[WikiEN-l] We need a way to deal with AOL vandals THIS year

[Michael Becker]

I have to agree with this.  Something needs to be done.
In addition, I would like a new feature (I'm not asking for much am I?
:).  I would like a special shared watchlist.  This watchlist would be
used for watching articles that have been vandalized by vandals like
Michael.  I have found that he always goes back to the same [type of]
article.  Basically, there would be an option (for sys op's only) to add
a page to vandal hotlist (or something).  In addition, there would be an
option to view vandal hotlist.  This would make it much easier for me
personally, (and other's I'm sure) b/c I don't like having my watchlist
full of the hundreds of article's Michael (and other such vandals)
frequent.  However, I think a hot list of such type would be a great
resource.  What do you guys think?  Any opinions of developers?

--
Michael Becker

-----Original Message-----
From: wikien-l-admin at wikipedia.org [mailto:wikien-l-admin at wikipedia.org]
On Behalf Of Tony Wilson
Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2003 11.58
To: WikiEN
Subject: [WikiEN-l] We need a way to deal with AOL vandals THIS year


Right at this moment, Michael is logged in as User:Fuck. He has cottoned
on to two key weaknesses in our security setup. 

Either one on its own is a problem, but both together is a gaping hole:

(a) There is no way to block a logged-in user if you can't guess his IP
address.

(b) You can revert and rollback, but page moves are *much* more
difficult to restore. You can't jus rollback a page move, you have to
fiddle about making sure you are restoring the right page and not losing
the history, and so on.

So far as I can see, there are only three possible solutions  - no, make
that four, but I don't like the last one much.

(i) Establish a time + number of edits before any new user is
unblockable

(ii) Figure out a way to make the Rollback feature work on page moves as
well as ordinary edits

(iii) Disallow page moves to ordinary users and make that a sysop-only
task

(iv) Pick another half-dozen people, trusted and experienced sysops, and
give them the ability to stand in when Brion and Eloquence are not
around to block the Michaels of this world. Those guys are great, but
they can't be here all the time.

This current vulnerability is a *major* problem, and in my view it needs
action RIGHT AWAY.

In the meantime, Michael is running rampage through the database.

Tony

(Tannin)



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