Epik Wikipedia battle is full-on right now

[Rob Monster]

@Intelliname has engaged the battle with the Wikipedia handlers who have been camping on a Wikipedia article about Epik that is full of nonsense narrative.

You can follow the debate here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Intelliname#April_2020

Bring popcorn but do it quick because they will probably censor this too.

Take lots of screenshots.

Here's a start:

 

[bmugford]

Brought to you (literally) by GoDaddy, Afternic (home of the fast transfer!), and Key-Systems GmbH.
I'd like to also say thank you to ICANN for their role in appropriate accreditations that allowed this message.

Show attachment 151552

I just want to say that racism sucks. It takes many forms. None of it should be tolerated. Judging others by their skin color, and having pre-factored expectations based on where someone comes from, is one of the most deeply ignorant facets of humanity on this planet. It almost always also reveals fears and deep-rooted insecurities from the individuals portraying it.

Simultaneously and without question, this popularized mechanic of calling others racists and nazis as a political tool to galvanize and reach the hearts of the innocent is its OWN FORM of racism. It is being wielded far too often and frequently, with concentrations coming from media interests owned almost in entirety by six individuals. Paraded in campaigns at schools and through organizations as propaganda, designed to stimulate votes. So that an entirely different set of corrupt people can instead manage coffers and benefit from lobbyists worldwide. I don't even like the fact that the global dictionary standard is making me try and capitalize the word "nazi", and I choose to use small letters for it.

I liked this quote as well, although I don't see it on the top of Facebook's wikipedia page:

"Pages operated by factions of international white supremacist organisations including Combat 18 and the Misanthropic Division were reported, but Facebook refused to remove the content and told researchers to unfollow pages if they found them “offensive”."

You know before you throw GoDaddy under the bus, guess what...

https://marketplace.epik.com

youn*gg*r.com
mormonsaren*gge*s.com

Those are both listed for sale there.

What is the saying about the glass house?
Maybe Epik should get their act together when it comes to that as well.

Brad

 

[Intelliname]

The point Brad - was that registrars don't control the content that goes through them. They don't censor their users, monitor their interests, or engage in what they believe is what they think is right or wrong. It is not their job, up until the point someone is actively using their networks to encourage threat or harm to others.

That said - watch how quickly Epik likely deals these two great examples you are highlighting. Then see what it takes for you to get names removed from GoDaddy and others. No one is throwing anyone under the bus. The highlight point Mr. Mugford was that no one is trying to destroy GoDaddy or Afternic or their Fast Transfer Network and hijacking a Wikipedia page and protecting it like unfed guard dogs.

Your degree and level of manipulation here is just outside of normal thinking. It is strategic in nature, with a clear route and pathway to inflict harm on others that you have an open and naked bias against.

I am happy that most people can see through the charade. Again - you are constantly turning everything into an attack on Epik. With zero regard or interest in actually contributing to the subject story. Which is an abuse of social media administrators and an absolutely corrupt pre-existing relationship between Wikipedia, their Foundation, and the key executives of Google.

Why not turn some of that amazing brainpower into a service that can actually help those being oppressed.

 

[bmugford]

I am happy that most people can see through the charade.

I agree. They can. It is just not the way you are thinking it is.

Brad

 

[Chris Hydrick]

Your degree and level of manipulation here is just outside of normal thinking.

My OPINION

@bmugford is trying to protect others against manipulation.

Keep gaslighting though. It shows yalls true colors.

 

[Intelliname]

Grilled I am not sure what you are saying. Brad is trying to protect others from Epik's manipulation? The only reasonable conclusion of your inference then is that you believe Epik actively works to protect racists, neo-nazis, and extremists! Because that is the key subject being fought against in the entire thread and the theme of our actions in preventing the same against others.

I've watched Rob extend care and support for you. As I have watched you type and share here that you are dealing with heavy issues, and could not trust your own ability to always communicate right from wrong. I extend love to you, as I always have, and will keep you in prayers to see better days. This here though, is so out of touch with reality, and a slap in the face to good people who have actually extended a hand of sincere warmth and care for you, I hope you one day have the clarity to see it. You would go out of your way to help reduce and harm another for your own selfish purpose. What possible gain is there for you for these actions?

