@ Kostas20142: Hello, and welcome! Here is where I will help you become a vandal fighter. When I post an assignment, please respond under the assignment (or in a table, if there is one). In some exercises I will ask you to provide "diffs". See Help:Diffs for how to do this. When you're finished an assignment, please ping me.
Before we start, I wanted to show you some useful tools for counter-vandalism work which can be used by any editor. You can use all of these, none of these, or some of these. I don't mind, these links are just for your convenience. You may have already installed some of these in the past.
Twinkle is a very popular gadget which is helpful for a variety of tasks. To install it, go here and tick the box that says Twinkle. Then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click "save". When you refresh the page, a "TW" tab will be available on every page, next to the "More" tab. Scrolling over the TW tab will show a list of modules you can use on the particular page. Twinkle has a large number of useful modules, including but not limited to, one which can be used to warn users, one which can be used to request page protection, one which can be used to suggest a page is deleted, and many many more helpful features. It also adds a non-admin "rollback" feature on all diff pages. I highly suggest you enable Twinkle, as it's incredibly useful and poses no risk of harming your account.
Lupin's Anti-vandal tool is extremely helpful for monitoring
recent changes in real time. To install it, simply add the following to
your common.js.
importScript('User:Lupin/recent2.js');
Refresh the page and you'll find 5 new links on your toolbar (on the left side of the page, underneath "interaction"). These links can be used to better monitor recent changes for possible vandalism.
IRC is an internet chat program. There are several channels on IRC that can be used to monitor vandalism. #cvn-wp-en connect is probably the most useful. Visit Wikipedia:IRC/Tutorial for information on how to connect to channels.
Navigation popups allow you to hover over links and see a brief preview of the page being linked to. One feature of navigation popups is that when you're at recent changes and hover over "diff" links, you'll have the ability to revert the most recent edit, useful for undoing vandalism. To install navigation popups, go here and tick the box that says Navigation popups. Then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click "save". Refresh the page and navigation popups will be enabled.
Now that you've read these, reply below with which scripts you installed/what you signed up for. I don't mind how many you installed, or if you installed none, it's just so I know and can set tasks using those scripts. Also note that there are many more advanced scripts out there, but they'll only be available to you when you have more experience. @ XboxGamer22408: I have installed Twinkle and Lupin's Anti-vandal tool Kostas20142 ( talk) 16:50, 19 March 2017 (UTC)
When 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.
Vandalism is the editing or behaviour that deliberately damages Wikipedia and its purposes. A good-faith edit might be unhelpful or damaging as well, but its intend is not to harm but to help. The user's edits history, the existance of previous warnings, and the severity of the edits can help to distinguish. In my opinion, edits of new users should generally be considered good-faith ones
@ Kostas20142: Good job! I've added your next assignment below. Don't forget to ping me on this page when you're finished. XboxGamer 22408talk to me 22:29, 19 March 2017 (UTC)
When 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.
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}}.
I 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. If you enable Hovercards in the Hover section of your preferences, you can view the diff by just hovering over it. Alternately, you can press control-F or command-F and search for "tag:". some edits get tagged for possible vandalism or section blanking.
# | Diff of your revert | Your comment (optional). If you report to AIV please include the diff | My comment |
---|---|---|---|
1 | diff 1 | ![]() |
|
2 | diff | ![]() |
|
3 | diff | AIV. the AIV is not for this edit but for the next, reverted by the bot | ![]() |
4 | diff | ![]() |
|
5 | diff | ![]() |
|
6 | diff | ![]() |
|
7 | diff | ![]() |
|
8 | diff | AIV | ![]() |
@ Kostas20142: Good work! Next assignment has been added below.
Sometimes, disruptive users will try to harass and annoy you. In these situations, you must remain calm and ignore them. If they engage in harassment or personal attacks, ignore them, and leave a note at WP:ANI. If they vandalize your user page or user talk page, revert them and ignore them. Please read WP:DENY and WP:RBI.
@ Kostas20142: Next assignment has been added below.
