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This is a place where users can communicate with administrators, or administrators with one another. You can report vandalism, problematic users, or anything else that needs an administrator's intervention. Do not report child pornography or other potentially illegal content here; e-mail legal-reportswikimedia.org instead. If reporting threatened harm to self or others also email emergencywikimedia.org.
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Report users for clear cases of vandalism. Block requests for any other reason should be reported to the blocks and protections noticeboard.	Report disputes with users that require administrator assistance. Further steps are listed at resolve disputes.	Reports that do not suit the vandalism noticeboard may be reported here. Requests for page protection/unprotection could also be requested here.	Other reports that require administrator assistance which do not fit in any of the previous three noticeboards may be reported here. Requests for history merging or splitting should be filed at COM:HMS.
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Administrators: Please make a note if a report is dealt with, to avoid unnecessary responses by other admins.

purge Admin backlog

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Copyright:

• Copyright violations: ~57
• Unfree Flickr files: ~1
• Recent unfree Flickr images: ~0
• No license since 16 March 2026: ~27
• No permission since 16 March 2026: ~61
• No source since 16 March 2026: ~75
• Media uploaded without a license as of 2026-03: ~171

Other:

• Duplicates: ~10
• Advertisements/spam: ~0
• Personal photos/selfies: ~92
• Other speedy deletions: ~240
• Categories for discussion: 134 months
• Media requiring a split up: ~0
• Requests for unblock: ~2
• Undeletion requests: ~24

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• Full protection: ~7
• Interface admin: ~13
• Technical: ~0
• Template protection: ~4
• Protection level: ~0

See also: DR, HMS, …

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User:YiFeiBot Maintenance

Hi all,

It seems that User:YiFeiBot has stopped working? It hasn't made an update (Special:Contributions/YiFeiBot) since March 12 when normally it would scour changes one a day. At a minimum it was adding and removing entries from Category:Pages using Information template with parsing errors and Category:Media missing infobox template.

As far as I could tell the bot wasn't blocked for misbehaving or anything of the sort.

I wasn't sure where to place this since User:Zhuyifei1999, who I assume was its owner has retired and not made any edits for almost a year. And this page was linked from its "Emergency Shutoff" button.

Any assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated. --Stux (talk) 14:38, 14 March 2026 (UTC)

Hello, I wanted to bring this issue up again before it gets archived. It's clear from the lack of responses that this isn't the place for this topic. However, it would be good to know what is the right place to bring up this discussion? I'm hoping someone can at least point me in the right direction. It's a bit disheartening that to not receive any response at all.  :( --Stux (talk) 01:23, 18 March 2026 (UTC)

Possibly COM:VP/T. - Jmabel ! talk 05:34, 18 March 2026 (UTC)

Or possibly Commons:Bots/Work requests if you give up on having that particular bot revived. It doesn't look like it was doing anything particularly tricky. - Jmabel ! talk 05:36, 18 March 2026 (UTC)

@Jmabel: Thank you very much for your response. I'll try my inquiry in those pages, starting with COM:VP/T. --Stux (talk) 18:14, 19 March 2026 (UTC)

Block request

Dear Admins, I have what might be a somewhat unusual request: I would like to be blocked. I am currently a student and have realized that I am putting too much work into this project. Therefore, I would like to request a temporary block until July 2028. I am going to use the rest of today to upload a final batch of images. I would appreciate it if the block could take effect starting tomorrow morning. If possible, I would like to retain access to my talk page and user page. I really hope for your support. Thank you. Lukas Beck (talk) 06:41, 15 March 2026 (UTC)

Could someone please give me feedback, say whether it would be feasible, and carry out the blocking as quickly as possible? Thanks again. Lukas Beck (talk) 16:19, 15 March 2026 (UTC)

We don't do this. You are just going to have to be disciplined about it.

