Hello, welcome to your Counter Vandalism Unit Academy page! Every person I instruct will have their own page on which I will give them support and tasks for them to complete. Please make sure you have this page added to your watchlist. Your academy page has been specifically designed according to you and what you have requested instruction in - for that reason, please be as specific as possible when under my instruction, so that I know the best ways to help you (and do not be afraid to let me know if you think something isn't working). If you have any general queries about anti-vandalism (or anything else), you are more than welcome to raise them with me at User talk:HeartGlow30797!
Make sure you read through Wikipedia:Vandalism as that's the knowledge which most of the questions I ask you and tasks you do will revolve around.
- How to use this page
This page will be built up over your time in the Academy, with new sections being added as you complete old ones. Each section will end with a task, written in bold type - this might just ask a question, or it might require you to go and do something. You can answer a question by typing the answer below the task; if you have to do something, you will need to provide diffs to demonstrate that you have completed the task. Some sections will have more than one task, sometimes additional tasks may be added to a section as you complete them. Please always sign your responses to tasks as you would on a talk page.
Once you graduate I will copy this page into your userspace so you have a record of your training and a reference for the future.
Good faith and vandalism
editWhen patrolling for vandalism, you may often come across edits which are unhelpful, but not vandalism - these are good faith edits. It is important to recognise the difference between a vandalism edit and a good faith edit, especially because Twinkle gives you the option of labelling edits you revert as such. Please read WP:AGF and WP:NOT VANDALISM before completing the following tasks.
- Please explain below the difference between a good faith edit and a vandalism edit, and how you would tell them apart.
A good faith edit is something that does not help the encyclopedia, but the editor intends to help build an encyclopedia.
Vandalism is an edit that is not helpful, and harms the encyclopedia, e.g. inserting the word PENIS into the middle of the page.
Telling them apart is akin to a smell test. If it seems disruptive and trolly, it is most probably vandalism. However, if it doesn't seem disruptive or trolly, but still unhelpful, I am going to assume good faith.
Great job! All about the intent! Be careful as disruptive can differ from vandalism! Heart (talk) 03:40, 1 October 2020 (UTC)- Please find three examples of good faith but unhelpful edits, and three examples of vandalism. You don't need to revert the example you find, and I am happy for you to use previous reverts in your edit history if you wish.
- Good faith
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shenendehowa_High_School&oldid=526362692
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ballston_Spa_High_School&diff=next&oldid=944750380
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Turbo_(Judas_Priest_album)&oldid=966226197
- Vandalism
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Milana_Vayntrub&oldid=974474961
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Trump_wall&oldid=981070492
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:WikiProject_Israel&oldid=981081754
- I would categorize this as very disruptive editing bordering on vandalism! Great job!
Great job! On the next section! Heart (talk) 03:48, 1 October 2020 (UTC)
Warning and reporting
editPart One: Reading Assignment!
editWhen you use Twinkle to warn a user, you have a number of options to choose from: you can select the kind of warning (for different offences), and the level of warning (from 1 to 4, for increasing severity). Knowing which warning to issue and what level is very important. Further information can be found at WP:WARN and WP:UWUL.
- Please answer the following questions
- Why do we warn users?
We warn users in order to inform them about the rules and to tell them what kinds of edits are not acceptable.
- When would a 4im warning be appropriate?
A 4im warning is appropriate in cases of continuous vandalism from a single account or IP, or in cases of extreme vandalism.
- Should you substitute a template when you place it on a user talk page, and how do you do it?
Yes, you should, in order to substitute, you put Subst: after the opening braces.
- If a user has vandalized twice but has not received any warnings for it, what would you do?
I would give them a level 2 warning.
- What should you do if a user who has received a level 4 or 4im warning vandalises again?
Report them to the administrators at Wikipedia:Administrator_intervention_against_vandalism
- Please give examples (using
{{Tlsubst|''name of template''}}) of three different warnings (not different levels of the same warning and excluding the test edit warning levels referred to below), that you might need to use while recent changes patrolling and explain what they are used for.
{{subst:uw-blank1}} I would use this if someone blanks the page or parts of the page and they haven't done it before. Blanking is defined as removal of content without a proper explanation as to why.
{{subst:uw-image4im}} I would use this if someone adds an image of human sexual intercourse on an article about, let's say, a children's show.
{{subst:uw-vandalism2}} I would use this if someone vandalizes a page and has already received a level one warning about it.
Make sure you keep in mind that some edits that seem like vandalism can be test edits. This happens when a new user is experimenting and makes accidental unconstructive edits. Generally, these should be treated with good faith, especially if it is their first time, and warned gently. The following templates are used for test edits: {{subst:uw-test1}}, {{subst:uw-test2}} and {{subst:uw-test3}}.
Your Turn!
editI just wanted to make sure you know about Special:RecentChanges, if you use the diff link in a different window or tab you can check a number of revisions much more easily.
- Find and revert some vandalism. Warn each user appropriately, using the correct kind of warning and level. Please include at least two test edits and at least two appropriate reports to AIV. For each revert and warning please fill in a line on the table below
| # | Diff of your revert | Your comment (optional). If you report to AIV please include the diff | Marker's comment (optional) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Problem_of_Hell&diff=prev&oldid=981695123 | not done with this assignment yet, just adding some vandalism i am reverting | |
| 2 | https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Problem_of_Hell&diff=prev&oldid=981695099 | reverted some more vandalism on the same page | |
| 3 | diff | comment | |
| 4 | diff | comment | |
| 5 | diff | comment | |
| 6 | diff | comment | |
| 7 | diff | comment | |
| 8 | diff | comment | |
| 9 | diff | comment | |
| 10 | diff | comment |