Requests for comment/Global ban for Niveles and socks

Add links
From Meta, a Wikimedia project coordination wiki

The following request for comments is closed. This RfC is closed and no global ban is implemented. As stated at the stewards' noticeboard, we believe that the level of participation in this RfC do not reflect a broad and clear consensus, as required by the global ban policy, to enact one.

Nomination[edit]

Nominator[edit]

Hello! I'm Styyx, a global rollbacker and, more importantly in this case, a patroller on the Turkish Wikipedia. I've made more than 500 edits globally, and I'm registered for more than six months, meeting the criteria to file this. This is the first (and hopefully last) time that I've made a proposal to globally ban a user, so apologies in advance if something is wrong.

Origins (Niveles)[edit]

Turkish Wikipedia[edit]

Niveles was a patroller on the Turkish Wikipedia from May to July 2016. Around this date, for whatever reason, he switched to II. Niveles, which was a legit switch. The rights of the first account were removed and the account was blocked, but the second account only became an autopatroller user. This stayed like this until mid-2017, just a bit over a year. Initial contributions were obviously fine, that's how he became a patroller in the first place. However as the time went on, II. Niveles started to derail from his original purpose of contributing to an encyclopedia and started his campaign of trolling users.

II. Niveles was blocked many times: his block log shows seven, mostly for personal attacks, before his eventual indefinite block in August 2017. Now, I also want to note the block reason of the indefinite block: reason #10 of the blocking policy of the Turkish Wikipedia, which means that he "pushed the patience of the community".

  • If any user gets blocked for this reason, the enforcing admin must note this in tr:Vikipedi:Engelleme politikası/Topluluğun sabrını zorlayan kullanıcılar. II. Niveles has been blocked twice for this reason in a relatively short time. The extended reasoning and note of both administrators can be found here. To say that getting blocked for this reason is unusual would be quite the understatement, as scrolling through the page shows no block notes in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2020, with the next block for this reason after Niveles happening in May 2021 (and none since then). To re-affirm, this reason was used four times in the past decade, half of which are Niveles's.

Other projects[edit]

II. Niveles wasn't only blocked on the Turkish Wikipedia. He was already indeffed on the Turkish Wikiquote for trolling in January 2017. Even before 2017, he was blocked indefinitely on the English Wikipedia for harassing another user. Azwiki and cawiki logs also show a list of short blocks in late 2016 and early 2017. Though not blocked, he has again violated basic policies on ruwiki by attacking a user in Turkish during a deletion discussion. We are only a little over a year in, and only now comes the socking part.

Ali Haydar[edit]

Just a month after the block of II. Niveles on the Turkish Wikipedia, Ali Haydar registered on the project. Again, initial contributions were good, with only a single short block in the first two years. Though after this, he started again, and was blocked for 3 months in September 2019 for being uncivil, and for 6 months in March 2020, meaning he only stayed unsanctioned for just a month. The latter is the most disgusting one: leaking the age of a minor, which is a clear violation of the privacy policy. A month after his block ended, on 16 October 2020, a checkuser confirmed that Ali Haydar was indeed II. Niveles.

Leaply[edit]

Leaply created his account on 24 September 2020. While this is before the checkuser concluded his check, it is after the SPI being filed (SPI case was filed on 17 September, which also off-topicly gives you an indication on how long these cases take to conclude on trwiki). Again, things started mostly silent, until he applied to become a patroller after around 9 months of contributions. In October 2021, stuff started... accelerating. Leaply received two blocks in a very short period for uncivil behaviour and more personal attacks, one of them directed at me and another user. And the very next day, a checkuser once again confirmed that he was the sock of II. Niveles.

More[edit]

The checkuser also found two more accounts which were connected to Leaply from a technical point of view: Özgürlüğün Koruyucusu Che Guevara and +18 Film Bağımlısı. Now, looking at the contributions of these accounts, they act like they are new users, ask basic questions, and also behave weirdly: basically trolling everyone.

While most of the recent drama created by this user is on the Turkish Wikipedia, there is still cross-wiki abuse, as most have still edited the English Wikipedia while the sockmaster was indefinitely blocked. Also Ali Haydar sent a Turkish message to the blocking admin in 2019 on enwiki, where he again violates the basic policies, and not to say borders harassment again by following an admin to a different project.

