Commons:Administrators' noticeboard/Blocks and protections

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Note

• For page protection requests, please state protection type, file name, and proposed protection time span. See also: Protection Policy.
• Before proposing a user be blocked, please familiarize yourself with the Commons' Blocking Policy.
• Remember to sign and date all comments using four tildes (~~~~), which translates into a signature and a time stamp.
• Notify the user(s) concerned via their user talk page(s). {{subst:Discussion-notice|noticeboard=COM:AN/B|thread=|reason=}} is available for this.
• Administrators: Please make a note if a report is dealt with, to avoid unnecessary responses by other admins.

• WatsappAlain02 (talk · contributions · Move log · block log · uploads · Abuse filter log) block user

suspicious sock of WatsappAlain01 (talk · contribs). Netora (talk) 15:22, 26 September 2025 (UTC)Reply

• •  Comment oldest contributions of WatsappAlain02 postdate newest contributions of WatsappAlain01. Neither account is blocked, so it is not block evasion. I don't see any problem here (other than a pattern of ad uploads on both accounts, but that has nothing to do with there being two accounts). If you think WatsappAlain02 (the only one recently active) should be warned, warn them; if you think they should be sanctioned, feel free to report them based on their own behavior (and even that of the prior account); but having two accounts on Commons is not in and of itself a problem. - Jmabel ! talk 17:31, 26 September 2025 (UTC)Reply

 Not done currently. Taivo (talk) 15:38, 1 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

• AnVuong1222004 (12) (talk · contributions · Move log · block log · uploads · Abuse filter log) block user

Reuploading previously deleted files from Commons:Deletion requests/Files uploaded by AnVuong1222004 (11). Most likely sock of User:AnVuong1222004, as suggested by the name and the user behaviour. Thanks. Tvpuppy (talk) 00:13, 29 September 2025 (UTC)Reply

No Delete AnVuong1222004 (12) (talk) 00:16, 29 September 2025 (UTC)Reply

 Done The Squirrel Conspiracy (talk) 01:44, 29 September 2025 (UTC)Reply

• AnVuong1222004 (13) (talk · contributions · Move log · block log · uploads · Abuse filter log) block user

As above, most likely another sock, reuploading deleted images again. Thanks. Tvpuppy (talk) 02:28, 3 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

No Delete AnVuong1222004 (13) (talk) 03:40, 3 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

Blocked AnVuong1222004 (13) as another sock, but I'm about headed for bed; someone else will need to look into their activity. - Jmabel ! talk 03:48, 3 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

Had a chance to look, nominated almost everything for deletion. - Jmabel ! talk 13:05, 3 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

Maybe we should just block them from recreating similar usernames. Bedivere (talk) 13:35, 3 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

Possibly, though, that would just make these socks harder to find. - Jmabel ! talk 13:43, 3 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

Yes, makes sense. Bedivere (talk) 14:13, 3 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

• Ekecdnkoewihdouuepiw (talk · contributions · Move log · block log · uploads · Abuse filter log) block user
• Saldhestymine (talk · contributions · Move log · block log · uploads · Abuse filter log) block user

Two accounts uploading a lot of photos of and strange claims about a person called "Robbie (Leo) Edward Sayers" or his apparent full pseudonym of "Leocrain Thunderbolt", mainly focusing on how he ran his own civil engineering company at the age of 13 and designed a culvert system in southern Spain. More context in this deletion request.

File:Engineering design of Arroyo De Monterroso subsurface canal system by Robbie E. Sayers.jpg and File:DESIGNS OF THE RIO MONTERROSO CULVERT. ESTEPONA, MALAGA.jpg both use the same drawing credited to Sayers, and both are claimed as own work.

The two accounts have also uploaded several fake photoshopped images of the late Robert Earl Hughes, discussed at Commons:Deletion requests/File:Robert Earl Hughes, worlds largest man. Electrical engineer.jpg and Commons:Deletion requests/File:Robert Earl Hughes Carnival.jpg. Belbury (talk) 15:14, 30 September 2025 (UTC)Reply

Dear administrators,

Please take action to remove any and all duplicate content pertaining to that of Robbie Sayers within Wikipedia.