If you want to decrease the chance of being sucked back in, you can indicate on your user page & user talk page that you are on a years-long Wikibreak, and you can turn off all email notifications for your account. I don't recommend detaching your account from your email address, because if you were to forget your password you would have no way to get it back. - Jmabel ! talk 01:03, 16 March 2026 (UTC)

That is a lie. I have already seen requests for blocks from users who no longer want to be active. I therefore ask again, I simply want to be blocked, and it would be easy for me to do it this way. I have no desire to actively engage in vandalism to force a block. That should be easier, after all. Lukas Beck (talk) 06:28, 16 March 2026 (UTC)

Maybe a tool like en:Wikipedia:WikiProject User scripts/Scripts/WikiBreak Enforcer could be useful? DMacks (talk) 01:11, 16 March 2026 (UTC)

self requested/imposed block and digital detox, are common practice. i saw this post yesterday and would do it but i'm not sysop. i dont get why even simple requests like this are made difficult by bureaucracy. 🤷‍♀️ RoyZuo (talk) 08:41, 16 March 2026 (UTC)

I've consistently seen other admins deny these in the past, but if some other admin wants to block, I have no objection. Calling me a liar certainly doesn't make me want to do you any favors. - Jmabel ! talk 19:37, 16 March 2026 (UTC)

 Done Blocked for a year. Yann (talk) 19:53, 16 March 2026 (UTC)

@Yann: as I said, not objecting, but is there precedent for this, and should we allow it in general? I don't really see how it's useful, since at any time he could come back and appeal the block, and that would presumably be immediately granted. Or shouldn't it be? - Jmabel ! talk 20:41, 16 March 2026 (UTC)

Yes, he could appeal the block, but will he? I can understand the situation, as I had faced it myself. Wiki-editing could be such an addiction!... Yann (talk) 22:41, 16 March 2026 (UTC)

@Jmabel: This may have a "cultural background". On DE-WP, it's a common and widespread practice that Wikimedians can ask straightforward for a voluntary block (for whatever reasons), get their request fulfilled, and Lukas is German. Regards, Grand-Duc (talk) 23:20, 16 March 2026 (UTC)

@Grand-Duc: Ah, interesting. But I still don't see: if you can't do it through willpower, and you can reasonably expect that if you appeal the block you'll be let back in, why does this require any less willpower than just staying away in the first place? - Jmabel ! talk 00:01, 17 March 2026 (UTC)

I don't know, I never asked for such a block for myself. But I could imagine that the (actually small) hurdle of having to write a request to lift the block (on the admin noticeboard, the talk page of an acquainted admin or on your own TP while pinging an admin) can be sufficient to overcome an acute need to write something else on Wikipedia. I understand these blocks also as gestures meaning "I am serious with my wish for getting some distance" or "Don't talk to me, I'm not here"; and they are certainly part of DE-WP's traditions. That option is actually the 6th bullet point on the admin noticeboard (de:Wikipedia:Administratoren/Anfragen), where "Avoiding distractions during exam time" is an example for when one can ask for it. We Germans certainly have included blocks much more in "our" Wikicommunity than e. g. EN with en:WP:SELFBLOCK. Regards, Grand-Duc (talk) 02:34, 17 March 2026 (UTC)

Just noting that the enwiki policy explicitly condones it, but possibly not automatically. DMacks (talk) 13:24, 17 March 2026 (UTC)

@Grand-Duc, I appreciate your explaination about the cultural difference. Thank you for taking the time to share that point of view. I learned something new about this international project. Best regards, -- Ooligan (talk) 03:56, 19 March 2026 (UTC)

Investigate whether a user is a sock puppet

I would like you to investigate whether this user is a sock puppet. He asked to vectorize the logo of Memiti, a TV station from Thailand. However this is a logo which has already been vectorized since 2011. Candidyeoman55 (talk) 11:40, 18 March 2026 (UTC)

If he is, ban him. Candidyeoman55 (talk) 11:55, 18 March 2026 (UTC)

@Candidyeoman55: Please bring your evidence to COM:RFCU.   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 13:35, 18 March 2026 (UTC)

Block reasons

Hi, The rationale "uploading unfree files after warnings" is no longer a possible reason for indefinite blocks. Most available reasons for not indefinite blocks are not available anymore. Any idea? Yann (talk) 12:21, 19 March 2026 (UTC)

And did someone on Commons request this change (if so, where was it discussed), or was this imposed on us? - Jmabel ! talk 21:15, 19 March 2026 (UTC)

