Thread:RRabbit42/@comment-24394678-20180721180720/@comment-961279-20180721184809

Some people are like that, and the reality is that there are cases where the steps we can take are limited. The VSTF and Fandom staff have access to more tools that lets them see the details of exactly which IP addresses they are editing from. If those change and are from servers scattered around the globe, it's tougher to come up with a way to block them.

But in all of these cases, it's the vandal that helps get themselves blocked. The more they do this, the more evidence can be gathered. Some are very obvious about the fact that they've created a new account, with a user name or details in their profile that says "it's me again". Continuing to vandalize also has the side effect of building a reputation against them, where they earn "block on sight" that other admins can apply, no matter where they go.

The more they do this, the harder and harder it becomes for them to keep doing it. Even if they start making good edits and tell the truth, no one will want to believe them. I've seen some who have been at it for a couple years and/or have created dozens or hundreds of accounts, but eventually, every one of them gave up. I've been editing on wikis for 10 years. None of them have had the dedication and commitment to be a vandal that long.

One of the ways Brandon will get to the point where it's not worth it any more is to not make a fuss about it. Fix the vandalism without personal comments. If I use the Undo button to remove it, I may add a matter-of-fact reason at the end of "reverting vandalism" so it's on record. If I block someone, I may put in simply "returning vandal", but in this case, "sockpuppet of Brandom" might be more effective in tracking his accounts.

I should also show you how to do a "bot rollback". That hides a rollback, which reduces the amount of attention that they're trying to get.