User talk:MER-C/archives/51

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User:Smallbones/Proposed commercial editing policy

Smallbones_(smalltalk) 02:11, 13 July 2020 (UTC)

Paid sock returns

Pestering you again unfortunately. Found two drafts at AfC today (creator's contributions here) keeping to the usual standard of paid editing, but also noticed that both Draft:Empathy Wines and Draft:Gallery Media Group contain references accessed before their respective draft's creation date. Checked for these articles in the mainspace and sure enough you deleted Empathy Wines and Gallery Media Group on the same day as sock creations. Given these two topics have now returned with their originally-dated references intact, I am guessing the original creator has returned as a new sock. SamHolt6 (talk) 04:09, 13 July 2020 (UTC)

The original articles were created by the same user but this account does not follow the same abuse pattern. Blocked and AFCs rejected. MER-C 09:41, 13 July 2020 (UTC)

Joe Gray Taylor

Apparently the page Joe Gray Taylor was copyvioed in October, but it hasn't been deleted yet. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:241:300:B610:E86F:930:66BE:734 (talk) 23:39, 13 July 2020 (UTC)

Should it be deleted? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:241:300:B610:D022:E46:18:F52D (talk) 00:11, 16 July 2020 (UTC)

I forgot to list it, it is now listed at Wikipedia:Copyright problems/2020 July 14. It will be deleted on the 22nd if a rewrite is not presented. MER-C 16:26, 16 July 2020 (UTC)

Mail Notice

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Celestina007 (talk) 07:04, 14 July 2020 (UTC)

@Celestina007: Specifics would be appreciated. MER-C 18:10, 14 July 2020 (UTC)

Replied Sir. Celestina007 (talk) 10:28, 15 July 2020 (UTC)

Gianfranco Battisti

Hello MER-C, thanks a lot for your message as well as for all your suggestions :) I am aware of my conflict of interest and I agree with all precautions Wikipedia adopts in order to prevent bias and advertising. For this reason, I disclosed my affiliation with the company I work for on my user page the best I could, in line with the rules.

What I have written is true and I mean it: I will propose content in the talk pages only. I understand that I could be slightly and even subconsciously influenced by my COI when thinking about how I could contribute to the content.

In this case, however, I have just translated the biography of Gianfranco Battisti, already approved in Italian on Wikipedia without any "warning template" on the page. If I followed the "article wizard" suggested procedure, I would appear as the author (since I have a COI, I am probably not allowed to do that), while I only acted as a translator of the content .

In your opinion, would it be advisable to explain all I have said so far in the draft's talk page then put an "help me" template? Thank you in advance.

Claudia Frattini (talk) 14:22, 14 July 2020 (UTC)

The English Wikipedia is editorially independent of the Italian Wikipedia and our inclusion criteria may be different. The Italian Wikipedia article was written by Elisabetta de Grimani, who is/was also a paid editor. MER-C 17:13, 14 July 2020 (UTC)

Thank you for clearing that up for me, now I understand. Given what we have said so far, in your opinion, what is the best way to submit this biography to the community for approval, now that it is in the draft stage? Claudia Frattini (talk) 10:16, 15 July 2020 (UTC)

Whack {{subst:submit}} at the top and someone will review it in due course. MER-C 17:28, 15 July 2020 (UTC)

Undisclosed paid editing on es-wiki

As per off-wiki evidence (in your inbox) user JaimeMullet was hired to create w:es:Aimsun Next so any idea how to deal with it? The master account for this sockfarm is TechTechToe (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log). GSS ^💬 16:10, 14 July 2020 (UTC)

Is this user an established cross-wiki spammer? If so, send the evidence to the stewards. If not, then I don't know. MER-C 17:16, 14 July 2020 (UTC)

Not sure about other wikis, but as per their off-wiki profile they were hired to create pages on Spanish and English Wikipedia. Will forward the evidence to stewards soon. GSS ^💬 17:44, 14 July 2020 (UTC)

• Here you go user Karaokeking336 is back with Assth1992 and created Bottlepay. GSS ^💬 13:59, 15 July 2020 (UTC)

  Blocked. MER-C 17:28, 15 July 2020 (UTC)

