Wikipedia:Conflict of interest/Noticeboard/Archive 11

Wrigley's Gum campaign

Resolved.

There appears to be a campaign by Wrigley's gum to promote chewing sugar free gum as an oral health care practice. Two accounts I have found so far:

• Ellielancaster (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• 195.216.25.222 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• Ideaslondon (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) - added 20:38, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

Addition of link to http://www.betteroralhealth.info, but also (and more worrying to me) additions to articles [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6] (among others) promoting use of sugar free gum. -- Siobhan Hansa 13:40, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Both accounts have been back, making more promotional edits. Neither respond to messages on their talk page. -- Siobhan Hansa 17:48, 1 May 2007 (UTC)

Back again today. EllieLancaster responded to my level4 warning with a request about how to provide input, but also spammed the link again. I asked her to use the talk pages and refrain from adding the link to articles, she has since created an article - Wrigley's Oral Healthcare Program, which I've tagged fr speedy deletion. 195.216.25.222 promoted the research on the Wrigley's article. Editors opinions are welcomed at a discussion on the talk page there. Other help or advice on how to better handle this would also be appreciated. -- Siobhan Hansa 15:11, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

I removed the company promotional language and excessive links from the article, and found and added a link for the Brandweek magazine reference. — Athaenara 02:25, 6 May 2007 (UTC)

I've tagged the users with Template:Uw-coi, and marked the IP as a suspected sock puppet. Jehochman (^talk/_contrib) 03:24, 7 May 2007 (UTC)

New account today - Ideaslondon (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log). Marked as a suspected sock. -- Siobhan Hansa 03:44, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

It's the same user. Note this edit posted by Ideaslondon, signed "UserEllielancaster." — Athaenara 10:04, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

See this message, which essentially confirms the COI. See also this subsection about the COI at WikiProject:Dentistry. · jersyko talk 19:02, 14 May 2007 (UTC)

I've given her a fresh final warning about advertising. Next time she does any promotional editing, I recommend blocking all of these accounts. She's had more than enough chances to wise up. Jehochman (^talk/_contrib) 03:11, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

The editors seem to be complying nicely, so closing this one. Jehochman ^☎ / _✔ 20:53, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

Self-promotion of books by Charles Gidley Wheeler?

• Chgwheeler (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)

In recent days new editor Chgwheeler has inserted the following template into the "References" and "Further Reading" sections of a number of philosophy articles. He has also inserted similar templates, for other books by Charles Gidley Wheeler, in other articles. Is this kosher? -- WikiPedant 16:53, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Wheeler, Charles Gidley (2004). Basic Flying Instruction, a comprehensive introduction to Western philosophy. iUniverse. ISBN 0-595-32160-7. 

No, it doesnt look kosher at all. Even if he didn't have a conflict of interest, he's spamming "references" without any indication that they're actually being used as such. --Ronz 17:52, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

None of them had been used by other editors as references for article content. More than half of these had been removed before I checked through Chgwheeler's contribs and removed the remaining half dozen or so today. I'll leave the section open a little longer. The user's posts on Talk:Charles Gidley Wheeler suggest that he is beginning to understand the policies and guidelines which apply to what he was doing. — Athaenara 22:12, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

Cardiffbayhostmaster (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)

I am almost afraid I have a COI here myself, I really like this place. But user:Cardiffbayhostmaster is editing many articles about Cardiff Bay, has created some articles that have apparently already been deleted (Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre), and is adding links to websites relating Cardiff Bay.

User: Cardiffbayhostmaster (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) (Wikipedia:WikiProject Spam/UserReports/Cardiffbayhostmaster)

User keeps on performing disrupting edits (pointing and vandalism). --Dirk Beetstra ^{T C} 23:02, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Resolved. Block log says indefinitely blocked as vandalism-only account. Tearlach 03:14, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

User:COIBot is monitoring some of the links that were added for the moment to catch IPs performing similar edits. --Dirk Beetstra ^{T C} 08:38, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Only now I create the COIBot link report, I see there has been an account user:Cardiffbay active (for two edits), editing Cardiff Bay.

• cardiffbay.co.uk: Linksearch en - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - Meta: SRB-XWiki - COIBot-XWiki - Eagle's spam report search • Interwiki link search, big: 20 - 57 • Linkwatcher: search • Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • Veinor pages • meta • Yahoo: backlinks • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.org • DomainsDB.net • Alexa • OnSameHost.com • WhosOnMyServer.com

--Dirk Beetstra ^{T C} 08:43, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Closely related (though I am not sure if it is a sock),

• Happysailor (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) --Dirk Beetstra ^{T C} 23:38, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Cmlc (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)

For the record. User Cmlc (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) is editing some articles where the user inserts links to cmlc.org.uk (or changes existing links).

• Performing Right Society (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• Phonographic Performance Limited (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• cmlc.org.uk: Linksearch en - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - Meta: SRB-XWiki - COIBot-XWiki - Eagle's spam report search • Interwiki link search, big: 20 - 57 • Linkwatcher: search • Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • Veinor pages • meta • Yahoo: backlinks • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.org • DomainsDB.net • Alexa • OnSameHost.com • WhosOnMyServer.com

Edits have been reverted.

COIBot is watching. --Dirk Beetstra ^{T C} 12:31, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

MDS International (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

→ See also

• Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/Incidents#MDS International / MDS America conflict bothering Wikipedia
• Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/MDS International (2nd nomination)
• Talk:MVDDS dispute
• Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/IncidentArchive234#User:Jeanclauduc
• Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/IncidentArchive239#Complex vandalism by 83.206.63.250 (talk • contribs • logs)

• MDS International (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs) - there is a great deal of edit warring in this article concerning legal disputes with MDS America. I've requested full protection.
• MDS America (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs) - edit warring here too, but not as bad.
• Jeanclauduc (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) - Is admitted CTO of MDS International. Has been editing warring in both articles, and has been making threats against editors including legal threats. Could use help from someone fluent in French.

--Ronz 20:14, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

Update: MDS International is now fully protected due to the edit warrring. It looks like many of the other editors involved in the edit warring are WP:SPAs, probably with their own conflicts of interest. I've started an AN/I because of the legal threats. Now that we have someone fluent in French involved, hopefully we'll get a better understanding of Jeanclauduc's perspective. --Ronz 17:25, 24 April 2007 (UTC)

This case has already generated enough legal threats for one day. It seems that Wikipedia is just providing a venue for two contending parties (MDSA and MDSI) to abuse one another. We couldn't use any of the juicy revelations from Talk:MDS International in the encyclopedia, even if they were true, because there are no reliable secondary sources. Now the CEO of one of the entities is furious that an apparent comment by him has been translated into English, and makes him sound bad! (There seems to be a remote chance his account could have been compromised; not serious enough to pursue without further info). Both parties occasionally take a break from abusing each other to abuse Wikipedia. Does anyone have a strong objection to nominating both articles for deletion? (MDS America and MDS International)?

