User talk:H/Archive 24

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The following discussion is preserved as an archive. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this page.

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[edit] Removed Lyrics

I removed lyrics from several articles about Sara Paxton's songs. Was I right to remove these lyrics? I removed them because of possible copyright violations. If you take a look at my contributions, you will see the edits I did. Acalamari 18:12, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

I believe you were correct in removing that, it is copyrighted content and cannot by used like that. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 18:39, 22 January 2007 (UTC)
Good; I had seen some other User remove lyrics from a different page, so I thought it was best to remove those ones. Acalamari 18:54, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Userlinks/Helperbot

  • This conversation is in reference to [1] HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 22:26, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

So if I want to report a User with an offensive name, I user the {{userlinks}} template, correct? Also, I want to apologize for when I said about HBC AIV Helperbot deleting the report, after all, tge the bot was only doing its job. Acalamari 21:09, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

All you said was you didn't understand why it was calling it a comment. I don't think that is anything to apologize for. You can use {{userlinks}} in the place of {{vandal}} anytime you don't wish to label the person a vandal. The bot's job is not to report improperly formatted reports, that is an unavoidable side effect of removing comments associated with the report it should remove. It cannot tell the difference. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 21:16, 22 January 2007 (UTC)
Okay then. I just didn't want anyone thinking I had insulted the HBC AIV helperbot. Acalamari 00:26, 23 January 2007 (UTC)
Oh god, don't let them think that! HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 00:33, 23 January 2007 (UTC)
Heh heh. :) Acalamari 02:37, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Request to join bot approval group

  • This conversation is in reference to [2] HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 22:22, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

I think it might be time to talk-page-spam the members of the bot approvals group to get input from then in your "request". It doesn't look like any of them are going to check that page anytime soon. :-) —Mets501 (talk) 02:16, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

I was waiting for someone to suggest that. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 04:15, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Pride

  • This conversation is in reference to [3] HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 15:09, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

In theory, no. In practice, always. That's been my experience, at least. I've not once seen a questionable username which didn't go on to make questionable edits along basically the same lines as the username. But I agree it's not prohibited by current policy.Proabivouac 15:03, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

What about the name HighInBC? It shows my pride in my province, yet I have edited neutrally in those areas. If the user is disruptive that is a different issue than the name. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 15:07, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] AmeriCan

  • This conversation is in reference to [4] HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 22:24, 23 January 2007 (UTC)
  • "Please do not use Wikipedia as a place to advertise your beliefs". Last time I checked that's exactly what userboxes are for. All of the userboxes I had on my userpage other users have them too. Why can't I have them as well? You've obviously singled me out for some personal reason. -- AmeriCan 21:24, 23 January 2007 (UTC)
I am not singling you out, if you read WP:USER you will see that is not what userboxes are for. I came to know about your page from the administrators noticeboard. May I suggest http://editthis.info/wiki/Main_Page , it is a wiki space for general posting of information, as opposed to the narrow scope that Wikipedia follows. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 21:26, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] What's wrong with doing a Pixar survey?

  • This conversation is in reference to [5] HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 17:43, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

I needed to get the Internet's opinion for a report. If I can put anything I want on a user page, why not a survey? If I can't put it there, where else am I supposed to put it?ANNAfoxlover 00:44, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

You cannot put anything you want in your userspace. Please read WP:USER and WP:NOT for more information about this. If what you are doing is not related to building an encyclopedia then this is not the website for you. As for where you can put them, I suggest you find a webspace provider, we are not such a provider, but an academic project to build an encyclopedia. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 00:48, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] space/underscore

some edits says it all:

# (cur) (last)  2007-01-24T03:56:13 HBC AIV helperbot (Talk | contribs) m (rm Kool_dude_1992 (blocked indef by Newyorkbrad (ABD)). 1 IP(s) & 1 User(s) left.)
# (cur) (last) 2007-01-24T03:56:00 HBC AIV helperbot (Talk | contribs) m (rm Kool dude 1992 (blocked indef by Newyorkbrad (ABD)). 1 IP(s) & 2 User(s) left.)

→AzaToth 03:03, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

hmm, a small harmless bug, I will add it to my list of things to do, it should simply require the modification of a regex. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 03:10, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] any idea what happened here?

  • This conversation is in reference to [6] HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 15:28, 25 January 2007 (UTC)

Helperbot is saying 2 ips left, when there is only one. I looked into the source for the page (tho I didn't look on the avb's transcluded page) to see if maybe there was some report hiding in the commented sections. Syrthiss 13:44, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

This[7] happened. It is programmed to ignore the user Username, I have told it to ignore IP address as well now, it should work fine now[8][9]. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 15:03, 24 January 2007 (UTC)
Ah, lol. Syrthiss 15:04, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Follow-up on recent vandal block

Just checking back in and noticing the vandal you just blocked, Malfunction (talk · contribs) has blanked his talk page again. Also wondering if a Semi-Protect is warranted on User talk:194.144.111.210 which pops up in my vandalproof window constantly because the user keeps blanking previous warnings. Just wondering. Thanks, cheers and take care! Anger22 (Talk 2 22) 15:59, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

I will look into this. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 16:00, 24 January 2007 (UTC)
As much as I disagree, there is no rule against removing warnings from your talk page. I cannot understand why we allow that. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 16:01, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Indefinite block of Jay ryann for linkspamming

My conscience is bothering me because, in trying to assume good faith, I may have encouraged this user to add the round of links that led you to block him. Linkspamming is very distasteful to me, and you can see from this user's talk page that I was in fact the first person to slap him with the spam warning template. However, after he emailed me claiming that he had nothing to do with Magellan and that he considered the links valuable, etc., I suggested to him that the links might not get reverted if they were done with some bibliographic care, as concisely as possible, and without advertising the source. (See his talk page for both my initial spam warning & my later advice.) I feel responsible because I wonder if he might not well have backed off completely if it weren't for my attempt to suggest a compromise. In any case (as I noted on his talk page), I am suspicious of the signs that he's working for Magellan and created the account solely to link to Magellan. But I hope you'll consider my exchange with him & decide (A) if a clear & stern warning to him and commutation of the block to less than indefinite might be appropriate, (B) if you have any advice for me concerning how I may have mishandled this matter or disregarded some very obvious policy points. I'll look for your answer here. Sincerely, Wareh 20:13, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

The user received several other warnings beyond your advice, it seems as though the user has no interest other than placing these links. I don't think anything you said to him constituted permission to spam, you simply said you would be less likely to remove them. The user was warned that a block would occur if he continued and he did, so I think everything is fine. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 20:20, 24 January 2007 (UTC)
Fair enough, as long as you realize that, after my suggestion to do it less obtrusively, he added all his links in a 68-minute period before getting blocked, and the two subsequent warnings you mention were issued in the last 12 of those minutes. The single-issue profile does stick out like a sore thumb, even if he did follow my advice to place his links as logically and inobtrusively as possible. Wareh 20:33, 24 January 2007 (UTC)
I tend to tell spammers to suggest their link on the talk page of the article, and to take it one page at a time. There is really no valid reason to add the same website to many articles. These people are making money off the posting of these links, they will act innocent when asked to stop so they can make more money. If the user was really trying to help the encyclopedia then instead of trying to find a way to make the links welcome, the user would have found a welcome contribution. Keep assuming that good faith though. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 20:36, 24 January 2007 (UTC)
OK, thanks for the further explanation. I think I can handle something like this a little bit better next time. Wareh 20:54, 24 January 2007 (UTC)
No worries, it is better to ere on the side of AGF. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 20:55, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Hi