Incorrectly marked as copyvio

EranBot incorrectly marked revision 967815054 on Draft:Better Call Saul (season 6) as a potential copyright violation. To the best of my knowledge, I only copied non-copyvio content from Better Call Saul (season 5), but which I have since undone. Can you please help me? I do not want to be blocked again. --Kailash29792 (talk) 14:10, 15 July 2020 (UTC)

Kailash29792, that bot operates off of comparing text inserted into pages it's crawled. It's crawled about 85% of webpages on the internet, sans a few wikipedia pages, leading to backwards violations like this. I've marked the report as no action, so you have nothing to worry about. Moneytrees🌴^{Talk🌲Help out at CCI!} 16:45, 15 July 2020 (UTC)

Rebecca Petty

Why did you delete my Wiki page??? What is the copyright infringement? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Pettybecca (talk • contribs) 17:31, 15 July 2020 (UTC)

It was written by a user (Billy Hathorn) who is banned (twice) for repeated and systematic copyright violations. It is Wikipedia policy that the contributions of such users may be removed indiscriminately. Wikipedia volunteers take copyright problems seriously (unlike Youtube) - we want to avoid the situation where the site owners get a DMCA notice for any of his thousand plus articles which will trigger the immediate deletion of all of his articles. It is without question that Ms. Petty (I cannot assume that you are her) meets our inclusion criteria so she will be covered at some point. MER-C 17:45, 15 July 2020 (UTC)

Curious about an editor

Hi MER-C! I'm just curious if you recognise the editing style of what looks to me to be a paid editor. MelbourneIdentity turned up on May 4, created a series of 8 articles in four days - all in just one or two edits - and then disappeared. Looks like a paid editor, but I don't recognise the style of using a throwaway for multiple articles rather than just the one, but treating it as a throwaway. Does it match anyone you know? - Bilby (talk) 03:29, 16 July 2020 (UTC)

No, I don't recognize this either. But yes, it is suspicious. MER-C 16:32, 16 July 2020 (UTC)

No problem. I'll look back over my list and see if I can identify a pattern. I've always worked from the other direction, but I should see if I can work out a system to go the other way, as it might be helpful. - Bilby (talk) 17:49, 16 July 2020 (UTC)

Move to Draft

Hi Mer-C. Is there some kind of guideline about when it's appropriate for non-admins to move an article that is not ready for mainspace back to draft? It comes up now and then with articles that are inadequately sourced. Thanks for any advice you might have.ThatMontrealIP (talk) 02:01, 19 July 2020 (UTC)

(talk page stalker) There's WP:DRAFTIFY, an explanatory supplement to policy. Usedtobecool ☎️ 08:24, 19 July 2020 (UTC)

Thanks, that is what I was looking for...ThatMontrealIP (talk) 16:40, 19 July 2020 (UTC)

Copyvio copyvio

I ran into a user with a ton of copyvio warnings on their talk page, so I took a look at their significant additions. Indian Institute of Information Technology, Sonepat comes up as a copyvio, but I am not sure if all admins would G12 it. CSD has gotten conservative lately, but I can't see what of value could be saved by trying to save it, especially since, AFAICT, the article should be a redirect to Indian Institutes of Information Technology anyway. The other reason I hesitate to act is, as unlikely as I find an organisation copying to their about from their Wikipedia page rather than the other way around, the source page has captures only since 2019. Then there is Indian Institute of Information Technology, Una which comes clean but obviously developed from the same content, at least in part, as the other one (this revision of the latter matches in part with the current version of the former). I was wondering if you could look at the articles as well as the user. I have watchlisted the pages, and will know/learn-from actions, if any, you take. Regards! Usedtobecool ☎️ 08:24, 19 July 2020 (UTC)

It didn't take me long to find [1] copied from https://medical.ddu.ac.in/. I listed Indian Institute of Information Technology, Sonepat at Wikipedia:Copyright problems (as you should do with any article that you know is a copyvio but don't know whether admins will delete it G12). I blocked the user for copyvios and non-communication, and will open a WP:CCI as well. MER-C 11:32, 19 July 2020 (UTC)

I also nominated their uploads on Commons for deletion. See also Wikipedia:Contributor copyright investigations/Shahvr. MER-C 15:12, 19 July 2020 (UTC)