The only alternative is to try to protect two stubbified articles indefinitely, with hardly any secondary sources for anything interesting. I know that the WP:OFFICE occasionally shuts things down if they are just too much trouble. This could be that kind of a case, though there is no hint of any commentary from the office. It's unlikely that either party can be made happy, since we can't print any of their supposed revelations, and meanwhile they keep referring us to their law firms and denouncing the 'vandalism by the admins' (I believe that's their term for our removal of defamatory comments from the articles and talk pages).. EdJohnston 21:07, 26 April 2007 (UTC)

Sounds like a good idea. There doesn't appear to be much interest from any of the editors to create quality articles, judging by the sudden drop in editing now that one is protected. --Ronz 21:15, 26 April 2007 (UTC)

If you have an opinion on launching an AfD, please add a comment at Talk:MDS International. EdJohnston 02:59, 27 April 2007 (UTC)

MDS International has been nominated for deletion here. I decided not to nominate MDS America since, while that article caused trouble for regular editors, it did not lead to any legal threats. EdJohnston 01:03, 28 April 2007 (UTC). Update This AfD closed with Delete on 3 May. EdJohnston 20:03, 5 May 2007 (UTC)

Update MDS International has been deleted and recreated as a redirect to MVDDS dispute. I have proposed a merge of MDS America as well, and a strawpoll has been created at Talk:MVDDS dispute. However, representatives of MDS America are naturally against the merge, and I am not sure how to take their opinion into consideration. nadav 22:31, 3 May 2007 (UTC)

The merge proposal at Talk:MVDDS dispute seems to have stalled, with 2 supporting (but non COI editors) and 2 against (both MDS employees). There certainly needs to be more input for consensus to be reached if any other editors want to dig into this case. Russeasby 19:21, 5 May 2007 (UTC)

Consider going to Talk:MVDDS dispute#Straw poll on merging MDS America and adding your opinion. If you gave an opinion in the previous AfD of MDS International then you probably have enough background to address this. The debate is not especially confrontational at the moment; it's just a question of whether MDS America has enough information of its own to justify a freestanding article. EdJohnston 20:03, 5 May 2007 (UTC)

• 62.160.95.1 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• 65.2.150.213 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• 65.2.198.147 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• 72.19.4.235 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)

72.19.4.235 - *MDS America Gateway; unsure who is using it.

• 76.109.17.236 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• 83.206.63.250 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)

83.206.63.250 - *Subnet owned by MDS International

• 89.224.157.48 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• 89.224.178.100 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• WizardOfWor (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• Jeanclauduc (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)

Jeanclauduc - *Founder of MDS International

• Macrhino (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• Bhimaji (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)

Bhimaji - *MDS America Employee

A partial list of the COI SPAs swarming those pages. — Athaenara 23:00, 5 May 2007 (UTC)

I hope this isn't inappropriate, but I *annotated this list with the information that I am personally aware of. I haven't used any sources other than 'host' and 'whois'. I would like to avoid giving the impression that MDS America people are trying to hide; most of them just have no experience on Wikipedia and don't realize how challenging it is to have a discussion with an IP address that changes every day.Bhimaji 00:00, 6 May 2007 (UTC)

Thanks to User:Bhimaji for his recent work, which is that of a normal trustworthy editor. User:Macrhino has been intermittently helpful, though he removed tags from the Kirk Kirkpatrick article in a way that hardly conforms with policy. User:Fabrice10 is one of the managers at MDS America and he has offered to answer questions for us on his User talk. EdJohnston 03:01, 6 May 2007 (UTC)

What's the best way to get 83.206.63.250 to stop being so disruptive? --Ronz 17:01, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

I proposed a one-week block on grounds of complex vandalism at WP:ANI but did not get any response. It could be more logical to ask for an indefinite block of both this IP and User:Jeanclauduc for making legal threats. I hear that such blocks are usually kept in place until the legal threat is withdrawn. The original legal threats are: [7], [8], and User_talk:FayssalF#Gros_Menteur. A brief scan of Talk:MDS America will see a steady stream of ongoing threats by 83.206.63.250, such as Talk:MDS_America#Printed_for_the_Court. EdJohnston 03:34, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

My AN/I is archived here. Yours is here. Time for another? --Ronz 03:52, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Fine with me. EdJohnston 04:00, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

I hoped for a while that he would be able to voice his opinion coherently, but that has been to no avail. I'll support a block of some sort. nadav 01:43, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Update. This COI item was opened on 23 April but is still hanging out on the noticeboard. There is quite a bit of progress, but it's mostly at Talk:MDS America, Talk:MVDDS and Talk:MVDDS dispute. In case we do need to ask for any blocks, it may be worth keeping this one open as a COI item for a while longer. Some of the employees of the respective companies have been helpful with the technology we're trying to describe in the articles. We even got some usable info from an IP at the company that's been yelling at us the most. We have tried to get some COI-affected editors to add better sources to the articles themselves but not much has happened yet. EdJohnston 03:21, 14 May 2007 (UTC)

After new, particularly viscious attacks from a certain IP user, FayssalF has relisted the case at WP:AN/I. nadav 12:33, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

Comment: This section has been on the noticeboard for four weeks. The issues are under discussion on several other pages. Should we keep it open here or not? — Athaenara ✉ 15:19, 20 May 2007 (UTC)

The status can be examined by going to Talk:MDS America. I agree that it's possible to close the issue at WP:COIN, since authorities are sufficiently aware of what's going on, and certainly there has been plenty of investigation. User:FayssalF has semi-protected the Talk pages of some of the articles, to prevent the mischievous edits by some IPs who were adding defamatory statements. I imagine that FayssalF will get help at WP:AN/I if he needs more support. EdJohnston 18:29, 20 May 2007 (UTC)

The European Library (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

→ See also: Library COI dilemma on COI/N talk page

• The European Library (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)

This item has been discussed with the user, and has also been discussed on village pump (policy) (here archived). In both cases no real answer came out of the discussion so I am posting it here on COI/N as, to me, the issue is not satisfactory solved and the edits continue. User:Fleurstigter is the Marketing and Communications representative of the European Library (see their aboutus). The European Library is relatively new, and already for some time, she is adding links. I first reverted her because of spamming (wikipedia definition), and asked her to contribute in a positive way, adding contents and references, or by seeking consensus on talkpages before adding the links (or letting others add the link). She is still adding mainly external links to documents where they are of arguable value (see e.g. diff and diff, some are a bit better (see the three consequtive edits: diff, diff and diff where she tried to add a reference. The link may be appropriate, but she did not use the links as a reference to actually write (parts of) the document).

Secondly, she creates documents where I think that they are hardly stubs, and need some wikification before they become notable. Examples: Archimandrite Kyprianos, Bernhard Borchert. Note that these articles are about the person, but that the only reference is to a artwork/document of the person (which also explains something about the person).

All of these additions seem so that there can be a link to the European Library inserted into the document (and if it does not fit, it goes into the external links section). For some of the links I would argue that the link could better be to the original site, or even, original documents without a link to a specific library. Lately she is discussing the linkadditions on the talkpage (see e.g. diff, but that is 2 minutes after diff)

Accounts:

• Fleurstigter (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) (Wikipedia:WikiProject Spam/UserReports/Fleurstigter)
• 194.171.184.4 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) (Wikipedia:WikiProject Spam/UserReports/194.171.184.4 ; probably her IP seen the edits from this account; 194.171.184.0/24 is assigned to kb.nl, participant in the European Library).