Hi I just found your page by acciedent and all I can say is nice pics and you have an awesome looking user page better than some I've seen (those ones give me a headacke), but yours is nice and calming to look at.Sam ov the blue sand 21:58, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

Thanks, I filled it with places around Victoria that I like to go look at while I relax. Feel free to copy the layout and style of my userpage. Parts of it are on sub-pages, let me know if I can help you with any of the technical(or non-technical) details. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 22:07, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] 68.162.243.40

I first posted on WP:AIV about 68.162.243.40 and it took 20mins before it was acted upon. This is an ongoing problem, happening previously on IP Address 141.154.10.193. That IP address and the current in question are Verizon IPs based out of Boston.

The same articles are being targeted with the same information. I have, each time, corrected the pages. Am not sure what, if anything, can be done. - SVRTVDude 22:22, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

Not much to be done with people changing IPs, other than semi-protecting the article they are targeting. These vandals usually get bored after a while. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 22:49, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Steam Whistle Brewing

Cameron Heap's father Frank owned Upper Canada Brewing and assisted in the founding of Steamwhistle Brewing. Greg Taylor stayed with Sleeman after the Upper Canada purchase for several months and joined later but is considered a founder and is a managing partner in the brewery ownership. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.51.138.43 (talk • contribs) 09:30, January 23, 2007 (UTC)

   Do you have a reliable source? HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 17:31, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

I met with the co-founder, Greg Taylor yesterday. I do have a business card of Greg's that has his job title listed as, "Co-Founder" if you require proof.

Greg Cromwell is no longer with the company and lives in Australia. Greg Taylor was Sales Director at Upper Canada Brewing. He continued to work at the brewery for several months after it was acquired by Sleeman Breweries.

Also see Upper Canada Brewing Company.

Please see WP:RS for what we consider a reliable source. A reliable source needs to be published previously and should not have a conflict of interest, that is to say the source should be independent. You can also bring the matter up on the talk page of the article. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 00:01, 25 January 2007 (UTC)

http://www.steamwhistle.ca/tour/index.htm

http://www.canada.com/topics/lifestyle/food/story.html?id=94aa4143-3ce3-478a-abe4-b439e1de8123&k=21726

http://www.bartowel.com/breweries/steamwhistle.phtml

[edit] User:HBC AIV helperbot is a nice piece of work

Just wanted to stop by and tell you what a great piece of work User:HBC AIV helperbot is. Very nicely done! Saving near 3000 edits in one month already! Fantastic! Anything like this where we reduce the load on admins is a great, great help. I wonder; could you port this bot to other high traffic AIV type pages on the bigger language wikis? --Durin 14:44, 25 January 2007 (UTC)

Yes, I don't speak the other languages though, so I would need an English speaking liaison. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 14:46, 25 January 2007 (UTC)
  • I'll poke around on Meta. There's gotta be a place to send bots out to other languages. --Durin 14:57, 25 January 2007 (UTC)
Just a note, my bot is licensed under the GFDL and of course is open source. I will gladly assist in any way I can, but use of my bot can occur without my involvement as well.
Another idea is that it is very possible for one bot to serve many wikis at once. I have coded it in an event driven loop, and it is easy to expand it's duties by adding more jobs. The only major overhaul would be the need for language files for it's edit summaries, but that would not be too hard. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 19:02, 25 January 2007 (UTC)
  • Noted. I haven't poked around yet but I will. Thanks! --Durin 22:23, 25 January 2007 (UTC)
  • Good grief! Look at the backlogs on the German and Spanish versions... --Durin 22:31, 25 January 2007 (UTC)
Looking at that, it appears they keep blocked items on the list for review, perhaps they don't have the same consensus to immediately remove blocked users. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 22:39, 25 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Curious bout something

In your last edit to the Vandalism reporting page, you removed an IP I reported as vandalising. Does this mean you took action, or was it accidentally removed in your edit? Jeffpw 17:46, 25 January 2007 (UTC)

  • Ah. I see you reverted--never mind. :-) Jeffpw 17:47, 25 January 2007 (UTC)
Yes, the software did not notify me of an edit conflict as it should. I caught it. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 17:48, 25 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] 12.223.28.35

12.223.28.35 has been continuing his or her annoying habit of vandalizing webpages. I've undone some of the edits, but not all. Most, if not all of 12.223.28.35's contributions would be considered vandalism according to Wikipedia's definition. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Evergreener (talk • contribs) 22:08, 25 January 2007 (UTC).

[edit] Speaking of vandals

You deserve a barnstar for shutting down this prankster: 15:22, 24 January 2007 HighInBC (Talk | contribs) blocked "66.99.45.2 (contribs)" with an expiry time of September 2007 (school block) I'm fairly new, but now that I have 250+ plus pages on my watchlist, I'm seeing a slight pattern with these school IP addresses...4-5 hits per article; same pattern of pranks (distortion of fact, toilet humor, etc.). I put the first on eon report a few days ago and was told by an admin that series of warnings needed to be issues...this was to a vandal with many blocks already issued and in the process of vandalizing while being warned. I applaude your positive action and suspect that some of this vandalism is same individual who simply switches computers when one IP is blocked. The patterns are way too similar as well of gratuitous use of word "poop" on a regular basis. My feeling is warnings mean nothing and it also seems that vandalism is on rise, not decline and Wiki overlords have a real problem brewing. Only saving grace is the fact that many folks watch pages they have edited and catch the pranks fairly soon afterwards, but sure would be nice to shut some of the worst offenders down. Just my two bits HJ 22:51, 25 January 2007 (UTC)

It is just kids in a school computer lab. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 22:58, 25 January 2007 (UTC)

Figured as much, but one or more are doing this daily and you are first admin I've seen take positive action other than mild warnings that I'm not even sure are read and certainly not heeded. It's like Wikiland is one giant graffiti canvas for them. Easy enough to fix, but kids to need to be reading the stuff they sprinkle here and there (when it isn't caught right away). I'm wondering if free access to editing without have to log in makes it too easy. Most forums I am familiar with require at least registration and log-in to prevent the random vandalism Wiki is experiencing daily. Just my three bits. HJ 23:04, 25 January 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia benefits tremendously from anon editors. We have started to block schools longer, encouraging people to make account elsewhere for use on those IPs. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 00:52, 26 January 2007 (UTC)
I know this is none of my buisness, but when some pupils vandalised from a school that I know off. The school administrator was alerted and the school punished the culprits. Is there anyway of contacting the school? JFBurton 20:05, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Re:RFCN

I know we have all read the policy, just some forget, even if it does not apply into "symbols of hatred", it does fit in the other categories. Futhermore, as you read futher up, I am neutral on that matter, and have actually spoken for and against the username in question, that is why it is labeled "comment". Another thing, not all the users who vote their are administrators, so they may not understand all the policies. Cbrown1023 04:01, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