There seems to be sensitive content related to national security, as well as an attempt to take credit for Sayers’s work for the purposes of potential financial gain from Wikimedia Commons.

An absurd case of plagiarism, and I hope that Sayers is reassured by any action taken, if he is even aware. 5.151.181.17 15:46, 30 September 2025 (UTC)Reply

Dear Belbury,

File:Operation Justitia images of St. Peter Port, Guernsey.jpg 5.151.181.17 15:54, 30 September 2025 (UTC)Reply

Thanks, so it also looks like we should add User:500 ton man to the list of connected accounts, if they've also been uploading files with descriptions like Infrared images of dwellings and structures situated around St. Peter Port, Guernsey. CPS / SIA exhibit of an illegal international private investigation-"Operation Justitia" ordered by Robbie E. Sayers JP this month. --Belbury (talk) 15:57, 30 September 2025 (UTC)Reply

COM:RFCU is the way to go. Yann (talk) 17:24, 30 September 2025 (UTC)Reply

I'd started at that page, it advised me to "pursue other options first" here.

Two accounts uploading the same strange stories of Robbie Sayers and misleading photoshops of Robert Earl Hughes, and both claiming the same supposed drawings by Sayers as their own work, didn't seem like it needed the "last resort for difficult cases" of a checkuser. Belbury (talk) 17:51, 30 September 2025 (UTC)Reply

I'm taking this to Commons:Requests for checkuser/Case/Ekecdnkoewihdouuepiw. --Lymantria (talk) 19:36, 30 September 2025 (UTC)Reply

Resolved

the image is annoyingly angled. i've filed a request here to fix this issue and the template has been placed, but i need the upload protection to be lowered so i can upload the fixed image. Unit Mango (talk) 00:43, 1 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

can you please upload the new version under a new name, then we can merge them? It's awkward to have a 18 year old svg replaced now because it's "annoyingly angled" but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Bedivere (talk) 15:22, 3 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

i've uploaded the image at File:CC_some_rights_reserved_but_straight.svg Unit Mango (talk) 16:15, 3 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

Done, files merged Bedivere (talk) 18:41, 3 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

• Wlaak (talk · contributions · Statistics · Recent activity · block log · User rights log · uploads · Global account information) (assign permissions)
• DavidKaf (talk · contributions · Statistics · Recent activity · block log · User rights log · uploads · Global account information) (assign permissions)
• Devi van velden (talk · contributions · Statistics · Recent activity · block log · User rights log · uploads · Global account information) (assign permissions)

User DavidKaf is confirmed as a sockpuppet account of the user Wlaak [1]. On August 22nd, the "DavidKaf" account reverts a reshading at "Flag of the Syriac-Aramaic People.svg" [2]. Other concerns of meatpuppetry at Commons:Requests for rights, where a user named AramaicFuse from English Wiki replies to my request after Wlaak leaves a comment [3]. Surayeproject3 (talk) 19:38, 2 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

As you tried to do on Turkish Wikipedia but failed, you also attempted to frame me there and have me blocked. The admins, however, found no violation regarding disallowed “sockpuppet” accounts.

Even if DavidKaf were my account, nothing has been done on Commons that would indicate a WP:BADSOCK violation: “Editors must not use alternative accounts to mislead, deceive, disrupt, or undermine consensus.”

As for AramaicFuse, I admit I saw him leave a comment on your request, but I genuinely don’t know why. He may simply be following my edits. You are welcome to file another CheckUser request on me and him.

You have also had WP:NOTHERE accounts attempt to mislead consensus on English Wikipedia, commenting on your talk page in an effort to persuade. Likewise, he probably followed your contributions and decided to join the discussion.

So what now, if any of the other six or eight accounts you reported at the SPI (all of which were found to be unrelated at every level) happen to comment in the same discussion I am in, does that automatically mean I am using a WP:BADSOCK?

This is yet another attempt from you to get rid of me. I have done nothing but edit within the books.

