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    Spam blacklists
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    Mediawiki:Spam-blacklist is meant to be used by the spam blacklist extension. Unlike the meta spam blacklist, this blacklist affects pages on the English Wikipedia only. Any administrator may edit the spam blacklist. See Wikipedia:Spam blacklist for more information about the spam blacklist.

    Instructions for editors

    There are 4 sections for posting comments below. Please make comments in the appropriate section. These links take you to the appropriate section:

    1. Proposed additions
    2. Proposed removals
    3. Troubleshooting and problems
    4. Discussion

    Each section has a message box with instructions. In addition, please sign your posts with ~~~~ after your comment.

    Completed requests are archived. Additions and removals are logged, reasons for blacklisting can be found there.

    Addition of the templates {{Link summary}} (for domains), {{IP summary}} (for IP editors) and {{User summary}} (for users with account) results in the COIBot reports to be refreshed. See User:COIBot for more information on the reports.

    Instructions for admins
    Any admin unfamiliar with this page should probably read this first, thanks.
    If in doubt, please leave a request and a spam-knowledgeable admin will follow-up.

    Please consider using Special:BlockedExternalDomains instead, powered by the AbuseFilter extension. This is faster and more easily searchable, though only supports whole domains and not whitelisting.

    1. Does the site have any validity to the project?
    2. Have links been placed after warnings/blocks? Have other methods of control been exhausted? Would referring this to our anti-spam bot, XLinkBot be a more appropriate step? Is there a WikiProject Spam report? If so, a permanent link would be helpful.
    3. Please ensure all links have been removed from articles and discussion pages before blacklisting. (They do not have to be removed from user or user talk pages.)
    4. Make the entry at the bottom of the list (before the last line). Please do not do this unless you are familiar with regular expressions — the disruption that can be caused is substantial.
    5. Close the request entry on here using either {{done}} or {{not done}} as appropriate. The request should be left open for a week maybe as there will often be further related sites or an appeal in that time.
    6. Log the entry. Warning: if you do not log any entry you make on the blacklist, it may well be removed if someone appeals and no valid reasons can be found. To log the entry, you will need this number – 1259404793 after you have closed the request. See here for more info on logging.

    Proposed additions

    [edit]


    thepiratebay.org

    [edit]

    This link is in the infobox at: The Pirate Bay. Apparently it is also used in some articles as links to download copyrighted material, but I haven't looked at them. I used this link a couple dozen times using three browsers, with and without incognito, using the direct link and Google, and using a sandbox to protect my PC when I clicked on popups. Problems included: Several times immediately redirected to nudebay.org. Popups claiming that I had different numbers of viruses according to McAfee and Norton (neither of which I use) and to click to resolve. This is a common method used to install malware. A warning from Windows Defender of a blocked attempt to install a keylogger. A warning from BitDefender (which I use) of a blocked attempt to load a trojan. O3000, Ret. (talk) 17:16, 11 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    There are quite a lot of existing links in mainspace; I personally do not like to blacklist when doing so will immediately start triggering blacklist hits when someone tries to edit any of those articles. OhNoitsJamie Talk 23:48, 12 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Yeah problematic. I looked at some and basically they looked like links to download copyrighted material illegally which is, I think, against policy. But I haven't looked at all that many. I originally wanted it removed from The Pirate Bay article before realizing the extent of usage. When attempting such removals in the past, I've run into a great deal of resistance from editors who don't believe in copyright. Tis a problem beyond my ken. O3000, Ret. (talk) 00:07, 13 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Links to copyrighted material can be deleted on a case by case, according to rules. Cinemaandpolitics (talk) 19:15, 20 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    They are links to torrents that link to copyrighted material. We can try. But we will have a long battle with the anti-copyright editors even though Wikipedia respects copyright. And didn't you just !vote to retain the link in The Pirata Bay article? O3000, Ret. (talk) 21:20, 20 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    That is a link to main page of the website. Completelly different. Cinemaandpolitics (talk) 23:25, 20 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    I find little difference. Like saying you are not guilty of murder if you hire a hitman. The courts and/or governments in multiple countries found no difference either. Why ignore this? O3000, Ret. (talk) 00:20, 21 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Because this is your opinion.
    Guidelines disagrees, other courts disagrees, consensus disagrees. Cinemaandpolitics (talk) 10:20, 28 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    What? O3000, Ret. (talk) 10:42, 28 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Nit: if an article already contains a link the spam blacklist does not block edits to that article that don't add another blacklisted link. But it's still unideal to have articles with blacklisted links because if a vandal blanks part of the article and removes the link then you know what happens. * Pppery * it has begun... 04:02, 21 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    manualslib.com

    [edit]

    Used to link to copyright violations, which is exclusively what the site is hosting. See LinkSearch. 1234qwer1234qwer4 21:39, 22 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    There are too many existing links/references to that. Those need to be cleaned up first. OhNoitsJamie Talk 16:11, 23 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    @Ohnoitsjamie, no more links in mainspace thanks to @GreenLipstickLesbian (thank you!). 1234qwer1234qwer4 15:52, 30 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    plus Added to blacklist. OhNoitsJamie Talk 18:37, 30 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    signconverter.com