Valid point. I have struck that comment out. Perhaps next time a link to the policy or a short quote will suffice. Sorry about that. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 04:05, 28 January 2007 (UTC)
It's fine, I don't mind. Just to say, I didn't doubt your ability as an editor, I've seen you around and know that you are a good user! Cbrown1023 04:19, 28 January 2007 (UTC)
No worries. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 04:21, 28 January 2007 (UTC)
Oh, and I was contemplating indef block, too, but decided against it at the last minute because I didn't want to seem too harsh. However, the Shrimp dude (C crusteacan or something), said that he should be blocked indef, so I let him. The second I saw his comment, I just wanted to block (which is why I thought I was being too harsh or was being "punitive"). Users just shouldn't have to be treated that way. Cbrown1023 04:23, 28 January 2007 (UTC)
I am very satisfied that the block is preventative in nature, because I firmly believe the user would continue to be disruptive. This user is most likely another person block yesterday for the exact same type of stuff. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 04:31, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] David Shankbone Images

Thanks for your good words - your photos are awesome! The ones in Victoria, BC, are really stand-out. You should contribute more photos! I seem to have gotten into trouble with that one user because they have an issue with breasts, or something. --DavidShankBone 15:53, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

It is very easy to set off triggers here, we get a lot of people using this site as a promotional vehicle. But as you see we discuss it in an open forum and respect consensus, sort of like a sanity check. I have been accused of link spamming in the past, it was not true and the community recognized that. Feel free to ask any questions here if you have them. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 15:56, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] WP:Beans

Thanks for adding the reference tag. Now I know a short article where I can find it in the future. One day I'll figure out the no-wiki thing and at it to my user page for references. It's nice to have been able to put my years of studying botany to a formidable use for once. KP Botany 17:15, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

Thanks, I'll paste it on my user page. KP Botany 17:39, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

I have something similar on my talk page: User:HighInBC#Things_I_need HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 17:41, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Bad user names

Hi High, I reported this user to AIV, and I would have done so even without the vandal edit. I'm wondering though, strictly speaking, is AIV the right place to report account names like that even if they haven't vandalised? Robotman1974 18:42, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

Yes, if the name is clearly disruptive. However, if there is any doubt as to if it is in violation of policy then WP:RFCN is the better place. Generally, WP:AIV is for blocks that require very little investigation or discussion. WP:RFCN will produce a discussion between several editors on the acceptability of the name. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 18:46, 28 January 2007 (UTC)
Okay, thanks. I'll bookmark that link. Robotman1974 18:50, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] WikiProject Derbyshire

Im sorry that I added some people without their permisson. I just took it for granted that they would be interested. Im sure they still are but because of what I did, Ddstretch is refusing to join it. Anyway, I've come to you because I think you are a very helpfull administrator and no one else seems to have helped me on this so far. I have never started a new project before but since there are no other problems with my proposal, how do I start the project, do I need permission first, or can I start it straight away? My Proposal Is On The WikiProject Proposal Page, Under 'Derbyshire'. JFBurton 20:10, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

To be honest I have very little experience in projects. I don't think you need permission to start a project. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 20:54, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Fairy Shrimp

Hi, it's me again. You happen to live in British Columbia, like myself, so I thought you may be able to help me find the elusive answer to a question I've been brooding over. I live in Port Alberni, which is in a (very wet) temperate rainforest, as you may know. Yet I've found fairy shrimp living in a (permanent, non-salty) pond near my home. According to what I've researched, this is not at all the place for these crustaceans to live. I've been unable to find out if they are known to live here, or on Vancouver Island, or even anywhere on the coast of BC. Do you know if this species lives in any of these areas, or in these conditions?

I know I should post this question on the reference desk, instead of bugging you, but I can never get a straight answer there. So I decided to ask you first. BeefJeaunt 22:24, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

Sorry, can't help you, not sure about the shrimp situation here. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 22:26, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

Sure thing. Sorry for bugging you, and thanx anyways. BeefJeaunt 22:37, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Re: El Chulito

Thanks for letting me know. It seems we may have been too quick to open fire on this one.Proabivouac 20:40, 29 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Don Murphy

Hi, HighInBC -- in case you're wondering where some of your recent vandals (in the last month) have come from, check out "Hamsher's greatest fan" on my talk page. Apparently Don Murphy got upset with you, and sent his message board goons to attack you and vandalize Manson-related wikipedia entries. He's also trying to find a Wikipedia admin to bribe, to provide him admin access to Wikipedia. --Kynn 01:52, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

Ya, that is also User:ColScott, there was a little hassle for a week or so, then they settled down. With cascading expiring protection, any future attacks should be simple to deal with. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 02:38, 30 January 2007 (UTC)
Yeah, it's something that can be handled relatively easily; just wasn't sure if you knew of the source. --Kynn 04:19, 30 January 2007 (UTC)
Yup, he is mad because I would not let him advertise his blog here. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 04:24, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Clearyourcache

I agree with with CMummert's suggestion on WP:ANI. The warning should link to a place users can ask for clarification from real admins. - Mgm|(talk) 09:24, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

Go for it. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 02:49, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Blocking Question.

I have a very important question to ask you. When you indefinitely block a user with an offensive username, do you report this blocked user to other administrators so they can review the block to see if it was a good idea to block that user? The reason I'm asking is because Mr. ChrisGriswold; myself; and maybe some other users, depending on how things go, are in a serious issue over a user called (you may have heard of him) Krune. This is a link to the Administrators Noticeboard: Incidents (read both our talk pages about this as well, if you need to). As I said, what do you do with a user you've indefinitely blocked? Acalamari 17:37, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

When I block a user for their username only, I disable the autoblock and be sure account creation is allowed. I give the {{usernameblock}} template to them which explains how they can use the {{unblock}} template to contest the block or request a change in name. I do not report a block to other admins unless I think it may be controversial. The blocked user has recourse to contact other admins in the instructions I give. I usually leave the blocked persons talk page on my watchlist, then forget about it.
As to the specific case, I cannot comment as I am unfamiliar with it. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 17:43, 31 January 2007 (UTC)
Thanks for your help. At least ChrisGriswold can now rest assured that every single block does not have to be reviewed, unless it's a potentially controversial one. Acalamari 17:46, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] More fascist users

Here: User:Tragic Baboon/Sandbox. Every user on this list is not blocked, some have a few contribs. - Tragic Baboon 18:40, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

Username blocks for all! HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 19:01, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Help over at CAT:CSD

Hi, and congrats on your promotion! Per this discussion, I'm dropping a friendly note to some of the recently-promoted admins requesting help with speedy deletions. I am not an administrator, so if you don't feel comfortable diving into deletions - or if you need more info - please don't come to me, but I'm sure that Cyde Weys would be happy to guide you if you want to help. Any help is great, but I'm sure that Cyde and others would deeply appreciate it if you could put the page on your watchlist and do a bit of work there on a regular basis? Maybe weekly? Thanks in advance! Oh and if you're already working away on CSD please disregard this message; it's not meant as a slight against any hard work you're already doing. Cheers! Anchoress 18:27, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] This user?