COIBot is now monitoring many of these links:

• theeuropeanlibrary.org: Linksearch en - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - Meta: SRB-XWiki - COIBot-XWiki - Eagle's spam report search • Interwiki link search, big: 20 - 57 • Linkwatcher: search • Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • Veinor pages • meta • Yahoo: backlinks • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.org • DomainsDB.net • Alexa • OnSameHost.com • WhosOnMyServer.com
• libraries.theeuropeanlibrary.org: Linksearch en - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - Meta: SRB-XWiki - COIBot-XWiki - Eagle's spam report search • Interwiki link search, big: 20 - 57 • Linkwatcher: search • Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • Veinor pages • meta • Yahoo: backlinks • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.org • DomainsDB.net • Alexa • OnSameHost.com • WhosOnMyServer.com
• edlproject.eu: Linksearch en - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - Meta: SRB-XWiki - COIBot-XWiki - Eagle's spam report search • Interwiki link search, big: 20 - 57 • Linkwatcher: search • Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • Veinor pages • meta • Yahoo: backlinks • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.org • DomainsDB.net • Alexa • OnSameHost.com • WhosOnMyServer.com
• kb.nl: Linksearch en - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - Meta: SRB-XWiki - COIBot-XWiki - Eagle's spam report search • Interwiki link search, big: 20 - 57 • Linkwatcher: search • Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • Veinor pages • meta • Yahoo: backlinks • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.org • DomainsDB.net • Alexa • OnSameHost.com • WhosOnMyServer.com
• telmemor.net: Linksearch en - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - Meta: SRB-XWiki - COIBot-XWiki - Eagle's spam report search • Interwiki link search, big: 20 - 57 • Linkwatcher: search • Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • Veinor pages • meta • Yahoo: backlinks • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.org • DomainsDB.net • Alexa • OnSameHost.com • WhosOnMyServer.com

I am reluctant to run WP:AWB again on all her additions to clean the external links she added, or to clean most of the references, though I think that this should be stopped. I know she is adding the links in good faith to help wikipedia, but I don't think that this is the proper way. It all has more the appearance of spam (as in 'promotional addition of links') than of contributing, even for the few links that do appear valid. I would be surprised if there are significantly more than 15 of the 57 links in mainspace (current count) that have not been added by either Fleurstigter or IPs from KB.nl (COIBot is only recording this since a couple of days).

I'd like to hear more on this subject, and whether librarians do have a COI when their main edits are to link to their library. Cheers. --Dirk Beetstra ^{T C} 18:09, 1 May 2007 (UTC) I notified User:Fleurstigter that this issue has been filed. Anyone looking into this item might also see the discussion at Wikipedia talk:Conflict of interest/Noticeboard#Library COI dilemma EdJohnston 20:07, 1 May 2007 (UTC)

Comment: I'm afraid this is a problem. I only spent a few minutes looking at this editor's contribution history and already I have a list of articles that I think should go to AfD:

Archimandrite Kyprianos, Khitrovo Gospel, Brussels Coin Cabinet, Oktoikh

An AfD nomination of this set of four articles would be good because we could get a variety of opinions on the logic behind creating these articles.

I checked two link insertions, and I think both should be reverted: [9] and [10].

In my brief survey I only found one link that seems like it should remain, in Peresopnytsia Gospels. This is because the article is a genuine WP article about an art work and the link points to information about that work. EdJohnston 17:53, 3 May 2007 (UTC)

OK, so an AWB (semi-automated script) run on removing all her additions of external links/references would be difficult, though I could ignore that article. I might then accidentally clean an addition that would be appropriate, but I would not mind then being reverted by an established editor.

For that article, could the link be used as a true reference (as per WP:FOOT?). --Dirk Beetstra ^{T C} 18:25, 3 May 2007 (UTC)

I've never used AWB, but doesn't it need manual confirmation of each change? Couldn't you compare each change against an 'exception list'? Editors here might help to create an exception list, i.e. a list of articles where the links are appropriate. Even in that one exception that I found, there may be a slight copyright problem, because some of the article text appears to be word-for-word the same as in the summary paragraph found in the European Library item. EdJohnston

AWB indeed needs conformation of every edit (unless it is run from a bot account). What I can do with it is load a users contributions list, and clean every occurance of a link in documents edited by the account. What I generally do is clean the whole line where the link is in, and use it to remove links from external links sections. Since most additions here are single-line I think that this would be typically something I could do with AWB.

I think in this case it would be appropriate to clean all the occurances she added (per WP:SPAM "Adding external links to an article or user page for the purpose of promoting a website or a product is not allowed, and is considered to be spam. Although the specific links may be allowed under some circumstances, repeatedly adding links will in most cases result in all of them being removed."), and, again, ask her to first discuss the addition on a talkpage, wait until consensus is reached, and then let an uninvolved editor add the link. That means indeed that some (and I expect it to be only one or two) appropriate external links are removed, but Fleur Stigter is then free to reach consensus on the talkpages for these cases before they get added (or another editor must decide to add it earlier). --Dirk Beetstra ^{T C} 20:59, 3 May 2007 (UTC)

• Fwiw, I don't think that adding a link to an online text, image, or other useful information on a library website is "promoting" the library itself. I know the European Library is not itself a library, but just an interface/portal to libraries in Europe. It doesn't make any money from people clicking through to it; it doesn't host advertisements; it's a search interface. Reminds me of WorldCat, actually. I can't speak to the user's actions in creating the AfD'd articles, but I would not consider a link to any nonprofit library organization "advertising" or linkspam. I also don't think it's a conflict of interest for the same reason - the user does not gain from people visiting the site. Just my 2¢. Her Pegship (tis herself) 21:11, 3 May 2007 (UTC) (librarian)

Still, many non-profit organisations do get judged by the efficiency of their work. In other words, for online data the amount of money they get may be related to the page-hits a site gets. Why would governments put money in a large organisation that provides online information when there are no visitors? So in that view also mass addition of links to non-profit organisations, even without any advertisement, can be promotional, and therefore people who add the links to get people tunnelled to their website do have a conflict of interest. --Dirk Beetstra ^{T C} 21:20, 3 May 2007 (UTC)

I have to rephrase/expand this a bit. Librarians have in first instance not a COI when they would 'pull a book out of their library' and edit an article, improve it, and add a reference to an online version of the book on their site (though a general link would be better, e.g. the ISBN, but lets assume that we are talking about a unique or very rare book). The situation changes when a librarian is going through pages on wikipedia, and (almost exclusively) adds links to documents on their site to the documents where they could possibly fit. As has been stated often, I and many others will not have a big problem with the former (improving a document, and providing a reference to the online version on a site one is affiliated with; although WP:COI states 'Avoid or exercise great caution writing or editing articles ..."), but the latter does at the very least suggest that the addition of links is to promote the site (in whichever way, being it for money, to gain hits or to make the site more known to the public), and when that is the case, I would describe that as a conflict of interest. --Dirk Beetstra ^{T C} 22:29, 3 May 2007 (UTC)

To the extent that the site they are adding is important and central to the purposes of WP, there is no problem. Each page has to be taken on its merits. If the items are worth the description, there is justification. some of the articles mentioned on individual manuscripts are worth the description--there are several WP eds. around who would be interested in using the stubs provided as a starting point & I will check if they know about the articles. There is nothing necessarily wrong upon knowing that one has some unique documents available, to see if they can be used. But if I did that for new articles, i would try to write more complete ones.

To the extent that the EL does become a search interface, then, a Her Pegship says, we will all use it. There's nothing wrong with making us aware of it.

But in both respects, I would go a little slower and more carefully than has been the case so far.DGG 05:50, 4 May 2007 (UTC)

There is indeed nothing wrong with knowing that the documents are available. I am not questioning if the European Library would be a valuable resource, or that whe should link to the European Library, it is and we should. I am questioning if a librarian should add links to his own library to articles him/herself (especially if the edits all are mainly or exclusively adding the links, or edits to facilitate links). Making us aware of that can be done via the talkpages, or via wikiprojects. --Dirk Beetstra ^{T C} 07:02, 4 May 2007 (UTC)

Since I believe that User:DGG and User:Pegship are librarians, and they have joined this discussion, can I ask if you have had occasion to use the European Library in your own work, and if so what you use it for? EdJohnston 16:12, 4 May 2007 (UTC)

After almost two weeks of inactivity, user:Fleurstigter added one reference to Serbian culture (diff):

• The document linked was clearly not used as a reference;
• The linked page contains documents which are part of the Serbian Culture, but the document does not tell about the Serbian Culture (it tells about specific treasures, it might have been appropriate on articles of the separate treasures).

