Wikipedia talk:Username policy

2014 Request for Comment on reforming and updating this policy

Why do we manually remove bot reported usernames?

HBC AIV helperbot14 updates the {{adminbacklog}} template (as needed) and removes blocked users from WP:AIV, WP:UAA, and the bot reported section of AIV (Wikipedia:Administrator intervention against vandalism/TB2). At the bot reported section of UAA (Wikipedia:Usernames for administrator attention/Bot), it only updates the adminbacklog template and editors remove the blocked entries manually. Is there a reason for this? Or is it time to ask if the bot operator can also implement the functionality to bot reported username violations? Pinging current bot operator, Mdann52. Hey man im josh (talk) 12:55, 11 September 2024 (UTC)

@Hey man im josh: The bot supports the page, it had been turned off in the config in the header. I've turned it back on for that page. If someone wants to turn it off again, feel free. Mdann52 (talk) 16:29, 11 September 2024 (UTC)

Fantastic! For what it's worth though, it doesn't look like the last version of the bot actually used to remove them when I look at its edits to the page. Again, that's what I was hoping for, but I just want to be transparent in case there's a reason I'm unaware of. Hey man im josh (talk) 16:35, 11 September 2024 (UTC)

No, I noticed that as well after doing it. I'm happy to leave it on, with the caveat that I'm happy for it to be reverted by anyone if it causes issues! Mdann52 (talk) 16:40, 11 September 2024 (UTC)

Link to the policy when creating an account

Resolved

When creating an account, the current wording for the link to Wikipedia:Username policy is (help me choose), which makes me think the only people who would click on it are those who haven't decided on one. Can it be changed to something more assertive like (username policy; read first)? I think it would help curb the number of inappropriate usernames from would-be good-faith editors. —Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 05:10, 14 September 2024 (UTC)

Tenryuu: I agree – if we're linking to a policy, we should say we're linking to a policy. — ClaudineChionh (she/her · talk · contribs · email) 05:43, 14 September 2024 (UTC)

@ClaudineChionh: Thanks for your support! Never done it before, but should I mention this over at Wikipedia:VPR? —Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 ) 15:08, 14 September 2024 (UTC)

This isn't a policy question, just a stylistic one. If no one objects here, you can simply file a {{FPER}} at MediaWiki talk:Wikimedia-createacct-helpusername. It might be good to leave a little more time to workshop wordings, though. I would suggest simply (username policy), since ; read first is extra characters that I doubt will actually make anyone more likely to read it. -- Tamzin^{[cetacean needed]} (they|xe) 15:43, 14 September 2024 (UTC)

Tamzin: is that link meant to go to mw or meta or ...?
Sadly, I think I agree that read first probably won't help with getting more people to actually read the policy. — ClaudineChionh (she/her · talk · contribs · email) 00:45, 15 September 2024 (UTC)

The link goes to the correct place. That's the talkpage for MediaWiki:Wikimedia-createacct-helpusername, which is the relevant interface message here. -- Tamzin^{[cetacean needed]} (they|xe) 05:40, 15 September 2024 (UTC)

Bot needed to monitor and readd instructions for user-reported usernames

At the top of the "User-reported" section of WP:UAA, there is an HTML comment with a brief set of instructions for editors:

REPORTING A USERNAME: Add * {{user-uaa|Example user}} How this username violates the username policy. ~~~~

This text is often deleted by editors when they report someone. Can we please task a bot with monitoring for that and restoring the text when it's deleted? Thanks! ElKevbo (talk) 10:29, 25 September 2024 (UTC)

I don't think we need an extra bot, just get HBC AIV helperbot14 updated to make sure it's part of its check. Mdann52, what do you think? Primefac (talk) 11:51, 25 September 2024 (UTC)

Currently this is in my dev code, will finish testing and push to live when I get some time (hopefully over the weekend). Mdann52 (talk) 19:57, 26 September 2024 (UTC)

"Username policy" listed at Redirects for discussion

The redirect Username policy has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2024 October 12 § Username policy until a consensus is reached. C F A 💬 20:38, 12 October 2024 (UTC)

AGF message for semi-"well-known" people

WP:IMPERSONATE says that editors whose username matches that of a well-known person "may" be blocked, and that verifying identity must be done "in some cases", and the standard practice seems to be not to block someone who is only marginally well-known and an unlikely target for impersonation, especially if their edits don't seem problematic.

