Anti-trans trolling spree forces Wikipedia to ban U.S. House staffers for third time

[DonViejo]

Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, has once again blocked all computers from the U.S. House of Representatives in order to stop malicious edits to popular pages on the site.

According to The Hill, Wikipedia instituted the ban on Wednesday night after users operating from the House IP address made a series of anti-trans edits to the page for Netflix series Orange is the New Black.

Anonymous users operating from the Republican-led House were persistently re-editing the page to slur trans actress Laverne Cox by mis-gendering her mentions on the show’s page. For instance, they changed Cox’s description from “real transgender woman” to “real man pretending to be a woman.”

One user in particular went on an anti-trans editing spree this week, changing entries on multiple pages related to transgenderism until Wikipedia administrators were forced to step in.

more
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/08/21/anti-trans-trolling-spree-forces-wikipedia-to-ban-u-s-house-staffers-for-third-time/

[Laelth]

1. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth

[n2doc]

2. Gee, I guess they are having 'fun' on vacation

What a bunch of losers.

[stranger81]

3. Is there really no way they can trace this to a particular staffer or congresscritter's office?

I want to know who this asshat is.

[freshwest]

11. It's a group account most likely, so whoever is at the keyboard can do this. We're paying them, too.

[Dont call me Shirley]

13. That's a republican for ya,

using taxpayer money to fund their evil deeds.

[bjobotts]

18. Lie cheat and steal or dish out misinformation

If you know an A-hole just ask and I'll bet it's a republican. Just look at their reps. in office.

[dsc]

40. wikipedia likely can't

since it would be a group account and go through a single server, but the House likely can since everyone logs in with a unique name and password.

[hughee99]

61. These are the same IT guys who set it up

So that Repukes and Dems both had their private files stored in a common directory which anyone on either side could access. Could SOMEONE figure out who sent it? Most likely, but I have little faith that the people who do this for congress could.

[bullwinkle428]

4. Awesome job with that "re-branding", Repukes!

[freshwest]

5. Vote them out or get more of the same. And worse. We know how many people they hate. EOM.

[Sheepshank]

6. Great idea...except.....

there is a vocal group here that insist on selling the meme Dem=Rep.

Things like the item in the OP are lost in the noise of "It doesn't make any difference...everything will be the same regardless which way we all vote"

It's despicable what several vocal DU'ers are trying to portray with regards to impotent voting.

[freshwest]

10. Many people aren't part of the groups who will be hurt. I'm finding more and more that some

Last edited Sat Aug 23, 2014, 06:21 PM - Edit history (1)

only care about their favorite celebrities and disdain real people whom the Democratic Party platform represents. Which means they don't respect those ideals or us lesser mortals, either.

Obviously, the status quo in the HoR isn't hurting them so they'll stay home. If the GOP takes the Senate and repeals the ACA, cuts off the COLA for SS, reduces payments for SS and Medicare and repeals the Medicaid expansion, they don't care. They don't need it to live.

The great organizing tool that an online place can be is destroyed by those who arrogantly mock anyone who doesn't agree with every word from their idols.

Who are invariably rich, white and privileged males who never had to live on the level many people live on. They feel free to discuss us like a herd of cattle they feel entitled to have culled, more and more. No empathy for us but cheers for them are the rule of the day.

No empathy for the lesser people is allowed, we are supposed to bow down to them as our 'betters' as they insult and degrade our very existance. The steadfast support for them and refusing to listen to us is getting old quick.

In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

[Sheepshank]

20. Thanks so much for that clarity and insight. It's spot on.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

27. Well, let's get our 'hurt group status on'!

I've made something like $400 in income over the last 3 years, and only have health insurance thanks to Medicaid.. I suppose that makes me 'invariably a rich, white privileged male'.

The people who are pointing out the flaws in a lot of Dems want BETTER Dems, who will actually give a crap about the Dem Party Platform. Not the kind of Dems who 'invariably' water down actual Democratic legislation in ways that make it more difficult for people who aren't making 30k a year already to survive.

