Author Topic: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered  (Read 17218 times)

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Online mikecho

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Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« on: October 04, 2019, 10:46:21 AM »
You'll never believe what I just discovered.

I was looking up the Wikipedia article on Wacky Packages and found out that someone had reduced it down to the bare bones! All of the information that I'd worked on for years was gone!

And not just there, but the article on Underworld Unleashed, which I'd also worked on for so long, had been reduced down to what it originally was before I fixed it! Now what kind of person does that?

I know that Wikipedia articles can be edited by anyone, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it! All my work ruined and I don't even know if I can get it back!

I'm sorry, guys, I just had to say something. Thanks for understanding.

Offline Fanatical_and_Sickly

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #1 on: October 04, 2019, 11:09:17 AM »
you can EASILY get it back, just by looking at the history pages
every change and update going back years and years

possibly done by Binksternet on Sept 28, who indicates they are rolling changes way back, but for no reason at all provided.
perhaps you can 'undo' or challenge their edits

Offline CaseyRob

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #2 on: October 04, 2019, 01:57:23 PM »
It won't let you "undo" the thing wholesale because there have been numerous edits since then; but if you want to restore parts of it all of what you had written is still there if you compare old versions.

Online mikecho

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #3 on: October 04, 2019, 03:48:46 PM »
you can EASILY get it back, just by looking at the history pages
every change and update going back years and years

possibly done by Binksternet on Sept 28, who indicates they are rolling changes way back, but for no reason at all provided.
perhaps you can 'undo' or challenge their edits
Thanks for the tip! It's back to normal and I suddenly feel much better!

UPDATE: Today they were switched back, but I switched them back again and explained what I did for both of them. Last time that I looked they've stayed that way.
« Last Edit: October 05, 2019, 01:34:36 PM by mikecho »

Offline BustedFinger

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2019, 09:25:20 AM »
I seem to remember this same battle taking place a few years ago where someone kept changing and deleting information from the article.  Looks like your stuff may have been removed again:


curprev 11:44, 6 October 2019‎ 97.81.89.65 talk‎ 15,857 bytes -14,399‎ Removed references to value, rarity, extended inside baseball on how to identify which series a card was published in, what constitutes a "complete" set, and references with no citations to business decisions made by Topps; numerous stylistic changes. I acknowledge that the information the author has amassed is extensive, and obviously the result of years of painstaking effort; but it is ultimately information for the serious hobbyist, while Wikipedia serves a much broader audience. undo
Giving "The Hobby" the finger since 1999!

Offline Paul_Maul

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2019, 04:40:04 PM »
I think the party changing it does have a point. A Wikipedia article shouldn’t necessarily have that level of detail. But that’s what’s annoying about Wikipedia, whose job is it to decide that?

Offline g.u.e.s.t.

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #6 on: October 08, 2019, 10:20:04 AM »
I think the party changing it does have a point. A Wikipedia article shouldn’t necessarily have that level of detail. But that’s what’s annoying about Wikipedia, whose job is it to decide that?

To me, that's the whole point of going to Wikipedia; details! smh.

Online mikecho

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #7 on: October 08, 2019, 11:05:39 AM »
I seem to remember this same battle taking place a few years ago where someone kept changing and deleting information from the article.  Looks like your stuff may have been removed again:


curprev 11:44, 6 October 2019‎ 97.81.89.65 talk‎ 15,857 bytes -14,399‎ Removed references to value, rarity, extended inside baseball on how to identify which series a card was published in, what constitutes a "complete" set, and references with no citations to business decisions made by Topps; numerous stylistic changes. I acknowledge that the information the author has amassed is extensive, and obviously the result of years of painstaking effort; but it is ultimately information for the serious hobbyist, while Wikipedia serves a much broader audience. undo
Last night I looked at it again. Yes, it's been changed again, but this time I like it.

This person kept the basics of my contributions and, though he removed many of the details, the gist of it was still there.

Now if only someone will do the same to the Underworld Unleashed article that I've contributed to and that someone seems dedicated to do the same thing to...

UPDATE: Correction: that someone stripped the Underworld Unleashed article down to the bare bones. Even the lists of superheroes, supervillains and comic book titles involved in it are all gone. Oh well, I tried...
« Last Edit: October 11, 2019, 02:56:07 PM by mikecho »

Online mikecho

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #8 on: October 11, 2019, 12:03:51 PM »
I think the party changing it does have a point. A Wikipedia article shouldn’t necessarily have that level of detail. But that’s what’s annoying about Wikipedia, whose job is it to decide that?
That's right - who's in charge there? And is it possible to go over someone's head if something like this does happen?