The user Moneytalks009 (talk · contribs) isn't a vandal, and doesn't have an inappropriate username. I'm more concerned about the large amounts of text on the user and talk page. Acalamari 21:24, 1 February 2007 (UTC)

I believe the correct course of action is to educate the user of the policy WP:USER. I have done this. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 21:34, 1 February 2007 (UTC)
I'll do that next time. It seems that before you gave your warning, that user was alerted for vandalizing. By the fact that there was junk all over the user and talk page, and since that user was warned, I'll guess it's a vandal account, but I won't make any accusations. Acalamari 23:46, 1 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Circles

Hi - I can see we are going around in circles :-) My problem is Jogers didn't stop quick enough. Not when concerns were first raised, nor later. I think the bot approval group can help to clarify how you get a bot to stop - talk to the human is fair enough as an instruction. Moreover it can clarify to bot operators, when people protest, pause Immediately! and discuss promptly and seek to resolve, don't persist with edits like a juggernaut. I have no doubt that Jogers is acting in good faith. He doesn't seem to understand that the 4,500 edits he is changing were also made in good faith and not by stupid people (OK perhaps that is open to debate, but debate is what it should be about, not persisting with one's own viewpoint).--Golden Wattle talk 22:39, 1 February 2007 (UTC)

A bot operator is expected to respond to a problem with the bot in a timely manner. A bot can be blocked without concerns of hurting it's feelings. If it needed to be stopped quicker, it could have been blocked sooner. As for clarifying the process in dealing with a bot you don't agree with, I am all for it.
Feel free to clarify the appropriate policy/guidelines pages. Much of what you are concerned about is handled informally, if you think this needs codification then raise it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 22:54, 1 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Sorry

Just a quick note to say I'm sorry for the nomination of User:Konstable to Wikipedia:Requests for comment/User names, it was meant to be a good faith proposal but as I am now aware, he is an established user (I was only going off the comment he left on his user page) and after going through Rfa, he shouldn't have been nominated. Once again, sorry if you thought I was being provocative RyanPostlethwaiteSee the mess I've created or let's have banter 23:57, 1 February 2007 (UTC)

Ok, no worries, I believe you. It just seemed an odd name to see that in. If it was a good faith edit, don't worry, it's okay to be on the wrong side of consensus. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 23:59, 1 February 2007 (UTC)
Yeah, I guess I messed up with that one. I'll try to look into other nominations a bit better - I've only just discovered the page you see, so thats why I might seam a bit unfamiliar. by the way, good work with HBC AIV helperbot - it doing a great job RyanPostlethwaiteSee the mess I've created or let's have banter 00:12, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
Ya I work on it a bit all the time. Your situation has happened to me, I start an AfD once and almost got my head bit off, I withdrew my nomination hehe. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 00:14, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Bot not working

You probably know about this already, but your bot doesn't seem to be working. --TeckWizTalk Contribs@ 01:57, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

I am working on bug fixes and new features, it may go offline for 5 - 10 minutes at a time. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 01:58, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
Let's just say that as a new admin comparing how AIV works with the bot and without it ... there's no comparison. Thanks again for your work on this. Regards, Newyorkbrad 02:00, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
Ya, I like to shut it down once in a while just to remind you folks of that, kidding of course. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 02:02, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
lol. On a realted note, for your lsiting tweak request: go for it. — xaosflux Talk 04:30, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
*slaps arm like a junkie* C'mon man, hook me up, I need my bot fix... EVula // talk // ☯ // 04:48, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
It's back, now with a new ingredient. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 05:07, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Promotion Usernames.

I'm confused here: not too long I was told that self-promotion names would be blocked on site, as they were obvious usernames. I took that as a message that submitting them to RFC would be a waste of other users' time, so I reported them to AIV. Exactly where am I supposed to report self-promotion usernames without causing any trouble? Acalamari 16:10, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

Problem is humans run it. AIV is getting lazier these days, I think because of my bot <grin>. Use AIV for what works, otherwise RFCN. If people call it blatant at RFCN, let them know that AIV is not accepting them often. It is really up to whatever the handling admin thinks. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 16:13, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
[edit conflict] If it's something exceedingly clear-cut, such as a URL or profanity, send it to AIV. If it is basically anything else, it should go to RFC; submitting an RFC isn't a wast of users' time (and you're not causing any trouble, don't worry). EVula // talk // ☯ // 16:17, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
Okay. I just didn't want to get on your or anyone else's nerves by reporting users to RFC that could possibly have been sent to AIV instead. Acalamari 16:18, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
You're helping to make the encyclopedia better. If someone's getting upset about that, that's their problem, not yours. :-) EVula // talk // ☯ // 16:24, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Thanks For The Barnstar.

Thank you for the Barnstar! I just have one question though, how do I create a subpage to put it on? I have seen other users place their barnstars on a "barnstar" subpage. I'm not being ungrateful or anything, I'd just like to know how to create a subpage for it. Acalamari 17:14, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

You can use my userpage as an example, basically I put {{User:HighInBC/Barnstars}} on my userpage. This gave me a link to a blank page, I then add to that page, and it is transcluded on my userpage. If you look at User:HighInBC/Barnstars you will see that I have <noinclude>...</noinclude> tags around the portion I don't want to transclude to my userpage.
I can set this up for you if you want, just ask. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 17:19, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
Would you mind doing this then, please? I am about to be busy for several minutes in real life. Sorry, I would do it otherwise. Acalamari 17:21, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
  • That's perfect! Thank you! I'm writing this quickly because I'll be busy again very shortly. Last question though, do I remove the actual barnstar on my user page (not on the subpage). I don't want it to look like I just got two barnstars. Acalamari 17:35, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
I remove it from my talk page when I move it to my userpage subpage. It is not on your userpage and your barnstar page, rather your barnstar page is being displayed on your userpage. The note above it saying they are on a subpage should avoid any confusion. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 17:43, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
Okay. Thanks again. Acalamari 17:45, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Thanks for the friendly welcome!

I finally got around to noticing your friendly welcome at User talk:Dgstangel. Thanks! I'm still figuring things out, trying to be helpful and non-bad, and having a ball. I'd love to learn how to use more advanced techniques for stopping vandalism, spamming, etc., but I'm not intensely active with any specific topics or articles, just waht interests me "at the moment". Any suggestions? Cheers! Dgstangel 18:24, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] HighInBCBot questions

Greetings! I have a couple of questions about HighInBCBot. First, I had set it up as described on the user page on Talk:World War II, but it doesn't seem to be working. I double-checked the transclusions list for the OptIn page, and Talk: World War II does appear there, and the formatting I'm using appears to be identical to that on pages where the bot does seem to be working, but, for some reason, it doesn't even seem to acknowledge the task (in the log, it indicates 5 tasks found, even though there are six pages that transclude OptIn). Second, is the bot running on a more consistent schedule now that it has been approved? The user page still describes it in a testing phase pending approval, but I see it has actually been approved. Thanks! —Krellis 22:46, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

Lol, it took me a while to figure out, you spelled zeros wrong. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 23:06, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
Aha, yes, that would do it. My brain just said that was the right spelling, and it seems both are acceptable usage, but of course, the bot is only designed for one of them. Thanks! —Krellis 23:10, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] My Bot Request