Noted and bookmarked. Thank you very much! Usedtobecool ☎️ 07:31, 20 July 2020 (UTC)

Hey

Can you give me the admin please. Pancaiks&Butter (talk) 14:15, 19 July 2020 (UTC)

No. MER-C 15:31, 19 July 2020 (UTC)

Why dude Pancaiks&Butter (talk) 18:16, 19 July 2020 (UTC)

UPE

As per an advert off-wiki (in your inbox) user DylanDeSilva55 was hired to create Draft:Hemendra Chirananda Fernando. I left {{welcome-COI}} and {{uw-paid2}} on their talk page, but it sounds like they are not interested in replying. GSS ^💬 18:05, 20 July 2020 (UTC)

Blocked and deleted. MER-C 19:14, 20 July 2020 (UTC)

Thank you, and this (user Lourdescab) looks like a compromised account as per the advert in your inbox. GSS ^💬 03:50, 21 July 2020 (UTC)

+We have user Havencrest Castle‎, hired to create Havencrest Castle, Free Tours by Foot (now in draft) and to edit Brian Kelsey‎. They started paid editing in April as per their off-wiki profile, but this account was registered last month so socking applies and so as G5 I guess. I'm trying to find the master account and will send you evidence shortly. GSS ^💬 07:09, 21 July 2020 (UTC)

Please check your inbox for details. GSS ^💬 08:46, 21 July 2020 (UTC)

First my user name is Didsomeonesaybacon secondly it would be best if you replied to my comment and not go behind users back and accuse. The user page havencrest castle is when I uploaded the article by mistake it uploaded as a user and not an article.Is this really the true side of Wikipedia? Didsomeonesaybacon (talk) 11:06, 21 July 2020 (UTC)

Dishonest spammers like you are not welcome here. Blocked. MER-C 16:58, 21 July 2020 (UTC)

Thank you as always. Please don't forget to take care of their alternative account Aroundthetown333 and I'll call a CU with special glasses to look into their sock drawer. GSS ^💬 17:05, 21 July 2020 (UTC)

Possible undisclosed paid

I strongly believe user MonkeyKingdom is an undisclosed paid editor. The account was inactive since October 2019 (made one edit in Feb and 2 edits on July 9) then suddenly uploaded File:Pascal Mouawad.jpg and removed the decline notice and categorised the draft (possibly was preparing to move). The article (Pascal Mouawad) was created by user Legion Legion who was hired by the Pascal Mouawad on Freelancer.com (diff). User MonkeyKingdom claimed that the image was sent to them personally, but at the same time, they denied any conflict of interest on my talk page. They were mostly editing/creating pages related to Uganda and I have no idea what suddenly made them edit the biography of a businessman based in the United States who was hiring freelancers to create his page. I asked them why the image was sent to them and why they choose to edit this particular page after a long break but received no response. GSS ^💬 15:37, 21 July 2020 (UTC)

GSS, don't forget Kakuturi, new editor who "just happens" to show up at the draft as one of their first actions. GeneralNotability (talk) 16:53, 21 July 2020 (UTC)

Blocked both accounts. MER-C 17:02, 21 July 2020 (UTC)

Big new CCI

Could you please fill Wikipedia:Contributor copyright investigations/Snickers2686? It shouldn't be too bad. Thanks, Moneytrees🌴^{Talk🌲Help out at CCI!} 22:24, 21 July 2020 (UTC)

Undisclosed paid editing

As per some off-wiki evidence, user Isingness was hired to create Annette Comer which they started a few days after the advert was posted and completed two days before the deadline. I asked them to disclose their paid editing status, but they denied, and I'm not satisfied with their answer due to what I have witnessed off-wiki. The article was earlier created by user Shubhashree Sen in draft space, and they were hired too. I can't disclose much here per WP:OUTING so, have dropped a detailed email please take a look. Thank you. GSS ^💬 11:43, 24 July 2020 (UTC)

(talk page stalker) @GSS: Good catch - after looking through their contribs, it looks like all of their creations this year are UPE. SmartSE (talk) 11:53, 24 July 2020 (UTC)