I also looked a bit further in other edits, and although they were above described as useful starting points, they appear to be copyvio. E.g. Bernhard Borchert, Fleur Stigter created this document, and after her initial edits (link to version) the document contains two paragraphs with text, and one sentence pointing to the external reference on The European Library. The two paragraphs:

• "Bernhard Borchert (1863-1945) was a Baltic-German artist who spent the greatest part of his life in Latvia. He has worked in the field of painting and has produced book and magazine illustrations." is a copy of "The author of the Baltijas makslinieku gleznu izstade (Baltic artists’ painting exhibition) is a Baltic-German artist Bernhard Borchert (1863-1945) who the greatest part of his life has spent in Latvia. He has worked in the field of painting and has produced book and magazine illustrations." (first couple of words changed)
• "He is the author of the "Baltic artists’ painting exhibition" (Baltijas makslinieku gleznu izstade). This represents the German school to which his talent has added the reservedness so characteristic to the mentality of Baltics." First sentence is a rewrite of the first part of the copy of the previous paragraph on European Library, The last sentence is a copy from "The poster represents the German school to which B.Borchert’s talent has added the reservedness so characteristic to the mentality of Baltics."

A similar comparison can be made for Gospel Book (Ethnike Bibliotheke tes Hellados, Codex 2603) (version after Fleur Stigters creation: link). --Dirk Beetstra ^{T C} 11:48, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

Question

I can't figure out whether this section issue has been resolved or not. Someone please tell us. — Athaenara ✉ 16:22, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Nothing has been done with the edits that have been performed, and I was hoping user:Fleurstigter would share her view with us. I also left an explanation on the talkpage of Fleur Stigter, but also that has not been answered, yet. Any advice on how to proceed? --Dirk Beetstra ^{T C} 17:05, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

DataSynapse, Inc. (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

• DataSynapse, Inc. (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• GridServer (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• FabricServer (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• Image:Datasynapse logo.gif (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• Image:DataSynapse logo.gif (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• HouKid - August 2006
• 12.158.31.82 - August 2006
• Shigdon - July, August 2006
• 165.254.107.3 - July 2006
• Moonmix - June, July, August 2006
• Data Synapse - June 2006

• DataSynapseInc - April, May 2007 - After an entirely random CSD G11 deletion, this user contacted me upset about my deletion of his company's articles. I shrugged it off as spam, however he contacted me via Instant Messenger and brought the issue up again. I calmly told him that they were deleted within policy, and that he was more than welcome to take it to WP:DRV if he felt so inclined. Looking a bit more into it after our discussion, I came across those two images as well. While I don't believe he'll persistently create the articles again and again (he seems like a nice understanding guy), he did seem upset that several of his competitors (ColdSpark, Inc., United Devices, Quest Software, Platform Computing and VMware) articles still exist while his does not. I've never reported to COI/N before, so I'm not sure what else I need to do. Just thought I should let somebody else know. ^demon^{[omg plz]} 23:00, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

You say that he "seems like a nice understanding guy". If it is your impression that he has seen the error of his ways and will not continue to edit within his COI, nothing more is really necessary − we're not here to punish the wicked if we can convert them to contributing constructively (or, failing that, at least make them stop editing unconstructively) without punishment. –Henning Makholm 23:39, 1 May 2007 (UTC)

This appears to me to be a major company within the marketspace, and there exist plenty of reliable sources, so I've created the article as a stub. FCYTravis 23:52, 1 May 2007 (UTC)

This article was already bagged twice on articles for deletion in June 2006 and August 2006. Very little has changed since that time. This is clearly not the company's first attempt at spamming. If the competitors articles are similarly spammy, they should be AFDed.Montco 00:28, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

The company has been the subject of significant reporting by independent sources - I've only got two refs as of now but there's plenty more where they came from. DataSynapse appears to meet WP:CORP, and is a substantial player in its market sector. FCYTravis 00:48, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

On the DataSynapse, Inc. page there are two third-party references. Both of them are passing mentions. One is from 2005 and the other is a ZDnet blog entry. I hope there is more to be said; otherwise another AfD might succeed. The GridServer and FabricServer articles are so thin and unsourced they might qualify for G11 speedy.EdJohnston 03:24, 6 May 2007 (UTC)

Keyence (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

• Keyence (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) (Wikipedia:WikiProject Spam/UserReports/Keyence)
• 219.127.205.65 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)

Articles

• Keyence (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• Optical microscope (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• Laser engraving (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• Barcode reader (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• Sensor (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• Microscope (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• ...

Links

• keyence.com: Linksearch en - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - Meta: SRB-XWiki - COIBot-XWiki - Eagle's spam report search • Interwiki link search, big: 20 - 57 • Linkwatcher: search • Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • Veinor pages • meta • Yahoo: backlinks • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.org • DomainsDB.net • Alexa • OnSameHost.com • WhosOnMyServer.com
• sensorcentral.com: Linksearch en - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - Meta: SRB-XWiki - COIBot-XWiki - Eagle's spam report search • Interwiki link search, big: 20 - 57 • Linkwatcher: search • Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • Veinor pages • meta • Yahoo: backlinks • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.org • DomainsDB.net • Alexa • OnSameHost.com • WhosOnMyServer.com
• marking-central.com: Linksearch en - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - Meta: SRB-XWiki - COIBot-XWiki - Eagle's spam report search • Interwiki link search, big: 20 - 57 • Linkwatcher: search • Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • Veinor pages • meta • Yahoo: backlinks • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.org • DomainsDB.net • Alexa • OnSameHost.com • WhosOnMyServer.com
• measurecentral.com: Linksearch en - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - Meta: SRB-XWiki - COIBot-XWiki - Eagle's spam report search • Interwiki link search, big: 20 - 57 • Linkwatcher: search • Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • Veinor pages • meta • Yahoo: backlinks • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.org • DomainsDB.net • Alexa • OnSameHost.com • WhosOnMyServer.com
• visionsystems.com: Linksearch en - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - Meta: SRB-XWiki - COIBot-XWiki - Eagle's spam report search • Interwiki link search, big: 20 - 57 • Linkwatcher: search • Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • Veinor pages • meta • Yahoo: backlinks • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.org • DomainsDB.net • Alexa • OnSameHost.com • WhosOnMyServer.com
• digitalmicroscope.com: Linksearch en - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - Meta: SRB-XWiki - COIBot-XWiki - Eagle's spam report search • Interwiki link search, big: 20 - 57 • Linkwatcher: search • Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • Veinor pages • meta • Yahoo: backlinks • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.org • DomainsDB.net • Alexa • OnSameHost.com • WhosOnMyServer.com

User pushes his links and information to articles he is related to, with the excuse the pages already contain similar link/information. --Dirk Beetstra ^{T C} 08:20, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

219.127.205.65 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) looks like a sock puppet. Note that 219.127.205.65 = fw.keyence.co.jp Erik Warmelink 14:12, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Latinguides (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)

For the record. latinguides (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) and 190.83.2.82 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) are adding external links or adding information to articles with links to latinguides.com.