With respects to Brad's accusations - it looks like it just took Epik less than twelve minutes to deal with the names that I would have also thought constituted hate, and remove them from their active marketplace. They were both reported as names from an expiry stream, so they were not normal or active listings anyway as they cycled through. The other factor here is of course the degree by which the industry's MLS service also carries through names of equivalent weight. I would also reaffirm though - it is not the registrar's job to police the interests and registrations of others. That is a key point of exposing the Wikipedia bias.

However I would say this: see how far you get in having GoDaddy/Afternic/Web/Key-Systems and others from removing these names from their active marketplaces. I hope that you are successful!

Epik was just officially labeled by Wikipedia's key admin that it has done "nothing significant whatsoever" in its existence outside of actively supporting extremists. It is a fair question to ask what their agenda may be. Especially as Epik's own care and actions - even this thread - may actually lead to a REDUCTION of messaging related to hatred, especially if other marketplaces now follow (again) their lead and remove their own trash from their listings.

We can only hope. But my expectation for a better world does not have to come at the expense of constantly posting hateful messages about Epik and Rob. It is a crazy consistency here. Ruthless.

 

[Chris Hydrick]

Grilled I am not sure what you are saying.

I could write 10,000 words. But I don't think any of it will reach you. Rather than waste that time, I'll leave you with this.

Brad is trying to protect others from Epik's manipulation?

Brad has been here a long time. He has a long track record of being neutral, fair, and right or wrong, he is quick to call out BS, so to alert others where to be cautious when stepping. Maybe you like stepping in shit, I don't. Lot;s of shit being thrown around right now. This is more of a shit show than anything else.

You on the other hand, seem quite one-sided?

Perhaps I should be thanking you for what I view as attempting to manipulate, for yours or epiks gain? or whatever agenda it is you're following. oooo conspiracy sounding...

 

[Intelliname]

You can reduce the entire experience to that, and again I am sorry for the hardships. Former positions whether fair, biased, objective or not, have nothing to do with the mis-direction going on here. You have a brilliant mind.

Something though tells me that if it was your family having their pictures being posted in articles asking others to hurt them, or your company and name being perpetually branded like below, you would have a far, far different righteous attitude and self-perception. This isn't about Rob Monster, it is about protecting YOU.

You just can't see it yet.

How you could twist this thread asking for help from others in the industry, and driving awareness into a VERY REAL problem into a perpetual attack on Epik is beyond me. You can paint me anyway you like.

 

[branding]

Your degree and level of manipulation here is just outside of normal thinking. It is strategic in nature, with a clear route and pathway to inflict harm on others that you have an open and naked bias against.

That's way more out of touch with reality than the Wikipedia article about Epik.

What a shit show.

 

[Intelliname]

You are just exposing yourselves. Turning to personal attacks that can be traced a thousand times over through this forum and its respective boards. A handful of bad apples can truly rot the whole bunch, but I am hoping instead for resilience, compassion, and kindness for others and optimism among NP members.

Not a one of you posters has even acknowledged, or mentioned actions to help highlight to GoDaddy or others that they are reflecting some of the most hateful views in the industry towards others. These are just outright attacks and foul words now. It is always the same 3-4 people.

We will let leaders lead, and followers follow. Those with hate in their heart can keep it. I myself with keep seeing a different path.

I am going to spend sometime with my family now. Those who will hate can hate. Those who attack can attack. Those who will lift others up - keep lifting. Never let the anger of a very select few taint your harm your perception on what is possible through the human spirit. Be an eternal optimist, and make sure you take every chance you can to let others know they are loved.

Peace!

 

[Chris Hydrick]

Something though tells me that if it was your family having their pictures being posted in articles asking others to hurt them, or your company and name being perpetually branded like below, you would have a far, far different righteous attitude and self-perception. This isn't about Rob Monster, it is about protecting YOU.

Hmm... did you miss where robs leadership led an epik follower to threaten a wikipedia member?

Suddenly now you care about threats?

I've seen first hand just how nasty some of domainings brightest most popular minds are. I didn't think epik was apart of that crew. Looks like I might have been mistaken. Not sure how I could have missed that.