MER-C and SmartSE, can one of you please also block user Shubhashree Sen? GSS ^💬 17:47, 24 July 2020 (UTC)

Done. MER-C 17:53, 24 July 2020 (UTC)

There's still a lot of quarantining to be done to finish this one off. The spamming goes back further than the beginning of this year - June 2019 at least. MER-C 18:36, 24 July 2020 (UTC)

Personally I think this goes back to 2017. Given the below I don't want to say more here about why. If that's correct should we be G5ing? And should we ask a CU to take a look for other accounts? SmartSE (talk) 18:06, 27 July 2020 (UTC)

Yes to CU, privately. paid-en-wp is probably too slow to make this month's Signpost so a friendly CU is probably better. I'd hold off on the deletions, I want Mr. Bafer (or whoever that person is) to walk away satisfied even in the highly likely scenario that they don't get an article. MER-C 18:22, 27 July 2020 (UTC)

Have done SmartSE (talk) 18:54, 27 July 2020 (UTC)

Smartse and MER-C, can you both please check your inbox? Looks like another experienced user is involved in undisclosed paid editing. GSS ^💬 04:11, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

Might want to check for cross-wiki issues. I see they have been active on es.wiki, it.wiki, wikidata, Simple English... ☆ Bri (talk) 03:17, 28 July 2020 (UTC)

ygm

Hello, MER-C/archives. Please check your email; you've got mail!
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Praxidicae (talk) 12:38, 24 July 2020 (UTC)

Plaxico Johnson taken care of. I don't think the other is actionable. MER-C 18:23, 24 July 2020 (UTC)

I don't either (yet) just looking for some feedback. Praxidicae (talk) 18:26, 24 July 2020 (UTC)

MER-C Please also have a look at this shit show. Bernardo still hasn't complied with our TOU for paid editing and is outsourcing it to other paid editors without proper disclosure under those accounts either, while attempting to puff up articles under the radar and remove maintenance tags. Praxidicae (talk)

He's now blocked for spamming. MER-C 10:04, 25 July 2020 (UTC)

Mail - more likely UDP activity

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SamHolt6 (talk) 02:13, 25 July 2020 (UTC)

You'll probably find this funny

Instead of copying in an "about page" someone copied in a page about about pages to serve as their about page. Moneytrees🏝️^{Talk🌴Help out at CCI!} 16:12, 25 July 2020 (UTC)

Oh, and thanks a ton for the new CCI culling script. Moneytrees🏝️^{Talk🌴Help out at CCI!} 16:13, 25 July 2020 (UTC)

Private evidence blocks

Hi MER-C, per WP:BLOCKEVIDENCE, can you please send the evidence for the block of TheImaCow to paid-en-wp@wikipedia.org? The blocking policy discourages blocks based on evidence that cannot be peer-reviewed. – bradv🍁 16:17, 25 July 2020 (UTC)

Done. MER-C 16:25, 25 July 2020 (UTC)

Aw shit, ImaCrow was pretty active at copypatrol. Do you think a review of their reviews needs to be done? Moneytrees🏝️^{Talk🌴Help out at CCI!} 16:41, 25 July 2020 (UTC)

Not yet. I'm not as certain about this block as I was this morning. MER-C 16:44, 25 July 2020 (UTC)

Deleted Page

You recently deleted my page, "Alexander Bafer", and I don't understand why. I would greatly appreciate if you would provide some clarity as to your reason, and perhaps some guidance as to how to correct it. Thank you. --Bibico88 (talk) 17:17, 25 July 2020 (UTC)Alexander Bafer

It hasn't been deleted, just set aside because its author is blocked for undisclosed paid advocacy. Did you pay for the creation of this page? MER-C 17:23, 25 July 2020 (UTC)

Yes, I didn't know how to go about creating a page. I researched service providers to begin the process but was unaware that this was a violation of Wikipedia's policies. Could you instruct me on how to rectify this? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bibico88 (talk • contribs) 19:54, 25 July 2020 (UTC)

@Bibico88: can you explain where did you hire this user to create your page? is there any website or something? GSS ^💬 09:13, 26 July 2020 (UTC)