latinguides.com: Linksearch en - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - Meta: SRB-XWiki - COIBot-XWiki - Eagle's spam report search • Interwiki link search, big: 20 - 57 • Linkwatcher: search • Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • Veinor pages • meta • Yahoo: backlinks • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.org • DomainsDB.net • Alexa • OnSameHost.com • WhosOnMyServer.com genteelite.com: Linksearch en - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - Meta: SRB-XWiki - COIBot-XWiki - Eagle's spam report search • Interwiki link search, big: 20 - 57 • Linkwatcher: search • Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • Veinor pages • meta • Yahoo: backlinks • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.org • DomainsDB.net • Alexa • OnSameHost.com • WhosOnMyServer.com

COIBot is watching. --Dirk Beetstra ^{T C} 11:11, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

William Kay (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

• William Kay (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• Billkay (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• Lynne Bateson (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)

This appears to be written entirely by the subject, Billkay and his wife partner Lynne Bateson. Note that the article says that William Kay is married to lives with Lynne Bateson. I can't verify anything by following the links in the article. --Steven J. Anderson 18:37, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

Apart from the probable COI, the actual contents look fine apart from getting sources. William Kay is indeed a long-running Sunday Times financial columnist. I've sourced two of the awards. Tearlach 17:50, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Personality psychology (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

• 66.146.190.186 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) - was adding them last June
• 71.136.40.90 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) - was adding them last July
• Talentsmart (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) - Was warned back in February to stop linking to his books. — RevRagnarok ^{Talk Contrib} 10:45, 7 May 2007 (UTC)

For a psychologist, he doesn't seem to understand the value of subtlety very well, does he? All his linkings look like spam to me, and if that user is indeed the author or the publisher, they're totally COI -- albeit unimaginative and non-prolific COI. --Dynaflow 10:59, 7 May 2007 (UTC)

• Linksearch for *.talentsmart.com
• Linksearch for *.eiquickbook.com

Added two pertinent linksearches. — Athaenara 23:03, 7 May 2007 (UTC)

Most of the links seem to have been removed. Is there any way to do a historical linksearch? --Dynaflow 23:14, 7 May 2007 (UTC)

I added them in aid of checking for re-addition of COI links. I'd like to know the answer to your question, too. — Athaenara 23:41, 7 May 2007 (UTC)

The bot that used to have that database is already for quite some time down, otherwise people at WP:WPSPAM could have done that (I'll ask when I see the person who programmed the bot). I have for now added the data to user:COIBot, which will record the additions from now. COIBot does not have connections on user:talentsmart for the last couple of weeks, apparently the link was not added lately (I can't detect plain text additions, would be too much a strain on the wikipedia database). Hope this helps. --Dirk Beetstra ^{T C} 18:48, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

I tagged this COI SPA's Emotional Intelligence Quick Book with {{db-spam}}. — Athaenara ✉ 23:02, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

That was apparently the tip of a larger iceberg. The entire Emotional Intelligence article is fragmented by POV-pushing and has an extremely messy references section which may be the result of conflict of interest editing by people whose careers (academic or otherwise) are involved. It needs some serious attention. — Athaenara ✉ 20:46, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Biffeche (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

• ChoppityChop (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• Tumuli (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) may be same editor

I'm not sure if this comes under COI, but I'd appreciate other opinions. This is a near-SPA devoted to pressing for the inclusion of mostly unverified material about King Ronald I from the website kingdomofbiffeche.net (though not editing the article itself).

Recent Talk page contributions - Talk:Biffeche#Bethio and Biffeche - have taken a rather dark tone that would be legal threats if, as I suspect, this user has some connection with King Ronald. Are there grounds for asking for a CheckUser? Tearlach 18:10, 12 May 2007 (UTC)

Keith Henson (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

See also: Keith Henson section in Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons/Noticeboard/Archive15.

• Maureen D (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) - advocacy on behalf of Keith Henson, see [11]
• Damotclese (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) - serious NPOV/vandalism issues, posting private info [12]
• 206.114.20.121 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) - resolves to Scottsdale AZ, history of WP:NPOV issues, seems to act in concert
• Hkhenson (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) - article subject
• Keith Henson (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)- This article is the one targeted by the above mentioned edits. These accounts seem to be acting in coordination. I am mediating a dispute between the subject, User:Hkhenson and another unrelated editor. Jehochman (^talk/_contrib) 18:27, 12 May 2007 (UTC)

HTTP File Server (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

→ See also: Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Http file server (last year)

• Rejetto (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• Rawbanana (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• 59.100.15.169 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)

HTTP File Server (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs) Appears that the main editors of the page thus far have been the developers of it. A recent AfD reached no consensus, but the article was quite spammy. I removed most of the spam and left a caution on the talk page, but a few extra eyes wouldn't hurt here. (If someone can translate the German source brought up at the AfD, it wouldn't be a bad idea to get some third-party material into the article either.) Seraphimblade ^{Talk to me} 01:15, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

The Hershberg Diet (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

• Mhershberg (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• Image:Dr.Melissa Hershberg - headshot.jpg (history • links)
• The Hershberg Diet (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs) - is a new page edited by a single user Mhershberg who has a name that appears similar to the author of the book the page is about. What is the best way to handle this? 207.134.250.140 17:50, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

I added a {{db-spam}} and a {{coi}} to it.

• Wikipedia:WikiProject Spam/UserReports/Mhershberg

COIBot already saw the additions. --Dirk Beetstra ^{T C} 18:13, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

Thank you. Let me know if I need to do anything else? 207.107.246.140 20:00, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

• Delete the article as spam, and as per above comments. Bearian 23:09, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

This noticeboard is just slightly more complicated than that. If you believe an article should be deleted, please take it upon yourself to apply one of the pertinent tags, like {{prod}} or {{db-spam}}, or initiate the articles for deletion process, or ask other editors to help you with those procedures. There's no role here for !votes like Delete / Keep / Merge, really. — Athaenara ✉ 02:19, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Article got deleted. Listed the image on WP:PUI, incorrectly tagged. MER-C 12:43, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

Gospel Hall (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

→ See also: Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Gospel Hall.

The Gospel Hall (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs) article (about a sort of religious denomination/affiliation) appears to have been written by members of Gospel Hall assemblies. I have attempted to re-write the article since the previous version read like pieces from letters to the editor by members. But I don't have any familiarity with the subject matter and it will probably need correcting. It would be helpful if other editors would add the article to their watch lists so that any changes that are made can be reviewed by several sets of eyes. Thanks. -- Siobhan Hansa 01:59, 5 May 2007 (UTC)

No improvement in the article in many months, no references or assertion of notability in a year. {{prod}}ed. — Athaenara ✉ 23:57, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

I prodded it with reason "This article has had neither references nor assertion of notability since it was created a year ago. Time to let it go."

142.177.73.65 (talk · contribs) removed the prod tag the next day after another edit which was typical of the COI SPA edits which have contributed nearly all of its meagre unreferenced content. — Athaenara ✉ 13:11, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Editors who want to say more about this issue can participate in the AfD listed above. EdJohnston 18:47, 20 May 2007 (UTC)

Roy Gordon Lawrence (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

• Roy Gordon Lawrence (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• A recent edit by truedominican (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) (and their only and first contribution) who is not a neutral party and is reminiscent of the nonsense that occurred on this article a year ago. The sources quoted on the page seems to not be referenced properly -- could use some cleanup too. I happen to know the people at both churches referenced in this article, so I will avoid edits to the article. References of Conflict of Interest:

The user truedominican (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) appears to be a sockpuppet of williamo1 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log). Williamo1 is self indicated as the former pastor of the church involved in this story who also now lives (part time) in the Dominican Republic. He likes to propogate his side of the story at various spots across the internet. The main goal of late appears to be to discredit another local church:

• • http://www.williamoosterman.com/associations.html ("Above all avoid ___ with Roy Gordon Lawrence as a regular preacher and teacher. He is a convicted child molester and predatory pedophile.")
  • http://www.williamoosterman.com/baptist.html ("Avoid ___ as they have as a resident predatory pedophile Roy Gordon Lawrence who preaches and teaches. They even post his sermons and lessons on their web site. They were formed by some people who behaved in a very cruel manner and contrary to all of Scripture, rebelled against the Pastor God gave them.")
  • http://ottawa.ibegin.com/users/williamo1/

The criminal past of the said Roy Gordon Lawrence is certainly ugly. It's place on Wikipedia has already been established by surviving some AFDs. However, the latest round of using the article as a soapbox to discredit a non-profit organization does not seem to be of any encyclopedic value. History reviews of this article show this is not the first time this article has been used this way. It may not be the last either.

