[WikiEN-l] Re: Arbitration Committee members granted checkuser tool

[Sean Barrett]

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Chris Jenkinson stated for the record:

> Kelly Martin wrote:
> 
>> On 11/13/05, Chris Jenkinson <chris at starglade.org> wrote:
>>
>>> What would happen if either of you (Kelly or Sean) disclosed private
>>> information into the public domain? Aside from ethical concerns, what
>>> prevents you from doing this?
>>
>>
>>
>> At work or on Wikipedia?
>>
>> At work, I would risk being fired, sued, and possibly prosecuted.
>>
>> On Wikipedia?  It would be wrong.  It would also be breaking several
>> promises I've made.
> 
> 
> As both of you would face legal recourse if you were to divulge private
> information in your day jobs, what do you think the opposition to having
> a comparable legal agreement between the Foundation and people with
> checkuser is due to, given that the situation is reasonably similar?

The situation is not reasonably similar; it's not even remotely similar.

Disclosure of the information I handle at work would immediately and
directly endanger lives and damage national security, and I am rather
well paid for accepting the responsibility.

Disclosure of a Wikipedian's IP address can only lead to harm through
tortuous chains of unlikely happenstance, and the privilege of
contributing to Wikipedia's success is not sufficient compensation to
persuade me to accept the possibility of a prison term.

If legal liability were a requirement of the position, I doubt you would
find many volunteers for the Arbitration Committee.

- --
 Sean Barrett     | For days, we survived on
 sean at epoptic.org | nothing but food and water.
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