I'm afraid we don't do articles at the request of subjects. Wikipedia isn't a social media site where everyone can claim their own profile - it's a volunteer curated encyclopedia whose editors make the inclusion decisions. Creating autobiographies is also strongly discouraged. MER-C 09:35, 26 July 2020 (UTC)

wikiexperts.biz I performed a Google search for assistance in creating a Wikipedia page and of several options, this one seemed a credible source. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bibico88 (talk • contribs) 15:48, 26 July 2020 (UTC)

Thanks for that, it's very helpful information. FYI: his editing firm has been banned for nearly seven years. MER-C 16:08, 26 July 2020 (UTC)

Glad to help. Where does this leave me? Is there anything I can do about the page itself being set aside if its edited or formatted to properly meet Wikipedia's guidelines? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bibico88 (talk • contribs) 17:39, 26 July 2020 (UTC)

Can you find three articles about yourself that are reliable, editorially independent of both you and each other and substantially about you, e.g. in major newspapers? (Press releases and sponsored content do not count). If so, you are likely to meet our inclusion criteria and vice versa. MER-C 18:04, 26 July 2020 (UTC)

Here are some articles that should justify the page and fall into inclusion criteria: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebank-group-m-a-fubotv/fubotv-to-merge-with-facebank-sources-say-values-fubotv-at-700-million-idUSKBN21A3OI | https://www.forbes.com/sites/dbloom/2020/03/23/fubotv-merger-facebank-group-online-video-skinny-bundle/ | https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fubotv-merge-facebank-group-ip-developer-1285903 | https://www.kftv.com/news/2015/01/26/hollywood-film-studio-carolco-reopens-with-horror-drama | https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/mario-kassar-interview-carolco-bot-hollywood/ Thank you. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bibico88 (talk • contribs) 19:18, 26 July 2020 (UTC)

Reuters, Hollywood Reporter - these articles are not substantially about you - they are about the FuboTV merger with FaceBank.

KFTV - possibly

Forbes: this actually wasn't written by a Forbes writer but to the part of the Forbes website that essentially is a free blog host. It isn't reliable.

I browsed the last few days of closed deletion discussions to give you a few examples of the type of article required to demonstrate notability: [2][3][4]. "Substantially about you" means at least a few paragraphs. You can also become notable by producing films that receive significant critical attention. You could try submitting the draft by adding {{subst:submit}} to the top. Be prepared for the answer being "no" or "not now" - this is the most likely outcome. The bar is quite high because we get a lot of self-promotion - being included in Wikipedia is a side effect of actions that cause reliable media to take notice of what you do and cannot be forced. MER-C 17:25, 27 July 2020 (UTC)

Understandable. I have a few more links that may prove to be more substantial. 1, 2, and 3 The SEC website is loaded with relevant information and articles, I can inundate you with more information from there if this is similar to what you're looking for. Regardless, I appreciate your transparency and patience! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:58C:C100:41DF:F18E:A32F:6D4B:531D (talk) 21:05, 27 July 2020 (UTC)

SEC filings are definitely reliable and substantial and are generally great for financial details, but they are primary sources and therefore don't count for notability purposes. I mentioned tangentially but forgot to explicitly say that only secondary sources count for establishing notability, as to be notable you need reliable media to write about you. The Yahoo Finance link is a press release (you can tell from the by-line - see Marketwired) and is neither independent nor reliable. MER-C 17:05, 28 July 2020 (UTC)

Deletion of "Neil Brennan" page

Hi, can I ask why this page was deleted? I thought I had provided enough references for it to be useful and many of the pieces of work referenced and co-writers of the games have their own wikipedia pages. Is there a policy I don't understand or something else wrong with it? Thanks Nellobanana (talk) 00:33, 26 July 2020 (UTC)

Please show me at least three secondary sources that are reliable, independent and cover the subject in detail. Your article has zero. See WP:BIO. MER-C 08:53, 26 July 2020 (UTC)

Deletion review for NextDNS

An editor has asked for a deletion review of NextDNS. Because you closed the deletion discussion for this page, speedily deleted it, or otherwise were interested in the page, you might want to participate in the deletion review. DeliciousInternetSpeeds 08:41, 27 July 2020 (UTC)

