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Please see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Administrators%27_noticeboard/Inciden...
The short story: Gator1, an admin, blocked a user for 3RR on Phaistos Disc. The user retaliated by posting a message threatening to make life miserable for Gator1 and then followed up on it, sending a letter to Gator1's employer that caused lots of problems, and also caused him to delete his user and talk page and leave the project.
Obviously, what this person did to attempt to ruin Gator's life is entirely unacceptable. What can we do about it? We have the IP address.
- -- Ben McIlwain ("Cyde Weys")
~ Sub veste quisque nudus est ~
Just FYI, running the IP through RIPE's Whois database returns info about a couple of people based in Luxembourg... the name would suggest a company rather than an ISP, although I'm probably wrong on that count...
--NSLE
On 4/8/06, Ben McIlwain cydeweys@gmail.com wrote:
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1
Please see here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Administrators%27_noticeboard/Inciden...
The short story: Gator1, an admin, blocked a user for 3RR on Phaistos Disc. The user retaliated by posting a message threatening to make life miserable for Gator1 and then followed up on it, sending a letter to Gator1's employer that caused lots of problems, and also caused him to delete his user and talk page and leave the project.
Obviously, what this person did to attempt to ruin Gator's life is entirely unacceptable. What can we do about it? We have the IP address.
Ben McIlwain ("Cyde Weys")
~ Sub veste quisque nudus est ~ -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2.2 (MingW32)
iD8DBQFENzIrvCEYTv+mBWcRAlxLAJ0ehMJFJMyE1/WkKWpiLwOBaD1M8wCfV0EU QqOsJEGUo/+OAIvl7XjpLOY= =9XA0 -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- _______________________________________________ WikiEN-l mailing list WikiEN-l@Wikipedia.org To unsubscribe from this mailing list, visit: http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l
Ben McIlwain wrote:
Please see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Administrators%27_noticeboard/Inciden...
The short story: Gator1, an admin, blocked a user for 3RR on Phaistos Disc. The user retaliated by posting a message threatening to make life miserable for Gator1 and then followed up on it, sending a letter to Gator1's employer that caused lots of problems, and also caused him to delete his user and talk page and leave the project.
The most relevant piece of information is missing: what was said in that letter? I can't really imagine why an employer would get upset about what goes on at Wikipedia. At an article about ancient history.
I disagree with those who suggest to protect one's anonymity better because of this. It seems to me that hiding would be the worst possible response. If someone wants to use their real name on Wikipedia, they should be able to.
Chris
The only possible problem I can see is if Gator was editing Wikipedia while at work. That potentially raises liability and reputation issues for the company since he was doing whatever this letter accused him of doing, on company time.
Otherwise, it's just embarrassing -- anything that makes a company take the time to say "what in the world is this?" brands someone as a potential problem employee, even if the action taken really does no harm to the company itself. I mean really, would YOU want to be sitting in your HR office explaining why someone wrote a nasty letter to your company about you?
k
On 4/8/06, Chris Lüer chris@zandria.net wrote:
Ben McIlwain wrote:
Please see here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Administrators%27_noticeboard/Inciden...
The short story: Gator1, an admin, blocked a user for 3RR on Phaistos Disc. The user retaliated by posting a message threatening to make life miserable for Gator1 and then followed up on it, sending a letter to Gator1's employer that caused lots of problems, and also caused him to delete his user and talk page and leave the project.
The most relevant piece of information is missing: what was said in that letter? I can't really imagine why an employer would get upset about what goes on at Wikipedia. At an article about ancient history.
I disagree with those who suggest to protect one's anonymity better because of this. It seems to me that hiding would be the worst possible response. If someone wants to use their real name on Wikipedia, they should be able to.
Chris
WikiEN-l mailing list WikiEN-l@Wikipedia.org To unsubscribe from this mailing list, visit: http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l
On 08/04/06, Katefan0 katefan0wiki@gmail.com wrote:
The only possible problem I can see is if Gator was editing Wikipedia while at work. That potentially raises liability and reputation issues for the company since he was doing whatever this letter accused him of doing, on company time.
Otherwise, it's just embarrassing -- anything that makes a company take the time to say "what in the world is this?" brands someone as a potential problem employee, even if the action taken really does no harm to the company itself. I mean really, would YOU want to be sitting in your HR office explaining why someone wrote a nasty letter to your company about you?
My understanding was that it's the latter - but, god knows, that would be enough for *me* to say "screw this, I don't have to invite this kind of abuse".
Do bear in mind this was written by an upset crank. I don't particularly want to imagine what they claimed he got up to...
-- - Andrew Gray andrew.gray@dunelm.org.uk
It could turn into a problem for the employer if they continue to receive letters or phone calls complaining about Gator1. They may have to take action to stop them. Sydney
Katefan0 wrote:
The only possible problem I can see is if Gator was editing Wikipedia while at work. That potentially raises liability and reputation issues for the company since he was doing whatever this letter accused him of doing, on company time.
Otherwise, it's just embarrassing -- anything that makes a company take the time to say "what in the world is this?" brands someone as a potential problem employee, even if the action taken really does no harm to the company itself. I mean really, would YOU want to be sitting in your HR office explaining why someone wrote a nasty letter to your company about you?
k
Or get rid of the offending employee. Gator at least is a lawyer and therefore a professional whose company probably has a lot invested in him personally, but imagine if this were someone with less professional cred? Easy hire, easy fire; why put up with the hassle?
Anyway, it's all wholly inappropriate, and exactly the sort of situation that makes me nervous about contributing here. God knows what that letter said; Andrew's right, this person is a crank after all.
k On 4/8/06, Sydney Poore poore5@adelphia.net wrote:
It could turn into a problem for the employer if they continue to receive letters or phone calls complaining about Gator1. They may have to take action to stop them. Sydney
Katefan0 wrote:
The only possible problem I can see is if Gator was editing Wikipedia
while
at work. That potentially raises liability and reputation issues for
the
company since he was doing whatever this letter accused him of doing, on company time.
Otherwise, it's just embarrassing -- anything that makes a company take
the
time to say "what in the world is this?" brands someone as a potential problem employee, even if the action taken really does no harm to the company itself. I mean really, would YOU want to be sitting in your HR office explaining why someone wrote a nasty letter to your company about you?
k
WikiEN-l mailing list WikiEN-l@Wikipedia.org To unsubscribe from this mailing list, visit: http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l
Ben McIlwain wrote:
The short story: Gator1, an admin, blocked a user for 3RR on Phaistos Disc. The user retaliated by posting a message threatening to make life miserable for Gator1 and then followed up on it, sending a letter to Gator1's employer that caused lots of problems, and also caused him to delete his user and talk page and leave the project.
I suspect that it was the indefinite block Gator1 placed, for threats of real world retaliation (mail to employer) on another contributor to the 'Phaistos Disc' article, which really set the person off rather than the short term 3RR block.
People who subscribe to disputed scientific theories (the 'Proto-Ionian culture' in this case) receive alot of ridicule and can become very obsessive, somewhat paranoid, and volatile. It might have helped to note that Gator1 really didn't have a choice... Wikipedia policy mandates an indefinite block when there are threats of real world retaliation.
That being said, the only things we could 'do' about the situation now are try to get the person to retract their actions, respond in kind, or offer Gator1 any support he needs and move on. The first likely has small chance of success, the second would in my view be wrong and only make things worse, and the third is inadequate but likely the best course.