Brian McNeil wrote:
Anthony wrote:
So are other communities immune from this problem, or has it just not hit them yet? Either way, I think input from those outside en.wp would be valuable. If you're immune from the problem, tell us how you got there. If it just hasn't hit you yet, let's work together to solve it before it does.
I have CheckUser on the English Wikinews, and I am glad to say I have never been pressured to carry out a check in secret. My opinion is that no undocumented CheckUser should be performed.
A recent case we had to deal with on Wikinews was a repeat page move vandal. I had previously blocked the appropriate IP for a month. When similar vandalism recurred after the block was up my interest was in performing a CheckUser.
I could not quickly and adequately explain the situation to other people in IRC such that they made the request and I fulfilled it. Instead I - someone with the ability to perform the check - had to request either another Checkuser person carry out the check or state that they agreed there were grounds for checking and I should do so. The other Brian performed the check, and it turned out I was correct. Had this been done in secret then all the average user would have seen in RC was a months long block on an IP without knowing it had been verified to be a source of vandalism.
I am strongly against CheckUser being performed in secret, sunlight is the best disinfectant and open and honest procedures will - in the long term - garner the various projects more respect.
Brian McNeil
I tend to agree with you Brian.
Ant