Prompted by this discussion on UAA with Just Step Sideways and Secretlondon, I was wondering if there any consensus to include more detail on cases in which we shouldn't block, or if that would that be WP:BEANS?

Even if we don't include extra detail here, I created {{Uw-agf-wellknown}} as an alternative to {{Uw-ublock-wellknown}}. Is there any objection to proposing this this template for inclusion in our standard list of warning templates and/or incorporating it into Twinkle? --Ahecht (TALK
PAGE) 16:17, 7 November 2024 (UTC)

I don't think "block first and let VRT sort it out" is the best way forward. I do agree that asking them to verify their identity is probably a good idea (regardless of how notable they are). I'm not opposed to the nicer message, especially since it is in a similar vein to {{Uw-coi-username}}. Primefac (talk) 17:05, 7 November 2024 (UTC)

The idea, for me, is that we don't want people editing their article with the authority of claiming to be the subject. Most of the COI-not-username cases are of people who are non-notable. It really doesn't matter if they are the real person or not if they are not anyone in particular. I push back against people wanting to block COI spammers as a username violation - there really is no doubt they are John Doe (rapper), and asking them to prove they are doesn't make any difference. If they become notable it is different. If John Doe is being irritating we block them for what they done (link spam etc) not pretending that we are worried they are impersonating themselves. Secretlondon (talk) 17:06, 7 November 2024 (UTC)

To follow on from that - we get a lot of stage names/online handles of YouTubers. We'd never ask them to prove they are who they claim to be. These are just COI. We just don't vet randoms like this. Secretlondon (talk) 17:27, 7 November 2024 (UTC)

Obviously if User: Mr Beast starts editing his article then we'd block as impersonation until proved otherwise. Secretlondon (talk) 17:28, 7 November 2024 (UTC)

I think the line for blocking is/should be at "famous" as opposed to just well-known. If someone is claiming to be Beyonce, they are probably lying. Just Step Sideways ^{from this world ..... today} 20:31, 7 November 2024 (UTC)

Noting for the record that, Orangemike (talk · contribs) went ahead and blocked the account that prompted this discussion, despite the fact that the account had made no edits since I dropped a note on their talk page about the name. Just Step Sideways ^{from this world ..... today} 16:39, 8 November 2024 (UTC)

Yes I saw.. Secretlondon (talk) 17:35, 8 November 2024 (UTC)

ticket:2024110610009272 feels like confirmation enough for me (see the return email address) so I've unblocked. Primefac (talk) 22:05, 8 November 2024 (UTC)

I don't have access to VRT but there was never really any doubt. Secretlondon (talk) 08:07, 12 November 2024 (UTC)

Illegible usernames

I recently encountered a sig which I was unable to read because of the color patterns, and left this message on their Talk page. I found nothing in the policy that seems to cover this, so it seems permissible currently. I would assume that styling one's sig, say, in white-on-white font (not the case here) would be unacceptable, but there isn't really anything about that, afaict. It seems to me we should add something to the policy about illegible signatures, but I don't think we have to enumerate all the ways someone could obscure their sig, because someone will always find some other way; it would be sufficient to have a catch-all saying that signatures styled in such a way that an editor could not easily determine the username, should be forbidden. I am not overly concerned with the case of the individual editor I messaged; my main concern is having something in the policy I can link or quote to a user when an illegible sig is at issue. Mathglot (talk) 04:43, 12 November 2024 (UTC)

This sounds like a WP:SIGAPP issue. Nobody (talk) 06:54, 12 November 2024 (UTC)

Agreed; signature customisation is allowed until someone finds issue with it; nothing wrong with saying to someone "I can't read your sig", goodness knows I've done plenty of that over the years. Primefac (talk) 12:40, 12 November 2024 (UTC)

Old revisions show newer reports

Like say the 8 November version, it is showing the reports bots made at 15 November. ExclusiveEditor _{Notify Me!} 05:43, 16 November 2024 (UTC)

If you want old bot-reported data, you'll need to check the history of Wikipedia:Usernames for administrator attention/Bot. Primefac (talk) 14:03, 16 November 2024 (UTC)

Ah, so it is transcluded, ok, thanks. ExclusiveEditor _{Notify Me!} 14:19, 16 November 2024 (UTC)