 

[Molly White]

Hello. There is a lot of misinformation (and simple misunderstanding) here around my activities on Wikipedia, and while I have invited anyone who has questions to engage with me either on Twitter or on Wikipedia (links available elsewhere in this thread—I am not allowed to include links in my posts on this site without upgrading my account) there haven't been many takers. I was hesitant to create an account here because I am not a member of the domaining industry and did not want to seem like I was barging in on Mr. Monster's community, nor do I want to escalate things with Mr. Monster. However after being invited here by a few people and seeing repeated confusion I decided to create an account. I do thank those of you who did reach out to me for clarification—I believe strongly in open, good-faith dialogue.

I have been quite taken aback to find all these threads about me on a website I am not a part of, and am saddened to see that the thread linking to the Change.org petition full of lies about me has remained up. I have published a clarifying statement on that petition here, which I invite you all to read. I have just tweeted out the link and if someone who is able to post links could link it here directly, I would appreciate it. I have tried to explain things as clearly as I can.

I hope you all are staying safe and healthy in this pandemic.

Yours,
Molly

 

[bmugford]

Hello. There is a lot of misinformation (and simple misunderstanding) here around my activities on Wikipedia, and while I have invited anyone who has questions to engage with me either on Twitter or on Wikipedia (links available elsewhere in this thread—I am not allowed to include links in my posts on this site without upgrading my account) there haven't been many takers. I was hesitant to create an account here because I am not a member of the domaining industry and did not want to seem like I was barging in on Mr. Monster's community, nor do I want to escalate things with Mr. Monster. However after being invited here by a few people and seeing repeated confusion I decided to create an account. I do thank those of you who did reach out to me for clarification—I believe strongly in open, good-faith dialogue.

I have been quite taken aback to find all these threads about me on a website I am not a part of, and am saddened to see that the thread linking to the Change.org petition full of lies about me has remained up. I have published a clarifying statement on that petition here, which I invite you all to read. I have just tweeted out the link and if someone who is able to post links could link it here directly, I would appreciate it. I have tried to explain things as clearly as I can.

I hope you all are staying safe and healthy in this pandemic.

Yours,
Molly

https://blog.mollywhite.net/response-to-the-changeorg-petition-about-me

 

[bmugford]

Hello. There is a lot of misinformation (and simple misunderstanding) here around my activities on Wikipedia, and while I have invited anyone who has questions to engage with me either on Twitter or on Wikipedia (links available elsewhere in this thread—I am not allowed to include links in my posts on this site without upgrading my account) there haven't been many takers. I was hesitant to create an account here because I am not a member of the domaining industry and did not want to seem like I was barging in on Mr. Monster's community, nor do I want to escalate things with Mr. Monster. However after being invited here by a few people and seeing repeated confusion I decided to create an account. I do thank those of you who did reach out to me for clarification—I believe strongly in open, good-faith dialogue.

I have been quite taken aback to find all these threads about me on a website I am not a part of, and am saddened to see that the thread linking to the Change.org petition full of lies about me has remained up. I have published a clarifying statement on that petition here, which I invite you all to read. I have just tweeted out the link and if someone who is able to post links could link it here directly, I would appreciate it. I have tried to explain things as clearly as I can.

I hope you all are staying safe and healthy in this pandemic.

Yours,
Molly

I appreciate that you took the time to address this in detail.

I read the entire response. I think everything is addressed very well.

Rob might not like the way it is framed, but I have yet to see what is factually untrue on the Wikipedia page.

Additionally, I think NamePros should have taken further action on the party that made the threat.
I think their response is not acceptable.

Rob also needs to make it clear that type of thing is not acceptable on his behalf.

I am also sorry you have to go through this nonsense.

Brad

 

[HotKey]

Welcome to the forum, @Molly White . Sorry, but I am not impressed.

