This user is no longer active on Wikipedia as of 29 June 2021. I have decided to stop contributing to Wikipedia articles. I will continue maintaining certain essays that some users have told me they find useful.
Spread the news: as part of its Open Content program, The Getty (not to be confused with Getty Images, which regularly attempts to assert ownership of public domain content it has scanned) has made 160,000 images available under the Creative Common Zero license, which allows anyone, including Wikipedia, to "copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission."
Not exactly doing well -- medical problems -- but I am optimistic about having a full recovery.
I would love to go back to editing articles, but there is one thing stopping me. There is an admin who [a] called me a liar and said that they can't believe anything I say, [b] made up a new rule (I am not allowed to refer to certain individuals by their Wikipedia username) and, [c] blocked me without warning for violating the new rule. I really was trying to do what I thought was the right thing and avoid offense, but of course if I say that I am lying. :( I would also note that the individual who I supposedly offended by calling them by their username never objected (I would have stopped if asked) but instead a third party well known for shit-stirring over political and gender issues reported me.
I would have stopped the behavior and simply never interacted with that user again if asked. I always stop any behaviour that anyone asks me to stop, whether I agree or not. Far better to talk things over than going straight to blocking (for admins) or edit warring (for regular users).
Whether I am right or not, it is my belief that this one admin dislikes me enough to make up another new rule and block me for it if I start editing articles again. If someone else was willing to ask them to step aside and let other admins deal with any misbehavior on my part, I could get beck to full editing. I would be glad to agree to having one of you promise to keep an eye on my actions and report anything I do that is against policy. I would also be glad to have another admin say that they will keep a close eye on me.
What I am NOT willing to do is to interact with an admin who I believe has a personal animosity against me, and I am also unwilling to name them here or criticize them publicly and risk further enraging them. If anyone reading this is willing to act as a neutral third party and ask them to step aside and let other admins deal with me, please email me. I may not answer for a few days because of medical issues, so please be patient. --Guy Macon (talk) 18:13, 27 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
First and foremost, I hope you do indeed fully recover, and please look after yourself. I've refreshed my memory about your block. Please bear in mind that I am so far as I know not on the spectrum, so I can be annoyingly unclear without realising it. But consider that a lot of us went a bit barmy/nuts during the pandemic (and it isn't over yet) and in retrospect, weren't thinking as clearly as we thought we were. My understanding is: (a) You have an interaction ban, which you have been respecting, so there's no need for further discussion of that. (b) The admin in question said back in 2021 that they would not post here again. (c) (this is getting more into my personal understanding of how things work on Wikipedia) For that admin to keep watch over your edits would be frowned on, especially 3 years on from your being unblocked. (d) I'm not aware of you doing anything contentious since then (except possibly disrespecting the WMF, which to me is more of a duty than an infraction, providing one is civil toward individual employees and other editors); you've kept your nose clean and there's no reason not to presume you will not continue to do so. (e) on the specific precipitating issue, I note you use singular they above, and (partly for anyone else reading here) that Tamzin wrote an explanatory essay and also said at the time that they were open to questions; that may still be true. I am not a good person to ask to monitor edits; for one thing, I limit my edits each month, and for another, I often go by the spirit of the rules rather than citing chapter and verse. But if you want, I can send someone an e-mail to verify a few of my presumptions. Do you want me to, or are my assurances enough for now ... once you feel better? Because above all, look after yourself. Yngvadottir (talk) 03:35, 28 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Guy, here's what I want you to do: (1) get to that full recovery; (2) once that's behind you, contact me and Yngvadottir (who, I am sure, will not mind my volunteering them) so we can help you find a path back. You may remember when, years ago, there was some misunderstanding between us which we successfully navigated past, to the point where we became good friends. Together we can get past this situation too. Good luck, and let's hear from you when you're ready. EEng03:56, 28 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks to both of you. I will post back here after I get some medical treatments that may help my condition. For anyone else reading this, at one time I hated the singular "they" and felt that I was being forced to use what I learned in school to be bad grammar. The fact that a bunch of people tried to change my mind by calling me a homophobe and transphobe (I deny this. I have volunteered a significant amount of my time working towards equal right for the LGBTQ+ community and see no reason why they should be treated differently in any way.) made me dig in my heels even further. I rally felt like I was being bullied. Then they started spreading the accusation on Reddit and Wikipediocracy, so now whenever you Google my name you see me listed as a homophobe.
I honestly thought that avoiding both "him" and "they" and calling the person by their username was a good way to avoid offense. And I was and still am very angry that instead of simply asking me to stop doing that an admin destroyed my perfect record of no blocks. Especally because of what I believe is personal dislike towards me.
One person -- one single person out of the dozens who blasted me -- made an effort to actually discuss the grammar aspect. And they convinced me that I was wrong and that a singular they/them isn't bad grammar! So that's one more reason why I don't think that my behavior regarding prounouns will ever again be seen as problemetic by any admin other than the one who drove me away from being an active contributor.
On a more positive note, it really lifted my spirits being reminded of our friendship and how it had a rocky start. So whatever happens, thank you for that. --Guy Macon (talk) 14:45, 28 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