I don’t see much difference between you and AramaicFuse when it comes to following my edits. The difference is that he contributes to discussions, while you try to get my edits deleted because of your WP:POV. Wlaak (talk) 20:17, 2 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

For reference, I am 100% unrelated to the account who just commented. I am also growing the suspicion that these accounts are created by the opposite party's POV (Surayeproject3's POV) to make me look suspicious and guilty. Wlaak (talk) 21:03, 2 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

just because we edit the same topic it doesnt mean we are sockpuppets actually and filing this report against us means we are doing good Osroene25 (talk) 21:00, 2 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

@Osroene25: Who is "we"?   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 12:50, 3 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

You have created this report means you are threatened by us,we will not take kindly to these acusations and we will work against this believe it AramaicFuse (talk) 12:17, 3 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

@AramaicFuse: Who is "us"?   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 12:49, 3 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

Dont pay any attention to it. I'm sure that was just a coincidence Trade (talk) 02:57, 4 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

@Surayeproject3: without regard to how these accounts may or may not be related to one another, is there some action they are engaged in that you think is either problematic for Commons (someone replying to you after some interaction with someone else is not), or threatening to you (definitely also problematic for Commons)?

@AramaicFuse: we will work against this: what exactly are you saying you will work against? You wrote this on the Administrator's noticeboard, so as an admin I am asking—really more like telling—you to clarify your meaning. - Jmabel ! talk 00:13, 5 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

@Jmabel I'll try to be concise and not run on with my reply. The main editor of this report, Wlaak, was recently indeffed on English Wiki for sockpuppetry [4] along a topic area that was given General sanctions [5] in May, partly due to his own participation. From the time of the main disputes, there were concerns of sock/meatpuppetry in influencing consensus that still exist on English Wiki, now including this absurd allegation of potential sock/meatpuppetry from my end or the end of other editors on the same Wiki (I was tagged in this after filing out this thread on B&P). There is also a sizable amount of off-Wiki evidence to suggest this editing began with the aim of using meatpuppetry to influence on-Wiki consensus, and from an inherently anti-Assyrian viewpoint at that.

One action in particular was my request for Filemover rights. I have been renaming files for some time individually and wanted to apply for the rights so I could continue without having to make requests every time. I ask the mod Ziv (who I've spoken with before) if they can check the request, and on the same day, Wlaak then goes under the request and leaves a misleading comment as if to insinuate I shouldn't be granted these rights. The reply underneath by AramaicFuse, who has never edited on Commons but has been disruptive in their own right on English Wiki, was a personal attack stating I don't deserve these rights. As you can see above, this has carried over to this B&P listing, including another user Osroene25. It is problematic for Commons to have disputes from another Wikimedia project carry over in a way that is negatively disrupting my usual editing, when I have had no issues prior, especially when there is sock/meatpuppetry that is highly likely involved. Surayeproject3 (talk) 01:04, 5 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

@Surayeproject3: Yes, if that is accurate, I can see how that would be suspicious. I'm really not familiar with your work on Commons, so I think I'm going to request that Ziv (also an admin) take a look at this thread. - Jmabel ! talk 01:20, 5 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

@Jmabel: Thank you for the information. However, I had to read up on it first, including enWP, to understand what it's all about. In summary: Wlaak first topic banned indefinite from all Assyrian/Chaldean/Aramean/Syriac subjects, later blocked indef for sock puppetry, @Surayeproject3 involved in edit war in enWP, which probably triggered the whole thing. Surayeproject3 contacted me in July about three files: User_talk:Ziv/Archive/2025#File:Kurdere_-_fo30141712180016_27.jpg. The question was actually just which of them contains incorrect information, so I started a topic that received no response and has since been archived. There were no further conversations between me and Surayeproject3 or other parties involved in the case described here; every now and then I moved a file that Surayeproject3 suggested for renaming. I wasn't aware of any differences between Wlaak and Surayeproject3 until Surayeproject3 informed me about the request for Filemover. The reason I didn't reply to the request is because I honestly didn't know what to answer. But it is clear, problems between two users are being spread across different wiki projects (enWP, trWP, Commons...?), and it's not entirely clear to me who follows whom, with or without the use of sock puppets. זיו「Ziv」 • For love letters and other notes 08:42, 5 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