    [edit]

    First two are blocked, so later edits are block evasion. - MrOllie (talk) 12:40, 29 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

     Done. Obvious socks blocked, and a /64 applied to the IP. Sam Kuru (talk) 14:36, 29 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    stefitalman.info

    [edit]

    --Wotheina (talk) 16:09, 1 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Same as #crocsjibbitz.com, both domains added to the global blacklist. - XXBlackburnXx (talk) 16:10, 2 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    crocsjibbitz.com

    [edit]

    tenderalert.pk

    [edit]

    Persistent spamming by multiple IPs. Annh07 (talk) 20:37, 3 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    plus Added to blacklist. OhNoitsJamie Talk 20:19, 9 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    priceinto.com.pk

    [edit]

    Persistent spamming by multiple accounts. Annh07 (talk) 20:53, 17 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    plus Added to blacklist. OhNoitsJamie Talk 16:36, 23 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    innermasteryhub.com

    [edit]

    Persistent spamming by multiple accounts and IPs. Annh07 (talk) 16:11, 23 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    plus Added to blacklist. OhNoitsJamie Talk 16:36, 23 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    betechit.co.uk

    [edit]

    Spam. ClumsyOwlet (talk) 01:16, 25 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    plus Added OhNoitsJamie Talk 03:10, 30 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    aluvox.com

    [edit]

    Persistent spamming by multiple accounts. Annh07 (talk) 07:26, 26 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    plus Added to blacklist. OhNoitsJamie Talk 03:13, 30 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    myinstafollow.com

    [edit]

    Three SPA accounts spamming this same URL in two days. --Belbury (talk) 18:05, 29 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    They are cross-wiki spamming; perhaps it should be deferred to meta? OhNoitsJamie Talk 03:12, 30 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Globally blacklisted. * Pppery * it has begun... 20:09, 9 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    bestbikeslab.com

    [edit]

    Some light but obvious socking to insert this link in various articles about bikes in general. Might be useful to nip it in the bud. 81.2.123.64 (talk) 12:13, 30 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    plus Added to blacklist. OhNoitsJamie Talk 13:33, 30 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    wondersinspace.com

    [edit]

    Determined attempt to add this news aggregation blog from "a certified SEO and content writer" to List of astronomy websites. 81.2.123.64 (talk) 11:24, 3 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    plus Added to blacklist. OhNoitsJamie Talk 16:28, 5 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Spam ring

    [edit]
    cellucarehq.com: Linksearch en (insource) - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Spamcheck • MER-C X-wiki • gs • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - COIBot-Local • Discussions: tracked - advanced - RSN • COIBot-Link, Local, & XWiki Reports - Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • meta • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.com
    zencortex24.com: Linksearch en (insource) - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Spamcheck • MER-C X-wiki • gs • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - COIBot-Local • Discussions: tracked - advanced - RSN • COIBot-Link, Local, & XWiki Reports - Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • meta • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.com
    internetmillionaire.com: Linksearch en (insource) - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Spamcheck • MER-C X-wiki • gs • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - COIBot-Local • Discussions: tracked - advanced - RSN • COIBot-Link, Local, & XWiki Reports - Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • meta • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.com
    checkout-ds24.com: Linksearch en (insource) - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Spamcheck • MER-C X-wiki • gs • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - COIBot-Local • Discussions: tracked - advanced - RSN • COIBot-Link, Local, & XWiki Reports - Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • meta • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.com

    Web of spammers related to already blocked domains. plus Added to MediaWiki:Spam-blacklist. --OhNoitsJamie Talk 14:53, 14 October 2024 (UTC) OhNoitsJamie Talk 14:52, 14 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    infogalactic.com

    [edit]
    infogalactic.com: Linksearch en (insource) - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Spamcheck • MER-C X-wiki • gs • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - COIBot-Local • Discussions: tracked - advanced - RSN • COIBot-Link, Local, & XWiki Reports - Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • meta • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.com

    Yet another Wikipedia mirror, used for tendentious recreation and spamming of a deleted WP article. For details and diffs, please see WP:Administrators'_noticeboard/IncidentArchive1169#h-Spamming_of_deleted_article_mirror-20241017090600. Wikishovel (talk) 14:56, 17 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    @Wikishovel: plus Added to MediaWiki:Spam-blacklist. --* Pppery * it has begun... 20:11, 9 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    playmatesescorts.co.uk

    [edit]

    playmatesescorts.co.uk: Linksearch en (insource) - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Spamcheck • MER-C X-wiki • gs • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - COIBot-Local • Discussions: tracked - advanced - RSN • COIBot-Link, Local, & XWiki Reports - Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • meta • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.com

    Persistently added, often with misleading edit summaries: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]. Yuvaank (talk) 09:10, 20 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    plus Added to blacklist. OhNoitsJamie Talk 16:30, 22 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    naganotonic-en.com