Undisclosed paid editing by Fidonewt

Fidonewt was hired to create Joshua Fletcher, but they claimed "I tried to write my first article about a psychotherapist who helped me in UK" (evidence in your inbox). GSS ^💬 06:15, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

Also, user Brzoskajerzy‎ was hired to create Brian Scott Fine Arts and not replying to the paid warning. I dropped some evidence in your inbox (CC Smartse) please take a look before they are destroyed. GSS ^💬 10:10, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

Blocked both. The images themselves (File:2-lorena.jpg, File:Abiad in 2017.jpg, File:Joshua-fletcher-panic-room.jpg) are enough reason to block. MER-C 12:20, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

Thank you, and we have another possible undisclosed paid editor user KnightOutAtNight who was registered a few days back, first started Draft:Daniel Mofor and uploaded File:Daniel Mofor.jpg (not available online) as their own work and then created Draft:Vivek Bindra who was hiring multiple people to get his article on Wikipedia please see Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Abhishek shannu/Archive, Draft:Dr. Vivek Bindra, Dr. Vivek Bindra and Vivek Bindra. GSS ^💬 12:41, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

I asked them to provide a source for the image and they don't remember. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ GSS ^💬 13:10, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

Also blocked for spamming. MER-C 16:35, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

I imagine you are aware of this sock farm

Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Arshifakhan61, probably much more aware than am I. You have resources I do not for seeking out UPE, or so it feels. I do my best. You seem to do better. this user is active at present. Fiddle Faddle 14:00, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

(talk page stalker) I have tagged their pages for deletion as per CU finding on Wikidata and this. GSS ^💬 14:03, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

GSS, good call. Fiddle Faddle 14:05, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

Copyvio

Hello! You had warned this user previously about copyvio. I happened upon their articles today, and found copyvio in the first three I checked.ThatMontrealIP (talk) 16:21, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

Was there any copyvios added after my final warning? MER-C 16:44, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

I'll check. ThatMontrealIP (talk) 16:48, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

I posted two more to that talk page. One is recent (3-4 sentences); another is Feb 2020 with large amounts of copyvio. It's a pain in the a** to fix this stuff.ThatMontrealIP (talk) 17:36, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

Thanks, I've now blocked them and opened Wikipedia:Contributor copyright investigations/ZarhanFastfire. MER-C 18:29, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

Return of UPE

Check out this and this. Praxidicae (talk) 14:08, 30 July 2020 (UTC)

Blocked. MER-C 16:41, 30 July 2020 (UTC)

About a deleted article

Hi MER-C. I noticed you deleted Menen Liben Amede back in February. I'm not here to argue about that: the deletion was done for good reason. However, I'd like to find a way to bring it back. The article itself was accurate & well-sourced, & if I wrote it from scratch I'd use practically the same language. After all, the person who first wrote it created it by cut-n-pasting from a number of related articles I wrote. (The give-away is use of a couple of uncommon books that I relied on when I wrote articles about Ethiopia.) Since I'm unfamiliar with this portion of the Deletion process, can you point me to where the process is explained how to do this? Or is it enough to persuade you that recreating the content under my own name is justified? -- llywrch (talk) 20:35, 30 July 2020 (UTC)

You are free to recreate the page. You can use the deleted material as a source of references and other non-creative content (e.g. infoboxes), but not the text. The content should not be restored, either by copying and pasting or undeletion. (Basically, treat it as any copyvio deletion). MER-C 07:50, 31 July 2020 (UTC)

Is there a page explaining the process of creating a new article to replace on deleted because it was a copyvio? (I have a suspicion one might need to be written for those not familiar with these kinds of eventualities.) -- llywrch (talk) 18:28, 31 July 2020 (UTC)

No, because it simply isn't needed. Just do it. MER-C 18:46, 31 July 2020 (UTC)

Undisclosed paid/coi editing by EllenZoe

Hello, MER-C/archives. Please check your email; you've got mail!
It may take a few minutes from the time the email is sent for it to show up in your inbox. You can at any time by removing the {{You've got mail}} or {{ygm}} template.— GSS ^💬 09:44, 2 August 2020 (UTC)

@GSS: Please send emails to paid-en-wp BCC me in the future. MER-C 11:17, 2 August 2020 (UTC)