So thanks for casting me with that rather disgusting caricature in your post as a person who has 'no empathy', who 'expects you to 'bow down' to me, who 'arrogantly mocks you', and 'thinks of you as a herd of cattle to be culled', simply because I don't join in on the 'rah rah team blue' bandwagon, when I'm offered some Dems who simply put, suck at actually being Dems.

[riqster]

33. One thing your post left out:

"The people who are pointing out the flaws in a lot of Dems want BETTER Dems, who will actually give a crap about the Dem Party Platform."

No argument there. Until such people take actions that result in the election of Republicans. You know, vote withholding, discouragement of voting, advocating disengagement, and so on. None of these activities has ever been shown effective at moving our party Left. But the people you refer to continue trying to cut down on Dem votes.

At that point, they become Repubs for all practical purposes. And one may be assured, I shan't "bow down before them".

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

35. In the eye of the beholder, at least on blogs.

I always vote. I may not always vote for the candidate the 'team blue' types want me to, but I always vote. If they can't be happy with allies who will vote for 90%+ of the candidates they prefer, they can continue to slander such people as 'non voters' who 'discourage voting' and 'advocate disengagement', making them EVER MORE LIKELY to vote for FEWER of the candidates they prefer.

You can work with allies, or you can insult them. You can't easily do both.

[riqster]

36. I'd say there is a bit of kettle and pot here.

My thesis is at least based on logic and demonstrated results: those who help Repubs get elected are to some degree Repub supporters.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

37. My thesis is just as much based on logic and demonstrated results

Those who vote for candidates who are closer to being Republicans get legislation that is closer to Republican legislation, and are thus also 'to some degree Repub supporters'.

And the lack of clear distance between the parties on the specific issues that affect the most Americans has driven voter participation to dismal lows.

When you inspire your base, they vote, and you gain new voters. When you look too similar to the other side, you discourage voting.

[riqster]

38. So it's the responsibility of the party to inspire us? What rot.

It is our job to get the party that we want. And we will never get that via selective engagement in the General election.

We will only get it by intense and total engagement in the Primaries.

Vote withholding in General elections helps nobody but the Repubs.

[LongTomH]

39. Hear, hear!

Not voting doesn't send any message, except that people don't care. In fact, one of the strategies of the attack ads allowed by Citizens' United is NOT to get people to vote GOP; it's to suppress voter turnout, which always, always favors Republicans!

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

47. It's the responsibility of EACH candidate

to BE WORTH VOTING FOR.

Whether or not you as a candidate are worth voting for does not change simply because you're running in a general election versus a primary.

You're either worth voting for or not. You can change that by changing your views, your votes, your promises. (And sticking with them)

'Vote withholding' is a strawman. You, as a candidate, EARN the votes you get. If you don't get votes, it's not because people 'withheld' something you deserve simply for existing. It's because you didn't earn them. No candidate is ENTITLED to votes simply because they put a given letter after their name.

[riqster]

50. You are ignoring the damage done.

In Ohio, four withheld votes in a single district turned the state from purple to red.

Children starving. Strawman?

Women losing their rights. Strawman?

Voting rights under attack. Strawman?

All of these happened because Repubs are in complete control of Ohio's government.

They are in control because not enough Dem voters cast ballots in that one race.

Strawman? Not at all. This is real, it is crucial, it is the effect that followed a cause.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

51. And I consider that all of those bad things happen

in part because we put up crappy candidates who refuse to earn the votes they need. And then, like you, turn around and blame the voters for not being enthused about voting for crappy candidates. Good candidates draw votes and win. Look at Sherrod Brown. He tells you he's a Democrat, he tells you why he's a Democrat, and he WINS.

The cause for all of those bad things happening is Dems failing to put up more winning candidates like Brown, who aren't ashamed to actually BE Dems.

(I say in part because Ohio is also highly gerrymandered.)

[riqster]

53. Consider that "in part" in a bit more depth.

By the way, big shout out to Sherrod Brown, who beat a weak Teapub candidate and has been a true progressive Dem since.

