User talk:Dm980cam

October 2024

Welcome to Wikipedia. Your account has been blocked from editing because your username gives the impression that the account represents a group, club, organization, company, product, department, or website. Your username is the principal reason for the block. You are welcome to continue editing after you have chosen a new username that complies with Wikipedia's username policy.

You should also read our conflict of interest guideline and be aware that promotional editing is not acceptable, regardless of the username that you choose. Additionally, if your contributions to Wikipedia form all or part of work for which you are, or expect to be, paid or compensated in any way, you must disclose who is paying you to edit here. You may also read our FAQ for article subjects.

Please take a moment to either create a new account, or request a username change to this account.

To create a new account with a different username, simply log out of this account and then click here to make a new one.
If you prefer to change the username of this account, you may do so by adding the following text to the bottom of your user talk page (this page): {{unblock-un|new username|reason=Your reason here ~~~~}}.

Important items to note:

The new username that you choose must represent you as an individual person, and it must comply with Wikipedia's username policy.
The new username you choose cannot already be taken and used by another account. You can search here to see if the username you'd like to choose is available. If the search returns, "There is no global account for [username]", that means it is available.
Please also note that you are permitted to use a username that contains the name of a company or organization if it also identifies you individually, such as "Sara Smith at XYZ Company", "Mark at WidgetsUSA", or "FoobarFan87", but not "SEO Manager at XYZ Company".

Appeals: If your username does not represent a group, organization, department, website, or other entity described above, and if you believe that this block was incorrect or made in error, you may appeal this block by adding the following text to the bottom of your user talk page (this page): {{unblock|reason=Your reason here ~~~~}}.

Thank you. Writ Keeper ⚇♔ 13:55, 15 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Hi, I understand that this account has been around for a couple years now, so I'm sorry you haven't received this information already. But this account looks like what's known on Wikipedia as a "role account", which is to say an account that belongs to an organization or role within an organization, rather than a specific, identifiable person. On Wikipedia, the general rule is "one person, one account", and an account that is owned by an organization of many people, or by a role where it is handed off from person to person along with that role, is not allowed. Please also note the instructions for disclosure of paid editing; while editing Wikipedia as part of one's job is not strictly forbidden, there are specific requirements for disclosure that must be met, per the Wikipedia Terms of Use. Thanks, Writ Keeper ⚇♔ 13:59, 15 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you so much. Don't apologise. That's really useful. I am the only one who uses this account, but I do work for the organisation and it's the only page I edit from this account.

I also have a 'home' wiki account, so should I use that one to edit inaccuracies? I am a total rule follower, so I definitely want to work within wiki's rules, which I am clearly still learning. That said, I also can't stand by while some doofus with an axe to grind spins a web of inaccuracies.

He works for the organisation too btw, but I guess he makes his edits from his home account. Comms POLIS (talk) 14:35, 15 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Comms POLIS You can either use your own Wikipedia account (though you would need to disclose on it the paid editing and conflict of interest, as above), or you could ask this account to be renamed to something like "Joe Bloggs at POLIS". Request a new username by following the instructions above in the block notice. Qcne (talk) 14:51, 15 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

That sounds like an issue your management needs to address. Regarding what you say here, please be careful to avoid WP:OUTING another editor. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 16:31, 15 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Okay, now that your rename request has been processed, I've lifted the block from your account. I do want to re-emphasize that you'll need to follow the paid-editing disclosure steps listed at WP:PAID to be in compliance with the Wikimedia ToU, if you're going to be editing the articles of your employers. Also, just to be sure you're aware: it's not forbidden to have separate accounts for editing separate topics, but please read the guidelines at WP:SOCKLEGIT, and especially note that you should make sure there is no overlap in editing between your accounts, especially in any way that might make people think your two accounts belong to two separate people. If you're comfortable with doing so, adding a note to your userpage on both this account and your home account to indicate they belong to the same person might be a good idea, but that's not strictly mandatory, as long as you're being careful to avoid any overlap in subject matter or other untoward behavior. Writ Keeper ⚇♔ 17:19, 15 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

That's great. Thank you so much. I will make sure that I stay within the rules. I have added this to my User page: "This user, in accordance with the Wikimedia Foundation's Terms of Use, discloses that they have been paid by University of Cambridge for their contributions to Wikipedia."

And, while I have made changes to the Department of POLIS page, they were factual and I included an explanation with each.

I have been SO impressed with the wiki community. Thank you so much for your help. Dm980cam (talk) 15:31, 16 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]