[Foundation-l] On the blocking of anonymous proxies

[Jimmy (Jimbo) Wales]

Charles Podles wrote:
> An anonymous user posted the following on
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:Blocking_policy :
> 
> == Blocking anonymizer's proxies is unconstitutional ==
> 
> *'''The right to anonymous free speech is protected by the 1st
> amendment of the US constitution.'''

"Congress shall make no law..."

Unless I missed something, we still aren't Congress.

> *'''Anonymity--the ability to conceal one's identity while
> communicating--enables the expression of  political ideas and the
> practice of religious belief without fear of intimidation or public 
> retaliation.'''

This is certainly true enough, and something that we ought to respect
as much as we feasibly can.

> I kindly request Wikipedia editors to re-open the debate about the
> right of the people to contribute to Wikipedia while protecting their
> rights to free speech, and to curb sysop powers to utilize blocking
> policies.

That's a reasonable request.  Please let's not get lost in a very
confused constitutional claim, though.

When I visited the EFF in San Francisco last week, I met with the
people working on Tor, their anonymous browsing project.  They were
(slightly) sympathetic to our concerns and open to ideas.

--Jimbo

-- 
"Pianosa is een Italie" - first words of 50,000th article on nl.wikipedia.org