[Wikimedia-l] Re: Joint Statement on Palestine
Seriously? While hailing from Pakistan might suggest an automatic alignment with such a letter, and I do have all my sympathies for Palestinians but it's crucial to recognize that Wikipedia, and even WMF are intended to remain impartial. I believe supporting or denouncing political issues is not appropriate on this mailing list. Wikimedia or WMF meant to be unbiased, so let's leave it as it is. -- Saqib Qayyum On Thu, Apr 11, 2024 at 11:01 PM geni wrote: > On Thu, 11 Apr 2024 at 17:45, Shaba 50 wrote: > > > > Greetings Farah and fellow Wikimedians, > > > > I am writing to express my support for the Joint Statement on Palestine. > I am deeply concerned about the humanitarian catastrophe in Palestine and > believe that Wikimedia groups, affiliates, allies, and volunteers should > unite in solidarity with humanity and demand an immediate and lasting > ceasefire to halt the tragic loss of life and destruction of Palestinian > cultural heritage. > > Whats special about this conflict? The second Darfur genocide is > ongoing but you aren't making demands about that. The recent ethnic > cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh was hardly a good thing and yet you > remain silent. While I'm not upset of the outcome of the recent > fighting around Myawaddy are you not concerned about the loss of life > and destruction of cultural heritage in the area? > > > I also urge the WMF to take proactive measures to ensure the safety of > volunteers, > > The WMF is not an oil company. It does not have merceneries on call > and nor should it. > > > > > > -- > geni > ___ > Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines > at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l > Public archives at > https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/PEN3NV2I76CAMR7JESGEAGV7RM3AXYGR/ > To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org > ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l Public archives at https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/IBOELGP5MEYVBGFHHOELSO5DYBTKFCB2/ To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org
[Wikimedia-l] Re: Wikimedia Commons isn't working in Pakistan
See https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/H5SMMTKRTUI5QLDKOCLZNWCABGDK3UHL/ -- Saqib Qayyum On Sun, Mar 31, 2024 at 3:25 PM Andy Mabbett wrote: > On Sun, 31 Mar 2024, 08:15 Asad Jogi, wrote: > > This problem is also reported by me on phabricator >> https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T329264 > > > I get "Access Denied: Restricted Task > You do not have permission to view this object." at that URL. > > > ___ > Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines > at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l > Public archives at > https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/HUJTX3IBJO4TWSERBSQAFY4MT2I63MY6/ > To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l Public archives at https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/MPTP53BNTFRH66FMOHUUHHCFRFRRPEE2/ To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org
[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan
Dear Mr. Stephen LaPorte Thank you for commenting. Recently, I have been in contact with several journalists who have expressed their interest in covering this issue and have been attempting to reach out to WMF for an official statement. but unfortunately, they have reported difficulty in obtaining any response from WMF despite their repeated efforts. As a result, they are unable to proceed with their stories without an official statement from WMF. I wanted to inquire if we can expect a statement or a press release from WMF explicitly addressing the Commons blockage ? Providing clarity on this matter would not only assist journalists in their reporting but also help prioritize efforts to unblock the website. -- Saqib Qayyum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib On Thu, Mar 21, 2024 at 10:23 PM Stephen LaPorte wrote: > Hi all, > > I am Stephen LaPorte, the General Counsel at the Foundation. > > We have received reports that Wikimedia Commons has been partially > inaccessible in Pakistan—depending on the user's Internet Service > Provider—for multiple years, starting as early as 2021. My understanding is > that it does not affect the display of images on Wikipedia, and it predates > the blocking and unblocking > <https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2023/02/03/wikimedia-foundation-urges-pakistan-telecommunications-authority-to-restore-access-to-wikipedia-in-pakistan/> > of Wikipedia in February 2023. > > We have not received any formal notice or a recent legal demand related to > Wikimedia Commons, so we do not know on what grounds the site is partially > inaccessible or how many people have been affected since this started. > Overall, traffic to Wikimedia Commons from Pakistan before 2020 is too low > to establish a clear pattern that shows when this started or the extent of > the disruption. All these factors have made understanding the situation > difficult and require a balanced response, and we remain committed to > knowledge access in the country. > > After Yaroslav reported > <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Village_pump/Archive/2023/07#Is_Wikimedia_Commons_blocked_in_Pakistan?