The gerrymandering is exactly why we get such weak-ass Dem candidates. That and an ineffective state party.

In order to move Left, we have to put up better candidates; have a better ground game; take any victory we can get; and then undo the gerrymandering so better candidates have a chance of winning.

The environment is too complex to adopt a simplistic approach like "give me a good enough candidate before I will cast a ballot for him/ her: we are starting from too far in the hole for that.

As witness where Ohio is now, and why it is where it is.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

54. You can't blame the gerrymander entirely. Look at the red vs blue in the state.

There are really only a few blue concentrations, with most of the state red. Yes, they STILL gerrymandered to weaken and divide those blue areas, but the reality is that Dems actually are concentrated geographically. We're not a purple state, we're a red state with a few large pockets of blue folks.

But I agree 100% with you on the 'ineffective state party'. I was dismally disappointed when I attended a county level party meeting. Despite having mailed/emailed everyone in the county who had voted in Dem primaries multiple times in a row, I think I was the only county resident who showed up who wasn't already part of the machinery. And when I heard their ideas on how to 'excite' the base, it was all I could do not to literally drop my jaw in disbelief. Ohio is hurting. Kasich has raised regressive sales taxes while cutting upper end taxes, our job 'growth' has been abysmal, with most new jobs being at the minimum wage end of things, and the legislature spends all of its time trying to find new ways to take away reproductive choice. And we're supposedly a 'bellwether' state, yet we can't get national money in to offset thr anti-labour money that floods in to reinforce Kasich and cronies.

It's not a matter of 'give me a good enough candidate'. It's a matter of give all of the people who don't vote a good enough candidate that they're willing to become first time voters. Give all of the young people who BECAME first time voters for Obama a reason to feel they weren't simply wasting their time. I'll be voting. Even for that poorly-vetted former FBI guy they're running against Kasich. But it won't matter a hill of beans unless they actually run candidates who can draw in the never-voters, the rare-voters, and the never-before voters.

[freshwest]

55. Riqster, agreed. No, we 'shan't "bow down before them."' Our lives matter.

[riqster]

56. Our lives matter indeed.

https://m.

https://m.

[freshwest]

57. Both beautiful! Thanks, riqster!

[A Simple Game]

66. I have seen this accusation thrown about quite a bit by the conservative contingent on DU.

Until such people take actions that result in the election of Republicans.

Could you please provide some examples of when and where that has actually happened? Otherwise it is just so much BS. Thanks in advance.

[riqster]

67. First of all, take the "conservative" name-calling and shove it.

Last edited Sun Aug 24, 2014, 07:26 PM - Edit history (1)

Secondly, I happen to have an example. Ohio, 2012: a high-turnout election in which certain districts failed to cast ballots for certain Democrats while not in other races.

My case is proven, and your insult was inaccurate and gratuitous.

[A Simple Game]

70. Gosh, my apologies, great examples.

The state of Ohio and "certain districts" and "certain Democrats". Excellent proof. Thanks for clearing that up.

I will reserve withdrawing my inaccurate and gratuitous insult.

But if you are just pulling my leg, nice touch with the "innacurate".

[La Lioness Priyanka]

7. at first i read white house and was super confused.

[xchrom]

8. sih -- i guess these ignorant fuck wads will be back.

we pay their fucking wages!

[Lurks Often]

9. If it happened this week, it probably is one or more staffers or employees

not an elected official

[ReRe]

12. Well, Hell...

... what do you expect from Republican staffers? They don't have anything to do.