The full list of socks of this user can be found at tr:Kategori:Vikipedi:II. Niveles kullanıcısının kuklaları.

Nomination criteria[edit]

This user isn't just vandalizing or spamming: his activities include harassment and leaking of private information. The community of the Turkish Wikipedia has given this user six years to behave correctly, which he does at the start of his new venture, but still ends up harassing everyone. Countless non-generic warnings have been issued, to no effect. I will inform the projects the accounts have participated in.

See top for nominator requirements.

Statements from other users[edit]

MarcoAurelio en, tr, az (archived just 6 days later though), trq, ca, sco—all on 7 or 8 February. The criteria mentions to only notify the user on wikis they are active, and none of the socks had an edit on any project since November until this RfC. ~StyyxTalk? ^-^ 19:25, 16 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Response of Niveles (or socks)[edit]

  • First of all, I am not a sock of II. Niveles. I'm just Leaply. You can see the proof of this, in this and this link. Therefore, I have :no connection with Niveles and the malicious behavior that Niveles did in his time. I am a user who likes to contribute positively to Wikimedia projects, you can see this easily.
As mentioned, I have two puppets named "Che Guevara, the Guardian of Freedom (Özgürlüğün Koruyucusu Che Guevara)" and "+18 Movie Addict (+18 Film Bağımlısı)". These accounts are single-purpose :accounts and allow you to contribute to a single issue. The contribution profile of the two accounts is positive, there is no vandalism or bad contribution. In addition, these two accounts are do not violate any sock-policy.
The checkuser named "Elmacenderesi" mentioned that in this case, -unlike previous cases- I have a relationship with Niveles. The decision taken in this case is quite wrong. My :friend Victor Trevor, who was banned from this case with me, is currently trying to explain that this decision was wrong. Therefore, the decision that is being tried to be taken here should :not be made before Victor Trevor's is over.
Sincerely.
--Leaply 💬 18:05, 8 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
The final case rules, my friend. Pretty hilarious that you disclose your socks after getting caught. I've also explained here and here in detail that those accounts are, in fact, not single-purposed as you claim them to be. ~StyyxTalk? ^-^ 18:19, 8 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Unlike you, I don't call it is "getting caught", I call it is revealing. The reason I don't disclose my accounts is simple, to continue anonymous. Leaply 💬 18:27, 8 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
So a CU catching you red-handed in a SPI case is simply "revealing"? And continue anonymous? You mean trolling: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]? Why did you feel the need to "continue" anonymous in the first place without this account getting blocked? ~StyyxTalk? ^-^ 18:34, 8 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
@Leaply, In The Guevara series, you opened too many accounts and trolled the servants. Do you think this is correct behavior? You asked for account creator authorization on top of that. There is no troll you didn't do. Niveles II or not, but the puppet policy is clear; multiple alternative accounts cause puppetry. 88.236.76.243 19:30, 8 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
@Styyxas he said in you asked about Twinkle in this link. it's not right for a new user Twinkle to know. If you contribute anonymously, you will still be victimized as a puppet. What did the single-purpose accounts you have opened so much work for you? @Leaply 88.236.76.243 19:34, 8 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • At the moment, this is not about single-purpose accounts that I have opened before. From my point of view, the issue is the possibility that I could be get global banned.
As I said previously, I am not Niveles. I have 2 "negative" cases about Niveles and me, that I have been involved in. (tr:Vikipedi:Denetçi_isteği/Dava/Leaply, tr:Vikipedi:Denetçi_isteği/Dava/II._Niveles) However, the third case -I am also involved in- was concluded "positively". This decision is completely wrong. I think that this decision is to give the community what they wants... My friend is aware that the decision was wrong and he is working to solve it.
