User talk:GibLes

March 2014[edit]

Your account has been blocked indefinitely from editing Wikipedia because it appears to be mainly intended for publicity and/or promotional purposes. If you intend to edit constructively in other topic areas, you may be granted the right to continue under a change of username. Please read the following carefully.

Why can't I edit Wikipedia?

Your account's edits and/or username indicate that it is being used on behalf of a company, group, website or organization for purposes of promotion and/or publicity. The edits may have violated one or more of our rules on spamming, which include: adding inappropriate external links, posting advertisements and using Wikipedia for promotion. Wikipedia has many articles on companies, groups, and organizations, but such groups are generally discouraged from using Wikipedia to write about themselves. In addition, usernames like yours are disallowed under our username policy.

Am I allowed to make these edits if I change my username?

Probably not, although if you can demonstrate a pattern of future editing in strict accordance with our neutral point of view policy, you may be granted this right. See Wikipedia's FAQ for Organizations for a helpful list of frequently asked questions by people in your position. Also, review the conflict of interest guidance to see the kinds of limitations you would have to obey if you did want to continue editing about your company, group, organization, or clients. If this does not fit in with your goals, then you will not be allowed to edit Wikipedia again.

What can I do now?

If you have no interest in writing about some other topic than your organization, group, company, or product, you may consider using one of the many websites that allow this instead.

If you do intend to make useful contributions here about some other topic, you must convince a Wikipedia administrator that you mean it. To that end, please do the following:

Add the text {{unblock-spamun|Your proposed new username|Your reason here}} on your user talk page.
Replace the text "Your proposed new username" with a new username you are willing to use. See Special:Listusers to search for available usernames. Your new username will need to meet our username policy.
Replace the text "Your reason here" with your reason to be unblocked. In this reason, you must:
- Convince us that you understand the reason for your block and that you will not repeat the edits for which you were blocked.
- Describe in general terms the contributions that you intend to make if you are unblocked.

If you believe this block was made in error, you may appeal this block by adding the text {{unblock|Your reason here}} below, but you should read the guide to appealing blocks first. MER-C 11:54, 3 March 2014 (UTC)[reply]

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).

GibLes (block log • active blocks • global blocks • contribs • deleted contribs • filter log • creation log • change block settings • unblock • checkuser (log))

Request reason:

I work in the IT department of Enterprise Insurance. We are a bonafide Insurance Company and have noticed that there is a page related to another Enterprise Insurance (based in Ghana). We would like to provide information about ourselves and our activities and to have some balance in that any internet user searching for 'Enterprise Insurance' and trying to find out about who we are and our activities, may actually find what they are looking for and not to be only presented with the details of this Ghana based company. I am intending to include useful information which people may genuinely benefit from such as terms used in insurance, facts about the company, facts about the industry, how claims are processed, decision making processes, etc... I would also like to include information about our other activities such as for example, that we are a main sponsor for Leeds United and would like things like this to be presented factually. As we are who we are, we would like to present accurate and useful information to anybody who may be trying to find out things about us and Wikipedia being a huge source for all types of information is a likely place for people to attempt to do this. It is my first attempt at creating articles about us and would not like to fall at the first hurdle so any advice would be gratefully received.

Decline reason:

I am declining your unblock request because it does not address the reason for your block, or because it is inadequate for other reasons. To be unblocked, you must convince the reviewing administrator(s) that

the block is not necessary to prevent damage or disruption to Wikipedia, or
the block is no longer necessary because you
1. understand what you have been blocked for,
2. will not continue to cause damage or disruption, and
3. will make useful contributions instead.

Please read the guide to appealing blocks for more information. You have not addressed the reasons for your block in any way. You were blocked for having a spam user name and will need to suggest a new name in order to proceed. You should also read through our policies on conflict of interest. only (talk) 12:28, 3 March 2014 (UTC)[reply]

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.

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).

GibLes (block log • active blocks • global blocks • contribs • deleted contribs • filter log • creation log • change block settings • unblock • checkuser (log))

Request reason:

Apologies, I missed the point about the username being used for spam. Also as it was a first attempt at a page, I just dropped some basic info and included some contact details for the company mainly as a test. On reflection, I see that the 'sandbox' facility may be the better way to do this, although I wanted the opportunity to test how quickly content was available and how it generally appeared. Would it be possible to clear the content of the page and unblock it so that I can try again with a different approach? I would really like to present balanced pieces of information about us and our industry and related areas for which we can contribute much knowledge. Regarding the username, how would I go about choosing one that is not seen as a spam user name? (and is it possible to change from the account?

Decline reason:

I am declining your unblock request because it does not address the reason for your block, or because it is inadequate for other reasons. To be unblocked, you must convince the reviewing administrator(s) that

the block is not necessary to prevent damage or disruption to Wikipedia, or
the block is no longer necessary because you
1. understand what you have been blocked for,
2. will not continue to cause damage or disruption, and
3. will make useful contributions instead.