    [edit]

    Persistent spamming by multiple accounts and IPs. Annh07 (talk) 16:27, 22 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    plus Added OhNoitsJamie Talk 18:43, 22 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    gilmorehealth.com

    [edit]

    Continuous ref spamming on several Wikipedia pages in the last 3 weeks. Check here Spamcheck for the 9 spam edits made in the same manner. — Preceding unsigned comment added by BOGLA (talk • contribs)

    plus Added to MediaWiki:Spam-blacklist. --OhNoitsJamie Talk 19:07, 22 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    capckutapk.com

    [edit]

    Persistent spamming by multiple accounts and IPs. Annh07 (talk) 17:24, 25 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    @Annh07: plus Added to MediaWiki:Spam-blacklist. --* Pppery * it has begun... 20:13, 9 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    igrowthful.com

    [edit]

    An article on this website, as well as a thread on Threads, describe that this page recreates dead links without having copies of the dead links' contents, only to generate backlinks to its website. 1612elphi (talk) 00:02, 28 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    @1612elphi: no Declined I'm not following your logic as to how that means we should blacklist this specific website - the hijacking of existing links doesn't involve it and blacklisting it won't stop them .* Pppery * it has begun... 20:14, 9 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    searchmycolleges.com

    [edit]

    It's been a long time since I last came to this page (9-10 years) See:

    Note that the username doesn't end in "s" but the domain name is plural: searchmycolleges.com --A. B. (talk • contribs • global count) 03:48, 30 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    @A. B.: plus Added to MediaWiki:Spam-blacklist. --* Pppery * it has begun... 20:15, 9 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    theplantmother.com

    [edit]

    See:

    --A. B. (talk • contribs • global count) 04:46, 30 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    They added a link to this domain once in 2021. They got in trouble years later. Blacklisting the domain now feels more like a punitive overreaction than a proportionate response to me. * Pppery * it has begun... 03:16, 18 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Haitianreport.com

    [edit]

    Repeatedly added fake news website. See Wikipedia:Reliable_sources/Noticeboard#Haitian_Report_-_blacklist for more. — Rhododendrites talk \\ 14:15, 1 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    @Rhododendrites: plus Added to MediaWiki:Spam-blacklist. --* Pppery * it has begun... 20:18, 9 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    racecityfo.com and muckersgrab.com

    [edit]

    Overlap in spam accounts, so proposing these two domains together. Tasnuba Afra was blocked for spamming, so the rest of these are block evasion. - MrOllie (talk) 13:37, 3 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Related to the IPs
    - XXBlackburnXx (talk) 07:17, 5 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    plus Added all four domains to Special:BlockedExternalDomains * Pppery * it has begun... 20:22, 9 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    betzillion.com

    [edit]

    Online gambling portal, spammed by multiple IPs and one user AFAICS (see spamcheck). --Count Count (talk) 06:10, 7 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Added to BlockedExternalDomains. * Pppery * it has begun... 20:29, 9 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    @Pppery, thanks! Why twice though? ;-) I only noticed because it showed up twice in spamcheck. Count Count (talk) 09:16, 10 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Oops. I've removed the duplicate now. * Pppery * it has begun... 16:21, 10 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    moneycontrol.com/health-and-fitness

    [edit]

    Note that Moneycontrol articles are used as references for many articles, so please just blacklist the above subdomain. --A. B. (talk • contribs • global count) 00:59, 8 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    With the caveat that I'm not a regular admin here, and only cleaning up old forgotten request, I'm skeptical of the need to blacklist after only one spam link was added, especially of a website that has legitimate uses. * Pppery * it has begun... 03:10, 18 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    sunblonderealty.com spam

    [edit]

    --A. B. (talk • contribs • global count) 01:25, 8 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Added to BlockedExternalDomains. * Pppery * it has begun... 20:28, 9 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Cephazz spam

    [edit]

    --A. B. (talk • contribs • global count) 01:38, 8 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Added to BlockedExternalDomains. * Pppery * it has begun... 20:28, 9 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    wolf777.com.in casino spam and reference hijacking

    [edit]

    --A. B. (talk • contribs • global count) 02:22, 8 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Added to BlockedExternalDomains. * Pppery * it has begun... 20:28, 9 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    inf.news and min.news

    [edit]
    • Link/text requested to be blacklisted: inf.news
    • Link/text requested to be blacklisted: min.news

    As mentioned here, These are both machine translated content farms that translates user-generated articles from Toutiao, Sohu and other Chinese news aggregator sites without attrition and editorial oversight. Some of these articles cited on articles sound nonsensical due to the bad translations. Example https://min.news/en/arts/63b04c08fa90623e2c5a1a5966785ebc.html cited on Zhou Lianxia

    NoCringe (talk) 12:43, 10 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Lots of existing links; those need to be cleaned up first. OhNoitsJamie Talk 20:59, 11 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    dashtickets.nz

    [edit]

    Persistent spamming by multiple accounts for a long time. Check here spamcheck. BOGLA (talk) 16:30, 11 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    plus Added to blacklist. OhNoitsJamie Talk 20:58, 11 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    srdsassagrants.co.za