Andyru 15:52, 1 May 2007 (UTC) (reposted 16 May 2007)

Gordon Bell (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

• Gordon Bell (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• Cgordonbell (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)

Came to my attention through a self-promotional offsite find that included ...and even has his own page on Wikipedia!' Not surprisingly, this thinly substantiated Wikipedia bio has quite a few edits from Cgordonbell.[13] At User talk:Cgordonbell the account confirms that this is Gordon Bell himself editing. I have left a message for Professor Bell in conjunction with this report. Request urgent attention so that issues may be resolved before his university marketing/PR lecture later this month. Durova^Charge! 02:25, 14 May 2007 (UTC)

I think the notability is there; he may be the most famous computer designer, in a class with Seymour Cray or Ken Olsen. Someone should add the fact that he turned down the original proposal for DEC to build a personal computer, back around 1973, believing people wouldn't want them. Of course he shouldn't edit his own article without discussion. EdJohnston 02:49, 14 May 2007 (UTC)

I don't contest the article's notability, but the behavior does appear unseemly, especially the weight the announcement of his lecture gives to the Wikipedia biography and the fact that he's planning to speak on PR and marketing. It makes me wonder whether he intends to tell the audience to manipulate Wikipedia articles. Durova^Charge! 08:52, 14 May 2007 (UTC)

He could include it as an example of how not to go about it. Tearlach 09:16, 14 May 2007 (UTC)

Durova, Gordon Bell is a legendary computer scientist. Publicity from this page is absolutely insignificant compared to the multitude of references about him all over the net. You'll notice that this Wikipedia page, unlike most, doesn't appear within the first page of Google search results for the subject. Jehochman ^☎ / _✔ 18:21, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

How about this - we put up a highly visible notice on the article on our non-tolerance of corporate vanity/paid for editing before the time of the lecture and keep it there for several days so as to get our point across.

I added a {{coi2}} to the article, by the way. MER-C 13:24, 14 May 2007 (UTC)

We should follow WP:BITE and show some respect to an old timer who may be unfamiliar with Wikipedia's community standards. Jehochman ^☎ / _✔ 18:26, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Easy now. Gordon Bell does not appear to be giving a marketing/PR lecture. The lecture is on entrepreneurship, technology startups, and innovations from Microsoft. I suspect this lecture writeup was done by an eager PR intern and that Bell didn't even see it or care what it says. This is analogous to some youngster saying that William Shakespeare must be important because he has a Wikipedia page. Jehochman ^☎ / _✔ 18:44, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

James Hudson PR

James Hudson PR is working on their PR. Jameshudsonpr (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) is adding links to pages where they have done some PR work for the subject:

• hudson-pr.com: Linksearch en - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - Meta: SRB-XWiki - COIBot-XWiki - Eagle's spam report search • Interwiki link search, big: 20 - 57 • Linkwatcher: search • Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • Veinor pages • meta • Yahoo: backlinks • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.org • DomainsDB.net • Alexa • OnSameHost.com • WhosOnMyServer.com

COIBot is now also monitoring the link. --Dirk Beetstra ^{T C} 15:37, 23 May 2007 (UTC)

VIRGINIA McCABE (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

• VIRGINIA McCABE (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• Virginiamccabe (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) -

Found this one doing move-log patrol (many people create their autobiographies in user space, and then later move them into the mainspace to bypass newpage patrol). The article is quite obviously by the subject of the article. Antandrus (talk) 04:22, 24 May 2007 (UTC)

• I've tagged it {{copyvio}} since it was a copy and paste job. Jehochman ^☎ / _✔ 04:47, 24 May 2007 (UTC)

You're supposed to blank the copyvio text, by the way. MER-C 08:31, 24 May 2007 (UTC)

George Azariah (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

→ See also: Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/George Azariah

• George Azariah (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• Azariahmoreno (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)

Article seems to have been written by a relative of the recently deceased subject, possibly his wife. All edits were made by Azariahmoreno except some minor ones made by me (under my IP address - oops). Looks like it will pass notability, but there are no sources. Needs to be verified by an editor without a conflict of interest. --Steven J. Anderson 04:23, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Just making a quick inspection, I don't even see how it would pass notability. I'm probably missing something here, but it just seems to be an obituary with wikilinks. I see some Google hits for a George Azariah-Moreno, but most if not all of them are signed comments on bbc.co.uk articles. Apart from references, the article doesn't assert the subject's notability well at all. I would put a prod tag on it unless, again, I'm missing something major. --Dynaflow babble 04:56, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

An AfD is now in progress. Feel free to contribute there. EdJohnston 20:41, 21 May 2007 (UTC)

Transcendental Meditation (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

→ See also: TM & Maharishi sections COI/N Archive 5

• Transcendental Meditation (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• Michaelbusch (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• TimidGuy (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• Littleolive oil (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)

There seems to be a possible COI at the TM article. At least three of the "editors" who oversee the article actually work for the TM organization. They are: Michaelbusch, Timidguy and Oliveoil. Sardaka 09:57, 23 May 2007 (UTC)

Have they self-identified as TM employees? If not, what's the evidence? ·:·Will Beback ·:· 10:42, 23 May 2007 (UTC)

I've got a strong sense of deja vu. Unless you have something new to present, I'm closing this. MER-C 10:51, 23 May 2007 (UTC)

Second that déjà vu. Evidence in Archive 5. — Athaenara ✉ 04:43, 24 May 2007 (UTC)

Almost everyone who ever works on those articles has some previous awareness of or connection to TM, possibly as a former meditator or as an enthusiast for some related school of self-improvement. We did not come up with any well-defined misbehavior last time we looked at those articles. You'll find some people critical of TM who also edit there. If you have something very specific you want to raise, I suggest you offer it at Talk:Transcendental Meditation for discussion. EdJohnston 05:10, 24 May 2007 (UTC)

McGhee-Mangrum Inventory of School Adjustment (MISA) (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

→ See also: Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/McGhee-Mangrum Inventory of School Adjustment (MISA)

• McGhee-Mangrum Inventory of School Adjustment (MISA) (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• Five Factor Personality Inventory - Children (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• Five Factor Personallity Inventory - Children - (A misspelled redirect to deleted article)
• FFPI-C - (A redirect to deleted article)
• Token Test for Children - 2nd Edition (TTFC-2) (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• Image:Personality.jpg
• Image:MISA2.jpg
• Image:TOKEN-16.JPG
• Image:MISA-16.JPG
• Image:FFPI-C.JPG

• RLM2007 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• 168.10.112.2 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• Tammykps (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)

The three articles describe recently published psychology tests that all have as an author Ronnie L. McGhee. This person's initials coincide with those of RLM2007. Both RLM2007 and 168.10.112.2 have added multiple links to these tests to psychology, counselling and speech-language articles, for example including the tests as "prominent examples" (a phrase that was there already).[14]. RML2007's edits appear to have a single purpose at present.