Thanks for your opinion on my Bot Request. As you stated, you didn't think that it would be a good idea. Then possibly what about a AIV alert bot that can work with a user's monobook.js and popup a message alerting a administrator when they access any page on Wikipedia, that action is required for a new AIV candidate that has recently been posted on WP:AIV with the the message either the bot or user has left about them and links to the offender's userpage, contribs and also for admins the block or warn tools? If not, is there any other bots that are needed in the WP:AIV area? Please give me an opinion on that. Many thanks, --Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 03:32, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

Sounds like it could be handy. The message would be going off almost always, considering how busy the channel is. If you write it, I am sure some admins will use it. I say go for it. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 03:34, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] 75.21.197.252

Well, that was like tag team wrestling....any idea if an admin will lay in a block? Seems like this prankster doesn't respond to warnings. Cheers, HJ 03:44, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] User:Nlitement

Sorry for taking so long to respond. Went out of the country for a long wikibreak. In regards to your question on my talk page, I'd say that since he promised in February 2006 to not vandalize anymore but kept on making personal attacks and got blocked again, I wouldn't give him a third chance. Has he had any good, useful edits? -- Ricky81682 (talk) 06:42, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

I will defer to your judgment here and leave the user blocked. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 15:32, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] HBC AIV helperbot

Your bot doesn't seem to be working... No archival is happening on WP:AIV. Could you please check up on this and also see User talk:HBC AIV helperbot for further discussion there. Thanks. --Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 09:39, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

My power cord got unplugged an the computer ran out of batteries in the night. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 15:30, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Please Remove My Barnstar.

I feel you should remove the barnstar you gave me yesterday, and also delete the barnstar subpage. I have made a major mistake on RfC, and seemed to have angered several users (including administrators). I believe you should remove the barnstar for two reasons: 1: I don't think I deserve it after the mess I've caused. 2: I don't want other users thinking you rewarded me for that mess. I suppose no one's ever asked to have a barnstar removed before, but I think it's best that you remove it so no more problems are caused. Acalamari 17:10, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

What mess? HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 17:13, 3 February 2007 (UTC)
I've angered a load of users for submitting names to RfC and not informing anyone. There's several messages on RfC at the moment with other users expressing their irritation. I believe it's wise to remove the barnstar. Acalamari 17:17, 3 February 2007 (UTC)
Bah, that is minor, they aren't that mad, that thread has already been archived and forgotten. Typing does not communicate tone like voice does. You are welcome to remove the barnstar, but I don't wish to do it. You can use the {{db-author}} template to ask for a page of yours to be deleted. I would not let it bother you, many people don't notify the person they are reporting, this is something the group is trying to change. You may have gotten the brunt of a long coming storm.
You need thick skin around here, especially if you get involved with policy related discussions. There is nothing wrong with finding yourself on the wrong side of consensus, as long as you respect the consensus, which you did. You should see what happens when an admin makes a mistake, phew! HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 17:22, 3 February 2007 (UTC)
I wasn't worried about being on the wrong side of consensus: I was more concerned that I had gone from a "reasonable" user to an idiot in less than 24 hours. That's obviously not the case, so I'll leave the barnstar alone then. Acalamari 17:30, 3 February 2007 (UTC)
I would only be concerned if I though you had ill motives, which I don't think you do. You of course know for sure, which should give you a great feeling of certainty, enjoy that feeling. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 17:34, 3 February 2007 (UTC)
I assure you that I did not join Wikipedia to get users blocked. To be honest, it's not funny to see a user blocked, and it's even less funny to be the one to report a user. Acalamari 17:37, 3 February 2007 (UTC)
Don't think of it as getting the user blocked, think of it as starting a discussion to determine the worthiness of blocking this user. After all, the community makes the final say. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 17:41, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Wikiproject Citation Review (or some catchier name)

You have a lot more sway here than I do. Would you support such a thing, and do you think enough editors could be recruited to have it make a difference? --Selket 21:01, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

I would support such a thing, I don't know if enough editors could be recruited, it is a rather tedious job. I would suggest making a post at the Wikipedia:Village pump (proposals) and see if there is a response. If you do, please drop me a line, I will give my support. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 21:03, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Bot request

Thanks for replying. The information to the questions you want are below.

  • Does your computer stay running and connected to the internet most of the time: Yes, I have a broadband ADSL connection.
  • What operating system do you use: Windows Vista Home Premium
  • Do you have any understanding of the language Perl: No, I only know some basic C++.
  • Are you likely to be available within a day or so to update the code as needed: I am available until around 9am (UTC) today, and will be busy throughout the rest of the week (I live in Australia, so this may be hard for me).

If you need to contact me further, use my talk page. Cheers, --Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 21:40, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

Thats fine. I have work all week (Monday-Friday) so I might not be active through these times, except the evening, which is around afternoon UTC. I am in the AEST timezone, and do not have daylight saving. Just FYI, my current time is 01:06 AEST. Thanks! --Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 21:50, 3 February 2007 (UTC)
Also, can you please tell me whether the bot will run on a Windows 98 SE? If it does, I might run it on my secondary computer. --Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 21:52, 3 February 2007 (UTC)
It should. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 21:52, 3 February 2007 (UTC)
Thats good, get back to me when you're ready - preferrably at my talk page ;) --Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 00:12, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Running the Bot

As Newyorkbrad has declined, I would be happy to run the bot (as long as programming knowledge isn't needed). Are there any other requirements? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by TeckWiz (talk • contribs) 00:38, 4 February 2007 (UTC).

You don't need any real programming knowledge, I am working on installation instructions now. Just a few questions:
  1. Is your computer running and connected to the internet most of the time?
Yes. I have broadband and my computer is almost always running.
  1. What operating system do you use?
Currently Windows XP. As I type, I'm downloading Windows XP Home Basic, which I should be installing tomorrow (It take >7 hours to download)
  1. What time zone are you in
Eastern Time U.S. (Currently UTC -5)
  1. Are you going to be able to replace the code as I make updates on a semi-regular basis(within a day or so), this is not so important, because if the bug is that serious I can block the bot.
Yes I will be able to. --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 00:45, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Thanks for the offer, I will take you up on that. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 00:42, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Also, will I be able to be logged onto my account and the bot's at the same time? --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 00:45, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Yes, the bot uses it's own useragent with it's own cookie jar, unlike bots that use existing browsers this one will not effect your state of login in your browser. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 00:49, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Would this require another bot approval, though it's the same code? Also, could I name it TW AIV helperbot (If of course, credit is given to you on the userpage? --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 00:53, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
I have created a set of instructions here: User:HBC AIV helperbot/installation. The first step includes getting approval, which you will need. The bot makes so many edits it needs a bot flag to avoid cluttering up the history. I was planning on making a single request for both names myself.
As for the name, I had envisioned HBC AIV helperbot,HBC AIV helperbot2, and HBC AIV helperbot3. It is the name of the software, and it also makes it clear when looking at the history that it is the same bot performing these functions. All of the instructions on the talk page refer to it by name. Of course the userpage of the bot would make it clear who is operating it. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 00:57, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Though it seems like your intent is clear, another suggestion would be HBC AIV helperbot TW and HBC AIV helperbot Ex --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 01:04, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
I could, though I have already registered the usernames and submitted a request for approval. I can change all that, how important is it to ya? HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 01:13, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
I just think it would make communicating a little easier. For example, user a sees helperbot TW is malfunctioning, and he is running a slow internet connection. He can go right to my talk page and tell me, instead of seeing if the number belongs to me or Extranet. --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 01:17, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Well, those two usernames just got approved for the bot flag in record time(6 minutes), so I would rather leave it as is. Consider the idea that in the future(perhaps years from now) someone else may take over the bot account. I am not that opposed to the idea, it just became rather inconvenient. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 01:20, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Okay. I'm guessing I'll be #3, so, should I use the password you set it as (which I'm guessing you'll send by e-mail), or should I change it? And if I do change it, should you have it in case you ever need it? Last, how would I stop the bot (and only mine) without having someone block it? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by TeckWiz (talk • contribs) 01:23, 4 February 2007 (UTC).
Please clarify the following from the instruction:
  1. Which version number of active perl should I download?
  2. Should I download the AS or MSI version?
  3. In what directory does the folder I create in #4 go in?
  4. In number 10, what are you double-clicking in windows?