    [edit]

    Scam site related to social security benefits, (South African Social Security Agency sees a lot of these, watchlists welcome). After responding to warnings with the Hvris account, has moved on to sockpuppet accounts to evade scrutiny. - MrOllie (talk) 19:33, 12 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    plus Added to BlockedExternalDomains. * Pppery * it has begun... 03:12, 18 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    machineguarding.in

    [edit]

    Persistent spamming by multiple accounts and IPs. Annh07 (talk) 10:54, 18 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    plus Added to blacklist. OhNoitsJamie Talk 11:05, 18 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    nbnw.org

    [edit]

    Multiple IPs spamming this sketchy-looking news aggregator in the same style, this month. --Belbury (talk) 15:06, 18 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    plus Added to blacklist. OhNoitsJamie Talk 15:31, 19 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    mimeprague.cz/wp-content/uploads

    [edit]

    Several accounts all promoting the same specific link, with a free robux scam. The root domain seems legitimate, this is probably a hacked WordPress website, which is why I would suggest blacklisting only the /wp-content/uploads/ directory. I know there is a fourth IP (as can be seen in the discussion I created at the end of the page) but I cannot find it. win8x (talk) 02:54, 20 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    The small discussion is at MediaWiki talk:Spam-blacklist#Hijacked WordPress. win8x (talk) 02:57, 20 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    @Win8x: plus Added to MediaWiki:Spam-blacklist. --Dirk Beetstra T C 04:22, 20 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    theledgerlabs.com

    [edit]

    Persistent spamming by multiple IPs. Annh07 (talk) 13:45, 20 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    plus Added OhNoitsJamie Talk 15:03, 22 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    s.mcd-menu.org

    [edit]

    s.mcd-menu.org: Linksearch en (insource) - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Spamcheck • MER-C X-wiki • gs • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - COIBot-Local • Discussions: tracked - advanced - RSN • COIBot-Link, Local, & XWiki Reports - Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • meta • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.com

    Royox321 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · blacklist hits · AbuseLog · what links to user page · count · COIBot · Spamcheck · user page logs · x-wiki · status · Edit filter search · Google · StopForumSpam)

    Sockpuppetry to spam this link all over a certain article TheWikipedetalk 17:30, 23 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    xtremediesel.com

    [edit]

    Refspamming to an online truck parts & accessories retailer. ([10], [11], [12], [13]) The DieselTech2 account was created less than two hours after the Diesel60 account was warned for spamming. --Sable232 (talk) 21:05, 24 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Noting here that DieselTech2 tried to blank this report: [14] - MrOllie (talk) 23:37, 24 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    I added new information to the above pages and links to legitimate pages and it was removed for no reason? Sorry I won't try and contribute any information to improve the quality of the pages. DieselTech2 (talk) 23:49, 24 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Proposed removals

    [edit]

    betterauds

    [edit]

    Hello, my website url is Global wikipedia Block. UnBlock my website Url https://betterauds.com Marksmes (talk) 08:59, 18 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

     Defer to Global blacklist This has been blocked globally across all projects, not just here on the English Wikipedia, since it was abused across several different projects. You'll need to make a request there. Please follow the instructions there carefully; you've completely failed to provide any of the requested information here.Sam Kuru (talk) 12:18, 18 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    @Marksmes: no Declined. We don't remove on owner request. --Dirk Beetstra T C 16:43, 11 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Remove rugbydatabase.co.nz from blacklist

    [edit]

    rugbydatabase.co.nz: Linksearch en (insource) - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Spamcheck • MER-C X-wiki • gs • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - COIBot-Local • Discussions: tracked - advanced - RSN • COIBot-Link, Local, & XWiki Reports - Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • meta • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.com

    Requesting the removal of rugbydatabase.co.nz from the blacklist. It was blacklisted due to being spammed by unregistered users based in Australia.
    This site is the biggest, most reliable, accurate and up to date source of all international & domestic rugby game/player/team stats and data available online, after ESPN's Statsguru (espnscrum.com/statsguru/rugby/stats/) database was shut down at the end of 2020. It's therefore an essential source in keeping rugby teams and players pages up to date (caps, tries, game starts, points breakdown, etc, etc). There's simply no other reliable and accurate alternative.
    Blacklisting Rugby Database means needing to find articles online to source all the different information for each player & team, instead of simply using those sources supplementally, secondary to RD. It's a lot more work to maintain all of these pages if there isn't a database available to cite that has all the info reliably in one place. I can't say that the spamming by unregistered users will completely stop, as I simply don't know, but even to reference a specific page from Rugby Database (which is all I want to do) would mean getting each differing page whitelisted, I believe. Please help me and the rugby community in maintaining rugby pages by removing rugbydatabase.co.nz from the blacklist TazMcPunty (talk) 04:24, 30 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Anyone have any resolution or insight for me here, please? Thanks. 05:22, 23 September 2024 (UTC) TazMcPunty (talk) 05:22, 23 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    I would like to support this request to remove rugbydatabase.co.nz from the blacklist for the reasons given by TazMcPunty. This website has grown into a very good resource that is now often more useful and reliable than sites like itsrugby.co.uk, large parts of which are now behind a paywall and also not always complete. IMO the spamming that occurred last year by a few unregistered editors, does no longer justify the website being blacklisted now. Ruggalicious (talk) 13:49, 24 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    minus Removed. * Pppery * it has begun... 20:06, 9 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Why is infosecinstitute.com blocked?