There are a number of IP user talk page templates which show helpful information to IP users and those wishing to warn or block them. There is a list of these templates:
{{
Shared IP}}
- For general shared IP addresses.{{
ISP}}
- A modified version specifically for use with
ISP organizations.{{
Shared IP edu}}
- A modified version specifically for use with educational institutions.{{
Shared IP gov}}
- A modified version specifically for use with government agencies.{{
Shared IP corp}}
- A modified version specifically for use with businesses.{{
Shared IP address (public)}}
- A modified version specifically for use with public terminals such as in libraries, etc.{{
Mobile IP}}
- A modified version specifically for use with a mobile device's IP.{{
Dynamic IP}}
- A modified version specifically for use with dynamic IPs.{{
Static IP}}
- A modified version specifically for use with static IPs which may be used by more than one person.Each of these templates take two parameters, one is the organisation to which the IP address is registered (which can be found out using the links at the bottom of the IP's contribution page. The other is for the host name (which is optional) and can also be found out from the links at the bottom of the IP's contribution page.
Also, given that different people use the IP address, older messages are sometimes refused so as to not confuse the current user of the IP. Generally any messages for the last one-two months are removed, collapsed, or archived. The templates available for this include:
{{
OW}}
for when the messages are deleted from the talk page.{{
Old IP warnings top}}
and {{
Old IP warnings bottom}} for collapsing the user warnings and leaving them on the talk page.{{
Warning archive notice}}
for when the messages are archived, and that archiving follows the usually naming sequence (that is, /Archive 1).
NOTE: All of the templates in this section are not substituted (so don't use "subst:").
You don't need to do anything here, just tell me when you have finished reading this.
@ Kostas20142: Next assignment has been added below. XboxGamer 22408talk to me 14:54, 26 March 2017 (UTC)
Protecting and deleting pages are two additional measures that can be used to prevent and deal with vandalism. Only an administrator can protect or delete pages (I am not an admin); however, anyone can nominate a page for deletion or request protection. If you have Twinkle installed, you can use the Twinkle menu to request page protection or speedy deletion (the RPP or CSD options). If you want to report manually, either place a CSD tag on the page, or report at WP:RFPP.
Please read the protection policy.
It's for when an article receives persistent vandalism from IPs and new users, but there's also constructive edits.
That used to be true (but not so much in the case of edit warring, but on occasion), but now if they're autoconfirmed, we can just use extended-confirmed protection, if they're not extended-confirmed.
Only in the most severe cases of vandalism from IP users
The talk page must also have persistent vandalism, and not only IPs, this also includes new users.
It was protected indefinitely.
XboxGamer
22408talk to me 23:57, 28 March 2017 (UTC)
Please read WP:CSD.
Please note that speedy deletion should only be done if the page meets the criteria at
WP:CSD
@ Kostas20142: Good job! Next assignment is below. XboxGamer 22408talk to me 23:57, 28 March 2017 (UTC)
Wikipedia has a policy which details the types of usernames which users are permitted to have. Some users (including me) patrol the User creation log to check for new users with inappropriate usernames. There are four kinds of usernames that are specifically disallowed:
Please read WP:USERNAME, and pay particluar attention to dealing with inappropriate usernames.
This is impersonation. If you saw a user name like this always report to UAA(unless it is an alt account of the user).
XboxGamer
22408talk to me 18:16, 29 March 2017 (UTC)
In this case, you should ask the user to change their username. Report if you don't get a response.
XboxGamer
22408talk to me 18:16, 29 March 2017 (UTC)
@ Kostas20142: You're doing well! Keep up the good work! Next assignment has been added below. XboxGamer 22408talk to me 18:17, 29 March 2017 (UTC)
Revision Deletion, commonly known as revdel, can be used to delete diffs. Revdel is used for copyright infringements, or serious cases of vandalism. See WP:Revdel and WP:CRD for more information.
Oversight, also known as Suppression, is a powerful tool used by a very small number of users on Wikipedia. Oversight allows revisions to be removed from any means of usual access, even administrators can't see it. See WP:OS. Oversight is used in 4 cases: Removal of non-public personal information, Removal of potentially libelous information, either: a) on the advice of Wikimedia Foundation counsel; or b) when the case is clear, and there is no editorial reason to keep the revision, Removal of copyright infringement, on the advice of Wikimedia Foundation counsel, Hiding of blatant attack names on automated lists and logs, where this does not disrupt edit histories. (A blatant attack is one obviously intended to denigrate, threaten, libel, insult, or harass someone), or hiding vandalism when normal administrator measures are insufficient. Also note that Oversight is sometimes used in hiding the personal information of minors, if it makes them easily identifiable.
