wiki-fallout from the Ukraine invasion

Because no one else is doing it--not even the media.
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ericbarbour
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wiki-fallout from the Ukraine invasion

Post by ericbarbour » Fri Mar 11, 2022 11:25 pm

https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/11/2297 ... us-ukraine
The Verge was able to confirm that Bernstein’s information — including his social media, Wikipedia handle, and place of work — had been shared in GUBOPik’s channel on the messaging app. A video of Bernstein’s arrest was also posted alongside his photo and personal details. In the photo itself, Bernstein is accused of “distributing fake anti-Russian information.” The channel has since been made private.

Zerkalo also reports that Bernstein had been accused of editing Wikipedia articles about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, none of the information in the Telegram channels clearly specifies exactly what, if anything, Bernstein has officially been charged with. In an activity log of Bernstein’s purported Wikimedia username, you can see that he’s edited over 200,000 articles on Russian Wikipedia. Currently, his account is described as “blocked indefinitely.”
Dead typical of how the Lukashenko regime deals with any kind of "criticism". Especially when his butt-buddy Putin is unhappy about something.

This is not the first OR the last time the Russian govt has threatened to muzzle ru-WP.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law that punishes people spreading “fake news” with up to 15 years in prison. Roskomnadzor, the country’s tech and communications agency, also threatened to block Wikipedia over the Russian-language page on the current invasion of Ukraine. At the time, the Wikimedia Foundation issued a statement in support of Russian Wikipedia editors.
There is a Mark Bernstein on English WP who is a prominent IT researcher, and major WP fanboy. He got into fights with Masem and Ryulong over Gamergate nonsense, and is currently banned. It appears the Mark Bernstein ("Pessimist2006") on ru-WP is unrelated. Not much idea otherwise, because even if I was good with the language, ru-WP is a deep black hole of creepy silence and governmental interference. Supposedly you will learn far more about them from http://wikireality.ru/ than from Wikipedia. (Don't bother using Google Translator on Wikireality--it doesn't work directly. Got to cut-paste raw text.) Wikireality has a very long article about Bernstein's activities.

Bernstein's total edit count on Wikidata currently says:
Blocked indefinitely.
Reason: До выяснения обстоятельств
And what did the WMF say? Nothing but the usual vague mushmouting.
“The Foundation’s Trust and Safety and Human Rights teams have been monitoring the ongoing crisis in Ukraine,” the spokesperson said, “and are in close touch with our communities in the region to ensure their safety and respond to their needs.”

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