I wrote a note on RLM2007's talkpage inquiring if they were McGhee and pointing to the conflict of interest and spam guidelines. There has been no response and indeed another article was created and the link adding has continued unabated. I note that RLM2007 signed as Carol Phillips School Psychologist, at one point, however.[15] I would be glad of some advice and help at this point. Slp1 21:30, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

I tagged all three articles with {{COI}} and {{advert}}. They all deserve {{db-spam}} tags. — Athaenara ✉ 02:28, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for this. Now that I have some confirmation that I am not being overly negative about these additions, I will go through some of the articles they have changed and revert some of the more gratuitous spam links and references. And change some the extensive page redirects to more appropriate destinations? Once again, any comments or advice welcomed --Slp1 14:09, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

One of the COI SPAs also redirected existing articles to their corporate vanity pages; you did well to revert them. I listed the associated images and a redirect to the deleted article, and placed a link to the AfD at the top of this section. — Athaenara ✉ 14:37, 20 May 2007 (UTC)

Law Practice Today (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

→ See also: Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Law Practice Today

• Law Practice Today (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• Heliumballoon (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) -- appears to be all but SPA. THF 06:57, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

Borderline speedy. Some kind of deletion seems appropriate for this article. MER-C 08:49, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

Original editor deleted speedy tag, as well as notability and advertisement tags, wikilawyered an excuse for csd-deletion on talk page instead of using hangon tag. Continues to attempt to bootstrap notability. THF 15:30, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

Keep. I have no idea what is the problem with the notability of this article. Its a trade magazine. I have edited it to make it as encyclopedic as possible. Category:Trade magazines There are plenty of other magazines like it for other professions. Eg - Legal Week, Conformity (magazine), Pulp and Paper, The Grocer, Golf Course News International, Editor & Publisher, MediaWeek. Are you saying that a trade magazine is not notable? Sure not? It is widely used and quoted in the legal community. I have documented it. Just ask a few lawyers if they have heard of it. I hardly see why this is bootstrapping anything. As to the advertising critique - well to begin with it was criticized for not being notable. Then I provided sources who quoted it as well as respected it. As soon as I do that, it's called advertising. Well how do I prove it notability without advertising it? Just so there is no confusion, I have no commercial or otherwise connection with this publication. Heliumballoon 15:51, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

I'm a lawyer and I haven't heard of it, though that's not the criteria for notability, nor is this the page to discuss notability. (Editor and Publisher and MediaWeek are plainly notable; but that doesn't make every other trade magazine notable.) But you're making outsized claims for notability: the Oklahoma Bar did not "recommend" Law Practice Today, their website listed it in an indiscriminate list of forty links that related to a particular subject without commentary. "Law.com" did not identify LPT as notable, an author's self-written and unedited bio in a different publication reprinted by Law.com did. And the fact that just about the only thing your account has done is implausibly push "Law Practice Today" (see WP:SPA) in multiple articles and remove legitimate tags in violation of Wikipedia policies is what is making people suspicious. THF 16:11, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

A different editor needs to get involved in this, since the user has accused me of a conflict of interest, has personalized this, and is not going to be responsive to my attempts to correct the problem. THF 16:48, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

I take your point about the Oklahoma and Michigan bar associations merely listing and not recommending it and I have fixed that in the article. IMHO there is some ambiguity because at the top of the Oklahoma Bar Assoc page it says 'Prepared by the Oklahoma Bar Association Management Assistance Program', which implies at least somewhat that this isnt some random list, but a list that sets out to help fellow lawyers and as such implies some level of approval of what follows. I did not realize that the author's bio was self-written and unedited. I have changed that too. However the magazine is quoted a lot online and it isn't just a flim flam blog. I understood that the magazine was sufficiently notable. I think you need to define in some precise manor how notable a subject needs to be for wikipedia inclusion. Heliumballoon 17:17, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

I am not trying to give a 'Single-purpose account'. I just have not got around to looking at other legal articles. I created this article because Law Practice Today was a source for an issue (the eeconomic position of attorneys) that I talked about in another article. Attorneys —Preceding unsigned comment added by Heliumballoon (talk • contribs) 19:07, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

Point of information: The Single-purpose account page is about user accounts, not "accounts" as in narratives or descriptions. — Athaenara ✉ 20:28, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

Note that by removing tags User:Heliumballoon risks being considered naive or self-promoting, since he may be avoiding discussion of a conflict of interest. I have no problems with his joining the discussion here, and explaining his position. He should we willing to meet the Wikipedia standards though. We don't consider our standards eccentric, and we try to apply them uniformly across all articles. We are particularly interested in the opinions of independent third parties who may have written about Law Practice Today. Blogs are often not considered to be reliable sources, since they are viewed as self-published. A paper publication about legal issues would be taken quite seriously, though.

Let me correct the record. Blogs can be perfectly good sources, if they have independent editorial supervision and fact checking (e.g. A List Apart) and even if they are self-published by an expert writing in their own field of expertise (e.g. Matt Cutts blog). This myth that paper is somehow more reliable than electrons needs to have a wooden stake driven through it's heart, and be submerged under running water, preferably holy water. Jehochman ^☎ / _✔ 23:20, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

Since this editor writes at such great length (check his contribution history), and isn't easily dissuaded by simple explanations of policies, we may need a rather verbose WP:AFD before he feels his position has been adequately considered. It would be simpler for him just to look around the encyclopedia and try to improve his article. I think most of us would appreciate a neutrally-written and well-balanced article that didn't sound like an advertisement. How about a criticism section, for example? Or an admission of the limitations of what you can do? Or a comparison with what other similar publications have been able to do, or not do?

To give you some ideas, here is a sentence that sounds like pure marketing, one that should not appear in our encyclopedia:

The magazine offers advice and information as to how to market a law practice and how to integrate new technology - items that are often neglected in law school and quite foreign to some in the legal community. EdJohnston 23:03, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

I think AfD is a fine idea. Jehochman ^☎ / _✔ 23:20, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

I have tried to further refine the article so that it sounds less like an advertisement. Check the last few changes. I am always open to suggestions to reword the article. My main point was the concerning notability. Indeed it was hard to establish notability without it sounding like an advertisement. As far as the above sentence (mentioned by EdJohnston) is concerned what do you and others want? Would you like a source for what is and isn't included in law school or is that not the issue. The statement may be factual, however it sounds like an advertisement and needs to be reworded. Heliumballoon 04:30, 23 May 2007 (UTC)

The article fails to mention that Law Practice Today is just a monthly webzine supplement to the Law Practice print magazine. I've corrected the topic para to make this clear. If Law Practice mag had an article here, Law Practice Today would merit about a line in it. I've AFD'd for NN and OR. Tearlach 23:05, 23 May 2007 (UTC)

I have continued to adjust the style and content to address various criticisms. Of course this is still a work in progress.Heliumballoon 02:05, 24 May 2007 (UTC)

That's not the problem. The issue is about getting into how sourcing here works: what's acceptable citation for a statement, and what's unacceptable as original research. See my Katzenmeister General example. Tearlach 04:03, 24 May 2007 (UTC)

Transnistria (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

→ See also: Linksearch for *.tiraspoltimes.com

→ See also: Wikipedia:Requests for arbitration/Transnistria, an Arbcom case that does not involve User:MarkStreet but mentions the Tiraspol Times

• Transnistria (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• MarkStreet (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• Mark us street (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)