Please read the guide to appealing blocks for more information. Yunshui 雲‍水 13:16, 3 March 2014 (UTC)[reply]

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.

I strongly suggest that you read the block message at the top of this page before appealing again. Yunshui 雲‍水 13:18, 3 March 2014 (UTC)[reply]

This user's request to be unblocked to request a change in username has been reviewed by an administrator, who accepted the request.

GibLes (block log • active blocks • global blocks • autoblocks • contribs • deleted contribs • filter log • creation log • change block settings • unblock • checkuser (log))

Requested username:

GibLes (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log)

Request reason:

I have re-read your reasons for blocking and would like to find out if it is possible change the username to GibLes and be unblocked please? Is it also possible to clear the content that has been created on this account so that it can be started again. I can assure you that further content will be first done using the Sandbox and also after reviewing further instructions and policies as to what constitutes acceptable content. I have looked at your link on 'Your First Article' and would really appreciate the opportunity to start again. There is likely much I can contribute in terms of articles and before mentioning the company I work for promise to do my level best to check if that is within the bounds of acceptability.

Accept reason:

Unblocked, pursuant to two conditions: Firstly, you need to file a Change of username request before making any other edits (if you need help in doing so, feel free to ask me for assistance, but it's pretty straightforward). You don't need to wait for the change of name to be actioned before you continue editing afterwards, but you need to make the request as soon as possible. Secondly, you are prohibited from writing about or editing article relating to Enterprise Insurance for a minimum of six months and 100 edits. After that, if you believe that an article about your company is warranted and you are able to write about it neutrally, you may submit a draft through the articles for creation process.
Failure to abide by these conditions will result in the reinstatement of the block, without warning, by any administrator. Yunshui 雲‍水 19:23, 15 March 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Here are a few key questions:

Do you understand that Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, and not a business directory?
Do you understand conflict of interest?
Do you understand that to be considered for an encyclopedia article, the subject must be notable?

You are currently blocked because your username appears directly related to a company, group or product that you have been promoting, contrary to the username policy. Changing the username will not allow you to violate the 3 important principles above. SQL ^{Query me!} 04:43, 14 March 2014 (UTC)[reply]

I read an interesting article on Wikipedia which I think was called 'Don't Bite The Newbies' which I feel may be useful if some of the advice within it was adopted by Wikipedia's administrators. There seems to be to be some sensible comments within it about how to respond and deal with new users such as myself. There also seems to be much consternation around how Wikipedia administrators perform their role which I imagine is either largely ignored or could possibly even be the desired 'status quo'. I have attempted to explain previously (which can be seen above) that I initially did not completely understand the role of Wikipedia which I now understand much better. It feels like there is little or no patience on behalf of the administrators when coming across 'newbies' and it is a shame that nobody seems to believe what I say when I make the point that I would like to contribute some factual details not only about the company that I work for but in many other areas and not from a perspective of self-promotion, more from a view of being able to provide genuinely factual contributions. I did read one piece of advice which suggested changing my user name but it also seems that currently, as I am apparently viewed (unfairly - in my opinion) as an out and out self promoting now non-contributor, my IP is also blocked. Before I give up completely, is there anybody around there who can help me to resurrect this situation? Any realistic assistance beyond pointing at articles discussing the 'ethos' of wikipedia (for which I was/am grateful), would be greatly appreciated.EnterpriseInsurance (talk) 15:29, 14 March 2014 (UTC)[reply]

I'd be willing to unblock you if you'll undertake to avoid writing about your company (at least until you've racked up enough edits for the community to trust you'd abide by the guidelines). Technically such an unblock would be reliant on MER-C (the blocking administrator) granting their approval, but if you agree I can't see a good reason for them not to do so. Would you be willing to edit Wikipedia under that restriction? Yunshui 雲‍水 15:34, 14 March 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Yes I completely understand and think that would be a great approach. I could then look forward to being able to backup my claims of being able to make unbiased and genuinely factual and useful contributions. I did attempt to go down the route of changing the username to (or creating anew) 'GibLes'. Obviously (now with hindsight) when I tried to do anything under that name I also received the same level of blocking and in my haste to try this method, forgot to add an email address under that login name, which could be used to reset the password (which I am not convinced I can remember...). If I am allowed to be unblocked and can change my username to 'GibLes', is there a way that somebody can reset that password or add my email address to the account details under that username? Also, thanks for your efforts 'Yunshui'. 195.244.196.42 (talk) 15:56, 14 March 2014 (UTC) Sorry, I didn't realise I was not logged in and the last message was signed with my IP address. EnterpriseInsurance (talk) 15:58, 14 March 2014 (UTC)[reply]

The advertising here is on the lower end of the scale I normally deal with, so I'm not going to oppose an unblock. You, however, must stay away from the topic of your company. MER-C 04:46, 15 March 2014 (UTC)[reply]