Well, I guess I'll never know.
« Last Edit: October 11, 2019, 02:56:40 PM by mikecho »

Online mikecho

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #9 on: October 11, 2019, 08:19:41 PM »
It won't let you "undo" the thing wholesale because there have been numerous edits since then; but if you want to restore parts of it all of what you had written is still there if you compare old versions.
Yes, and I'll soon copy my version off of a copy machine so that I can have a copy of the Underworld Unleashed article for myself, recent additions of mine to that version and all. Then I'll just switch it back to what it is now.

They can't keep me from doing that, even if they won't let me put the original version back.
« Last Edit: February 28, 2020, 03:40:26 AM by mikecho »

Offline CaseyRob

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #10 on: October 12, 2019, 03:25:09 AM »
That's right - who's in charge there? And is it possible to go over someone's head if something like this does happen?

Well, I guess I'll never know.

There are ways to flag an article for moderator attention if it's being subject to vandalism, or if someone is constantly reverting changes; and they'll lock the article for awhile. I had to do this earlier this year when somebody was regularly (like, every few days) changing Ned Beatty's article to say he had died.

Offline Rictor

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #11 on: October 17, 2019, 02:21:01 PM »
Well, if you think of Wikipedia as an encyclopedia, which it is, the idea is to have a short article on everything.  The Wacky Packages article really just needs to answer the question, "What are Wacky Packages?".  People looking for more detailed info should be able to go to the referenced sources of the article.  I imagine this is part of a broader push at the website to cut costs by trimming as many articles as possible.  The larger a page, the more bandwidth it uses.  I'm sure they really crack down on images but even text adds to bandwidth costs.

I'm surprised a university, government or other public institution hasn't tried to create a similar site that is supported by research like a traditional encyclopedia but is still free.  There are paid online encyclopedias that are more trustworthy than Wikipedia and can safely be quoted in scholarly papers and such.  As a former journalist, it cracks me up how many "news" articles I read that are basically a cut and paste from Wikipedia with a few sentences added.

Online mikecho

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #12 on: November 09, 2019, 05:01:29 PM »
You'll never believe this, but the Underworld Unleashed Wikipedia article is back to normal - details and all!

Someone out there besides me likes it, obviously.

Online mikecho

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #13 on: February 24, 2020, 06:07:04 PM »
Correction: some idiot once again replaced the original Underworld Unleashed article that had the details in it with a dumbed-down version with no details at all a long time ago!

Is there any way I can complain to someone in change, that is, if there's someone in charge at all?
« Last Edit: February 24, 2020, 06:08:48 PM by mikecho »

Offline sco(o)t

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #14 on: February 27, 2020, 09:21:36 AM »
Correction: some idiot once again replaced the original Underworld Unleashed article that had the details in it with a dumbed-down version with no details at all a long time ago!

Is there any way I can complain to someone in change, that is, if there's someone in charge at all?

Why do I feel that in another WP forum somewhere, there is someone arguing the opposite side of this game of switch and switchback.  :]
aka Scot Leibacher (no trademark)

Online mikecho

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #15 on: February 28, 2020, 03:43:56 AM »
Why do I feel that in another WP forum somewhere, there is someone arguing the opposite side of this game of switch and switchback.  :]
I know someone known as Binksternet did it the first time, but I don't know who did it this time.

Online mikecho

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #16 on: February 28, 2020, 06:42:49 AM »
I need a favor from you guys. It deals with the Wikipedia Wacky Packages article.

I put in a Note based on the article on the unpublished 5th Rerun series from Rusty Erpenbeck's website (lostwackys.com), but I don't know how to make it refer to the article.

If anyone here wants to fix this for me, please do so. It'd be a big help.

Thanks!
« Last Edit: February 29, 2020, 10:37:28 AM by mikecho »

Offline Fanatical_and_Sickly

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #17 on: February 29, 2020, 09:05:53 AM »
Lostwackys is not run by Duane Dimock, but Rusty Erpenbeck

Online mikecho

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #18 on: February 29, 2020, 10:38:48 AM »
Lostwackys is not run by Duane Dimock, but Rusty Erpenbeck
Thanks, Patrick; fixed.

Could you please help me with this thing?

Offline vahsurfer

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #19 on: March 01, 2020, 03:34:22 PM »
Bizarro World?

