User talk:Jon Kolbert/Archive 6

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Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas and a Prosperous 2024!

Hello Jon Kolbert, may you be surrounded by peace, success and happiness on this seasonal occasion. Spread the WikiLove by wishing another user a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, whether it be someone you have had disagreements with in the past, a good friend, or just some random person. Sending you heartfelt and warm greetings for Christmas and New Year 2024. Happy editing, TheSandDoctor Talk 07:45, 25 December 2023 (UTC) Spread the love by adding {{subst:Seasonal Greetings}} to other user talk pages.

Happy holidays, my favourite CKolbert! I hope that you have a joyous holiday season. TheSandDoctor ^Talk 07:45, 25 December 2023 (UTC)

IP Issue

Hi, My IP is blocked as apparently it is flagged as a public IP. I am not using VPN, and that IP is not public. I am not sure what went wrong. Is it a bot doing this? I saw your name in the log. Please have a look at my talk page. Thanks, Pirehelo (talk) 19:40, 29 November 2023 (UTC)

Hi, User:Jon Kolbert: The IP of my cellphone is blocked, too, until 2026, while I'm logged in. I'm not using a VPN, either. Furthermore, your message (I don't remember how I found it and I'm not finding it again) claims that it would be blocked on all Wikimedia sites, but that's false. I had no trouble editing Wikivoyage, where I'm an admin, from my cellphone. You need to fix or eliminate this overly broad range block, which is hurting Wikipedia. I don't have any trouble editing from my laptop, but I frankly don't remember exactly what I would have edited from my cellphone, and I'm not going to edit it until you fix this problem. Thanks. I should say, too, that I'm pretty annoyed by the "Reason" text for "You have been blocked from editing Wikipedia." "There are multiple blocks against your account and/or IP address" is NOT a reason, and my first thought was that someone was vandalizing Wikipedia, because there's no good reason to block me, let alone for 3 years and without warning. Ikan Kekek (talk) 14:58, 31 December 2023 (UTC)

@Ikan Kekek: You can follow the instructions for block appeal in the block message. It sounds like you're caught in a proxy block. You would not be blocked on Wikivoyage as admins have ip-block exempt as part of their rights. Jon Kolbert (talk) 15:04, 31 December 2023 (UTC)

I also have no trouble on Commons. Why should I waste my time appealing? Fix the problem. Ikan Kekek (talk) 16:38, 31 December 2023 (UTC)

Understand: This is not about me. You are blocking a range of IPs that are not proxies, so it is overbroad, and you have not excepted auto-confirmed registered users from this range block. Fix it. Ikan Kekek (talk) 16:56, 31 December 2023 (UTC)

It would help if you specified what the block is so I can take a look. Also please keep in mind the steward team including myself are all volunteers like you, and civility goes a long way in helping resolve issues that arise. Jon Kolbert (talk) 17:03, 31 December 2023 (UTC)

What kind of specifics do you want? Also, if you think I've been uncivil, you need a thicker skin. You could have instead written something like "I'm sorry this range block is creating problems. We'll take corrective action as soon as we are able; please be patient," rather than acting like the aggrieved party. But it's specifically a waste of time for me to make an appeal for an exception to an overbroad range block that you and the steward team need to fix, because the problem is not the lack of an exception for me. Take whatever time you need to fix this, but keep in mind that as long as these problems continue, useful editors are being stymied. Thanks, and Happy New Year! Ikan Kekek (talk) 23:09, 31 December 2023 (UTC)

Ikan Kekek...you have requested that an IP range be unblocked, did not specify what the IP range is, and then became annoyed when asked. If you want us to unblock a range you're going to have to tell us what the range is. If you'd prefer to do so privately, you can email stewards@wikimedia.org.

Re: the "multiple blocks" language, that's not something controlled by stewards. I am pretty sure it's fixed, though: see phab:T344463. Are you not seeing the relevant block reasons/messages?

