Wiki143:Mediation Cabal/Cases/2006-04-29 Valuable link deleted as spam. Not spam.

Mediation Case: 2006-04-29 Valuable link deleted as spam. Not spam.

Please observe Wikipedia:Etiquette and Talk Page Etiquette in disputes. If you submit complaints or insults your edits are likely to be removed by the mediator, any other refactoring of the mediation case by anybody but the mediator is likely to be reverted. If you are not satisfied with the mediation procedure please submit your complaints to Wikipedia talk:Mediation Cabal.

Request Information

Request made by: Ewrobbel 20:14, 29 April 2006 (UTC)

Where is the issue taking place?

... article "Crystal_radio_receiver"

Who's involved?

...DV8 2XL

What's going on?

...DV8 2XL keeps deleting my link.

What would you like to change about that?

...I believe he is wrong with too restrictive a view on commerciality. If you agree that my link is OK, I would like you to inform DV8 2XL that he should leave it alone. Then I can repost it. Here's the link: * 1959 Tiny Tim Crystal Radio featured as Radio of the Month on this web site.

If you'd prefer we work discreetly, how can we reach you?

...eric@ericwrobbel.com

Would you be willing to be a mediator yourself, and accept a mediation assignment in a different case?

This is, following the Categorical Imperative, the idea that you might want to do

what you expect others to do. You don't have to, of course, that's why it's a question.

...I'm uncertain that I'd be qualified. I'm new at all this. I may be wrong on this issue and if that's the case I'd probably be a lousy mediator of such issues.

Mediator response

I've sent an email reply. --Fasten 20:59, 29 April 2006 (UTC)

Evidence

Please report evidence in this section with {{Wikipedia:Mediation_Cabal/Evidence}} for misconduct and {{Wikipedia:Mediation_Cabal/Evidence3RR}} for 3RR violations. If you need help ask a mediator or an advocate. Evidence is of limited use in mediation as the mediator has no authority. Providing some evidence may, however, be useful in making both sides act more civil.
Wikipedia:Etiquette: Although it's understandably difficult in a heated argument, if the other party is not as civil as you'd like them to be, make sure to be more civil than him or her, not less.

Compromise offers

This section is for listing and discussing compromise offers.

Comments by others

This spammer has been trying to insert a link to a site that sells books on crystal radios and to one publication in particular this book. I have reverted him several times under the terms of WP:SPAM. His last effort was a trojan horse to the same site: EricWrobbel.com who I suspect the Anon is. We've been down this road before. --DV8 2XL 20:32, 29 April 2006 (UTC)

Discussion

I don't appreciate the name-calling. I am not a spammer. DV8 2XL ought to review Wikipedia's advice regarding newcomers. My understanding is that the link is within guidelines and is proper. The guidelines are not so strictly non-commercial as many seem to think. There is much of value out there that would be lost to us if DV8 2XL's overly-zealous reading of commerciality were the correct interpretation of the guideline. It isn't. My link is to my "Radio of the Month," which is a continuing series in which I share with the public photos and info about notable radios from my collection. The commercial aspects of it are minor and in no way color the information or photos presented. To deny it to Wikipedia readers is a disservice to them.

The linked page is not commercial, but yes it does link to the rest of my commercial site. Yes, I do make money selling my books in this hobby. Does this make me poison on Wikipedia?

On April 30, DV8 2XL wrote this on the Admistrator's Noticeboard: I watch a number of the electronic/radio-television pages, I'm going to make a special effort now to watch the ones that you might also feel need to be "improved"

So now he is stalking me on Wikipedia. Please stop this person!!--Ewrobbel 21:54, 30 April 2006 (UTC)

Based on his I.P. numbers Wrobbel has been editing on transistor radio since Sept-Oct of last year. Yesterday he got an account and is now claiming new editor status. I am not the first editor to warn him about WP:SPAM violations, User:Dpbsmith and Wrobbel had the folowing exchange in Feb of this year:

Dpbsmith

Removed a link that was put here for commercial purposes, and offered no relavent information.

Wrobbel

Restored link to page with continuously updated content of interest to collectors of transistor radios.

Dpbsmith

Huge "shipping just 3.95" at top of page? EVERY item on the page has "add to cart?" Patently linkspam.

Wrobbel

Dpbsmith is kindly asked to set pettiness aside and leave me and my links alone. Interest to collectors and commerciality are NOT mutually exclusive...

All I have seen here is a continuing effort to use Wikipedia as a vehicle for free advertising coupled with dissemination and mendacity. Wrobbel, you have desperately misread the attitudes (and intellect) of Wikipedians if you think this tact of playing the victim in this matter will get any traction here.

Oh, and the full text of what I wrote at AN/I was:

"Eric Wrobbel, you are adding mendacity to spamming if you claim it was only a desire to improve the article that motivated you to post the first two times to a page where a book you wrote is for sale, on a site run by you selling more of your publications. I watch a number of the electronic/radio-television pages, I'm going to make a special effort now to watch the ones that you might also feel need to be "improved" by a link to your catalogue."

--DV8 2XL 06:04, 1 May 2006 (UTC)

Am I claiming "new editor status"? I didn't know. Wikipedia encourages getting a user name so I did. That's all I know about that. I don't understand this intense anger from DV8 2XL.

DV8 2XL is correct that a link of mine was removed before by a Wikipedia user. I changed the link and it seemed to satisfy that user and has remained in place since February. It doesn't satisfy DV8 2XL, however, and he removed it yesterday as part of his "special effort." I don't believe DV8 2XL has a mainstream view on these matters, but has an extremist position that is detrimental to Wikipedia. The discussion and comments of others on the Adminstrator Noticeboard about this case have helped me learn a lot. DV8 2XL seems to be hearing none of it. Especially comment that he may be in violation of Wikipedia's policy on newcomers. His comments on his own User Page reveal serious anger toward other Wikipedians which may be the root cause of (what I believe to be) his extremist position. --Ewrobbel 15:59, 1 May 2006 (UTC)