The first two cases were concluded "negatively" with technical information. However, the third case was concluded "positive" with inconceivable findings, as it was known that there was no technical connection...
I am not and will not be against the global ban about Niveles. However, I certainly oppose the fact that innocent people will get a global ban as a result of a wrong decision was made before. Sincerely...
--Leaply 💬 20:40, 10 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
The first case was indeed closed as inconclusive, which makes sense considering CU can only see data from three months prior (this happened nine months after Ali Haydar's block). The second case was closed in a record speed without the behavioural analysis of a checkuser due to our meatpuppet Victor Trevor (a somewhat respected user back then) providing an email to the CU about the relationship of you two. In the third case, the community really pushed for a real investigation, which resulted in a "CU confirmed" ruling per your quacks, and again, the final case rules. The final SPI result wasn't just based on one or two things, the community listed 25 clues as proof to the similar behaviour.
Best of luck to Victor, since no one seems to buy his words, as it turns out that he's pretty good at dodging questions. ~StyyxTalk? ^-^ 21:10, 10 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Hi @Leaply, let's say you're not Niveles II. You came at the behest of Victor Trevor. OK, this is in the pocket. But with the single-purpose accounts you opened, you made contributions such as 'How do I activate Twinkle', 'I want to have account creator authority', which will disrupt such users from the contribution. but why did you do it? Even the style indicates that he is Niveles II. You still have the right to defend yourself. I think you should use your chance now. You give the same answer as Victor. You gave the same answer as the auditor's decision is wrong, I am not II.Niveles. Let's say you're not Niveles II, you made troll in the single-purpose The Guevara account series you opened, which will annoy users. Since there is the same answer, the same evidence, there is no good reason not to get a global hurdle. I hope you continue with your non-Wikipedia life. 88.236.76.243 09:35, 12 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Hello, dear anonymous.
When I just created my account, "Twinkle" could not be activated. I have already explained this situation there, it is quite ridiculous that you asked such a question about this situation.
The reason I wanted to have the authority to create an account was purely related to me trying to increase my motivation and the pleasure I get from Turkish Wikipedia. Because if you are in my situation, the Turkish Wikipedia will be quite tiring. The community there thinks completely negatively and despises you. Many people are biting new users. One of the 2 alternative accounts I have opened, at that time on the "user blocking requests" page "...'s puppet (another puppet owner)" was tagged with that reason.
I can't understand that what I'm doing is being associated with any kind of "trolling". If you consider such purposeful behavior to be "trolling", you can be sure that I will not do it again.
Sincerely...
-- Leaply 💬 16:55, 12 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Okey dokey lokey. xD You wanted the account-creator flag for motivation purposes, and nothing you did was trolling, got it. And every behavioural similarity of you with Niveles is pure coincidence. Because everyone on trwiki speaks Turkish from the Tanzimat era, right? Anyway, I think we should end this whole debate here, considering the IP is also an LTA. ~StyyxTalk? ^-^ 18:38, 12 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Just to be clear about dodging questions: I am responding the questions except rhetorically questions. Rhetorical questions require no answers. If you are make sure that your question is not like that, try asking it again. --Victor Trevor (talk) 18:50, 12 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