[FrodosPet]

42. It MAY have been an anti-trans feminist, or a false flag MRA

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/08/21/anti-trans-trolling-spree-forces-wikipedia-to-ban-u-s-house-staffers-for-third-time/

~ snip~

After this most recent banning, the outlawed anti-trans user wrote, “Blocked because I disagreed with the trans-lobby? These days, If I complain about a man using the womyn’s restroom then I’m cosidered transphobic and get called a TERF. This has been happening a lot lately here in the halls of Congerss. If feeling uncomfortable about some creeper coming into the same bathroom as me is considered transphobic, then why is transphobia considered a bad thing? I wouldn’t be surprised if the Admin who banned this IP is trans. If she is a real woman, then she should should be following real Feminists like Julie Bindel, not sellouts to the trans lobby like Anita Sarkeesian. People need to understand that transgenderism is being promoted by the Patriarchy to diminish the experiences of real womyn.”

~ snip~

[ReRe]

44. What an absolute sicko!

[FrodosPet]

45. It is a delicate subject here

And I got chewed out for using the term they use for themselves, so I won't use it again, but there are committed feminists who believe that trans people are trying to steal the essence and experience of "womyn born womyn".

[happyslug]

14. Ayatollah Khomeini was more open to Transgender then the GOP

Maybe that is why the GOP hates Iran so much:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transsexuality_in_Iran

[FrodosPet]

43. Probably not GOP

TERF is a whole new expression to me.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5394284

[world wide wally]

15. Makes me wonder what other "historical facts" they edit to their liking

[KamaAina]

16. Isn't it funny how this always seems to be the House

not the Senate. Wonder why that would be?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

21. It's all in the gavels...

[font size=4]The Senate Gavel:[/font]

Perhaps the most revered historic artifact in the Senate is the gavel. This small, handleless piece of solid ivory was used by the Senate’s presiding officers from around the late 18th/early 19th century until a late night debate in 1954, when the gavel fell apart as Vice President Richard Nixon called the Senate to order. Having already been reinforced once—with silver pieces attached to both ends—the gavel was immediately replaced with a near-replica provided by the government of India.

https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/art/artifact/Decorative_arts/Other/71_00001.htm



[font size=4]The House Gavel:[/font]

There's a box full of them because they break them so often.

[KamaAina]

22. Are you implying that Boner is drunk on the floor?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

25. I think he's dealing with a reoccurring nightmare....

[KamaAina]

29. DUzy!

[Raster]

30. Hmmm....kind of puts the ILLEGAL ivory trade into perspective.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

31. No, that's when you see an old piano in thrift store.

[Drew Richards]

17. This really ticks me off...the reporting makes you think wikipedia personnel are freaking

Incompetent.

Can't they simply file a complaint to the justice dept?

I believe misuse of federal computers is a felony...

Wireshark network boom computer identified..walk up and bust them...

I mean come on i'm sure the NSA already knows exact time and computer doing the abuse.

[freshwest]

24. One thing: It's known where the vandals posted from, but not whose fingers did the typing.

They've been busy on a lot of Wiki entries, making snarks and deleting things they don't people to know ever happened. I'd looked up some anti-Vietnam war pages in the past and went to find one recently. It'd been deleted, with a note saying in so many words that it was bullshit and never happened. Since I was there, it had happened. I was forced to go to youtube to make searches to find proof of what I knew. Tossing our history down the memory hole is their technique. Another one is spamming subjects so that search engines run out of room for results contradicting their memes or push them so far back it takes forever to get to them. Shutting down our knowledge is a big thing with conservatives. They want all other POVs removed from the net and everywhere else.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

52. This is so very important. The volunteer and paid forces of the RW propaganda army are legion.

Last edited Sun Aug 24, 2014, 03:44 PM - Edit history (1)

I don't think most people, even Dems, realize how pervasive these efforts are.

[FrodosPet]

59. THIS time, the pukes are (probably) innocent

It could be a false flag. But with statements like:

"If she is a real woman, then she should should be following real Feminists like Julie Bindel, not sellouts to the trans lobby like Anita Sarkeesian."

How many mouth breathers are going to even know the names Julie Bindel and Anita Sarkeesian, much less be able to use them in a sentence?

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

63. I agree. I was just talking about the spamming and other techniques Freshwest mentioned.

Not too long ago, a few DUer responded to the idea of paid RW sock-puppets on DU as paranoia. "As if the RW would bother with a little site like DU." That's the kind of naivete (or paid sock-puppet generated doubt) I was talking about dispelling.