Roger that. GSS ^💬 11:20, 2 August 2020 (UTC)

FYI

this new user has been taking it upon themselves to circumvent WP:PAID for long since blocked editors. May want to take a peek. Praxidicae (talk) 15:05, 4 August 2020 (UTC)

The paid stuff they unquarantined is actually quite recent. There's a few red flags but not enough to block yet. MER-C 17:15, 4 August 2020 (UTC)

This edit by them is alarming, the previous request was made by a sock of Swarup Kumar Solanki (the master of a large paid sock farm). GSS ^💬 17:32, 4 August 2020 (UTC)

I would never support unblocking yourstory.com. See my comments at RSN here. MyStory is an open platform which allows anyone who agrees to signup to write a story. ["who can publish on mystory"], it is a de facto Indian startup advertising/self-promo/PR site. - Bri.public (talk) 16:29, 5 August 2020 (UTC)

Swarup Kumar Solanki

By the way, I believe I located an earlier master for Swarup Kumar Solanki; see [5]. I can provide off-wiki evidence if required. - Bri.public (talk) 17:31, 5 August 2020 (UTC)

More undisclosed paid editing

1. User Shreerao007 (WP:NOTHERE) created Shreepada R. Rao, Draft:Rao's Yuva Academy and Draft:Karnataka Taekwondo Association. A request to disclose their paid/coi editing status was denied, but Googling their username revealed a case of self-promotion and advertising.
2. User Felafelfella was hired to create Draft:Robert Foye through Upwork and not responding to the paid warning.
3. User Mira Kusimayo created Draft:Deniz Kahramaner in response to this advert on Freelancer.com (archive).

In respect to their privacy, I have mailed the link to the advert for Robert Foye to paid-en-wp (BCC you). GSS ^💬 06:00, 5 August 2020 (UTC)

2 and 3 are not blockable because they haven't touched mainspace. I left a warning for 1, if they spam again they will be blocked. MER-C 16:49, 5 August 2020 (UTC)

2 was asked to disclose their paid editing status on their talk page, they made four edits hours after the warning was issued but didn't reply. GSS ^💬 16:53, 5 August 2020 (UTC)

I don't reply to postings on this page immediately either - I may log on, make some edits, then go to this page and deal with the stuff here. MER-C 16:56, 5 August 2020 (UTC)

Have dropped a reminder {{uw-paid2}} so let's see if this works. GSS ^💬 17:00, 5 August 2020 (UTC)

Wikipedia:Featured picture candidates/Sphaerechinus granularis

Your Featured picture candidate has been promoted Your nomination for featured picture status, File:Erizo de mar violáceo (Sphaerechinus granularis), Madeira, Portugal, 2019-05-31, DD 40.jpg, gained a consensus of support, and has been promoted. If you would like to nominate another image, please do so at Wikipedia:Featured picture candidates. Armbrust The Homunculus 13:24, 5 August 2020 (UTC)

Been a while

Since I've seen the farm from Mark White (model) but hey, they've got moxy! Praxidicae (talk) 13:33, 6 August 2020 (UTC)

Blocked and salted. MER-C 16:26, 6 August 2020 (UTC)

Ongoing UPE Ring Amongst Nigerian Editors

This article on Kristen Dawodu created originally by @Delaw34 which was deleted here: Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Kristen Dawodu has been recreated multiple times by a possible UPE ring. see Kristen Gbenga Dawodu created by Omobascholes which is currently at an AFD as can be observed here: Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Kristen Gbenga Dawodu & whilst the article is still in an AFD, it has magically been recreated once more by the original creator @Delaw34 under a different name yet again as can observed here: Oluwagbenga Oluwafemi Dawodu. I have requested a speedy delete under a G4. I suspect both editors have been paid to ensure the creation of that article by the articles subject & both editors have not disclosed this. A quick review of the talk page of the original creator @Delaw34 shows an extensive history of creating articles on individuals with dubious notability. I suspect both editors aren’t here to build an encyclopedia. Thank you for your time. Celestina007 21:04, 6 August 2020 (UTC)

Deleted and blocked both accounts. MER-C 08:20, 7 August 2020 (UTC)