And as I asked before, how do I stop my bot without requiring admin assistance or sutting off all the bots.

Thanks --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 01:35, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

But the new folder should be in the perl directory, right? And where does the file go? (sorry for all the questions :)) --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 01:48, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

No, the folder the bot runs in can be anywhere. I keep mine on my desktop. The script, and the username and password files all go in this directory. I updated the instructions a bit. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 01:51, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] 6 minutes

6 minutes to get a bot approval, that must be some kind of record. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 01:21, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

At your service :-). And it was two approvals too! —Mets501 (talk) 01:24, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Bot approved

Ok, Thankyou! --Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 01:45, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

What Perl edition do I download? There seems to be a lot of versions on that download page... --Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 01:51, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Well, pick the one for your operating system. If you are running windows, then you pick windows. Windows (x86), use the MSI package, latest version ActivePerl 5.8.8.820. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 01:53, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
My computer doesn't seem to support .rar format. What program can extract / read that? --Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 01:56, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
I use Winrar. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 01:57, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

When opening Perl up using Internet Explorer, I get "Internet Explorer could not load the PerlScript engine. This is most likely due to the value of the "Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe" security setting of the "Local intranet" zone. PerlScript inside IE will only run on Windows XP SP2 and later if this setting is set to Enable. Setting it to Prompt doesn't seem to work. " So, I fix the problem it says, restart internet explorer, and it still happens. Do you know what's wrong? --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 02:00, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

Ummm, it should not be running in IE. Have you installed perl yet? HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 02:02, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Yes. It says in the message "PerlScript will not run" What should I set it to run in. It set that as default for the program. --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 02:03, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
That is the only thing I would say too.. You have to run it in ActivePerl dont you? --Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 02:05, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
If you have installed ActivePerl, then you need to run the script with activeperl. You should be able to double click on the icon of the script, failing that you can drag the icon onto perl.exe. It should not be ran through IE. When perl.exe finds an error it is usually more descriptive than PerlScript will not run, so I am wondering what you are running it in. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 02:08, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Ok, assuming you called your script HBC AIV helperbot.pl you can create a file called run.bat in the same directory and put the text perl "HBC AIV helperbot.pl" into it. Try running that batch file. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 02:15, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
With what program, do I create the pl file? In the program folder, it lists "OLE Browser" (which open in Internet Explorer) and "Perl Package Manager".
The .pl file is a text file. Create an empty text file, and rename it to .pl, then place the script into it. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 02:27, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Just a simple question: What happens if we no longer wanted to run the bot (or we had a internet dropout and we need to shutdown the computer)? Would we just leave it or how would we let people know we are 'Temporarily Offline', 'Inactive' or 'Discontinued'? --Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 02:22, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
You can hit ctrl-c to shut down the bot, then you can run it again later. You can put a note on the bots userpage if an outage is going to be prolonged. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 02:27, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Okay. I've done everything. Now how do I test it out with no one in AIV? --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 02:36, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
To just just re-add an already blocked IP, I did and nothing is happening. There should be a windows open saying HBC AIV helperbot3 connected. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 02:43, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
What do you mean by: "Find your perl directory, place the contents of mediawiki.rar into the perl/site/lib/ directory"? --Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 02:44, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
When you installed perl it went into a directory, most likely c:\perl. you need to go to the perl\site\lib\ directory and put the contents of that rar file there, one file, and one folder. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 02:46, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Bot Not Working

My bot doesn't seem to be working. Should the username and password be .pl also? --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 02:47, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

No, they have to be named username and pasword with no extension and be in the same folder as the script. What does it say when you run it? If it disappears to soon to read then open a command prompt in that folder and run it. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 02:49, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

By the way, do you think 2 and 3 need flags, to show the edits as bot edits, or does the original flag cover that? Newyorkbrad 02:51, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

I already requested an received approval for the two usernames, they will both carry the flag. The flag is needed due to the amount of edits performed. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 02:52, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
How do you specify the program to open in a folder? In other words, what goes after C:\Perl\AIV Bot --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 02:53, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
You need to be in the same folder when you do this. You can change folders with the cd command. Open the command prompt, type cd, then a space, then drag the folder you script is in onto the command prompt, this will add the folder path to the line, hit enter.Then type perl <scriptname>.
My bot is 100% working - I have the perl box on Windows 98 SE with 'bot connected'. --Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 02:59, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
It even made it's first contributions: [10][11] . Great work. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 03:01, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

(excited) Thanks so much! Bots Contribs for my latest! --Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 03:02, 4 February 2007 (UTC) I've replaced perl <scriptname> in the command prompt with perl HBC_AIV_helper bot and it still doesn't seem to work. --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 03:03, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

Did you name it HBC_AIV_helperbot or did you name it HBC AIV helperbot.pl. just type perl then a space, then drag the script onto the command prompt, that should fill in the file name properly. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 03:05, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Is this bot eligible for a automatic stop button? If so, please send me the code for it so I can update the bots user page. Thanks! Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 03:06, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Okay. It displays this message: C:\Perl\AIV Bot>perl "C:\Perl\AIV Bot\HBC AIV helperbot.pl"

Can't locate MediaWiki.pm in @INC (@INC contains: C:/Perl/site/lib C:/Perl/lib . ) at C:\Perl\AIV Bot\HBC AIV helperbot.pl line 2. BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at C:\Perl\AIV Bot\HBC AIV helperbot.pl line 2 —The preceding unsigned comment was added by TeckWiz (talk • contribs) 03:08, 4 February 2007 (UTC).

