[Foundation-l] Stalking Article

[David Yellope]

Well, first off I'd like to thank Durova for defending me.

Ok, I've worked with SlimVirgin a couple times on issues on WP, most
recently I warned a user who made a sarcastic comment about SV on an ANI
discussion (for which she thanked me via email). I have no problem with her
actions usually.

But I have to speak up. SV is taking a real issue (the one Durova wrote
about, and the one that David Shankbone is living through), and twisting it
to use as a club on other editors.

Unfortunately, it seems like to me like this is an attempt by SlimVirgin to
get at the FOUNDATION level what she can't get at the en-wp level (there is
a current Arbitration Committee case going on, involving SlimVirgin and
other editors involved in the issues she describes here. (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Requests_for_arbitration/C68-FM-SV )

There used to be a similar policy on english Wikipedia to what she wants, it
was called BADSITES. It was claimed to be a policy to protect Wikipedia's
users and admins from harm. Instead it was used as a club to silence others
and to stifle discussion.

As for why Durova defended me, there's another issue on WP that I'm
currently involved in (yes, English Wikipedia, more "issues" then a month
worth of soap operas!) where I'm accused of opposing editors and being part
of a group that is trying to take down WP, simply because I post on WR
(usually ridiculing the folks over there who indeed go too far).

Combined with SV's call to de-admin/check user/steward/bureaucrat anyone who
participates in a "stalking site", well, let's take two+two and get four
here.

If there are individuals who are actually stalking someone, I'm all for
bringing the heavy end of the hammer down on them. A friend of mine, an
English Wikipedia Admin/Check User (who happens to post on WR herself!) was
stalked by a banned user on Wikipedia, and her stalker was subsequently
jailed for it (as a parole violation of a previous stalking conviction).
(I'd link you to her story on Wikipedia Review, but it's in a member only
section). So to say I support stalkers and harassers would be an untruth.

But let's make sure we are dealing with the stalkers and the harassers and
them only, and not using too broad a brush here.