> > not being able to access the site last year, we investigated further. We've > shared information about this situation with other organizations that > monitor internet censorship and advocate for internet freedom in Pakistan. > > We believe that access to knowledge is a human right, and we oppose > internet censorship in all forms. We believe that limiting access to > projects like Wikimedia Commons deprives people of access to important > historical and educational content and makes it more difficult for local > volunteers to share their media with the world. > > If you experience censorship of the Wikimedia projects, you are welcome to > report this directly to the Wikimedia Foundation at > and we can help route the question to the right technical experts within > the Foundation. > > Best, > Stephen > > On Wed, Mar 20, 2024 at 10:06 AM Yaroslav Blanter > wrote: > >> My understanding is that only Commons is currently blocked in Pakistan. >> >> In July 2023, when I visited, I could (and did) edit Wikipedia and >> Wikivoyage in several languages, as well as Wikidata. To be honest I did >> not try Urdu Wikipedia, but I guess if it were blocked in Pakistan we would >> know this. >> >> My impression from the communication with WMF I described earlier was >> that they learned about the Commons block from me. I might be wrong of >> course. >> >> Best >> Yaroslav >> >> On Wed, Mar 20, 2024 at 5:14 PM Risker wrote: >> >>> Could someone please explicitly state which Wikimedia projects are >>> blocked in Pakistan? This thread starts around the blocking of Commons, >>> but information provided by James Heilman implies that (at least one point) >>> ALL Wikimedia projects are blocked. So, to be clear, are Wikipedias also >>> blocked? Other projects? Understanding the extent of the block will help >>> the broader community to best assist our Pakistani colleagues in continuing >>> to contribute, and for helping the broad Pakistani citizenship to access >>> our work. >>> >>> It may be helpful for someone from the WMF who is in a position to >>> report to tell us exactly which projects are currently blocked, and whether >>> or not any of the originally blocked projects have now had blocks lifted. >>> >>> Risker/Anne >>> >>> Risker/Anne >>> >>> On Wed, 20 Mar 2024 at 11:21, Saqib Qayyum >>> wrote: >>> >>>> I remember this statement was issued when Wikipedia was briefly blocked &
[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan
As of now, only the Commons is blocked. -- Saqib Qayyum On Wed, Mar 20, 2024 at 9:14 PM Risker wrote: > Could someone please explicitly state which Wikimedia projects are blocked > in Pakistan? This thread starts around the blocking of Commons, but > information provided by James Heilman implies that (at least one point) ALL > Wikimedia projects are blocked. So, to be clear, are Wikipedias also > blocked? Other projects? Understanding the extent of the block will help > the broader community to best assist our Pakistani colleagues in continuing > to contribute, and for helping the broad Pakistani citizenship to access > our work. > > It may be helpful for someone from the WMF who is in a position to report > to tell us exactly which projects are currently blocked, and whether or not > any of the originally blocked projects have now had blocks lifted. > > Risker/Anne > > Risker/Anne > > On Wed, 20 Mar 2024 at 11:21, Saqib Qayyum wrote: > >> I remember this statement was issued when Wikipedia was briefly blocked >> last year. >> -- >> Saqib Qayyum >> >> >> On Wed, Mar 20, 2024 at 7:54 AM James Heilman wrote: >> >>> Here is the press release from Feb 3, 2023 from the WMF urging Pakistan >>> to unblock Wikimedia Projects. >>> >>> >>> https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2023/02/03/wikimedia-foundation-urges-pakistan-telecommunications-authority-to-restore-access-to-wikipedia-in-pakistan/ >>> >>> Appears the reason has to do with religious content >>> >>> >>> https://netblocks.org/reports/wikipedia-restricted-in-pakistan-over-alleged-sacrilegious-content-nAg35pAp >>> >>> James >>> >>> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 6:40 PM Neurodivergent Netizen < >>> idoh.idreamofhor...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> >>>> IP block exemption is already automatically granted to admins, at least >>>> on the English Wikipedia; it’s rarely needed enough that further automatic >>>> exemption doesn’t really make sense. VPNs, typically costing money, aren’t >>>> an accessible workaround, anyways. Let’s redirect attention back to getting >>>> Commons unblocked. >>>> >>>> From, >>>> I dream of horses >>>> She/her >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Mar 19, 2024, at 2:40 PM, Alessandro Marchetti via Wikimedia-l < >>>> wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org> wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>> It's intriguing (to me) to contemplate how the notion of restricting IP >>>> editing in specific circumstances is often viewed as a violation of >>>> principle, even when supported by examples or data, yet a restriction like >>>> requiring long-standing users to jump through hoops just to use a VPN for >>>> privacy—something standard nowadays—is considered necessary and acceptable. >>>> Both policies aim to address issues while weighing the pros and cons and >>>> inevitably curbing some degree of freedom. >>>> >>>> Personally, I question the efficiency of the VPN restriction. I hold a >>>> different perspective: implementing a one or two-year, 100-500-edit >>>> registration threshold for automatic exemption of registered users seems >>>> reasonable. >>>> >>>> Nevertheless, it's important to recognize that nothing is inherently >>>> necessary; these are always political and not technical choices. >>>> >>>> It's not just vandals ruining it; it's also the approach taken. By >>>> granting trolls immense power to disrupt everyone's activities, you fuel >>>> their mischief. Thus, every time these extreme measures are enforced and >>>> standardized, they inevitably lead to wasted time and endless debates about >>>> the status quo, and regular users pay a price. Not hypothetically, for >>>> real we know. Whoever prioritizes the pursuit of trolls and vandals >>>> over the work of regular users, de facto feeds the troll. >>>> >>>> It's important to clarify: as seasoned users, many of us have kinda >>>> learned to navigate this "mess" and endure it... similar issues have >>>> been grappled with for years, Commons management shows little sign of >>>> improvement and we just don't care anymore. >>>> >>>> However, for those who haven't mastered it or are stuck in some >>>> nationwide quagmire as this one,
