Axel Boldt wrote:
The Cunctator wrote:
There is nothing in the GFDL that makes anonymous edits problematic.
There sure is.
I can see the argument that the GFDL requires that we keep track of every contributor -- I buy that "the Wikipedia community" is insufficient. What I don't understand is the difference between a pseudonymous ID like "maveric149" and a pseudonymous ID like "12.246.119.xxx" (which is not *anonymous* either). These are names used by the individual Daniel Mayer on various occasions, but even if we didn't know that the person behind them was really Mayer, still they remain the names that he used when contributing the work. Or, what's the difference between a pseudonymous ID like "Koyaanis Qatsi" and a pseudonymous ID like "66.157.145.251"? These are names used by an individual whose real name we *don't* know, but again they're the IDs that he chose to use when contributing.
Even if we adopt KQ's suggestion of encrypting IP addresses, then we should be all right if we confirm from contributors that their contributions will be logged under a given random ID. The edit page can say (in wiki markup):
---- Your contribution will be logged under the identifier ~~~. Depending on how your Internet service provider works, future contributions by you may or may not have this same identifier, and future contributions logged under this identifier may or may not always be from you. If that's OK, then you can sumbit your contribution now. But if you wish to choose your own unique identifier, then you can [[Special:Login|register]] before submitting your contribution. If you've already registered, then you can [[Special:Login|log in]]. ----
IOW, we provide them with a pseudonym, or they may choose their own.
-- Toby