Ahh, now we are getting somewhere. Did you put the contents of mediawiki.rar into the C:/Perl/site/lib directory, that needs to be done, one file, one folder? HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 03:11, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
In it is mediawiki.raw and sitecustomize --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 03:13, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
This file: http://highinbcgallery.com/mediawiki.rar needs to be opened with a program that reads rars, I use winrar. Inside that rar is a file called mediawiki.pm and a folder called mediawiki they both need to be placed into C:/Perl/site/lib HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 03:16, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
When you see HBC AIV helperbot3 connected then you know it is working. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 03:24, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Thanks for the shutoff code. I will go have a drink now, so I will be back in around 2 hours and let the bot do its work! Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 03:15, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Just so you know, only admins can push the big red button, it just links to the block page. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 03:16, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Now it's saying "failed to log in"--TeckWizParlateContribs@ 03:25, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Good, we are making progress. The problem is one of these things:
  1. Your password file is not named password
  2. Your username file is not named username
  3. You put an enter after the password, there cannot be anything but the password in there
  4. You put an enter after the username, there cannot be anything but the username in there
  5. Your password or username file is not in the same directory as the script
  6. You did not put the correct username or password into the files.
Can you check over those to see if you made one of those mistakes? HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 03:28, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
It's all right. And to re-check, I even copied and pasted it right from the e-mail. --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 03:29, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
And there is no newline or spaces around either? Neither have .txt or .pl at the end? They are both in the same directory as the script? HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 03:30, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
It is a text file. What type of file should it be? --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 03:32, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
No extension. Remove the .txt from them. It of type none. Extensions don't really mean anything. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 03:34, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
I can't change it. It just says Text Document below it. --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 03:37, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Ok... in the command line, go to the folder like before, and type rename username.txt username and rename password.txt password. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 03:39, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
We're on!!! :) Thanks for all you time. --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 03:41, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Excellent, good to see it working, just leave it running and it should get about 1 third of the jobs on WP:AIV. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 03:42, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
I can exit the prompt once it logs in, right? --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 03:47, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
That's right, the prompt stays open while it is running. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 03:48, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Wait...something isn't right. I asked, can I exit it, and you said thats right, it stays open. Which one is right? --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 03:50, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
You cannot exit it, it needs to stay open while running, you can minimize it. Look[12] it is working. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 03:51, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Template

Maybe for the bot user and user talk pages, we should make a template of people to contact (us) and our usual availability times. And why does that bot list users the other bot has removed? --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 03:53, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

A template sounds like a reasonable idea, I don't see why not. The reason it shows users in your status window that other bots removed is because your bot tried to do it, but got there too late and abandoned it's attempt. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 04:00, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Thanks for support

I just wanted to say thanks for your support of my SelketBot idea, even though it didn't end up gaining a true consensus. --Selket 03:56, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

Hey, the cannot all be winners. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 04:01, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] HBC AIV helperbot2 Blocked

My bot was blocked due to malfunction by a Administrator. Please join the conversation at [13]. I dont know what the problem is, can you please help? --Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 04:02, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

okay, I'm leaving my computer now and going to sleep soon. I'm going to leave the bot running. Block it if something goes wrong. --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 04:05, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Seems to be a misunderstanding, it is unblocked now. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 04:06, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Helperbots

Why were they repeatedly removing the same IP that I had blocked?—Ryūlóng (竜龍) 04:03, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

  • (I've unblocked both, btw)—Ryūlóng (竜龍) 04:04, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
The IP was being placed back by users to test the bots, as the history shows. The bot is functioning properly. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 04:04, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Okay. For some reason, in the RC IRC channel, it's showing up that it's editting WP:AIV and not Wikipedia:Administrator intervention against vandalism. Know any reason for that?—Ryūlóng (竜龍) 04:07, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
That is just incorrect, see Special:Contributions/HBC_AIV_helperbot,Special:Contributions/HBC_AIV_helperbot2, and Special:Contributions/HBC_AIV_helperbot3, only editing Wikipedia:Administrator intervention against vandalism and Wikipedia:Administrator intervention against vandalism/TB2. The original has gone without error for days and the new two have not made a mistake yet. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 04:09, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
It's showing up strangely in IRC.

<pgkbot> User User:HBC AIV helperbot2 Edited watched page WP:AIV (-390) Diff: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WP%3AAIV&diff=105494325&oldid=105494277 "1 user left. rm 124.50.43.214 (blocked indef by Ryulong (AO ACB)). 1 comment(s) removed."

Doesn't show that elsewhere.—Ryūlóng (竜龍) 04:13, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Oh, it looks like a change in the IRC bot. I apologize for the inconvenience.—Ryūlóng (竜龍) 04:14, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
No, problem, if you read up the page a bit, you will see you were the least of our obstacles tonight. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 04:15, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

I will group my questions / messages into one simple edit:

  • Between the three of us bot operators, my bot is hardly getting a chance of doing anything! Its sort of weird as I havent had an edit in over an hour, but then again, I guess its good because if one drops out, the other two are left to work. I will be off in around 2½ hours, and I will most likely keep the bot running overnight. Anyway, thanks for such a great day - we have, in a way, made Wikipedia a very less hectic place. --Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 06:59, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
  • I have also made a page which describes what HBC AIV helperbots are and the currently running ones. It is located at User:Extranet/HBC AIV helperbots. I was thinking we could link that on Wikipedia:Administrator_intervention_against_vandalism/header where the only currently linked bot is HBC AIV helperbot #1. I am currently working on making a HBC AIV helperbot 'operator userbox'. Anyway, a few more hours and I will be off. I have work tomorrow, so I hope we can make some progress throughout the week. Cheers, Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 07:58, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
  • Just to ask, I was reading a email today and due to my internet connection and ISP, they seem to now cut/disconnect my internet connection every evening between 10pm and 7am AEST due to my exchanges data rates. Does this mean I can still run the bot between the hours I do have a connected internet, or does this have to be a 24/7 job? If it does, I don't think I can run it anymore, but if it doesnt have to be 24/7, I can easily run it on most days of the week between 7am and 10pm AEST. Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 08:34, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
I'm just wondering what this thing at the beginning of one of the bot's summaries was: (SCALAR(0x1ab888c) Noticeboard is backlogged.)
That is a bug, I have posted the repaired version of the source code, please update your bots. That thing is a memory pointer to the scalar variable that holds the tally information. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 18:16, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
My source has been updated. (And Vista won't allow me to change my screen resolution so my computer looks terrible!)--TeckWizParlateContribs@ 18:41, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Good to hear about the update, sorry about your resolution issues, I hope they are not related to my script, I can't see how it could be. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 18:47, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
It's definitely not the script. I think this happened in XP once. I'm going to try restarting my system (after it I remove the million think in my startup) --TeckWizParlateContribs@ 18:54, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
I have updated source code and will let it run all day (may be dropouts - I cannot prevent this, its an ISP problem). I will know the verdict of these dropouts by next Sunday. Im off to work now, be back later! Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 21:32, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Barnstar

[edit] Don Murphy wants an Admin

Here be an update: Shitapedia- Updated. I love how some people on his board are questioning him. Philip Gronowski Contribs 17:52, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