#StayWacky

Offline Fanatical_and_Sickly

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #20 on: March 01, 2020, 04:37:00 PM »
Thanks, Patrick; fixed.

Could you please help me with this thing?
I think you just need to look at one of the other citations, and edit your  entry to have the same items in it

this one is for a website, just like you are trying to do:
<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wackypackages.org/stickers/6th_2007/ |title=Topps Wacky Packages 6th Series 2007 (ANS6) |publisher=Greg Grant |access-date=April 5, 2017 }}</ref>

this one is yours. Make yours in the same format as above.
<ref>"Wacky Packages Reissue Series Unpublished 5th Series" @ www.lostwackys.com/Lost-Wackys/1980--5th-series.htm. Rusty Erpenbeck.</ref>

Online mikecho

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #21 on: March 01, 2020, 07:49:06 PM »
I think you just need to look at one of the other citations, and edit your  entry to have the same items in it

this one is for a website, just like you are trying to do:
<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wackypackages.org/stickers/6th_2007/ |title=Topps Wacky Packages 6th Series 2007 (ANS6) |publisher=Greg Grant |access-date=April 5, 2017 }}</ref>

this one is yours. Make yours in the same format as above.
<ref>"Wacky Packages Reissue Series Unpublished 5th Series" @ www.lostwackys.com/Lost-Wackys/1980--5th-series.htm. Rusty Erpenbeck.</ref>
I tried to put it in just now and I just found out Rusty's site is on Wikipedia's blacklist!!! Now what am I doing to do??? I didn't know Wikipedia even had a blacklist!!! One of the things they say to do is put in another reference, but there isn't any other one on this subject that I know of!!! Help!!!

UPDATE: Well, I removed the Reference part.  Now let's hope someone else doesn't alter it any more.
« Last Edit: April 10, 2020, 05:56:26 PM by mikecho »

Online mikecho

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #22 on: March 27, 2020, 07:28:02 PM »
I returned the Underworld Unleashed Wikipedia article to its original form plus my additions, only this time I gave a reasonable explanation as to why it should stay that way. To prove my point, I mentioned two other articles - Neron (DC Comics) and Hell (DC Comics) - that were also added to by me in a similar manner, but were - and have since been - left alone.

Well, here's hoping they get it right this time...

UPDATE: My restoration is still there as of now and seems to be holding. Let's just hope that it sticks now that I've thrown it against the wall again...

UPDATE 2: It seems to be staying there this time.

UPDATE 3: It's still the way it's supposed to be, only now it's got a notice on the top of the article saying it's got issues. Well, I'd better make a copy of it pretty soon before someone else screws it up or I won't have anything left of it at all.

UPDATE 4: Well, I finally got the print-out of the article. Btw, if anyone here wants to take a look-see at it, please, just Google Underworld Unleashed and see for yourselves. I think you'll find it's very good.
« Last Edit: May 15, 2020, 12:05:46 PM by mikecho »

Online mikecho

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #23 on: June 21, 2021, 08:24:59 PM »
Due to my reprinting the Underworld Unleashed article and some other petty things I won't go into, I've been given multiple blocks by those people on Wikipedia, and when I asked for answers to some questions I had on the subject today, one of them said I was being childish and had the gall to threaten to block me again!

I've tried to be nice about this, but it just makes me so mad! Every time I try to explain or ask questions, they won't listen to me. No, I have to do it their way or not at all. All this fuss over nothing!

Thanks for letting me vent, guys and gals. At least they can't get me over here. In fact, I'd just like to see them try it; I'd sure give them all a piece of my mind and hope they all choke on it.

Btw, the way I did apologize. I hope it works.
« Last Edit: June 21, 2021, 08:29:59 PM by mikecho »

Offline DaffyBP

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #24 on: June 21, 2021, 09:13:57 PM »
I certainly understand your frustration with this process. That being said, this a prime example of why we teachers don't allow Wikipedia to be used for papers. It is not properly supervised, edited, peer reviewed, etc. Probably "most" of what is on Wikipedia is trustworthy, but it cannot be said to be 100% reliable. I tell students it is a good place to start, especially if you know nothing about a subject, and Wikipedia can give you names, places, facts, dates, etc., that can then be researched and verified by more credible sources.