It might have something to do with en:Wikipedia:Administrators'_noticeboard#Minor_changes_on_the_interface_of_Special:Block. Maybe @Ladsgroup: knows more? --Isderion (talk) 22:21, 20 March 2026 (UTC)

Yes. it has been split into two sets, MediaWiki:Ipbreason-dropdown and MediaWiki:Ipbreason-indef-dropdown Now it is copy-pasted and is exactly the same in Commons but I think some rows needs to be removed from each to reduce the size of the drop down so you can find your reason faster. Amir (talk) 22:30, 20 March 2026 (UTC)

OK, thanks. I changed the order, so that the most used reasons are on top. Yann (talk) 22:43, 20 March 2026 (UTC)

Change the color on map

Can anyone help change the color of india on this map to red?

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reactions_to_the_2026_Iran_conflict.png

India has condemned Iranian strikes, [1]. India's position has been misrepresented on the map for a long time now, please change it, for I'm unable to do it as I'm not the original uploader and do not have permission to overwrite with a more updated image. Zalaraz (talk) 13:46, 19 March 2026 (UTC)

@Zalaraz: No admin action is needed here. Please ask on Commons:Graphic Lab/Map workshop. Yann (talk) 17:35, 19 March 2026 (UTC)

@Zalaraz: File:Reactions to the 2026 Iran conflict.png was uploaded by Josstiyn, who wrote "I'll make sure to fix that soon" in Special:Diff/1176388656. Please use internal links.   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 17:35, 19 March 2026 (UTC)

Discussion closure request

The recent discussion regarding AI-generated content at Commons talk:Featured picture candidates/Archive 28#AI-generated content was automatically archived by a bot without an outcome or formal close.

Could an administrator please review the thread and assess whether there is sufficient consensus or not to modify the FPC nomination guidelines? Thanks! It's moon (talk) 16:56, 19 March 2026 (UTC)

Anyone can un-archive if they feel a matter was not resolved. Simple cut-and-paste, and add a remark at the bottom of the section saying you've done this and why. - Jmabel ! talk 21:17, 19 March 2026 (UTC)

Henry_Joseph_Hagger_(1).jpg

The above is one of a set of images from books dated between 1898 and 1912, which I have been photographing, titling, and uploading to Commons (see my contribs). Today I have been blocked (without formal notification on my talk page etc) from uploading the above very dull and respectable image of a 19th-century headmaster and vestry clerk with a beard. I have used the same type of licensing and sourcing for all of this set. Perhaps today my text has included some typo which I cannot identify. I have tried to rewrite the page title and text contents, with no successful upload permission.

The bot message is: "The page title "File:Henry Joseph Hagger (1).jpg" is restricted from editing or creation because it matches the following entry on the local or global blacklist: .*[НH]\W*[AΑΑ]\W*G\W*G\W*[EЕΕ]\W*R(?!(sta|ston|ty)).*, intended to prevent vandalism." I cannot see any parallel between this bot complaint and my page title or page text.

My latest (failed) attempt at a bot-pleasing page text is as follows:

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DescriptionAdministrators' noticeboard	Short biography of Henry Joseph Hagger (1828–1911), headmaster and vestry clerk.
Date	1911
Source	Pike, W. T. (1911). Pike, W. T. (ed.). Liverpool and Birkenhead in the Twentieth Century: Contemporary Biographies. Brighton, Sussex: W. T. Pike & Co
Author	William Thomas Pike (died 1924)
Permission (Reusing this file)	This is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art. The work of art itself is in the public domain for the following reason: The author died in 1924, so this work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer. You must also include a United States public domain tag to indicate why this work is in the public domain in the United States. This file has been identified as being free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights. https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/PDMCreative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0falsefalse The official position taken by the Wikimedia Foundation is that "faithful reproductions of two-dimensional public domain works of art are public domain". This photographic reproduction is therefore also considered to be in the public domain in the United States. In other jurisdictions, re-use of this content may be restricted; see Reuse of PD-Art photographs for details. This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or fewer. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1931. This file has been identified as being free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights. https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/PDMCreative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0falsefalse