Also...it sounds like it is a proxy, especially if it's both locally and globally blocked (multiple blocks). If you use T-Mobile or iCloud Private Relay, either would explain it. Vermont (🐿️—🏳️‍🌈) 05:13, 1 January 2024 (UTC)

So, no, the problem isn't solved, and that's a pretty neat trick you're asking me for. Why do you think I know what range of IP addresses you blocked? Ikan Kekek (talk) 01:23, 5 January 2024 (UTC)

And no, I don't use a proxy. I'm not a technical person, and it's not personally important to me to be able to edit Wikipedia on my cellphone, but it's important to Wikipedia for you not to block people who should be able to edit. All the additional time I'm willing to spend on this is to let you know, by request, whether a fix you guys attempt has worked. Ikan Kekek (talk) 01:25, 5 January 2024 (UTC)

When you are blocked and attempt to edit, you'll see a red block message. It includes the IP address or range which is the target of the block.

I need to know what the IP address is in order to review if there are blocks on it and why. You're an admin on the English Wikivoyage: think of this like someone asking you to unblock an account without providing the name of the account. There is nothing I can do without the IP address or range in question. Vermont (🐿️—🏳️‍🌈) 03:17, 5 January 2024 (UTC)

Oops, forgot ping Ikan Kekek. Vermont (🐿️—🏳️‍🌈) 03:17, 5 January 2024 (UTC)

I think you guys can tell what IP address I use from my cellphone when I'm logged in. I don't know what it is. You know what the name of my account is. I have confidence that one of your technically adept people can figure this out. But meanwhile, I hope you understand the real problem, which is that your range block includes registered, auto-confirmed users. Surely, whoever created the block can fix that problem easily. If not, Wikipedia is in much worse shape than I thought. And I really don't mean to be unfriendly when I say that I've taken way too much time on this. I'm trying to recover from a hand injury and I've typed entirely too much in this thread. Good luck, folks! Ikan Kekek (talk) 04:26, 5 January 2024 (UTC)

Oh, and the red message didn't mention any IP addresses. One of you folks should try looking at the block messages you are putting out. You might want to edit them. Ikan Kekek (talk) 04:27, 5 January 2024 (UTC)

Ikan Kekek, with regards to messaging, "you folks" refers as much to yourself as it does to stewards. You place blocks all the time on the English Wikivoyage, like English Wikipedia admins do on this project and stewards do globally. We don't write the software, and have been raising concerns about the unclear handling of block messages on mobile, as well as composite blocks, for years.

In order to access your IP, we'd need to check your account, which is not an appropriate use of the tool. Now, I'm pretty sure it's a proxy block; I'm not sure what other kind of block you'd be facing in trying to edit. Maybe you have iCloud Private Relay or a VPN turned on by accident. I cannot provide support without your IP. If you'd like to provide it privately, you can do so by emailing stewards@wikimedia.org or emailing me directly. Regards, Vermont (🐿️—🏳️‍🌈) 22:03, 10 January 2024 (UTC)

You can consider this a post-script: I block vandals and spambots on Wikivoyage all the time. I don't block registered good-faith users or create range blocks. And I still think your policy of blocking logged-in good-faith, auto-confirmed users using standard iPhone settings is really dumb and bad for Wikipedia, but since you folks are creating this problem, I'm going to edit only mistakes I see when I'm reading Wikipedia articles on my laptop, and whatever I would have corrected on my phone will simply remain a typo, grammar mistake, etc. I don't want a special exemption from a dumb policy of blocking logged-in good-faith, auto-confirmed users; I want you folks to abolish the policy, but that's up to you. Ikan Kekek (talk) 22:24, 3 February 2024 (UTC)

"standard iPhone settings" shows up the same way on our system as those who exploit it to hide their IP and use multiple addresses to do some extremely abusive behavior that we can't have people doing to begin with (posting personal information, making libelous or malicious statements, harassing other users, and all other kinds of dark things. So yes, on balancing the scales, we will remain steadfast in this policy until ISPs (or developers) get serious about handling abuse or you decide you wish an exemption. -- Amanda (she/her) 05:33, 4 February 2024 (UTC)

Are those folks logged-in, good-faith auto-confirmed users? Anyway, you make your choice and I make mine. Ikan Kekek (talk) 11:42, 6 February 2024 (UTC)