[EEO]

19. Propaganda by any means possible.

[spanone]

23. what a bunch of despicable fucks. mean people. sick fucks.

[shenmue]

28. Wow

Why can't people stop being jerk arses?

[IronLionZion]

32. House staffers don't have enough work to do?

Republicans always tell you government is slow and inefficient, then they get elected and prove it. "see, we told you!"

[Crash2Parties]

41. Hey, their other predictions,

about what would happen if marriage equality was allowed, all came true.

I mean, have you seen the number of (straight) Republicans caught lately for adultery, molestation, sin-of-self-abuse and yes, bestiality? I never realized how our marriages would drive them to do such acts...again, "See, we told you so!".

[etherealtruth]

34. Glad that is how they spend their time

Idiots

[Zorra]

48. Beavis (R-UT) and Butthead (R-TX) go to Congress. nt

[Buns_of_Fire]

49. The Junior Nutbags are learning well from their mentors.

And when the elected nutbags go to their reward (be it a cushy lobbying job or a refreshing dirt nap), there'll be a whole new group of fresh, young nutbags to replace them.

[FrodosPet]

58. Not certain, but this was probably from a Dem staffer

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/08/21/anti-trans-trolling-spree-forces-wikipedia-to-ban-u-s-house-staffers-for-third-time/

~snip ~

After this most recent banning, the outlawed anti-trans user wrote, “Blocked because I disagreed with the trans-lobby? These days, If I complain about a man using the womyn’s restroom then I’m cosidered transphobic and get called a TERF. This has been happening a lot lately here in the halls of Congerss. If feeling uncomfortable about some creeper coming into the same bathroom as me is considered transphobic, then why is transphobia considered a bad thing? I wouldn’t be surprised if the Admin who banned this IP is trans. If she is a real woman, then she should should be following real Feminists like Julie Bindel, not sellouts to the trans lobby like Anita Sarkeesian. People need to understand that transgenderism is being promoted by the Patriarchy to diminish the experiences of real womyn.”

~snip ~

-------------------------------------------------

There is SO MUCH to slam the asshats with about intolerance - let's not look stupid and lie to ourselves and others just to pile on.

[Cha]

60. No one expects anything resembling signs of intelligence coming from the republicons

in the US House of Representatives. They disgrace themselves over and over again. Can't wait until they're on the junk pile of history.

[FrodosPet]

62. And no one wants to believe that a trans-exclusionary feminist is doing it

Would a puke who would do something like this have a clue who Julie Bindel and Anita Sarkeesian are, much less their roles in the debate about whether a transgendered person should be accepted in womyn's spaces?

[lunatica]

64. These are the newly elected Teabaggers in action

It's breathtaking just how low they've brought Congressional behavior in just a very few years.

Gone is the dignity and respectability of the elected officials of The House and the Senate. Replaced by ill-bred, vulgar, uncouth, willfully ignorant, pratfalling clowns and the ones who allow and enable them. This is a very sad time in our government.

[FrodosPet]

65. Does anyone read the linked articles anymore?

After this most recent banning, the outlawed anti-trans user wrote, “Blocked because I disagreed with the trans-lobby? These days, If I complain about a man using the womyn’s restroom then I’m cosidered transphobic and get called a TERF. This has been happening a lot lately here in the halls of Congerss. If feeling uncomfortable about some creeper coming into the same bathroom as me is considered transphobic, then why is transphobia considered a bad thing? I wouldn’t be surprised if the Admin who banned this IP is trans. If she is a real woman, then she should should be following real Feminists like Julie Bindel, not sellouts to the trans lobby like Anita Sarkeesian. People need to understand that transgenderism is being promoted by the Patriarchy to diminish the experiences of real womyn.”

[lpbk2713]

68. It's a sad commentary.

It's shameful when you consider this comes from the very seat of our nation's government.