I am going to quote your first paragraph from response to the change.org petition:

For anyone who is reading this page and is not familiar with me, I am Molly White, and I have been a Wikipedia editor for over thirteen years. My account name there is “GorillaWarfare”. Although those who have found themselves on this page may have been led to believe that my specific goal in editing Wikipedia is to write a negative article about the company Epik, I have been editing since long before I created that article, and have devoted thousands of hours to volunteer Wikipedia editing over the years. Some examples of articles I am proud to have made substantial contributions to include the article on Mary Jackson, a NASA mathematician; I have also contributed to the article on The Satanic Bible, after finding it to be in terrible shape some years ago (this is how the article looked before I began contributing to it). Since it apparently needs to be said, no, I am not a Satanist—I simply wrote the article because someone needed to. That is one important goal of Wikipedia, after all—to provide coverage of topics like that one without them being slanted by those who are affiliated with the topic. Recently I have been active in helping to maintain the articles related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic and 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Massachusetts. Outside of my article writing, I am an administrator on Wikipedia, and I also help resolve disputes as a member of the English Wikipedia Arbitration Committee, on which I have served for over five years in total.

Wow.

I would call for an immediate review of the people Wikipedia is choosing for as their "editors". This is absolutely unacceptable. Is there any oversight over there on Wiki, and what kind of people are they allowing to provide factual information to the world anyways??

It is people like this that are bloating the Internet with crap, discrediting people and companies that are actually contributing to society, by using politics and related terminology and their own viewpoints to define a conclusive outcome.

I certainly hope you come to your senses, and perhaps bite your pride and consider an apology to Mr. Monster and the entire Epik team, because they have done nothing but innovate and offer solutions where other's focus on problems, they give where other's take. It is a close-minded view indeed when you find it ok to be an individual with individual thought and expression, but do not allow the same for others, an in fact demonize them for it.

You take care, and moving forward we're all capable of embracing each other's differences, regardless of where we stand on opinion.

- Hots

 

[Chris Hydrick]

Rob might not like the way it is framed, but I have yet to see what is factually untrue on the Wikipedia page.

Maybe everything is factually true.

However, being fair, I would invite a magnified glass to be used on the opening lines of the wikipedia page...

Specifically...
.

..content as well as those that sell illegal drugs and counterfeit medications.[8]

Which I wrote about in more detail earlier in this thread here, and here and here.

 

[Molly White]

Maybe everything is factually true.

However, being fair, I would invite a magnified glass to be used on the opening lines of the wikipedia page...

Specifically...
.

Which I wrote about in more detail earlier in this thread here, and here and here.

Oh, yes, I spoke about this with a member of your forum via Twitter DMs about this, and suggested they pass it along. Looks like that never happened, but I'm here now so I'll copy my comments over myself:

You may wish to point out to that person on NP that the pharmaceutical claim is sourced to the Wired article (https://www.wired.com/story/how-right-wing-social-media-site-gab-got-back-online/) which is one of the stronger sources on the page

Not sourced directly to the LegitScript site

It's a similar situation to the NamePros poll, actually. We have no way of knowing if LegitScript is, well, legit, but when a news outlet like Wired covers it it gives it credence

And so it can be added

Yesterday, 9:01 PM
Or they can come to the article talk page, I'll happily point it out to them there

Yesterday, 9:02 PM
Also, where did they get that link they posted (where they wrote "Is this accurate? How come that blog entry to wikipedia wasn't scrutinized?")? That's not one of the sources cited in the Epik page

The Epik page cites Wired, which in turn links to this report: https://safemedsonline.org/wp-conte...the-Dark-Web-LegitScript-June-2018-Report.pdf

I don't know where they got their blog link, but the reason it "wasn't scrutinized" is because AFAICT it's not used at all
​

Those watching carefully will see I made an edit to the page earlier today to clarify at what point in time this criticism was made, per your suggestions in this thread: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.ph...iff=951739059&oldid=951592811&diffmode=source

 

[bmugford]

You are still a hero. God bless you and yours for standing up to thuggery and for taking the time to state on the record that you disagree with the obvious bias.

Hey Rob, I am going to ask this once again. Are you alright with the threat that was made by the "hero"
barybadrinath on your behalf, in which he was infracted for?

I would like you to clarify that this type of behavior is not acceptable on your behalf.