Online mikecho

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #25 on: June 22, 2021, 09:01:57 AM »
I certainly understand your frustration with this process. That being said, this a prime example of why we teachers don't allow Wikipedia to be used for papers. It is not properly supervised, edited, peer reviewed, etc. Probably "most" of what is on Wikipedia is trustworthy, but it cannot be said to be 100% reliable. I tell students it is a good place to start, especially if you know nothing about a subject, and Wikipedia can give you names, places, facts, dates, etc., that can then be researched and verified by more credible sources.
Thanks, friend. At least someone out there sympathizes with me.
« Last Edit: August 05, 2021, 06:49:08 PM by mikecho »

Offline Gurgle

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #26 on: June 25, 2021, 08:13:24 AM »
Maybe that person knew something...

There are ways to flag an article for moderator attention if it's being subject to vandalism, or if someone is constantly reverting changes; and they'll lock the article for awhile. I had to do this earlier this year when somebody was regularly (like, every few days) changing Ned Beatty's article to say he had died.

Online mikecho

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #27 on: August 05, 2021, 04:44:50 PM »
Well, I finally admitted I was wrong, said I wouldn't do it again, and requested to be unblocked, but now I have to wait six months (which will be at least January 2022) and not even try to edit anything before they'll even consider unblocking me. Seriously, what idiot cooked up this tyrannical, despotic, dictatorial, draconian rule? Six months? That's unreasonable! I would've unblocked someone immediately and shown them I was, at least, an honorable man, which these people obviously are not.
« Last Edit: August 05, 2021, 08:02:52 PM by mikecho »

Offline ToadallyDude

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #28 on: September 05, 2021, 08:13:27 PM »
I certainly understand your frustration with this process. That being said, this a prime example of why we teachers don't allow Wikipedia to be used for papers. It is not properly supervised, edited, peer reviewed, etc. Probably "most" of what is on Wikipedia is trustworthy, but it cannot be said to be 100% reliable. I tell students it is a good place to start, especially if you know nothing about a subject, and Wikipedia can give you names, places, facts, dates, etc., that can then be researched and verified by more credible sources.

Sounds like Wikipedia would make a great source for a new WACKY parody, no?  The most obvious "Wackipedia", aside, maybe "Whatduh?pedia", or "Wiki-lie-ta-ya", or "Fakeypedia", etc...
(If ANS series have already parodied it, then you're allowed to call me a Wacky "boomer" now, even though I'm actually a proud Gen-X.)

Online mikecho

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #29 on: February 26, 2022, 11:24:32 PM »
Could someone please add information on OLDS 10 to the Old School section of the Wikipedia article on Wackys as soon as it becomes available?

Online mikecho

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #30 on: March 01, 2022, 01:11:47 PM »
Well, I made an appeal to be unblocked on Wikipedia and it was denied.

I even tried to resolve the dispute recently, but I can't even get through to resolve it!

Here are the usernames of the Wikipedia users that have been doing this to me in one form or another since May 3, 2021:

*Binksternet (especially this one; in fact, this is the person who started all this in the first place),
*Guy Macon,
*Floquenbeam,
*Justlettersandnumbers,
*DB1729,
*331dot,
*Cullen328,
*Aa 77xx,
*Yalma,
*Jon Kolbert,
*NinjaRobotPirate,
*Jezebel's Ponyo,
*Izno,
*GorillaWarfare,
*Drmies,
*Deepfriedokra.

The last one was the one who denied my request.

If anyone knows any one of, or all of, these people and are also Wikipedia users, can you please put in a good word for me and tell them I want to talk about this? I can't even get on anyone's talk page any more to discuss anything with anyone. This inability to edit any mistakes I see is frustrating and I feel it's gone on far enough.
« Last Edit: September 03, 2022, 05:22:48 PM by mikecho »

Online mikecho

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #31 on: March 22, 2022, 01:43:44 PM »
Well, isn't anyone going to try to help me, or at least give me some advice on what to do here? Anyone at all?
« Last Edit: March 22, 2022, 09:13:06 PM by mikecho »

Offline JailOJohn

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #32 on: March 23, 2022, 08:09:54 AM »
I have read this, and it stinks. I do not posses the required knowledge of technology, or Wiki procedures, to help…
« Last Edit: March 29, 2022, 05:03:35 AM by JailOJohn »

Online mikecho

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #33 on: March 28, 2022, 08:54:03 PM »
How does one delete one's account(s) and sever all ties with these monsters?

Offline bandaches

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Re: Wikipedia Wacky Packages article altered
« Reply #34 on: March 29, 2022, 08:20:20 PM »
How does one delete one's account(s) and sever all ties with these monsters?
Stop reading the page?
Contact me at bandaches@yahoo.com as I have tons of wackys for sale!  Visit my website http://www.wackypackage.com/