[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan
I remember this statement was issued when Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year. -- Saqib Qayyum On Wed, Mar 20, 2024 at 7:54 AM James Heilman wrote: > Here is the press release from Feb 3, 2023 from the WMF urging Pakistan to > unblock Wikimedia Projects. > > > https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2023/02/03/wikimedia-foundation-urges-pakistan-telecommunications-authority-to-restore-access-to-wikipedia-in-pakistan/ > > Appears the reason has to do with religious content > > > https://netblocks.org/reports/wikipedia-restricted-in-pakistan-over-alleged-sacrilegious-content-nAg35pAp > > James > > On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 6:40 PM Neurodivergent Netizen < > idoh.idreamofhor...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> IP block exemption is already automatically granted to admins, at least >> on the English Wikipedia; it’s rarely needed enough that further automatic >> exemption doesn’t really make sense. VPNs, typically costing money, aren’t >> an accessible workaround, anyways. Let’s redirect attention back to getting >> Commons unblocked. >> >> From, >> I dream of horses >> She/her >> >> >> >> >> >> On Mar 19, 2024, at 2:40 PM, Alessandro Marchetti via Wikimedia-l < >> wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org> wrote: >> >> >> It's intriguing (to me) to contemplate how the notion of restricting IP >> editing in specific circumstances is often viewed as a violation of >> principle, even when supported by examples or data, yet a restriction like >> requiring long-standing users to jump through hoops just to use a VPN for >> privacy—something standard nowadays—is considered necessary and acceptable. >> Both policies aim to address issues while weighing the pros and cons and >> inevitably curbing some degree of freedom. >> >> Personally, I question the efficiency of the VPN restriction. I hold a >> different perspective: implementing a one or two-year, 100-500-edit >> registration threshold for automatic exemption of registered users seems >> reasonable. >> >> Nevertheless, it's important to recognize that nothing is inherently >> necessary; these are always political and not technical choices. >> >> It's not just vandals ruining it; it's also the approach taken. By >> granting trolls immense power to disrupt everyone's activities, you fuel >> their mischief. Thus, every time these extreme measures are enforced and >> standardized, they inevitably lead to wasted time and endless debates about >> the status quo, and regular users pay a price. Not hypothetically, for >> real we know. Whoever prioritizes the pursuit of trolls and vandals >> over the work of regular users, de facto feeds the troll. >> >> It's important to clarify: as seasoned users, many of us have kinda >> learned to navigate this "mess" and endure it... similar issues have >> been grappled with for years, Commons management shows little sign of >> improvement and we just don't care anymore. >> >> However, for those who haven't mastered it or are stuck in some >> nationwide quagmire as this one, suggesting VPNs as a solution is >> impractical—unless you anticipate tens of thousands of users from a country >> with millions of inhabitants to individually request IP exemptions. It's >> evident that the log of such a system would not be sustainable. >> >> I remain skeptical that an alternative solution will be implemented, >> given the likelihood that the approach will mirror that of the VPN case or >> other instances—utilizing massive and/or indefinite self-referential strict >> measures that are seldom evaluated on the long term with some metrics. >> >> >> >> Il martedì 19 marzo 2024 alle ore 20:24:15 CET, Neurodivergent Netizen < >> idoh.idreamofhor...@gmail.com> ha scritto: >> >> >> ___ >> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines >> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >> Public archives at >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/5BTBH6H4PEHX7CCUBYKUDKDXDC3VOAX5/ >> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org >> Unfortunately, there’s a history of an overwhelming amount of vandals >> using VPNs to, well, vandalize Wikipedia, hence the block on known VPN and >> the bureaucracy surrounding them. If the block is removed, it’ll quite >> likely become a problem again. It really is a sit
[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan
It's truly disheartening to see the WMF's lack of action, especially when Yaroslav himself reported the issue to the WMF, and they confirmed the blockage of Commons in Pakistan. This neglect is unacceptable, considering Pakistan's significant population of 170 million internet users, making it the fifth-largest in the world, surpassing even Russia. How can the WMF overlook such a crucial issue? -- Saqib Qayyum On Wed, Mar 20, 2024 at 1:01 AM neurokitty via Wikimedia-l < wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org> wrote: > >- Blocking a free knowledge repository = attack on freedom of speech >and free knowledge > > >- Suggesting VPN = suggesting to use the backdoor instead of fighting >back for free knowledge and freedom of speech >- Foundation is not interested in commons, previous archives informs >that mystery. >- One potential reason WMF not interested in Pakistan is, the country >doesn't have potential donors, or asking for the unblock might not help to >attract the global attention (unlike other big countries!) as global >attention is a superset of attention from donors. Money is the only known >god for the foundation. >- WMF communications does anything but communication, the name is a >shame. If it needs to bring a matter to public mailing lists to get heard, >then everything will collapse. Imagine a wikimedia movement, where everyone >is forwarding their previous mails to the foundation, to the public mailing >lists, since foundation didn't care ... ... (If it works, it works, and all >should do that) > > > Regards, > *WikiInsaf* > Insaf jarur milegi > > On Wednesday, March 20th, 2024 at 12:13 AM, Risker > wrote: > > VPNs and IP block exemption may or may not be useful for contributing to > Commons, but contribution is not the only thing at issue here. > > The purpose of Commons is to act as a media repository for (a) all > Wikimedia projects and (b) the world as a whole, without cost or licensing > issues. Every day, hundreds if not thousands of Commons files are used in > news media, academia, and other places outside of Wikimedia projects. > Commons files appear in the majority of Wikimedia articles. Therefore, free > and open access to Wikimedia Commons as part of the knowledge available to > all of humanity is a major objective. It's also where we, as a community, > store useful documents and files associated with significant information > about our movement, our projects, and many other things that may affect all > projects, so access to them is important, too. > > I have no doubt that the Pakistani block is motivated by matters that have > nothing to do with free knowledge or the Wikimedia mission. If I was a > betting woman, I'd say that this may be an attempt to avoid a public uproar > about blocking Wikipedia itself, but with Commons being so much less > visible, it's easier to block that project and wind up with essentially the > same effect. > > I am aware that there are multiple language Wikipedias edited by our > Pakistani editors. One possible interim solution might be ensuring that > images can be uploaded directly to those Wikipedia projects, and copies of > Commons images be hosted on those projects. Some Wikipedias retained their > own project-specific media storage, and many of their policies, procedures > and guidelines could be used as a framework for the Pakistani-languages > wikis to develop their own processes. As English is one of Pakistan's > official languages, it would be worthwhile to have a discussion on English > Wikipedia to work on this, too. Bots located outside of Pakistan could be > used to both bring images to those Wikipedias and to copy their images over > to Commons for global use. > > Of course, the longer-term goal is to have the block lifted entirely. What > I am suggesting is a mitigation strategy only. > > Risker/Anne > > On Tue, 19 Mar 2024 at 13:17, Saqib Qayyum wrote: > >> Hello Mr James >> >> Certainly, using a VPN is a workaround, but it's worth noting that >> obtaining an IP block exemption is still necessary to edit Commons, and >> this is not always feasible for all users. Many may not even be aware of >> its existence. For instance, I couldn't edit Commons since October 2020 >> until I discovered the option for IP ban exemption. . >> >> And because of this, contributions to Commons from Pakistan have >> significantly dwindled. For instance, I recall organizing Wiki Loves >> Monuments Pakistan from 2014, where we used to receive thousands of images >> annually. However, in recent years, the number of uploads has drastically >> declined, w
[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan
I feel this discussion is veering off course. Let's set aside the debate on whether using VPNs is appropriate or not. Instead, let's focus on taking action to unblock the website. This can begin with the WMF releasing a statement. Once this gains attention from the wider news media, authorities may review their decision to block the website. -- Saqib Qayyum On Wed, Mar 20, 2024 at 12:17 AM Alessandro Marchetti via Wikimedia-l < wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org> wrote: > > > That doesn't seem logical or fair. If a user is registered and not already > blocked, the IPs they are using shouldn't matter at all. > Personally, I've never used a VPN before I got it this way (even living in > the PRC), but I understand that some people might need to do so for privacy > reasons. So, this restriction should be removed. Registered users should > have the freedom to access the platform how they want. If there's an issue > with a specific user, it's more appropriate to block their username rather > than restricting their access when logged in based on IP addresses. Adding > more bureaucracy isn't the solution if there isn't a problem to begin with. > > In any case, nothing will probably change. But please don't say that VPN > is a solution. People have already enough problems that adding more and > more passages. > > Il martedì 19 marzo 2024 alle ore 19:51:42 CET, Neurodivergent Netizen < > idoh.idreamofhor...