2024 (UTC)

Thanks for the help. Barts1a / Talk to me 14:15, 17 January 2024 (UTC)

• Questions When was your last edit on the project as an IP or under any account? When is the last time you evaded your block? Do you have any undeclared accounts? -Ad Orientem (talk) 18:02, 17 January 2024 (UTC)

  I also saw in a previous appeal that you claimed to have made positive contributions to other wikis. Can you point to any that you're proud of? Being productive on other wikis is generally seen as a good step in an appeal. Additionally, what are some things you would be interested in doing on Wikipedia if the ban is lifted? The Wordsmith^{Talk to me} 19:58, 17 January 2024 (UTC)

  The only edit I can really say I’m proud of is my simplification of https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysaethesia_aethiopica - I honestly wouldn’t be interested in much beyond providing updated photos of places in Perth and possibly a few minor edits here and there. Barts1a / Talk to me 23:12, 17 January 2024 (UTC)

  I think I made one edit as an IP a couple of years ago, the last time I evaded my block would be when I created the “Sir Uncle Ned” sleeper, And if I have any undeclared accounts then that would be news to me. Barts1a / Talk to me 23:07, 17 January 2024 (UTC)

  Thank you. -Ad Orientem (talk) 23:14, 17 January 2024 (UTC)

  Oh crap. I just remembered I made some disruptive edits in either late 2022 or early 2023 as an IP, And tripped edit filters in the process. My apologies. Barts1a / Talk to me 00:18, 18 January 2024 (UTC)

Since it came up, here is the email I sent to TonyBallioni that was generated by ChatGPT, For those of you with access to UTRS, you can look up where I copied the email into UTRS under "twitbookspacetube" and the responses to it. - Barts1a / Talk to me 02:56, 18 January 2024 (UTC)

I would like to file a formal ban appeal.

“Dear Wikipedia Community,

I am reaching out to you today with a heartfelt apology for the disruption caused by my excessive filing of ArbCom cases, which ultimately led to my community ban. In hindsight, I recognize the unintended consequences of my actions, and I deeply regret any harm I may have caused.

I acknowledge that, in my eagerness to hold administrators accountable, I failed to consider the well-being of fellow contributors. My approach was, in essence, like a metaphorical bull in a china shop, and I want to express my sincere apologies to those I may have affected.

While I understand that this appeal may seem like a challenging endeavor, I am committed to making amends. I am genuinely open to learning and improving my contributions to align with the collaborative spirit of Wikipedia. In any future interactions, I will ensure a more considerate and constructive approach.

I am fully aware of the importance of maintaining a positive and collaborative environment within our community, and how my editing restrictions were intended to serve this end. If given the chance, I am willing to undergo additional training or mentoring to better understand and adhere to Wikipedia's policies and guidelines.

I appreciate your time and consideration of this appeal. I am hopeful that, with the support and guidance of the community, I can reintegrate and contribute more thoughtfully to Wikipedia.

Thank you for your understanding.”

———

So it seems like I’ll have to wait another six months. As much as I appreciate the support shown, it seems that my previous actions have doomed this sincere appeal. I can’t provide updated photos under a community ban. No matter how objectively punitive this ban appears to me; it is ultimately not my decision to make and I have to respect it. I had a chance at a clean break and couldn’t bring myself to it. I understand why I got the ban but that’s obviously not enough. Actions speak louder than words but I can’t commit actions to back my words with this community ban keeping me on the gallows. What will it take to get you to remove this community ban? Barts1a / Talk to me 06:02, 20 January 2024 (UTC)

😢 -- Deepfriedokra (talk) 06:51, 20 January 2024 (UTC)

The discussion hasn't been closed and the number of comments is relatively small. As of right now opinions appear to be split. IMO it's a bit early to throw in the towel. That said, if they say not now based on recent block evasion, then you can always come back. -Ad Orientem (talk) 18:00, 20 January 2024 (UTC)

I’m not exactly optimistic. It seems like people are not reading the whole thing before !voting oppose, or are not considering that if a CU found anything beyond what I already disclosed they would be shouting it from the rooftops by now. I’m not stupid anymore. I know that the oppose !votes would influence others to trust them over independently reading the appeal. Barts1a / Talk to me 04:51, 21 January 2024 (UTC)

Well shut my big mouth. I fully accept that this is the final chance and any disruption will encounter a swift reblock and potential reban. I heartily thank the community for their leniency. Hopefully this message doesn’t also prove to be incorrect later. Barts1a / Talk to me 03:39, 23 January 2024 (UTC)

Yeah, assuming this thing passes, there should be no doubt that this drink is being served in the Last Chance Saloon. -Ad Orientem (talk) 03:44, 23 January 2024 (UTC)

• Update This seems to have fallen off everyone's radar. I have posted a request at WP:CR for someone to close the discussion. -Ad Orientem (talk) 21:51, 28 January 2024 (UTC)

  Cheers. Barts1a / Talk to me 22:24, 28 January 2024 (UTC) Barts1a / Talk to me 22:24, 28 January 2024 (UTC)

Discussion has continued long enough and appears to have enough participation. While it's not unanimous, there appears to be a consensus to unban you at this time. You seem to have learned from his mistakes, so we can give you a Last Chance(tm). Any existing editing restrictions would need to be appealed separately, so please review them before returning. --SarekOfVulcan (talk) 15:55, 30 January 2024 (UTC)

I cannot thank the community enough for this last chance. It's up to me to make sure I back my words with actions. Reblocks are cheap and on a hair trigger, so if I screw up it'll be the end of my editing career. This time I won't fall back into the old ways. Barts1a / Talk to me 22:49, 30 January 2024 (UTC)