Lol, he wants to pay for an admin to block people? Lol... Maybe for a small island... hehe HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 18:15, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
There are things admins can do that can't be undone easily, or can't be undone at all. Prodego talk 19:44, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Basically he wants to pay a current admin to give Murphy admin-level access to Wikipedia, so that he can "wreak havoc" as part of his "revenge" against Wikipedia. Why he's fixated on this, nobody quite knows, but it's certainly gone into vendetta mode. --Kynn 06:05, 5 February 2007 (UTC)
I'd be more than happy to take his money, and then turn around and tell him that admins aren't the same as b'crats. EVula // talk // ☯ // 06:17, 5 February 2007 (UTC)
So are you condoning thievery, which is a crime most places? Because agreeing to sell something, taking money and then not providing that item is theft under the law. Just wondering.AZJustice 07:08, 5 February 2007 (UTC)
I've posted links to the original message board thread, which has since been apparently deleted. --Kynn 06:40, 5 February 2007 (UTC)


weird how this stuff disappears as soon as Kynn can put it up. Methinks something is awry in whoville.AZJustice 06:51, 5 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] capitalisation

It's a title, and exactly where out MoS is relevant (I discovered your edit after an edit conflict, in which I overrode you without realising it, but I'd have reverted anyway). --Mel Etitis (Μελ Ετητης) 23:48, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

But when you quote something, you do not modify it, you keep misspellings, bad grammar, nonstandard capitalization, and the works. When you put something in quotes you are not speaking for yourself, but for someone else. I looked on google and that is how it is capitalized outside of Wikipedia. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 23:51, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
I see now you removed the quotes. If you are referring to the seven words that are dirty, then following our MOS is correct, however if you are referring to the show "Seven Dirty Words", then the original capitalization seems more correct, given that is the actual title. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 23:54, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
You need to look at the MoS on capitalisation. Titles are to be capitalised according to our standards, not those of other publications, etc. This lapplies to all books, films, records, etc. — to all titles. Even if Dickens himself had written "Dombey And Son" at the top of his manuscript, we would still call the book Dombey and Son. --Mel Etitis (Μελ Ετητης) 23:58, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Well I admit I have not studied the MOS pages as much as I have other areas, but common academic practice dictates that when using quotes, the contents are not modified. Regardless, now that the quotes have been removed it looks fine to me. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 00:01, 5 February 2007 (UTC)

But where I removed the quotation marks from (in the header), there weren't any capitals anyway. I removed the capital from "on" only in the lead. I'm afraid that we've been talking at cross purposes. If there used to be capitals in the header, they'd been removed before I got there. (Nice to sort that out just before I go to bed. Good night!) --Mel Etitis (Μελ Ετητης) 00:10, 5 February 2007 (UTC)

I should have assumed that if we were disagreeing that it was due to a misunderstanding. Sleep well, I got at least 6 hours left in me. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 00:14, 5 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] HBC AIV helperbot Operator Userbox

I made a little template for the three bot operators in my spare time. If you want to use it, simply link {{User:Extranet/HBC_AIV_OperatorBox}} to your userpage or another location where you think it would be suitable. The only thing it does is adds you to the Bot Owners category. If you don't really want to use it, thats fine ;P --Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 06:51, 5 February 2007 (UTC)

You know, between us three bots running together, my bot doesn't get much of a chance to act... But I guess that is a good thing, because if one dies, the other two are there to help still. Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 19:47, 5 February 2007 (UTC)
Last night was a good night for the bot, there was no internet dropouts! Lets hope it will go for 24/7 now. --Extranet (Talk | Contribs) 19:47, 5 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Can you help?

Do you know how I can link to a file on wikicommons when there is an identically named file on wikipedia (Image:Boulanger.jpg)? Thanks. DrKiernan 10:02, 5 February 2007 (UTC)

Hmm, I really don't know. Good question. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 13:02, 5 February 2007 (UTC)
Thanks anyway. I've requested a speedy delete (on weak grounds I know). If that doesn't work, I'll try ifd or renaming it. DrKiernan 14:39, 5 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Stanler.

Please understand that I am not "biting" Stanler, or the other two accounts. I have just been saying that Wikipedia isn't a chat site. Acalamari 18:21, 5 February 2007 (UTC)

I fully agree, who said anything about biting? HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 18:22, 5 February 2007 (UTC)
No one did. I suppose I was pre-empting and making sure you knew I wasn't biting anyone. I really need to stop pre-empting: it makes me sound like a spud. How did you find out about Stanler? Acalamari 18:26, 5 February 2007 (UTC)
Your talk page is on my watchlist from when we had that discussion about the {{userlinks}} template. I left him a message because I sympathized with his plight, and wanted to direct him to similar resources that had a wider scope than Wikipedia. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 18:28, 5 February 2007 (UTC)
Ah yes, I should have realized about the watchlist. Good, that means that two users have my talk and user page in their watchlists. Acalamari 18:31, 5 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Problem user

Can you have a look at User:Drwarrior, SqueakBox 19:54, 5 February 2007 (UTC)

Cheers, mate. Que le vaya bien, SqueakBox 00:36, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Re User:Booze broads and bullets

Please take a look at my latest comments on WP:ANI. I've provided the needed diffs. Thanks. --- Tito Pao 20:09, 5 February 2007 (UTC)

I saw, and I responded, those diffs are from just before I blocked the user yesterday. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 20:10, 5 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Username Question.

There is one concern I have about usernames, though it is unlikely to happen. What would happen if a notable person, corporation, webpage, etc, had the name of someone's username (that was already in use here). For example, what would you or I have to do if there was a corporation called Acalamari, or a website called HighInBC. Would we have to change our names (which would have been in existence before the person, company or webpage), or keep them? It may seem an odd question but I thought it was one worth asking. Acalamari 00:18, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

If you had the name first, I am sure the consensus would be to allow it. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 00:19, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] HBC AIV helperbot is great

Hey, I've been away from Wikipedia for a little bit, and I just noticed the functionality of HBC AIV helperbot. What a great idea. Keep up the good work! Eric (EWS23) 03:00, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Medal

  • Barnstar moved to user page[15]. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 03:33, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] MediaWiki:Clearyourcache warning

Worm? Really? Links? Reply on my talk page, please. [ælfæks] 03:25, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

Ok, I'm aware of how it could work (XSS injection-style atack with autoediting), but are there any surviving examples? [ælfæks] 03:35, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

I don't know of any off hand. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 03:37, 6 February 2007 (UTC)


[edit] Caution, Don Murphy "Stooges" might attack

Here are some of his fans at it. I have a screenshot if it gets taken down when they notice this post (which they likely will), if you want screenshots contact me by using the e-mail function at my user page. Sorry to bother you with this, but you might get targeted specifically. I don't understand, is Mr. Murphy ColScott or Spawnopedia (or both?! dun dun dun dunnn!) Philip Gronowski Contribs 04:24, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

Meh. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 04:25, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

Most of his stooges seem unenthusiastic about it. It won't be much damage but will get annoying as I am going to sleep soon. Cheers, Philip Gronowski Contribs 04:30, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

Since all that nonsense, they implemented expiring and cascading protection, no problem. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 04:31, 6 February 2007 (UTC)


[edit] Friendly visit

I hadn't seen you around, so I dropped over for a friendly visit! Good to see your quite active!Richiar 08:36, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

It has been going well, on wiki and off. I see the TUB article has been improving steadily. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 14:51, 6 February 2007 (UTC)
The above discussion is preserved as an archive. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page, such as the current discussion page. No further edits should be made to this page.