@gmail.com> ha scritto: > > > A few years ago, I acquired a VPN as part of an antivirus package. > However, when I tried to use it for other services, I encountered an > unexpected issue switching on wiki platforms: despite being there as a > registered user, I found myself unable to edit them. > > So how can VPN be a solution? > > > Right, you would’ve had to use IP block exemption, which would require > some level of trust from the community that you aren’t a vandal or other > blocked user trying to circumspect said block. > > From, > I dream of horses > She/her > > > > > > On Mar 19, 2024, at 11:23 AM, Alessandro Marchetti via Wikimedia-l < > wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org> wrote: > > Why is there so much discussion about using VPNs as a solution? A few > years ago, I acquired a VPN as part of an antivirus package. However, when > I tried to use it for other services, I encountered an unexpected issue > switching on wiki platforms: despite being there as a registered user, I > found myself unable to edit them. > > So how can VPN be a solution? > > A. > > Il martedì 19 marzo 2024 alle ore 18:17:52 CET, Saqib Qayyum < > saqibqayy...@gmail.com> ha scritto: > > > Hello Mr James > > Certainly, using a VPN is a workaround, but it's worth noting that > obtaining an IP block exemption is still necessary to edit Commons, and > this is not always feasible for all users. Many may not even be aware of > its existence. For instance, I couldn't edit Commons since October 2020 > until I discovered the option for IP ban exemption. . > > And because of this, contributions to Commons from Pakistan have > significantly dwindled. For instance, I recall organizing Wiki Loves > Monuments Pakistan from 2014, where we used to receive thousands of images > annually. However, in recent years, the number of uploads has drastically > declined, with only a maximum of 100 photos being uploaded each year. This > trend underscores the challenges Pakistani users face in accessing and > contributing to the site. > -- > Saqib Qayyum > > > On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:55 PM James Heilman wrote: > > Can you not just use a VPN? > > James > > On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:29 PM Saqib Qayyum > wrote: > > TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: > > I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a > critical issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite > multiple attempts to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's > communication team, there has been a disappointing lack of response or > acknowledgment. > > For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While > Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both > Pakistani and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the > blockade of Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone > largely unnoticed. > > Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed > frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this > issue, only to receive no response. > > I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to > address the ongoing blockage of C
[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan
By the way, I don't understand why Pakistan blocked Commons. My guess is it was blocked by mistake or unintentionally because I don't think there's anything on Commons that is critical or bothersome to the government. At least I don't know of any such content. So if WMF raises its voice, I'm sure it can be unblocked. Why not WMF try at least instead of remaining silent? When WP was blocked last year, it was unblocked after voices were raised. -- Saqib Qayyum On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 10:17 PM Saqib Qayyum wrote: > Well Twitter has actually been blocked for the past 01 month, right after > the general election. There's been a lot of uproar about it, but it's > uncertain when they will unblock it. Meanwhile, at least WMF should issue a > statement condemning the blockage of Commons. > -- > Saqib Qayyum > > > On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 10:16 PM Neurodivergent Netizen < > idoh.idreamofhor...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> While a good stop-gap measure, VPNs can be expensive enough that it’s not >> really a permanent solution. The ultimate solution is to get Commons >> unblocked, if that’s possible. Of course, getting it unblocked might prove >> impossible. >> >> From, >> I dream of horses >> She/her >> >> >> >> >> >> On Mar 19, 2024, at 9:33 AM, James Heilman wrote: >> >> Can you not just use a VPN? >> >> James >> >> On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:29 PM Saqib Qayyum >> wrote: >> >>> TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: >>> >>> I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a >>> critical issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite >>> multiple attempts to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's >>> communication team, there has been a disappointing lack of response or >>> acknowledgment. >>> >>> For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While >>> Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both >>> Pakistani and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the >>> blockade of Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone >>> largely unnoticed. >>> >>> Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed >>> frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this >>> issue, only to receive no response. >>> >>> I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to >>> address the ongoing blockage of Commons in Pakistan. >>> >>> Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. >>> -- >>> Saqib