As you patrol, you may come across a threat of physical harm to oneself or others. If this happens, Report this to the Wikimedia Foundation immediately.. As the essay WP:911 says: "Notify the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) office staff of the apparent suicide note or claim or threat of violence as soon as it is posted. Foundation staff have been the key responders in prior incidents. Contact can be made by emailing emergency@wikimedia.org, which forwards to several trained staff members who handle these incidents and are available to respond to emergency incidents even outside of normal business hours. This is the preferred method for reporting threats of harm to the Wikimedia Foundation; calling the office or emailing other addresses will simply delay the report from reaching the appropriate staff in a timely fashion. The WMF will take care of locating the user and contacting authorities. The WMF will nearly always immediately acknowledge your email, so that you know they're working on it." Request oversight for any comments like this as well, or if you can't get it oversighted quickly, get an admin to revision delete it, and then email Oversight.
It wouldn't be a new article, because a defamatory article would not be a BLP.
@ Kostas20142: Marked. Next assignment is below. XboxGamer 22408talk to me 21:40, 30 March 2017 (UTC)
Here's a test so I can measure your progress in this area. After this, we'll move on to more advanced topics. The following scenarios each have multiple questions that are based on WP: VANDAL, WP:3RR, WP: REVERT, WP: BLOCK, WP: GAIV, WP: WARN, WP:UAA, WP:CSD, WP:911, WP:OS, WP:REVDEL and WP:UN. Good Luck!
You encounter an IP disrupting the article on Homosexuality. They are adding extremely nasty homophobic slurs, and death threats.
Unless the account has made multiple vandalism edits, we cannot report to AIV. Give the IP a level 4im warning in this case. A 4im warning assumes bad faith, and is considered as an only warning to the user. If they make another vandal edit, then you can report them to AIV.
XboxGamer
22408talk to me 19:48, 31 March 2017 (UTC)
And don't forget to ask an admin to delete the bad revision.
You see a new account called "Hi999" that has added random letters to one article.
Yes, if the account is used only for vandalism. WP:BLOCK states that accounts used exclusively for disruption may be blocked indefinitely without warning
Generally, we don't give indef. warnings for first offenders.
XboxGamer
22408talk to me 19:52, 31 March 2017 (UTC)
You see a new account called "LaptopsInc" which has created a new page called "Laptops Inc" (which only contains the words "Laptops Inc" and a paragraph copied from www.laptopsinc.com). The user also added "www.laptopsinc.com" on the Laptop article. You research Laptops Inc on Google and find that is a small company.
Use the neutral option to revert.
XboxGamer
22408talk to me 20:01, 31 March 2017 (UTC) 3/4 points for this question
Use Uw-advert1 or Uw-advert2. Level 3 warnings assume bad faith, and even for advertising, a level 1 or 2 warning is appropriate.
XboxGamer
22408talk to me 20:01, 31 March 2017 (UTC)
Notice how I said "a paragraph copied from www.laptopsinc.com". This would be tagged with G11 and G12. 2/4 points for this question
XboxGamer
22408talk to me 20:01, 31 March 2017 (UTC)
You should leave a Uw-username template on the user's talk page.
XboxGamer
22408talk to me 20:01, 31 March 2017 (UTC)
You come across an account named "JohnIsAFag". You find that it's created the page "John Simmonds", which reads "John Simmonds is a guy born in 1991. He is still alive today, unfortunately, because he is an idiot. ahsjjdshhsd".
Yes. Disruptive or offensive usernames part, and specifically "Usernames violating the BLP policy"
Your score: 17.75/22
@ Kostas20142: You have come a long way since we started. Great job! XboxGamer 22408talk to me 20:09, 31 March 2017 (UTC)
Congratulations now for the next step. The rollback user right allows trusted and experienced vandalism fighters to revert vandalism with the click of one button. Please read WP:Rollback.
Apply for rollback at WP:PERM, and please show me the diff of you applying. You can skip this if you already have rollback.
@ Kostas20142: You don't have rollback yet, but I've added your next assignment. XboxGamer 22408talk to me 17:09, 2 April 2017 (UTC)
Congratulations! You have completed the first section of the anti-vandalism course, well done. Now that we've been through everything that you need to know as a vandal patroller, you will be given a 5 day monitoring period. During this time, you are free to revert vandalism (and edit Wikipedia) as you normally do; I will monitor your progress in anti-vandalism. If there are any issues, I will raise them with you and if you have any problems, you are free to ask me. After five days, if I am satisfied with your progress, you will take the final test; passing this will mean you graduate from the CVUA. Good luck!
