Recently this ArbCom case caught my attention: Wikipedia:Requests for arbitration/Digwuren. Apparently, another East European ethnic war is brewing up. Not that it is news in any sort of way, but the catchphrase Cartel USSR forever! caught my attention. Apparently a number of users are getting banned under a usual pretext of sockpuppetry. As far as I can see the case involves Irpen on the commie side and Digwuren behind whom other East Europeans circle their wagons. The ones that don't share the commy ideology are up against what appears to be another cabal - a band of pro-Russian users. The pro-Israel cabal has been discussed here at length, however, this one is just as interesting. Moreover I find a lot in common between these cabals, althought the Russian one is not as strong or organized as the other. It only proves that Wikipedia is successful as a strings of cabals, which support each other and bully their way into establishing what's to be in that community.

Welcome Nevo. Yes, there are several cabals, some bigger and better organised than others.

I've noticed the Russian clique around the Eastern European articles.

Yeah, they organise themselves around projects very efficiently.

Well, of course, there is the small concern that there may be an co-ordinated group at the University of Tartu... (Korp! Estonia, I think they're calling it, though I cannot find the origin of that name). Checkuser's useless as the entire university apparently shares an IP... that group actually seems even more organised - FayssalF is claiming they hacked into his computer after he blocked some of them. Strong stuff.

But can you really blame them, given what is going on around East European topics? What are the chances of tiny Estonia against MOTHER RUSSIA and numerous others who sympathise with her? Even if the Estonians tried to hack somewhere, I guess it all stems from the fact that they are up aganst a powerful pro-Soviet cabal, with whom one can hardly deal through normal channels. From what I noticed only Polish editors are able to withstand the Red attack and it only because they are very well organized. Remember Piotrus ArbCom case? What it all boils down to is that because of the cabals and the sheer frustration some are resorting to all kinds of tricks to get back at them. For all I care if that will help level things out and get at the Russian cabal - go Korps Estonia!

East European political articles, particularly regarding the Soviet era, are infested with extreme nationalism, Russophobia, and history distorted to the point of comedy. The worst ones I've seen pertain to the Baltic states. From what I've seen, it is not a case of warring POVs nearly so much as it is one POV exercising almost absolute control.

Can anyone make out what is going on here, on an article called "Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2007 Constitutional Court challenge"?

Someone called UkraineToday, who I have an idea is a supporter of Viktor Yanukovych in his long battle against President Yushchenko, is flapping about something. So much so that his blog, picked up by google, states:


This "UkraineToday" guy looks like one to watch. His user page takes no prisoners.

Well, it is complicated indeed. I wouldn't venture to figure out who's right or who's wrong, but the poor guy ran into a cabal. Again. As of yesterday he is blocked indefinitely. You can even guess why. Of course the official reason was "legal threats" but usual accusations of sockpuppetry are there as well. Unfortunately, nothing new here. Just another day at WP.