Qayyum >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib >>> ___ >>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines >>> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >>> Public archives at >>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/H5SMMTKRTUI5QLDKOCLZNWCABGDK3UHL/ >>> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org >> >> >> >> -- >> James Heilman >> MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian >> ___ >> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines >> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >> Public archives at >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/53DBHAHGEAWIH5VI2X7YMEWYSWDHCBXM/ >> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org >> >> >> ___ >> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines >> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >> Public archives at >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/QWJ6BVDBNZWEIJ7MVEB5VY6KAZHEFOAP/ >> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org > > ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l Public archives at https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/XYSGA6K7LHC27N7ARZFLT44RNSOY4RAS/ To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org
[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan
Well Twitter has actually been blocked for the past 01 month, right after the general election. There's been a lot of uproar about it, but it's uncertain when they will unblock it. Meanwhile, at least WMF should issue a statement condemning the blockage of Commons. -- Saqib Qayyum On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 10:16 PM Neurodivergent Netizen < idoh.idreamofhor...@gmail.com> wrote: > While a good stop-gap measure, VPNs can be expensive enough that it’s not > really a permanent solution. The ultimate solution is to get Commons > unblocked, if that’s possible. Of course, getting it unblocked might prove > impossible. > > From, > I dream of horses > She/her > > > > > > On Mar 19, 2024, at 9:33 AM, James Heilman wrote: > > Can you not just use a VPN? > > James > > On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:29 PM Saqib Qayyum > wrote: > >> TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: >> >> I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a >> critical issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite >> multiple attempts to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's >> communication team, there has been a disappointing lack of response or >> acknowledgment. >> >> For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While >> Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both >> Pakistani and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the >> blockade of Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone >> largely unnoticed. >> >> Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed >> frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this >> issue, only to receive no response. >> >> I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to >> address the ongoing blockage of Commons in Pakistan. >> >> Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. >> -- >> Saqib Qayyum >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib >> ___ >> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines >> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >> Public archives at >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/H5SMMTKRTUI5QLDKOCLZNWCABGDK3UHL/ >> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org > > > > -- > James Heilman > MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian > ___ > Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines > at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l > Public archives at > https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/53DBHAHGEAWIH5VI2X7YMEWYSWDHCBXM/ > To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org > > > ___ > Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines > at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l > Public archives at > https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/QWJ6BVDBNZWEIJ7MVEB5VY6KAZHEFOAP/ > To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l Public archives at https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/KXB2JYAQINSYRH7YS6K6W4PTGBAY2JYF/ To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org
[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan
OMG, how did I miss meeting both of you Yaroslav and Mr. James -- Saqib Qayyum On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 10:11 PM Yaroslav Blanter wrote: > I have been to Pakistan in July and indeed discovered that Wikimedia > Commons was blocked. I complained to the WMF (using the Village pump on > Commons when I was back), they were apparently not familiar with the > situation but investigated it and acknowledged that Commons is indeed > blocked in Pakistan (or at least in some locations in Pakistan). > > Best > Yaroslav > > On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 4:59 PM Saqib Qayyum > wrote: > >> TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: >> >> I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a >> critical issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite >> multiple attempts to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's >> communication team, there has been a disappointing lack of response or >> acknowledgment. >> >> For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While >> Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both >> Pakistani and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the >> blockade of Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone >> largely unnoticed. >> >> Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed >> frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this >> issue, only to receive no response. >> >> I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to >> address the ongoing blockage of Commons in Pakistan. >> >> Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. >> -- >> Saqib Qayyum >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib >> ___ >> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines >> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >> Public archives at >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/H5SMMTKRTUI5QLDKOCLZNWCABGDK3UHL/ >> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org > > ___ > Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines > at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l > Public archives at > https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/TESFGZT3PKAXQHCUQZBX46CASE3MRW2R/ > To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l Public archives at https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/UWBX6O5XKTDRZEVW4JVHUJKJWV7QBY3C/ To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org
[Wikimedia-l] Re: Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan
Hello Mr James Certainly, using a VPN is a workaround, but it's worth noting that obtaining an IP block exemption is still necessary to edit Commons, and this is not always feasible for all users. Many may not even be aware of its existence. For instance, I couldn't edit Commons since October 2020 until I discovered the option for IP ban exemption. . And because of this, contributions to Commons from Pakistan have significantly dwindled. For instance, I recall organizing Wiki Loves Monuments Pakistan from 2014, where we used to receive thousands of images annually. However, in recent years, the number of uploads has drastically declined, with only a maximum of 100 photos being uploaded each year. This trend underscores the challenges Pakistani users face in accessing and contributing to the site. -- Saqib Qayyum On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:55 PM James Heilman wrote: > Can you not just use a VPN? > > James > > On Tue, Mar 19, 2024 at 9:29 PM Saqib Qayyum > wrote: > >> TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: >> >> I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a >> critical issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite >> multiple attempts to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's >> communication team, there has been a disappointing lack of response or >> acknowledgment. >> >> For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While >> Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both >> Pakistani and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the >> blockade of Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone >> largely unnoticed. >> >> Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed >> frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this >> issue, only to receive no response. >> >> I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to >> address the ongoing blockage of Commons in Pakistan. >> >> Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. >> -- >> Saqib Qayyum >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib >> ___ >> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines >> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >> Public archives at >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/H5SMMTKRTUI5QLDKOCLZNWCABGDK3UHL/ >> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org > > > > -- > James Heilman > MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian > ___ > Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines > at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l > Public archives at > https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/53DBHAHGEAWIH5VI2X7YMEWYSWDHCBXM/ > To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l Public archives at https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/SPUJHE3YFDHS2OBQT6KTJOFK7WOSGDZF/ To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org
[Wikimedia-l] Urgent attention required because Commons is blocked in Pakistan
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: I am writing to you as a concerned volunteer from Pakistan regarding a critical issue that has been persisting for several years now. Despite multiple attempts to communicate this matter to members of the WMF's communication team, there has been a disappointing lack of response or acknowledgment. For the past several years, Commons has been blocked in Pakistan. While Wikipedia was briefly blocked last year, the swift response from both Pakistani and international news media led to its unblocking. However, the blockade of Commons, being a less prominent site in comparison, has gone largely unnoticed. Furthermore, several journalists I have spoken to have also expressed frustration over their attempts to reach out to WMF staff regarding this issue, only to receive no response. I urge the WMF to prioritize this matter and take immediate action to address the ongoing blockage of Commons in Pakistan. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. -- Saqib Qayyum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saqib ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l Public archives at https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/H5SMMTKRTUI5QLDKOCLZNWCABGDK3UHL/ To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org