    [edit]

    infosecinstitute.com: Linksearch en (insource) - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Spamcheck • MER-C X-wiki • gs • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - COIBot-Local • Discussions: tracked - advanced - RSN • COIBot-Link, Local, & XWiki Reports - Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • meta • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.com

    I have no involvement in this website, but wanted to use a page of theirs (can't link it here either...) as a reference about white-box penetration testing (White-box_testing#Hacking). Link with space in the middle: https://www.infosec institute.com/resources/penetration-testing/what-are-black-box-grey-box-and-white-box-penetration-testing/

    Using WikiBlame, I found that it was added by User:Hu12 in 2008. The website looked a bit different back then (link with space again: https://web.archive.org/web/20081220105151/http://www.info secinstitute.com/ ) but seems fundamentally similar.

    For the page I will simply look for a different reference, but don't understand why this was blocked. It does not look like a spam site and the company has a Wikipedia page without mention of any controversy. Should they be unblocked?

    80.187.122.174 (talk) 14:17, 12 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

     Defer to Whitelist You can use the search near the top of the page to see the previous discussions. We don't blacklist links due to the sort of "controversey" that might be mentioned in an article; we blacklist sites if they have been spammed abusively, or sites that that may be added in good faith but have no encyclopedic merit.OhNoitsJamie Talk 16:42, 12 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Remove suecalandia.com

    [edit]

    Request to Remove suecalandia.com from Local Blacklist for Use in References

    I am writing to request the removal of the suecalandia.com= from Wikipedia's local spam blacklist. This link is intended to be used as a reference in the article about the Suecalandia - Jogos Online de Cartas e Tabuleiro article in PT.— Preceding unsigned comment added by Fegfpdj (talk • contribs)

     Not done. This domain is blocked on the local blacklist of the Portuguese Wikipedia. It does not impact editing here on the English Wikipedia. If you're trying to create an article there, you can make a request there.Sam Kuru (talk) 14:08, 19 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Remove themoviedb.org/tmdb.org

    [edit]

    Request to remove themoviedb.org from Local Blacklist.

    This is a widely used resource for information about movies and television, similar to imdb. Although not completely user contributed, like tvdb.com, it does rely on a lot of user contributions for metadata, images, posters, etc. From looking at the stuff I could find at the links provided, it appears that someone from the site (User:Travisbell) tried to add a link in the external section to a handful of pages (looks like about 10 or so) back in 2008.

    Eight years later, in 2016, it looks like Travisbell attempted to have the blacklist removed, which was denied with the only explanation being that it was a misguided request. I'm not sure what that means and couldn't find anything on Wikipedia that defines misguided requests.

    We are now in 2024, eight years after the removal request from 2016, and sixteen years since the original blacklist in 2008. The website is used by millions of people every day and due to the open nature of its data (kind of like Wikipedia), it is the primary source for multiple other sites that show movie or tv data. It has even been used as a data source for scientific research. One example is the article "Image-based Product Recommendation Method for E-commerce Applications Using Convolutional Neural Networks" at http://dx.doi.org/10.18267/j.aip.167.

    I can see no good reason to keep a site blacklisted that is so widely used because of a number of links posted when Wikipedia itself was only 7 years old.

    Azuravian (talk) 07:13, 21 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

     Defer to Whitelist I don't imagine many (if any) cases where this site would be an appropriate WP:RS; for those cases, whitelisting may be appropriate. OhNoitsJamie Talk 11:50, 21 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Do we blacklist all sites that aren't an appropriate WP:RS? We have multiple pages for sites that utilize the API provided by TMDB, but can't link to it because of one person's mistake 16 years ago? Its level of being an appropriate WP:RS is equal to any other site listed under User-generated content on WP:RS. Some examples:
    1. IMDB: linked to from at least 60,000 pages.
    2. TheTVDB: linked to from 945 pages.
    3. TVTropes: linked to from 3,339 pages.
    What is it about tmdb.org that makes it less worthy of being allowed than those sites? Just trying to understand the rationale behind users jumping through hoops instead of admins removing roadblocks. Azuravian (talk) 00:28, 23 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    It's user generated data, so at best it's going to be an external link and as you've noted, we've already got IMDB as a good external link on many film / TV articles. This isn't going to add much beyond what's already there. Ravensfire (talk) 05:41, 23 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Still trying to understand not removing the blacklist. I understand the question of tmdbs validity as WP:RS. What I don't understand is the purpose in 2024 of tmbd.org being blacklisted?