If you have any problems or trouble along the way please leave a message in this section on my talk page. If you make any difficult decisions feel free to post the diff below and I'll take a look.
@ Kostas20142: The monitoring period has elapsed. I've added your final assignment. XboxGamer 22408talk to me 18:25, 17 April 2017 (UTC)
When responding to numbered questions please start your response with "#:" (except where shown otherwise - with **). You don't need to worry about signing your answers.
GOOD LUCK!
Generally this goes to AIV. 3/4 points for this question
Great answer!
If he hasn't been arrested, a uw-biog4im would be appropriate, as this is a severe BLP violation.
This should always be a 4im warning. Not docking points off because the right answer was there
Report to ANI.
however it might be a placeholder for another image. Discuss with the user if possible.
CSD G11 applies more than A7 here though.
and/or G11
CSD G3 and A11 would apply here. 2/4 points
You could also use CSD G3 here.
What would you do in the following circumstance:
This would be reported at ANI.
(all 3 correct)
(both correct)
(both correct)
(both correct)
Part | Total available | Your score | Percentage weighting | Your percentage |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5 | 4.75 | 25 | |
2 | 11 | 9 | 15 | |
3 | 8 | 7.5 | 10 | |
4 | 8 | 8 | 10 | |
5 | 7 | 6.75 | 10 | |
6 | 12 | 12 | 30 | |
TOTAL | 51 | 48 | 100 | 94 |
Congratulations from both myself and all of the instructors at the Counter Vandalism Unit Academy, on your successful completion of my CVUA instruction and graduation from the Counter Vandalism Unit Academy. You completed your final exam with 94% and no issues came up during your 5 day monitoring period; well done.
As a graduate you are entitled to display the following userbox (make sure you replace your enrollee userbox) as well as the graduation message posted on your talk page (this can be treated the same as a barnstar).
![]() | This user is a Counter-Vandalism Unit Academy graduate. |
@ Kostas20142: Hello, and welcome! Here is where I will help you become a vandal fighter. When I post an assignment, please respond under the assignment (or in a table, if there is one). In some exercises I will ask you to provide "diffs". See Help:Diffs for how to do this. When you're finished an assignment, please ping me.
Before we start, I wanted to show you some useful tools for counter-vandalism work which can be used by any editor. You can use all of these, none of these, or some of these. I don't mind, these links are just for your convenience. You may have already installed some of these in the past.
Twinkle is a very popular gadget which is helpful for a variety of tasks. To install it, go here and tick the box that says Twinkle. Then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click "save". When you refresh the page, a "TW" tab will be available on every page, next to the "More" tab. Scrolling over the TW tab will show a list of modules you can use on the particular page. Twinkle has a large number of useful modules, including but not limited to, one which can be used to warn users, one which can be used to request page protection, one which can be used to suggest a page is deleted, and many many more helpful features. It also adds a non-admin "rollback" feature on all diff pages. I highly suggest you enable Twinkle, as it's incredibly useful and poses no risk of harming your account.
Lupin's Anti-vandal tool is extremely helpful for monitoring
recent changes in real time. To install it, simply add the following to
your common.js.
importScript('User:Lupin/recent2.js');
Refresh the page and you'll find 5 new links on your toolbar (on the left side of the page, underneath "interaction"). These links can be used to better monitor recent changes for possible vandalism.
IRC is an internet chat program. There are several channels on IRC that can be used to monitor vandalism. #cvn-wp-en connect is probably the most useful. Visit Wikipedia:IRC/Tutorial for information on how to connect to channels.
Navigation popups allow you to hover over links and see a brief preview of the page being linked to. One feature of navigation popups is that when you're at recent changes and hover over "diff" links, you'll have the ability to revert the most recent edit, useful for undoing vandalism. To install navigation popups, go here and tick the box that says Navigation popups. Then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click "save". Refresh the page and navigation popups will be enabled.