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All my work is rather dull and inoffensive. I never use AI to compose text or images on WP. I do tidy up images on Gimp, but do not change content or practice deception. I cannot imagine what I could be doing worng. Please could you kindly let me know how I can continue my work without this bot blocking me? Thank you Storye book (talk) 08:43, 20 March 2026 (UTC)

Update. I have now realised that the bot does not like the word, "Hagger" (the surname of the subject of the picture). Is that a vulgar or blasphemous word in American English? As an English person, I am not aware that the word is offensive in other versions of English, but maybe it is? For the present, I have changed "Hagger" to "Haggeer" on the filepage, and shall do so for the other pictures of him that I intend to upload. However this is a problem. This man was and still is a well-respected historical character in his town, and it will now be difficult for the people of his town to find his picture and details on Commons. Is there a way to solve this? Thank you. Storye book (talk) 11:20, 20 March 2026 (UTC)

Note: the present upload is under the false name of "Haggeer": Henry Joseph Haggeer. Storye book (talk) 12:37, 20 March 2026 (UTC)

@Storye book: Sorry, File:Henry Joseph Hagger (1).jpg is not an allowed title because of inclusion on our title blacklist with last modification Special:Diff/1141128360 and initial modification Special:Diff/9530690 to combat an LTA who has been attacking our project for over 15 years. Of course, any Admin could make an exception for that filename in particular. Do you contemplate any other specific filenames?   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 14:19, 20 March 2026 (UTC)

@Jeff G.: Thank you. The reason why I used that filename is that Henry Joseph Hagger is the man's name. Anyone wanting to write an article about him will need to use the surname "Hagger" as part of the title. As a page title for Wikipedia, or for Commons filename, or Commons category name, we would only need to use the variations "Henry Joseph Hagger", "H. J. Hagger", "H.J. Hagger", and "Hagger (surname)". Surely those exceptions could be permitted in this case? I cannot imagine that your vandal would consider using those variations for their activities? Wikidata already permits "Henry Joseph Hagger" as a Wikidata title, as is currently included on the Commons "Category:Henry Joseph Haggeer" page. So please would you kindly un-ban the variations which I have bolded above? So long as I am alive and working (maybe the next ten years if I am lucky – I am old) I shall be able to notice and report any vandal infractions on those pages. I check my watchlist daily for most of the year. Storye book (talk) 17:45, 20 March 2026 (UTC)

Seems to me we could modify the regex to simply allow "Hagger". It's a real name, and far enough from the word at issue that it ought to be fine. Any objections? - Jmabel ! talk 20:57, 20 March 2026 (UTC)

and, yes, we'd have to make sure there isn't an "N" before the "H". - Jmabel ! talk 20:59, 20 March 2026 (UTC)

Current media of the day (2026-03-20) has a wrong caption

File:Gråsparvarna.webm, which is the media of the day on 2026-03-20, depicts a male sparrow feeding its chick. However, the caption wrongly says that the parent is a female. I would edit Template:Motd/2026-03-20 (en) myself, but it is protected. Valtaisa varpunen (talk) 16:25, 20 March 2026 (UTC)

@Valtaisa varpunen: That is at Admin level.   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 16:29, 20 March 2026 (UTC)

 Done OK, fixed. Thanks for noticing. Yann (talk) 16:30, 20 March 2026 (UTC)

File:Gaozong of Song.jpg

The title of the image clearly states that it is Emperor Gaozong of Song, not Emperor Gaozong of Tang. However, many Wiki projects are still using this image for articles about Emperor Gaozong of Tang. Is there any way to address this issue? Kim Jang 1 (talk) 14:43, 23 March 2026 (UTC)

@Kim Jang 1: only on the individual Wikipedias. We (Commons) have no control over how a Wikipedia uses an image. - Jmabel ! talk 17:45, 23 March 2026 (UTC)

Some of the projects may be getting the image automatically from wikidata:Q9703 (and wikidata:Q703179). If the file is incorrectly identified, removing the image from those Wikidata entries would also remove any downstream usage.

There's a File:Gaozong of Tang.jpg redirect here on Commons from when the file was moved last year, which we should delete if it's inappropriate. Belbury (talk) 18:51, 23 March 2026 (UTC)