 | This user account is a bot operated by ST47 (talk). It is used to make repetitive automated or semi-automated edits that would be extremely tedious to do manually, in accordance with the bot policy. This bot was previously approved but has since been retired, and therefore shouldn't be making edits that appear to be unassisted except in the operator's or its own user and user talk space. Administrators: if this bot is malfunctioning or causing harm, please block it. |
This is a Wikipedia Bot operated by User:ST47, an admin on the English Wikipedia. It blocks IP addresses which are known to be open proxies, which are prohibited from editing, such as SOCKS proxies and OpenVPN nodes which are open to the public, from editing Wikipedia. This is done to prevent disruption caused by evading blocks. The IP addresses blocked by this bot would otherwise be used for widespread ip-hopping vandalism and harassment, which is difficult or impossible to halt. If you are blocked by this bot, you are probably not the direct target of the block, but you will need to disable your VPN or proxy in order to edit. Sometimes web browsers and computer security software will automatically connect you to a VPN or proxy without you even knowing, so check those types of software and disable any proxy or VPN features before proceeding.
If you believe that you have disabled your VPN but you are still not able to edit, and the IP address shown on the block message is completely different from your actual IP address (check your IP address here), you may be affected by an automatic cookie block. This will automatically expire after 24 hours, however, you can also clear your cookies for `en.wikipedia.org` in order to attempt to clear the block. Wikipedia Administrators can not see or do anything about this type of block, so you should try this easy self-service step first, before requesting a formal unblock. This type of block does not affect registered users.
If you believe that you have been blocked in error, you can request an unblock by editing your User talk page and adding the message {{unblock|reason=your explanation here ~~~~}}. In your explanation, include your current IP address, and the reason you believe the block is in error. For example, if you are sure that you are not using a VPN, tell us that. If you would prefer to make the request in private, you can also use WP:UTRS.