@Jeff G.@Jmabel@Ziv, just an FYI, I filed a CheckUser request on AramaicFuse and Osroene25 to see whether they are connected to Surayeproject3. Honestly, I think these “coincidences” are far too much of a coincidence for them to be my sockpuppets or simply share the same interests as me. In reality, I believe these accounts were created by the opposing party’s POV to “set me up” or make me look suspicious. If they were actually my sockpuppets or anyone else’s, I don’t think anyone would be so careless as to reply to the “meatpuppet” within minutes, with no prior edits on Commons, and then jump straight into the filemover request. However, I couldn’t file a CheckUser on English Wikipedia, so it had to be done on Common.

Here was the request. Wlaak (talk) 09:42, 5 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

I also want to note that, at least from English to Turkish Wikipedia, it’s Surayeproject3 who has been following me and has tried to get me blocked on the Turkish Wikipedia as well, but fortunately failed. He has made the same request here on Commons that he did on Turkish Wikipedia, trying to find any connection between an edit made by DavidKaf and one made by me (Wlaak), without any regard for whether it actually constitutes a WP:BADSOCK. I’ve also mentioned this in the request I attempted to file on the English Wikipedia, which you can find attached to the message above. Wlaak (talk) 09:50, 5 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

@Wlaak, I don't see any request from you here on Commons; you requested this on your discussion page on enWP and were advised to do so on Commons. COM:CHECK is the right place. זיו「Ziv」 • For love letters and other notes 10:00, 5 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

Thank you, I’ll do it today. Wlaak (talk) 10:31, 5 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

We will actively counter the biased perspective being promoted by certain Assyrian groups. As for the mention of “fake sockpuppets,” I'm unclear on what that refers to, but I want to clarify that I have no affiliation with the Assyrians. AramaicFuse (talk) 20:11, 5 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

 Comment I blocked DavidKaf per enwiki SPI. Yann (talk) 10:24, 5 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

You blocked DavidKaf for abusing multiple accounts. What kind of abuse has been done on Commons? To my knowledge, DavidKaf is not a WP:BADSOCK and hasn’t done anything to deceive, trick, or create the appearance of consensus. Wlaak (talk) 10:38, 5 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

If you use several accounts, you must disclose them. Yann (talk) 10:45, 5 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

Okay, I wasn’t aware of that. Thanks! Wlaak (talk) 10:46, 5 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

And also Devi van velden. Yann (talk) 10:54, 5 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

 Comment I also blocked several accounts from another group following en:Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/GabrielBossjr and en:Category:Wikipedia sockpuppets of GabrielBossjr: Category:Sockpuppets of GabrielBossjr. Yann (talk) 10:44, 5 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

 Comment I note that edits of Osroene25 and AramaicFuse are very suspicious. Yann (talk) 10:56, 5 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

Dozens and dozens of uploads that are either blatant copyright violations or files which got tagged as missing source/permission (due to it being clearly not the user's own work), many of which were deleted after the grace period passed. Despite having been given a final warning on the 17th by Didym (User talk:Smet Hallyday § Copyright violations), they've continued to upload many more files with the same issues as before, without ever replying to the messages on their talk page. Perryprog (talk) 00:29, 3 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

 Done. One week block. Next blocks can be longer. Taivo (talk) 15:11, 3 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

Agatakramer (talk · contributions · Move log · block log · uploads · Abuse filter log) block user

First uploaded 2 copyvios that were speedy-deleted, after their deletion proceeded to upload 2 more copyvios, one of them (File:Tomasz Limiszewski.png) being a reupload of one of the deleted files (File:Tomasz Limiszewski.jpg). The user does not concern themselves with copyright, warnings or deletion of the uploaded copyvios and continues to upload them. Jeż0216 (talk) 20:22, 5 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

Already done Looks like Yann gave a strong warning. Any continuation of this should result in a block. - Jmabel ! talk 20:59, 5 October 2025 (UTC)Reply