    Why are we limiting users to a single source for movie information. We allow both IMDB and thetvdb for TV shows, but for movies, it's IMDB or nothing. It almost seems like someone has a vested interest in keeping tmdb off of Wikipedia without any legitimate reason.

    For a FOSS style system like Wikipedia, it seems antithetical to block sites essentially permanently over the actions of a single user? Azuravian (talk) 21:51, 23 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Not any 'single user', the site owner. And it wasn't a one time mistake - the archives of this page include a request where the site owner showed up to ask for it to be removed from the blacklist so he could resume promoting his site - so there is reason to think abuse would resume if it were possible technically. Once something ends up on the blacklist, the burden shifts - there should be a good reason to remove it. And in this case no such reason has been presented - it is not a usable WP:RS, and it is redundant with other options as an external link. MrOllie (talk) 22:04, 23 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Firstly, it was a one time mistake. All edits were made on the same day and there were about 10. He came back after 8 years to see about getting it unblocked and even clarified his intent was not to spam links to the site, so I'm unsure where the "reason to think abuse would resume" comes from. During his request 8 years ago, you can see the rudeness of the responses he received were in fact so bad that another admin stepped in on his Talk page to apologize for the admin who was rude.
    The real issue I have with the burden shifting (which in general I agree with) is the fact that it was blacklisted with what appears to be zero warnings whatsoever. If you find the proposed addition from 2008, there is only the initial post with no responses or discussion and it was blacklisted. The entry right below it is for a site called crediblemusicreviews.com. This site had multiple IPs continually adding reviews to articles about albums that were assumed to be the same user. The admin who blacklisted TMDB (User:A._B.) responded to that proposal with a very reasonable response saying:
    "Blacklisting is a big step and potentially carries implications off of Wikipedia. We like to see the user get several warnings before we blacklist. If that doesn't stop the person, then we're happy to blacklist."
    They followed up this statement saying that they had given those IPs final warnings.
    If the original site owner had received multiple warnings and still continued to spam the site, I wouldn't even be here, because I would recognize the reasoning behind the blacklist in the first place. However, in this case instead of giving warnings as I would expect, the site was blacklisted immediately.
    It appears to me that the original blacklisting is an example of ignoring the principle of WP:AGF, seeing as there was no discussion or warning given. Azuravian (talk) 05:03, 24 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    I don't remember the specifics but it looks like User:Travisbell ignored multiple requests and warnings:
    After that, an editor requested the domain he was spamming be blacklisted; that's when I blacklisted it. --A. B. (talk • contribs • global count) 06:34, 24 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Understood, I apologize for any pushiness on my part. I can tell you from a long time user, but only occasional contributor, that the vagaries of Wikipedia's processes and politics can feel like a bit of a black box. I just think it's a bit silly that because a user made mistakes (or even intentionally spammed, which I don't believe to be the case) sixteen years ago that a legitimate website (not some blog, or scam site) is still being blacklisted due to what essentially seems like red tape.
    Seeing the extra warnings just adds another wrinkle to the issue to me. That means the user was warned after adding a link to maybe five pages. That hardly seems like a case of excessive spamming to me, especially in light of other similar sites being linked hundreds or tens of thousands of times. Linking to that sort of external site is obviously not, in and of itself, an issue.
    Does Wikipedia have some sort of deal with IMDB and thetvdb or something? If not, why are they being given such preferential treatment? Azuravian (talk) 08:41, 24 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Caveats: I was inactive for about a decade and gave up my admin privileges so I don’t remember any specifics and I don’t have any ability to add or delete sites from the blacklist or whitelist.
    The blacklist is primarily for controlling deliberate spam, not link quality.
    If someone ignores that many warnings, we blacklist the offending domain and usually any associated domains, even if the other domains haven’t been spammed yet. There’s no minimum number of spam links; we don’t wait until there are 50, 100 or 500. Waiting until there’s a lot of spam just makes more cleanup work for our volunteers.
    We have no deal with IMDb. IMDb is semi-officially considered an unreliable source and an unnecessary link but as you’ve seen, we have a bunch of those links. There’s the Reliable Sources Noticeboard which has a subpage (WP:RSNP) of major sites and editors’ assessment of their suitability as reliable sources.