Brad

 

[franka46]

"Awkward"
I thought that this old Wiki drama was dead and buried .
Why would anybody dig it up ?Now the fight continues on NP ,a Domain discussion forum.and I'm getting allready some DM's on Twitter asking me what the hell is going on when they read posts about "Mr Monster"?
Rob just managed to turn things around to a positive profile ,people had just about forgotton about those WIKI battles .
"Awkward" [for Epik Staff]

 

[JB Lions]

"Awkward"
I thought that this old Wiki drama was dead and buried .
Why would anybody dig it up ?Now the fight continues on NP ,a Domain discussion forum.and I'm getting allready some DM's on Twitter asking me what the hell is going on when they read posts about "Mr Monster"?
Rob just managed to turn things around to a positive profile ,people had just about forgotton about those WIKI battles .
"Awkward" [for Epik Staff]

Your boss started this thread, the drama all over again.

 

[franka46]

"the drama all over again."

JB ,not my boss .Im freelance

 

[JB Lions]

"the drama all over again."

JB ,not my boss .Im freelance

I was basing that on:

"Since we hired @Chairul avif in Jakarta and have @franka46 on the team"

"Frank set up an affiliate site. Apparently he convinced @Gube to make him a better looking site. To which I said, fine, but make sure that anyone can use that template. They agreed. Check in with @Gube or @franka46 for details there. I have no idea what they are cooking up."

We hired @franka46 in Australia to help with candidate screening. He is off to a fast start.

If somebody hires you, if you work for them, kind of your boss. I guess not an official employee tho. Alright.

------
And like I said earlier, this is an Epik issue, should have been handled among the Epik team. Not what Rudy said above, it being about us.

 

[franka46]

I was basing that on:

"Since we hired @Chairul avif in Jakarta and have @franka46 on the team"

"Frank set up an affiliate site. Apparently he convinced @Gube to make him a better looking site. To which I said, fine, but make sure that anyone can use that template. They agreed. Check in with @Gube or @franka46 for details there. I have no idea what they are cooking up."



If somebody hires you, if you work for them, kind of your boss. I guess not an official employee tho. Alright.

------
And like I said earlier, this is an Epik issue, should have been handled among the Epik team. Not what Rudy said above, it being about us.

No problem
Funny you post this message , Been a long time since that was mentioned .Btw I'm still waiting for that Affiliate website . Anyway .I'm out of this tread .Loose lips sink ships.

 

[Samer]

I could write 10,000 words. But I don't think any of it will reach you. Rather than waste that time, I'll leave you with this.



Brad has been here a long time. He has a long track record of being neutral, fair, and right or wrong, he is quick to call out BS, so to alert others where to be cautious when stepping. Maybe you like stepping in shit, I don't. Lot;s of shit being thrown around right now. This is more of a shit show than anything else.

You on the other hand, seem quite one-sided?

Perhaps I should be thanking you for what I view as attempting to manipulate, for yours or epiks gain? or whatever agenda it is you're following. oooo conspiracy sounding...

This person blocked me since he refuses to engage;

This would be my reply;

You avoided having to engage with criticism by turning it back on the accuser - answered criticism with criticism.
Pronounced too-kwo-kwee. Literally translating as 'you too' this fallacy is also known as the appeal to hypocrisy. It is commonly employed as an effective red herring because it takes the heat off someone having to defend their argument, and instead shifts the focus back person made the criticism.

Brad's reputation is stellar, intelliname made an account 2017 not yesterday.
Their reputations isnt what's being debated here; it's logic, facts, evidence.
Can you turn your bias around a second without making it personal?
By the way, 29 posts, 128 likes. ---Funny you forget to mention that too

I could write "10,000 words" of logic that wont reach you, Grilled, baby.
("baby" homie, not "baby baby")

Samer

 

[franka46]

Your boss started this thread, the drama all over again.

Ah ..just noticed the first post in this tread ,was not aware of it at the time posting .

"the drama all over again."

 

[bmugford]

Rob also needs to make it clear that type of thing is not acceptable on his behalf.

Hey Rob, I am going to ask this once again. Are you alright with the threat that was made by the "hero" barybadrinath on your behalf, in which he was infracted for?

I would like you to clarify that this type of behavior is not acceptable on your behalf.

Brad

Still no response from Rob on this. So, let's give it a 3rd try....

Rob, did you want to clarify that barybadrinath's threat on your behalf is not acceptable, or did just want to keep staying silent which is basically a tacit endorsement of those actions.

Thanks,
Brad