Sockpuppeteer User:MarkStreet who is editor of Tiraspol Times, confirmation of identity to Jayig (at that time, the link http://tiraspoltimes.com/aboutus.html mentioned MarkStreet's name with a link back at his Wikipedia userpage), known also with the name Mark us street, with known sockpuppets Henco, Esgert, Truli, Buffadren is edit-warring for long time in Transnistria-related articles in Wikipedia, one of main activities being to include refference at his webpage "Tiraspol Times" in Wikipedia [16], defending the credibility of "Tiraspol Times" [17], voting for the inclusion of a link to "Tiraspol Times" [18] and in general promoting in Wikipedia the POV of necesity of international recognition of Transnistria's independence like "Tiraspol Times" is doing (note: Tiraspol is the capital of Transnistria). I consider that a conflict of interest exist and MarkStreet/Buffadren and all his sockpuppets should be banned to edit Transnistria-related articles in Wikipedia.--MariusM 19:57, 14 May 2007 (UTC)

I have put the link on COIBot's monitor list and blacklisted MarkStreet against the link. I guess blacklisting all the sockpuppets against the link is going to be useless. --Dirk Beetstra ^{T C} 12:51, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

Block as many sockpuppets as you can. Bearian 16:18, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

MarkStreet is not anymore an active account, his style is to drop old accounts when he accumulate blocks on them and start new sockpuppets.--MariusM 14:41, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

Both of them are banned now: Buffadren (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) and Britlawyer (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log). To be seen by the future clients. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.95.8.146 (talk • contribs) 19:25, May 16, 2007 (UTC)

The new Signpost says that User:MarkStreet is one of the editors who is proposed to be banned in the pending Arbcom action, though they must have inside information, because this fact is not yet visible in the Arbcom case status. Since Arbcom seems to have the situation well in hand, this might be an argument that the COI Noticeboard ought to close this case. MarkStreet claims to be the editor of Tiraspol Times, though he has not edited since October, 2006. A ban of MarkStreet would imply that all his sockpuppets would also be blocked by any administrator, and any actions by the puppets could be reverted with impunity by ordinary editors. Your comments are invited as to whether we should keep this open at COI/N. EdJohnston 20:55, 24 May 2007 (UTC)

Except for Ed Johnston's post, no new information has been contributed to this COI/N section in over ten days. I'm for closing it. — Athaenara ✉ 22:18, 27 May 2007 (UTC)

Chief Magazine (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

Article created by chiefmag (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log). Started adding links to own magazine after finishing article.

• chiefmag.com: Linksearch en - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - Meta: SRB-XWiki - COIBot-XWiki - Eagle's spam report search • Interwiki link search, big: 20 - 57 • Linkwatcher: search • Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • Veinor pages • meta • Yahoo: backlinks • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.org • DomainsDB.net • Alexa • OnSameHost.com • WhosOnMyServer.com
• Wikipedia:WikiProject Spam/UserReports/Chiefmag
• 70.23.84.11 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) - one addition of link to chiefmag.com (diff) 4 days ago, may be unrelated.

Links have been fed to the bots, link-additions have been reverted. The article has a {{coi2}} and a {{notability}}, though I do expect that it is notable enough. --Dirk Beetstra ^{T C} 16:50, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

User Lesliejohn

• Lesliejohn (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• M. T. Yohannan (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)

I've been trying to work with editor Lesliejohn, to let him know about our coi and spam policies. I'd like some help at this point since I don't think he understands, given his latest series of edits [19]. I'm guessing there's a language issue here, but not sure. --Ronz 23:54, 21 May 2007 (UTC)

He doesn't seem to understand our copyright issues and the idea of a license. He's copyrighted his user page! Bearian 01:45, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

Context for others: M. T. Yohannan was his Dad. Worthy chap - government worker and army chaplain - but the online bio doesn't suggest notability. Looks like an AFD candidate, WP:MEMORIAL for starters. The personal testimonial letters and pics he offers don't sound sufficient as sources. Tearlach 01:57, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

I left him a friendly message and offered to help userify the material he's created, in case he wants to look for a neutral editor to review it. I also suggested that if he proceeds by himself, the article may be nominated for deletion. Jehochman ^☎ / _✔ 02:19, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

Tagged {{db-bio}}. I've seen several of these lately. I'm beginning to think there's a use for a {{db-obit}} tag for obituaries written by relatives of non-notable persons. — Athaenara ✉ 21:54, 27 May 2007 (UTC)

Gerry Cohen (director) (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

• Gerry Cohen (director) (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• Theguvnorgc (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)

This appears to be an autobiography of Theguvnorgc, and I have notified the User of my suspicions. The user's name seems to be a contraction of The-governor-Gerry-Cohen. This may also be the use of a sockpuppet. Bearian 23:06, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

No edits from Special:Contributions/Theguvnorgc since 31 March. Article is on several watchlists. — Athaenara ✉ 22:41, 29 May 2007 (UTC)

Shaun Pizzonia (history|Watchlist this article|unwatch) [watchlist?]

• Shaun Pizzonia (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)

This article appears to have been created and/or edited by its subject, Sting International (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log). Shaun is also known as Sting International, according to the article. Bearian 23:30, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

I've prod'ed the article and left a uw-coi warning for the editor. That's what to do in simple cases like this. If prod fails, then AfD. If the editor persists, an administrator may issue a block. Jehochman ^☎ / _✔ 03:01, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

• 24.141.198.58 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) removed the {{prod}}. Another editor added some references. These actions didn't necessarily resolve anything, I'm just reporting here. — Athaenara ✉ 23:57, 20 May 2007 (UTC)

No edits from Special:Contributions/Sting International since 14 May. Article is on several watchlists. — Athaenara ✉ 22:41, 29 May 2007 (UTC)

William Lerach and related articles

• William Lerach (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• PRFellow (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log)
• Every edit by this suspiciously-named user has been to add a press release to William-Lerach-related articles. THF 10:35, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

I've added some rules to COIBot. --Dirk Beetstra ^{T C} 14:31, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

• Nrobbins (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) - created initial Lerach stub (note: Robbins is the name of one of the law firm partners)
• 216.140.110.148 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) - first to add massive content directly from law firm website
• 216.140.110.129 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) - another COI SPA

Nearly all of the content of the Lerach article had been copied wholesale from the subject's law firm website. I removed that. What's left is a {{lawyer-stub}}. — Athaenara ✉ 18:36, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Returning this section to the noticeboard from COI/N Archive 11 because PRFellow and 216.140.110.148, who don't seem to understand what Wikipedia is not, have again added non-NPOV promotional content from the subject's law firm website.

This stub needs expansion may be expanded with content supported by reliable sources, not the replacement of the only (so far) news media citation with padding by law firm employees. — Athaenara ✉ 22:03, 31 May 2007 (UTC)

PRFellow is now simply edit-warring. Plenty of recent media coverage about Lerach's resignation from his firm (on the eve of a multi-billion dollar Supreme Court case) and speculating that Lerach is about to be indicted.[20] [21] [22] (Disclosure: I just had a WSJ op-ed criticizing Lerach.[23]) THF 22:11, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

• Michael khoo (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) - user making identical sanitizing edits to Lerach article as "PRFellow." NB this link that identifies Michael Khoo as working for Fenton Communications, with Lerach as a client. THF 22:11, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

(Khoo's specialties include online marketing.) — Athaenara ✉ 02:40, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

• An anonymous Fenton Communications account, 216.140.110.148, mentioned above, is continuing to attempt to sanitize the page. THF 15:17, 4 June 2007 (UTC)