    We have very particular standards for “reliable sources” that are unique to our mission. A site that we consider “unreliable” for our purposes may be great for everything else. Note that we officially consider our own site and other Wikimedia sites as unreliable sources because, like IMDb, our content is user-submitted with insufficient editorial oversight.
    Wikipedia’s administrators have their hands full just fighting off deliberate spamming, let alone the zillions of inappropriate links innocently added by regular editors. —A. B. (talk • contribs • global count) 15:04, 24 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Thank you for the clarifications.
    I think my confusion comes from the idea that "The blacklist is primarily for controlling deliberate spam, not link quality."
    This is the crux of my problem is that it seems like different admins have different ideas. Maybe a more solid set of rules around the blacklist would be beneficial. Almost every response I've received to removing the blacklist has been about link quality, not deliberate spam. The only evidence of deliberate spam happened sixteen years ago and there has only been one request to remove it in the intervening years. The idea that the users/creators of tmdb have just been waiting almost 2 decades for the opportunity to engage in deliberate spam is obviously ridiculous. With that in mind, it is understandable why the site was added, but not understandable why it can't be removed.
    I do understand and appreciate all of the work that the Wikipedia administrators do and do not envy the position that I'm sure they find themselves in regularly. Azuravian (talk) 03:49, 25 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    It is added to the blacklist because of spamming (as it was in this case). Then link quality is a factor in subsequent removal or whitelist requests. MrOllie (talk) 13:12, 25 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Azuravian, a way to help build the case for removal from blacklisting is to start requesting it to be whitelisted as a source. The issues around user-generated data are going to be relevant (see WP:CITEIMDB) and will represent a challenge to whitelisting. Essentially, aside from personal preference, why should a given link to this site be added to an article? Ravensfire (talk) 14:14, 25 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Valid question and I think the answer (for me, anyway) is that there is no reason aside from personal preference. I'd say that this answer is the same as the answer I would expect someone to give for a TV series when determining whether to link to IMDB or thetvdb.com, or having a preference for both.
    Here is a sampling of pages for TV series that link to both IMDB and thetvdb.com:
    Breakout Kings
    The Tick (1994 TV series)
    The Borderers Azuravian (talk) 05:02, 29 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    because sometimes that is the only choice for some pieces of info and can be considered reliable enough? Cinemaandpolitics (talk) 12:58, 29 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    also, now that I remember how I got stuck into this, it was because I wanted to add a movie poster with a free image rationale that came from there. I couldn't link to it and had to find something else, even less good as a source. That was a clear exemple of when the ban hurts editing. Cinemaandpolitics (talk) 13:07, 29 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    @RavensfireLooking more into this. The WP:CITEIMDB says that using imdb for infos on movies is disputed but not banned. The majority of basic info (we are not talking about reviews here) are collectivelly gathered in both imdb or tmdb.
    Similarly to what Azuravian was saying, why ban one and not the other? I don't see any logic on the preferential treatement that imdb gets. Tmdb seems to me like an equally respectable source.
    @A. B. Oversight can be done collectivelly, Wikipedia *chooses* to not engage in personal research. There are many kind of reliable sources already in use on wikipedia, it's not like journalism is the only thing that we accept. Cinemaandpolitics (talk) 19:36, 11 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    @Cinemaandpolitics There is absolutely no requirement to have a working link to the source of a non-free file, the requirement is that you clearly state where you get it (which actually is from the producers of the poster, not from the site that posts it und a same non-free use rationale). Moreover, you could have requested whitelisting for that purpose (though also there we would have sent you to the original source of the file). Dirk Beetstra T C 05:46, 5 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    You are absolutelly right, and I think I just didn't find it under a reliable producer website and had to use (from memory) another random site. Cinemaandpolitics (talk) 16:29, 5 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    @RavensfireLooking more into this. The WP:CITEIMDB says that using imdb for infos on movies is disputed but not banned. The majority of basic info (we are not talking about reviews here) are collectivelly gathered in both imdb or tmdb.
    Similarly to what Azuravian was saying, why ban one and not the other? I don't see any logic on the preferential treatement that imdb gets. Tmdb seems to me like an equally respectable source.
    @A. B. Oversight can be done collectivelly, Wikipedia *chooses* to not engage in personal research. There are many kind of reliable sources already in use on wikipedia, it's not like journalism is the only thing that we accept.
    — User:Cinemaandpolitics 19:36, 11 October 2024 (UTC)

