[Labs-l] Discussion needed: Technically feasible, legally okay... but want tools do we want?

[Lydia Pintscher]

On Wed, Sep 18, 2013 at 11:36 PM, Jan Ainali <jan.ainali at wikimedia.se> wrote:
> Hello Silke,
>
> I would like to raise a counter question. If people do not like that people
> use the data they themselves provide, is it the use of data or the fact that
> they make that data publicly available by own choice and not understanding
> it that is the problem? Clearly, any experienced Wikipedian know how to look
> at user contributions, and if someone makes what is already available
> userfriendly that is a Good thing™. If we do not like userfriendliness, it
> is not the tool that is wrong, but the way in how we collect data. Some
> obvious options stand out (there might be more): 1) do not collect data on
> who is making what edits 2) do not make that data available to other than
> trusted people (admins or higher user rights) 3) be clearer what data is
> actually made public by making edits.
>
> As I see it, this is not a question for labs-l, but wikimedia-l because the
> data available in dumps can be used to do these kind of tools on external
> platforms. Prohibiting someone to analyze available data is so far from the
> free knowledge movement I am not even sure I can wrap my head around it. If
> the data is not available to start with it is a completely different story
> though. So in my opinion, that is where the discussion should start, not at
> how clever people use what is available could be a problem.

A considerable number of people are uncomfortable with the tool in
question at least on dewp. Just because something is possible doesn't
mean it should be done. We should be able to reflect on the
consequences of the technology we build. And you are right that others
could build these tools outside the movement. But this is not what is
happening here. People are unhappy with something inside the movement
and ask us to do something about it which we are capable of. Just
because others could do it doesn't give us the ok to do something
questionable. This is too easy an excuse imho.


Cheers
Lydia

-- 
Lydia Pintscher - http://about.me/lydia.pintscher
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