Now that you've read these, reply below with which scripts you installed/what you signed up for. I don't mind how many you installed, or if you installed none, it's just so I know and can set tasks using those scripts. Also note that there are many more advanced scripts out there, but they'll only be available to you when you have more experience. @ XboxGamer22408: I have installed Twinkle and Lupin's Anti-vandal tool Kostas20142 ( talk) 16:50, 19 March 2017 (UTC)
When 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.
Vandalism is the editing or behaviour that deliberately damages Wikipedia and its purposes. A good-faith edit might be unhelpful or damaging as well, but its intend is not to harm but to help. The user's edits history, the existance of previous warnings, and the severity of the edits can help to distinguish. In my opinion, edits of new users should generally be considered good-faith ones
@ Kostas20142: Good job! I've added your next assignment below. Don't forget to ping me on this page when you're finished. XboxGamer 22408talk to me 22:29, 19 March 2017 (UTC)
When 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.
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}}.
I 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. If you enable Hovercards in the Hover section of your preferences, you can view the diff by just hovering over it. Alternately, you can press control-F or command-F and search for "tag:". some edits get tagged for possible vandalism or section blanking.
# | Diff of your revert | Your comment (optional). If you report to AIV please include the diff | My comment |
---|---|---|---|
1 | diff 1 | ![]() |
|
2 | diff | ![]() |
|
3 | diff | AIV. the AIV is not for this edit but for the next, reverted by the bot | ![]() |
4 | diff | ![]() |
|
5 | diff | ![]() |
|
6 | diff | ![]() |
|
7 | diff | ![]() |
|
8 | diff | AIV | ![]() |
@ Kostas20142: Good work! Next assignment has been added below.
Sometimes, disruptive users will try to harass and annoy you. In these situations, you must remain calm and ignore them. If they engage in harassment or personal attacks, ignore them, and leave a note at WP:ANI. If they vandalize your user page or user talk page, revert them and ignore them. Please read WP:DENY and WP:RBI.
@ Kostas20142: Next assignment has been added below.
There are a number of IP user talk page templates which show helpful information to IP users and those wishing to warn or block them. There is a list of these templates:
{{
Shared IP}}
- For general shared IP addresses.{{
ISP}}
- A modified version specifically for use with
ISP organizations.{{
Shared IP edu}}
- A modified version specifically for use with educational institutions.{{
Shared IP gov}}
- A modified version specifically for use with government agencies.{{
Shared IP corp}}
- A modified version specifically for use with businesses.{{
Shared IP address (public)}}
- A modified version specifically for use with public terminals such as in libraries, etc.{{
Mobile IP}}
- A modified version specifically for use with a mobile device's IP.{{
Dynamic IP}}
- A modified version specifically for use with dynamic IPs.{{
Static IP}}
- A modified version specifically for use with static IPs which may be used by more than one person.Each of these templates take two parameters, one is the organisation to which the IP address is registered (which can be found out using the links at the bottom of the IP's contribution page. The other is for the host name (which is optional) and can also be found out from the links at the bottom of the IP's contribution page.
Also, given that different people use the IP address, older messages are sometimes refused so as to not confuse the current user of the IP. Generally any messages for the last one-two months are removed, collapsed, or archived. The templates available for this include:
{{
OW}}
for when the messages are deleted from the talk page.{{
Old IP warnings top}}
and {{
Old IP warnings bottom}} for collapsing the user warnings and leaving them on the talk page.{{
Warning archive notice}}
for when the messages are archived, and that archiving follows the usually naming sequence (that is, /Archive 1).
NOTE: All of the templates in this section are not substituted (so don't use "subst:").
You don't need to do anything here, just tell me when you have finished reading this.
@ Kostas20142: Next assignment has been added below. XboxGamer 22408talk to me 14:54, 26 March 2017 (UTC)
Protecting and deleting pages are two additional measures that can be used to prevent and deal with vandalism. Only an administrator can protect or delete pages (I am not an admin); however, anyone can nominate a page for deletion or request protection. If you have Twinkle installed, you can use the Twinkle menu to request page protection or speedy deletion (the RPP or CSD options). If you want to report manually, either place a CSD tag on the page, or report at WP:RFPP.
Please read the protection policy.
It's for when an article receives persistent vandalism from IPs and new users, but there's also constructive edits.
That used to be true (but not so much in the case of edit warring, but on occasion), but now if they're autoconfirmed, we can just use extended-confirmed protection, if they're not extended-confirmed.