    @Cinemaandpolitics because tmdb was spammed with confessed site owner showing strongly that they intended continue to push for their links to be included over a long period of time. That narrative has not changed and is repeated (almost verbatim) in this thread by the current requester. In all these years there are no independent requests that this site is needed by editors who edit 'in the field', but there is a significant history of spam. Whitelisting specific links will do.
    Dirk Beetstra T C 04:39, 21 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    I have no connection whatsoever with tmdb owners, I don't have an account there, and I was not even aware of this conflict before finding out the hard way. I do plan to edit more cinema pages and I'll request a whitelist as you suggest. Still this whole approach seems sketchy to me, if tmdb spammed in the past but now it is a major player that is relevant, rules have got to change at some point. I understand that you don't want their link to be added en masse together with imdb, but still. Cinemaandpolitics (talk) 08:58, 22 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Not you. And there is a huge difference between adding 'en masse' and spamming. Dirk Beetstra T C 04:22, 24 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Why is 'xyz' blocked?

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    There is a regular expression \bxyz\b in the block list. I did not find it's entry in the log. I think this is a mistake. It blocks any website with `.xyz` at the end. There is already a request to whitelist `hypercubing.xyz`, seems to be a website with innocent content. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.70.111.20 (talk) 16:55, 1 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Experience with that TLD has shown that's it's mostly junk, unreliable sites that generated a significant amount of spam here. The initial discussion on it is MediaWiki_talk:Spam-blacklist/archives/June_2020#.xyz_TLD. For the low percentage of sites that are good sources, whitelisting has worked. Ravensfire (talk) 17:27, 1 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    (and it is properly logged, at the very bottom of MediaWiki_talk:Spam-blacklist/log/2020#June_2020 * Pppery * it has begun... 22:24, 18 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Additionally, it isn't the only blacklisted TLD. The .guru TLD is also blacklisted, for pretty much the same reason as .xyz is blacklisted. ~Anachronist (talk) 03:28, 19 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    innermasteryhub.com removal request

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    May I know the reason of blacklisting innermasteryhub.com ? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mehwishqurayshi (talk • contribs) 10:40, 14 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Per the notes field in the Special:BlockedExternalDomains entry: Spammed by many accounts -- Ohnoitsjamie, 2024-09-23 * Pppery * it has begun... 22:24, 18 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Regarding this misplaced request: I see zero reason to justify removal of this domain, considering you have also spammed it inappropriately (see here and here) in the past. --Kinu t/c 03:54, 22 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Remove kickstarter.com

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    While its not a good source to prove notability etc, its beneficial to use it to log a project's development of which notability is proven by other sources.VectorVoyager (talk) 12:05, 15 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

     Not done That's never going to happen. Individual Kickstarter links can be whitelisted if there's a good reason to. OhNoitsJamie Talk 13:27, 15 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    www.blog.roblox.com

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    I'm creating a wikipedia article on the late co-founder of Roblox, Erik Cassel. But the only reliable sources of him are from blog.roblox.com links. The blog.roblox.com domain is the official blog maintained by employees of ROBLOX Corporation, giving accurate information about the company. The specific links are a tribute written by the current founder, and an interview with the person in question. I tried to go through the whitelist, but apparently the whole thing is blacklisted. The article on Erik Cassel would benefit from these sources, as it provides first-hand details about his professional achievements, contributions to ROBLOX, and personal qualities. This information is otherwise unavailable in comparable detail and reliability. Ge0loz (talk) 05:39, 22 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

     Defer to Whitelist OhNoitsJamie Talk 15:00, 22 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Discussion

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    A bunch of recent requests got archived Special:Diff/1239133035/1239171878 but no action was taken. In fact the log has no updates since May 2024: MediaWiki_talk:Spam-blacklist/log. Is this think on auto pilot? -- GreenC 04:19, 8 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    The bot will archive it after seven days with no comments, even if it hasn't been done (Another example). ClumsyOwlet (talk) 00:30, 9 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Nothing has been done since May... maybe we should increase the archive bot timer to at least 3 months. -- GreenC 00:56, 9 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Increased to 90 days -- GreenC 14:42, 9 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Hijacked WordPress

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    https://mimeprague.cz/ is a legit website, but it looks like their WordPress was hijacked and they now host Robux scams on a subpage. Is there a way of handling those? The URL doesn't seem to change but I am not sure if I should post it here. I think I saw these types of websites before, apologies if there was a previous discussion about this. win8x (talking | spying) 04:24, 11 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    I've seen 3 different accounts/IPs in the last days with that website, all saying the same thing. I am not active often, there are likely many more. Apart from the WordPress exploit, it is a legitimate webiste (one that would probably not be referenced though). Unsure if it should be on the blacklist. win8x (talking | spying) 04:27, 11 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    We could blacklist the "mimeprague.cz/wp-content/uploads/" path rather than the entire domain if needed. XXBlackburnXx (talk) 01:13, 14 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    I don't know how I didn't think this was possible. I don't know if disruption has continued though. win8x (talking | spying) 01:20, 14 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Energytracker.asia

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    energytracker.asia: Linksearch en (insource) - meta - de - fr - simple - wikt:en - wikt:fr • Spamcheck • MER-C X-wiki • gs • Reports: Links on en - COIBot - COIBot-Local • Discussions: tracked - advanced - RSN • COIBot-Link, Local, & XWiki Reports - Wikipedia: en - fr - de • Google: search • meta • Domain: domaintools • AboutUs.com

    I'm humbly requesting that someone WP:IAR to consider this request, as I work part-time with this organization. FWIW they did not ask me to make this request and are not paying for it. As described in my earlier whitelist request, I've spoken with the organizational leaders and am confident that current and future staff/contractors will not be adding links to this website. In my Wikipedian in Residence role they have helped me bring the article Carbon capture and storage to a state ready for WP:GAN. Energytracker.asia is WP:RS and CC-BY and would be useful for improving our coverage of energy and climate issues in Asia, an underserved and important topic area. Clayoquot (talk | contribs) 03:50, 21 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    @Clayoquot: no Declined/ Defer to Whitelist. We delist because links are needed for improving the encyclopedia. Request whitelisting for the specific links you need, showing they are providing unique content. Maybe if there are enough requests by several independant users (most without relation to the site) we can consider again. --Dirk Beetstra T C 04:06, 21 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

    Troubleshooting and problems

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