[WikiEN-l] Assume bad faith, for banned users.

[Wily D]

On 11/21/07, Guy Chapman aka JzG <guy.chapman at spamcop.net> wrote:
> On Tue, 20 Nov 2007 23:13:01 -0800, Ray Saintonge
> <saintonge at telus.net> wrote:
>
> >> We voluntarily undertake not to run frivolous CheckUser checks, or
> >> to reveal personal data per our privacy policy, but there is nothing
> >> illegal about CheckUser.
> >That's just playing with the word "illegal".  Wikipedia's rules fall
> >within the realm of private law, so within that context abusive use
> >could be illegal.  Legality does not need to be limited to matters of
> >compliance with government laws.
>
> Begging the question, of course.  "Abusive?"  Where?  What on earth
> is wrong with a private project using log data to track down
> determined abusers?  Or indeed to exonerate problematic but separate
> individuals?
>
> Guy (JzG)
> --

Realistically, one could construe the checkuser policy as a sort of
contract between Wikipedia and the editors - so any use outside of the
policy (http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/CheckUser_policy) could be
reasonably called abusive and a breach of contract.  At least one
checkuser has admitted to abusing the position in the past, I'm not
sure why you'd assume that other incidents don't exist.

WilyD