┌─────────────┘
Is calling the use of socks (as described above) simple SPA's just to disguise the trolling they are doing or not? If this a rhetorical question according to you then I take the answer as a "yes". ~StyyxTalk? ^-^ 20:43, 12 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

@Leaply, I understood that Twinkle wasn't activate but you didn't say it was Leaply, you asked useless questions? That question in my mind was stuck in my head. 88.236.76.243 20:23, 12 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Comments[edit]

@Styyx, The person User:Victor Trevor should also be included in the list. We know that User:Leaply is a friend of User:Victor Trevor. There is currently an unblocking process in progress on User:Victor Trevor, it may need to be blocked if the process is closed negatively. NOTE: although I am using IP, I felt the need to write. 185.81.113.12 19:43, 7 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Victor is a meatpuppet, not a sock. As a completely different user, he is only indeffed on the Turkish Wikipedia, and thus doesn't meet the global ban criteria, which requires at least two. By the way, may I ask who exactly you are? ~StyyxTalk? ^-^ 19:46, 7 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Blocked on the Turkish Wikipedia as a live puppet of II.Niveles. so I think it should be added in Victor_Trevor. By the way, you asked me who you are. I think you should know that IPs are hidden. 185.81.113.12 19:51, 7 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Support[edit]

  1. I don't have much more words to tell about this incident. This user and his/her trolls are just ruining Wikipedia and other sister projects. Everything you need to learn about this was explained above, so I'm gonna just support this global ban request. Best regards, --justinianus | talk 11:32, 8 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  2. Support Support Trolling and harrassment, clearly not willing to build an encyclopedia (or books, dictionary, ...) Thingofme (talk) 11:34, 8 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  3. Support Support Niveles frightened and intimidated many Wikipedians with his harassment. I wholeheartedly support the request. Best regards to Styyx,--Kadıköylü (talk) 13:02, 8 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  4. Support Support I am a user of Turkish Wikipedia and witnessed first-hand the destructions they made and how determinated they were in trolling the Turkish Wikipedia.I support this without any hesitation.--Yaratmayıcı (talk) 18:18, 8 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  5. Support Support Some of the acts that I have seen from the opening statement are just so absolutely shocking, that it is not just your run-of-the-mill vandalism, it is an attempt at harassing and doxing other editors across multiple projects, and it's especially bad when children are among the victims of such incidents. Furthermore, one of the sockpuppets has actually managed to prove to the Wikimedia community that their own ban is necessary, as they have tried to engage in deception in this discussion by claiming that they are not sockpuppets, yet admitting to possessing the accounts that have been mentioned in the opening statement, which have all been linked to Niveles according to the trwiki CU results in the opening statement - which is strengthened by the fact that CheckUser  Confirmed results are almost impossible to successfully contest. Hx7 (talk) 00:16, 9 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  6. Support Support He turned off a lot of users by doing troll activities. I support.--Can (talk) 11:37, 9 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  7. Support Support harassment is not acceptable. --SHB2000 (talk | contribs) 07:45, 10 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  8. Support Support Niveles have been harassing users and harming the project since years. Per reasons above. — 07 ● 💬 16:48, 10 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  9. Support Support I agree with all the reasons and strongly support the global ban of Niveles and his/her puppet accounts across all sister projects. Maurice Flesier (talk) 06:50, 11 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  10. Support Support Pretty bad, wow. Chess (talk) 14:09, 11 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  11. * Pppery * it has begun 18:59, 12 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  12. I am an sysop on tr:wiki. Niveles ruined the encyclopedia by harassing and trolling users. This is not acceptable. I support the request. 𝗩𝗶𝗸𝗶𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿 ℣ 09:52, 14 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  13. Support Support Per trolling, harassment and doxing. Nguyentrongphu (talk) 05:39, 18 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  14. Support Support I've known him since he first registered on Wikipedia (2016). I used to think it was just a wording problem, but then I saw their systematic harassment against me and many users, it is impossible for him to make a positive contribution after this moment, and their global damage must be stopped as soon as possible. --Conderas (talk) 13:04, 21 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  15. Support Support --Novak Watchmen (talk) 16:24, 21 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  16. Strong support Strong support. I was the minor he leaked the age of. Before that, I've never declared my age over Wikipedia or any Wikimedia project, not even in any public social media account. I'm not sure if the linked accounts belong to him, but I support banning those with reliable evidence of sockpuppetry. I don't think having him in any Wikimedia project will benefit the community.--evrifaessa (talk) 20:34, 24 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  17. Support Support This is absolutely sickening beyond anything imaginable. The doxxing part makes this situation even more worse than just your typical run-of-the-mill harassment. --DarkMatterMan4500 (talk) (contribs) 14:30, 2 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  18. Support Support -ArdiPras95 (talk) 05:40, 30 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  19. Support Support Explained by the next section, Niveles is a rotten wood that can't be engraved. --Liuxinyu970226 (talk) 01:01, 18 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  20. Support Support Why not ban an LTA?--PAVLOV 08:11, 29 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Oppose[edit]

Neutral[edit]

  1. It seems somewhat difficult to judge behaviors of those accounts, some of them look like unrelated or no evidence for connection but also been blocked locally. --Liuxinyu970226 (talk) 02:55, 17 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
    @Liuxinyu970226, [7] Kadı (talk) 11:18, 17 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
    Liuxinyu970226 Could you by any chance mention specific accounts which you think are unrelated to each other? Also, judging behaviour isn't difficult, since as I mentioned above, this LTA has the tendency to speak in 1800s era Turkish (or at least throw in some words from that time). Thanks. ~StyyxTalk? ^-^ 16:25, 18 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
    Courtesy ping Liuxinyu970226. ~StyyxTalk? ^-^ 16:01, 17 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Retrieved from "https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Requests_for_comment/Global_ban_for_Niveles_and_socks&oldid=24957725"