The truth and cost of the Arbcom case against Magioladitis

[Kumioko]

Recently a second Arbcom case was brought against high output editor/admin.AWB developer Magioladitis and this time it looks like they will lose not only their admin rights (that they never abused by the way) and their ability to use AWB. Their crime? For making too many edits too fast, filling up watchlists and for doing what some consider "trivial" edits, many of which had been approved as bot tasks. He was hounded incessantly by other editors and admins, most of which either rarely edit or only edit when there is someone doing something they can justify action as a violation of some Wikipedia policy. These hounders include the likes of CBM, BU Rob13 and Headbomb, all of which have displayed problematic behavior as editors and admins routinely over the years. Unfortunately they so rarely edit or do anything other than criticize others, it's hard to show they have done anything wrong other than fairy intangible patterns of abusive conduct and being jerks to editors which is often encouraged among the admin corps.

As someone who likes Magioladitis and thinks he does a lot of good work for a project he cares about I am disappointed to see this turn of events and I am sure they are hurt by this outcome.

As a critic however, this is a great blow to Wikipedia by a bunch of clowns looking for an excuse to justify blocking yet another high output contributor over what amounts to trivial nonsense.

Now, due to some admins who don't edit and don't have any skin in the game anyway, the project will lose hundreds of thousands of edits and improvements. Additionally, Magioladitis is one of the developers for AWB so losing his Admin access and the ability to test changes severely hinders his ability to improve AWB. He also routinely gives presentations to technical communities and in his native country that attracts interest to the projects and even helps generate donations and revenue for the WMF. So, although I am sorry to see my friend Magioladitis go through this ordeal, I hope he sees that the Wikipedia community and particularly certain admins are not there to contribute and have no loyalty to those who do. I sincerely hope he and others like Goingbatty, who is almost certainly going to be the next target, stop editing over this and help to Hasten the day by no longer contributing to that dying project!

Here are some links:
- Fist arbcom case: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia ... gioladitis
- Second arbcom case: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia ... oladitis_2
- Looking at Magioladits's talk page history also shows the way they were treated by some of his fellow admins. I'm not going to link it here but just scan it and you'll see it.

[Flip Flopped]

I wonder if the same sort of complaint got that Dutch Wikipedian blocked that Graaf had mentioned on WR-2. The issue is watchlists being filled up? Are they filled with trivial edits? How long are they filled up for?

[Kumioko]

They usually only fill up for a short time, maybe a day, but then again it all depends on how big the watchlist is and how often the items are edited. If it's a small watchlist with a bunch of obscure items on it then the edits may linger for a while.

There is a saying though, "if you watch the pennies then the dollars will mind themselves". I personally think that saying extends to editing as well. Minor edits, made over time, improve the article. Penalizing editors for doing to many edits or bitching about filled up watchlists has the effect of people not wanting to edit those topics at all and then, by extension, those articles don't get improved.

[Flip Flopped]

They usually only fill up for a short time, maybe a day, but then again it all depends on how big the watchlist is and how often the items are edited. If it's a small watchlist with a bunch of obscure items on it then the edits may linger for a while.

There is a saying though, "if you watch the pennies then the dollars will mind themselves". I personally think that saying extends to editing as well. Minor edits, made over time, improve the article. Penalizing editors for doing to many edits or bitching about filled up watchlists has the effect of people not wanting to edit those topics at all and then, by extension, those articles don't get improved.

This seems like it would imply the watchlist-watchers are obsessing over articles they want to WP:OWN.

[Kumioko]

Oh absolutely, ownership of content is a HUGE problem on Wikipedia and one that no one seems to want to do anything about. Just try editing an article "owned" by the US Roads WikiProject. The argument of hounding people because they are editing too many articles on someones watchlist is plum stupid though.

[Graaf Statler]

I wonder if the same sort of complaint got that Dutch Wikipedian blocked that Graaf had mentioned on WR-2. The issue is watchlists being filled up? Are they filled with trivial edits? How long are they filled up for?

You mean this case, Flip? JP001 who did one correct edit to much and got a infinite block therefore? Eleven instate of ten edits? Small, but correct edits? yeh, we from wikipedia know to handle harassment! You can count on us!

[Flip Flopped]

I wonder if the same sort of complaint got that Dutch Wikipedian blocked that Graaf had mentioned on WR-2. The issue is watchlists being filled up? Are they filled with trivial edits? How long are they filled up for?

You mean this case, Flip? JP001 who did one correct edit to much and got a infinite block therefore? Eleven instate of ten edits? Small, but correct edits? yeh, we from wikipedia know to handle harassment! You can count on us!

Yes. I don't read Dutch, but it seems plausible that the user was restricted to ten edits per day due to clogging up watchlists. The watchlist rationale seems weak.

[Graaf Statler]

Yeh, that was the case, EvilFred started that arbcom case, left, (Wikipedia is echter voor mij een gesloten boek, the book Wikipedia is closed for me), and Wiki headhunter Robotje found out the guy had done one, correct, edit to much. But I don't know if Robotje used the watchlist, or is focused on a user who is "under arbcom". Anyway is Robotje a enormous Wikipedia/media/quote troll, that is for sure. But you know it, Wiki-Nl loves trolls. (Ik ben lid van de Vereniging Wikimedia Nederland, I am Wikimedia-NL member is written on his user page, and seldom I have seen a bigger troll than Robotje on Wikiquote and in the discussion around Oscar van Dillen.)

[Graaf Statler]

Ah. A appeal to Arbcom.. JP00 1did a miscount, because he did two edits in one article. This is bizarre.
But there is hope. Doc James Heilman is coming to Holland, and he wanted to speak with Dutch volunteers. And that is about time and very wise of WMF!

[Flip Flopped]

Ah. A appeal to Arbcom.. JP00 1did a miscount, because he did two edits in one article. This is bizarre.
But there is hope. Doc James Heilman is coming to Holland, and he wanted to speak with Dutch volunteers. And that is about time and very wise of WMF!

Heilman is going there? Is it for a conference? Do you think he'll actually investigate anything there? He sided with WMF staff over the former Executive Director, but he sides with Wikipedia against outsiders.