Sean Barrett wrote:
You've got Descartes before Horace. People have the right to remain anonymous, and aren't required to show why they "need" to.
I agree.
The problem is that there is no anonymity on the Internet. Not at the level of IP numbers at least. It's a myth.
And Wikipedia should not contribute to this myth. I don't support giving sysops secret superpowers when it can be avoided, which is why I think that *anybody* should be able to see *any* IP number. And we should make it very clear up front that edits are logged by IP number, so that nobody gets the wrong impression and falls for the myth anymore. Let it be clear to all involved that wherever you go on Wikipedia (and indeed wherever you go on the World Wide Web), the sites that you go to know your IP address and log it forever.
If you want to retain your anonymity, then, your *only* recourse is your ISP, since only they can make the link between your IP number and your identity. Wikipedia shouldn't fool anybody about that. We know your IP address, and so does every other site that you visit. Never think otherwise.
-- Toby 138.23.202.213