Only in the most severe cases of vandalism from IP users
The talk page must also have persistent vandalism, and not only IPs, this also includes new users.
It was protected indefinitely.
XboxGamer
22408talk to me 23:57, 28 March 2017 (UTC)
Please read WP:CSD.
Please note that speedy deletion should only be done if the page meets the criteria at
WP:CSD
@ Kostas20142: Good job! Next assignment is below. XboxGamer 22408talk to me 23:57, 28 March 2017 (UTC)
Wikipedia has a policy which details the types of usernames which users are permitted to have. Some users (including me) patrol the User creation log to check for new users with inappropriate usernames. There are four kinds of usernames that are specifically disallowed:
Please read WP:USERNAME, and pay particluar attention to dealing with inappropriate usernames.
This is impersonation. If you saw a user name like this always report to UAA(unless it is an alt account of the user).
XboxGamer
22408talk to me 18:16, 29 March 2017 (UTC)
In this case, you should ask the user to change their username. Report if you don't get a response.
XboxGamer
22408talk to me 18:16, 29 March 2017 (UTC)
@ Kostas20142: You're doing well! Keep up the good work! Next assignment has been added below. XboxGamer 22408talk to me 18:17, 29 March 2017 (UTC)
Revision Deletion, commonly known as revdel, can be used to delete diffs. Revdel is used for copyright infringements, or serious cases of vandalism. See WP:Revdel and WP:CRD for more information.
Oversight, also known as Suppression, is a powerful tool used by a very small number of users on Wikipedia. Oversight allows revisions to be removed from any means of usual access, even administrators can't see it. See WP:OS. Oversight is used in 4 cases: Removal of non-public personal information, Removal of potentially libelous information, either: a) on the advice of Wikimedia Foundation counsel; or b) when the case is clear, and there is no editorial reason to keep the revision, Removal of copyright infringement, on the advice of Wikimedia Foundation counsel, Hiding of blatant attack names on automated lists and logs, where this does not disrupt edit histories. (A blatant attack is one obviously intended to denigrate, threaten, libel, insult, or harass someone), or hiding vandalism when normal administrator measures are insufficient. Also note that Oversight is sometimes used in hiding the personal information of minors, if it makes them easily identifiable.
As you patrol, you may come across a threat of physical harm to oneself or others. If this happens, Report this to the Wikimedia Foundation immediately.. As the essay WP:911 says: "Notify the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) office staff of the apparent suicide note or claim or threat of violence as soon as it is posted. Foundation staff have been the key responders in prior incidents. Contact can be made by emailing emergency@wikimedia.org, which forwards to several trained staff members who handle these incidents and are available to respond to emergency incidents even outside of normal business hours. This is the preferred method for reporting threats of harm to the Wikimedia Foundation; calling the office or emailing other addresses will simply delay the report from reaching the appropriate staff in a timely fashion. The WMF will take care of locating the user and contacting authorities. The WMF will nearly always immediately acknowledge your email, so that you know they're working on it." Request oversight for any comments like this as well, or if you can't get it oversighted quickly, get an admin to revision delete it, and then email Oversight.
It wouldn't be a new article, because a defamatory article would not be a BLP.
@ Kostas20142: Marked. Next assignment is below. XboxGamer 22408talk to me 21:40, 30 March 2017 (UTC)
Here's a test so I can measure your progress in this area. After this, we'll move on to more advanced topics. The following scenarios each have multiple questions that are based on WP: VANDAL, WP:3RR, WP: REVERT, WP: BLOCK, WP: GAIV, WP: WARN, WP:UAA, WP:CSD, WP:911, WP:OS, WP:REVDEL and WP:UN. Good Luck!
You encounter an IP disrupting the article on Homosexuality. They are adding extremely nasty homophobic slurs, and death threats.
Unless the account has made multiple vandalism edits, we cannot report to AIV. Give the IP a level 4im warning in this case. A 4im warning assumes bad faith, and is considered as an only warning to the user. If they make another vandal edit, then you can report them to AIV.
XboxGamer
22408talk to me 19:48, 31 March 2017 (UTC)
And don't forget to ask an admin to delete the bad revision.
You see a new account called "Hi999" that has added random letters to one article.
Yes, if the account is used only for vandalism. WP:BLOCK states that accounts used exclusively for disruption may be blocked indefinitely without warning
Generally, we don't give indef. warnings for first offenders.