Tracing a few contributions from the second blocked editor has led me to Sean Tizzle. Fiddle Faddle 08:27, 7 August 2020 (UTC)

This one is legacy spam created by a blocked spammer a few years ago. MER-C 12:14, 7 August 2020 (UTC)

Then my AfD is better late than never Fiddle Faddle 12:26, 7 August 2020 (UTC)

Thanks for the swift action. Celestina007 15:59, 7 August 2020 (UTC)

Undisclosed paid editing and socking

User DoubraAkika was hired to edit Debesh Roy last month, and the same freelancer was hired to create Ram Kumar Thota (and more) that user Wikier007 posted in main. They were also subcontracted by Boskit190 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log). Please check your inbox for more details. GSS ^💬 07:19, 7 August 2020 (UTC)

Blocked Wikier007. As for Debesh Roy, I think the spammer was Harryishere and not DoubraAkika. They're blocked too. (I have no idea what is going on at User:RoddemanDennis/sandbox). MER-C 16:39, 7 August 2020 (UTC)

Thank you. this doesn't look like a brand new user to me. Their second edit was to create common.js page to use the WP:RATER script and then after making some random edits they created Ehraz Ahmed a copy of the deleted version, then they posted Draft:Vivek Ramachandran (another promotional article) and after the submission was declined they created Cafe Latte attack founded by Vivek Ramachandran. Please see Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Khushboojain191 for more. GSS ^💬 18:20, 7 August 2020 (UTC)

MER-C you need to take a look at Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Tochnog professional re User:RoddemanDennis/sandbox. --Devokewater@ 12:56, 9 August 2020 (UTC)

The AFD doesn't explain why Harryishere tried to blank the sandbox repeatedly. MER-C 13:00, 9 August 2020 (UTC)

Alkemy X

Heya, can you tell me who created Alkemy X? It appears to be back as Alkemy X, Inc. and I'm wondering if I need to file an SPI. Praxidicae (talk) 12:45, 7 August 2020 (UTC)

@Praxidicae, see User talk:Prkitchen also. They posted the same in draftspace around two weeks ago. GSS ^💬 12:48, 7 August 2020 (UTC)

The original creator was Kgayhart. I've blocked Gabiwork as a sock of Prkitchen. MER-C 16:07, 7 August 2020 (UTC)

Undisclosed paid editing and edit warring

User Aneesh smart pix was asked to disclose their paid editing status, but instead of replying they are edit warring at Gaadha. Googling their username revealed they work for a company that promote actors and films. The user has a history of edit warning and promoting non-notable topics please see their talk page. GSS ^💬 08:53, 9 August 2020 (UTC)

Blocked. MER-C 09:09, 9 August 2020 (UTC)

Possible UPE by JoseMartin(Rubia)

• JoseMartin(Rubia) (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log)

Hi MER-C!

Firstly, I'm not sure we've ever interacted before; I would like to express my appreciation for all the anti-UPE work you've done around here.

Secondly, I wonder if User:JoseMartin(Rubia) might be an undisclosed paid editor. He claims to be unpaid, but he's created:

• Draft:Vitaver and Associates Inc. (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs)
• Draft:DMI FINANCE (financial services) (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs)
• Draft:DMI Finance (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs)
• Affinity Beyond Capital (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs)

and various other pages.

I'd be curious to hear your thoughts.

Kind regards, —Unforgettableid (talk) 10:48, 9 August 2020 (UTC)

I agree. Blocked. MER-C 11:04, 9 August 2020 (UTC)

WikiProject Vancouver category moves

Hello, MER-C. I would like to revisit the outcome of this discussion to rename Category:Vancouver articles by importance and Category:Vancouver articles by quality. While I acknowledge the discussion was unanimous and you could not have closed it differently, only 2 editors participated to produce a local consensus that goes against the broader consensus applicable to Category:Wikipedia 1.0 assessments. Even today, only 51 of 4,346 WP1.0 assessment categories at this level, or ~1.2%, use "WikiProject" in the title, and I intend to work on correcting most of those soon. I'd appreciate your thoughts on this. (Pinging Fayenatic london and Marcocapelle for transparency.) -- Black Falcon ^(talk) 20:04, 9 August 2020 (UTC)