The quiet purge?

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Jake Is A Sellout
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The quiet purge?

Post by Jake Is A Sellout » Wed Nov 10, 2021 2:01 pm

Not for the first time, I have noticed that an Administrator that I've previously targeted, has disappeared in mysterious and sudden circumstances.

Berean Hunter is the latest.

It's unlikely they have simply changed identity, since that would require them to somehow transfer their Admin rights to another account, and never tell anyone who they are (Wikipedians long ago having realised that such things almost always come out no matter how small their circle of trust).

I suppose they could have died, but even then, we usually find out.

They definitely appear to have just left, voluntarily, and in quite the hurry.

As in, they didn't really want to leave, but someone showed them something that persuaded a hasty exit, leaving no clues behind, was advisable.

I'm quite liking the thought that what the Foundation actually learned from Framgate and its little brother Bbb23gate, is that if you've got a problem on your hands and it's unlikely you can convince the community they were a problem without either exposing their own liability or generally violating privacy/confidences, well, you do this.

For they all know, the Berean Hunters of that world, that for as much as they made a loud noise and the community supported them, when the rubber hit the road and the dust settled, both Fram and Bbb23 had lost what they coveted most. Power.

They are still Wikipedians, but honestly, who wants their lives? They cut rather pathetic figures. Hobbled and tarnished.

I know what I would choose.

-------

Success has many forms. Maybe it was my work, maybe it was something I inspired, maybe it was something done by others independently coming to the same conclusion based on the same observations/experiences.

It hardly matters.

Wrong is wrong, right is right.

That's the beauty of targeting corruption on Wikipedia. Much of it is obvious and indefensible. It happens not through complex trickery and sophistry. They do it because they can. Hiding it is barely necessary, obscurity usually only comes as an added benefit of how the thing works.

But this is Wikipedia. Nothing about it is hard to understand, just like it takes no special skills to write a Wikipedia article. The only thing needed, is time and will.

You don't need an account in good standing to fight Wikipedia corruption, because there is no process or avenue that is open to trusted users that isn't already easily shut down by the forces of evil.

Newslinger gaslighted the community. ArbCom approved behaviour. Immensely immoral behaviour entirely out of keeping with the published expectations of Admin conduct, but it only harmed the established enemies of Wikipedia, so all's good.

No established editor will take that level of institutional corruption on, if they were so minded. And they'll look at Wikipediocracy and correctly conclude, they're more likely to be sold out than be assisted.

But Newslinger is on someone's radar now. Any bets a strange disappearance is in his future too?

Notably, all these mysterious disappearances were of people who were, or at least undoubtedly thought they were, acting in the best interests of Wikipedia. Upholding the right biases, targeting the right enemies, keeping the right secrets. Entitled to think that they weren't dispensable.

Forgetting the golden rule of Wikipedia. Everyone in the volunteer ranks, is dispensible.

People like zzuuzz, people that proud that they are scum, that willing to flaunt it, genuinely appearing as if they believe they are untouchable, well, I am loving the fact that he has no special powers or privileges that are going to help him understand why his brother in arms, Berean Hunter, is apparently MIA.

Properly, officially. Especially now the ever more closed community are not even prepared to give Admin rights back to people who have merely taken taken a year or two off. I mean, how can you know someone who has taken a year off, hasn't had had an attack of morals in their absence, and won't come back doing silly things like speaking out if they see a fellow Admin gaslighting? The community knows what it wants, they want to see returnees showing they are still the corrupt bastards they elected, before handing back their gun and badge.

If what has happened is what I think has happened, poor zzuuzz can scour the Matrix with his magic pixie dust, and he can rattle the strings that connect their cups, and he will get no joy. Even if Berean Hunter is still around.

Too many people listening, watching, taking notes.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe there is an entirely innocent explanation.

But here I am, wondering out loud, what ever happened to Berean Bunter?

I mean, he seemed to love his work so much. Just as much as Fram or Bbb23.

If zzuuzz has an innocent explanation, perhaps because Berean left a private note on the sekrit circle, well, his ego would mean he was incapable of keeping it in confidence. He'd want people to know they are as untouchable as ever. If he knows.

I'll take the bet he doesn't know.

I'll put that out on the wires, a dirty needle with which to poke zzuuzz. We do so know how he hates trolls after all! :lol:

Peck peck peck. :twisted:

Take note, Jake.

Ideological purity will always pay off.

Know who the bad people really are, know who the victims are, and act accordingly.

Or be seen as a friend an ally to some pretty fucking corrupt bastards, and suffer the inevitable questions...

Why?

:deadbanana:

HTD.

8-)

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Jake Is A Sellout
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Re: The quiet purge?

Post by Jake Is A Sellout » Mon Dec 06, 2021 8:55 pm

Jake Is A Sellout wrote:
Wed Nov 10, 2021 2:01 pm

But Newslinger is on someone's radar now. Any bets a strange disappearance is in his future too?
My bad. :roll:

Turns out Newslinger has been MIA since mayday. :lol:

Disappeared abruptly, without warning or explanation.

His fans are confused, concerned, and afraid.

And so they should be.

That's pretty much it as far as the key players who targeted the Daily Mail are concerned. Banned or disappeared, presumed dead. Or gone nuts, if we include Guy Macon.

The only one even still remotely editing is David Gerard, and he's basically indestructible. But it suffices to point out, whenever his name is heard in flattering terms, as happened recently, that he is one of the few people with the dubious distinction of being a Wikipedia Administrator under an active sanction.

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Re: The quiet purge?

Post by ericbarbour » Tue Dec 07, 2021 1:56 am

Jake Is A Sellout wrote:
Wed Nov 10, 2021 2:01 pm
But here I am, wondering out loud, what ever happened to Berean Bunter?
I mean, he seemed to love his work so much. Just as much as Fram or Bbb23.
If zzuuzz has an innocent explanation, perhaps because Berean left a private note on the sekrit circle, well, his ego would mean he was incapable of keeping it in confidence. He'd want people to know they are as untouchable as ever. If he knows.
As usual, in a few lines, you managed to mention four of the worst patrollers in WP history. The bastards do hang together and protect each other.

I didn't even bother to study Berean Hunter for the book because he/she/? was such a personality-free cipher. Very erratic history. Started out fighting with people. Later became obsessed with chasing sockpuppets, did almost no content, blocked nearly 10,000 accounts, and thus became "popular"---the standard line of Wiki-shit. BH disappeared last year and was desysopped without a peep. Got a life I betcha. (or more likely: was a sockpuppet admin account.)

Newslinger was a total nobody, prob. another teenaged boy patrolling and chasing spammers.
Oppose, per Lepricavark’s comment in the neutral section. There is a real risk that this admin candidate could be a sock of a banned editor or an editor who otherwise ran foul of the community. They began using Twinkle to revert and warn vandals and knew about how, where and when to request page protection, all of this on the first 24 hours of editing. I think the community could be making a big mistake here.--Literaturegeek | T@1k? 02:15, 23 December 2019 (UTC)

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