XboxGamer
22408talk to me 19:52, 31 March 2017 (UTC)
You see a new account called "LaptopsInc" which has created a new page called "Laptops Inc" (which only contains the words "Laptops Inc" and a paragraph copied from www.laptopsinc.com). The user also added "www.laptopsinc.com" on the Laptop article. You research Laptops Inc on Google and find that is a small company.
Use the neutral option to revert.
XboxGamer
22408talk to me 20:01, 31 March 2017 (UTC) 3/4 points for this question
Use Uw-advert1 or Uw-advert2. Level 3 warnings assume bad faith, and even for advertising, a level 1 or 2 warning is appropriate.
XboxGamer
22408talk to me 20:01, 31 March 2017 (UTC)
Notice how I said "a paragraph copied from www.laptopsinc.com". This would be tagged with G11 and G12. 2/4 points for this question
XboxGamer
22408talk to me 20:01, 31 March 2017 (UTC)
You should leave a Uw-username template on the user's talk page.
XboxGamer
22408talk to me 20:01, 31 March 2017 (UTC)
You come across an account named "JohnIsAFag". You find that it's created the page "John Simmonds", which reads "John Simmonds is a guy born in 1991. He is still alive today, unfortunately, because he is an idiot. ahsjjdshhsd".
Yes. Disruptive or offensive usernames part, and specifically "Usernames violating the BLP policy"
Your score: 17.75/22
@ Kostas20142: You have come a long way since we started. Great job! XboxGamer 22408talk to me 20:09, 31 March 2017 (UTC)
Congratulations now for the next step. The rollback user right allows trusted and experienced vandalism fighters to revert vandalism with the click of one button. Please read WP:Rollback.
Apply for rollback at WP:PERM, and please show me the diff of you applying. You can skip this if you already have rollback.
@ Kostas20142: You don't have rollback yet, but I've added your next assignment. XboxGamer 22408talk to me 17:09, 2 April 2017 (UTC)
Congratulations! You have completed the first section of the anti-vandalism course, well done. Now that we've been through everything that you need to know as a vandal patroller, you will be given a 5 day monitoring period. During this time, you are free to revert vandalism (and edit Wikipedia) as you normally do; I will monitor your progress in anti-vandalism. If there are any issues, I will raise them with you and if you have any problems, you are free to ask me. After five days, if I am satisfied with your progress, you will take the final test; passing this will mean you graduate from the CVUA. Good luck!
If you have any problems or trouble along the way please leave a message in this section on my talk page. If you make any difficult decisions feel free to post the diff below and I'll take a look.
@ Kostas20142: The monitoring period has elapsed. I've added your final assignment. XboxGamer 22408talk to me 18:25, 17 April 2017 (UTC)
When responding to numbered questions please start your response with "#:" (except where shown otherwise - with **). You don't need to worry about signing your answers.
GOOD LUCK!
Generally this goes to AIV. 3/4 points for this question
Great answer!
If he hasn't been arrested, a uw-biog4im would be appropriate, as this is a severe BLP violation.
This should always be a 4im warning. Not docking points off because the right answer was there
Report to ANI.
however it might be a placeholder for another image. Discuss with the user if possible.
CSD G11 applies more than A7 here though.
and/or G11
CSD G3 and A11 would apply here. 2/4 points
You could also use CSD G3 here.
What would you do in the following circumstance:
This would be reported at ANI.
(all 3 correct)
(both correct)
(both correct)
(both correct)
Part | Total available | Your score | Percentage weighting | Your percentage |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5 | 4.75 | 25 | |
2 | 11 | 9 | 15 | |
3 | 8 | 7.5 | 10 | |
4 | 8 | 8 | 10 | |
5 | 7 | 6.75 | 10 | |
6 | 12 | 12 | 30 | |
TOTAL | 51 | 48 | 100 | 94 |
Congratulations from both myself and all of the instructors at the Counter Vandalism Unit Academy, on your successful completion of my CVUA instruction and graduation from the Counter Vandalism Unit Academy. You completed your final exam with 94% and no issues came up during your 5 day monitoring period; well done.
As a graduate you are entitled to display the following userbox (make sure you replace your enrollee userbox) as well as the graduation message posted on your talk page (this can be treated the same as a barnstar).
![]() | This user is a Counter-Vandalism Unit Academy graduate. |