[WikiEN-l] Because they can: why dictators, totalitarians, and abusive admins do what they do

[George Herbert]

It may have been mailed to a bunch of list members directly, with
faked header info looking like it was sent via lists.wikimedia.org.
The headers and footer are wrong-looking.

I read my wikien-l at gmail, which isn't showing me the true whole
headers, but someone who got the whole headers of the message could
figure out where it was injected.

I don't particularly mind, but it is sort of silly.

Also silly and a bit pathetic is the rant about unblock-en-l.  It went
private because people were sending detailed identifying info to the
list, and the Foundation's policies for protecting personal info
details required it.  We had detailed personal info leak from one
party in what became an Arbcom case to another party in that Arbcom
case by joining Unblock-en-l when it was unmoderated.  The party whose
personal info was out there claimed phone and work harrassment later
followed, though we don't know that the info came via that particular
leak or have verification of the claimed harrassment.

This sort of information leak is intolerable for any organization that
cares about personal privacy.  Parker, how would you feel if what had
leaked was your home phone number, address, and employer's contact
information?

The list is not closed and locked down to any outside oversight.  It's
just not freely open in an unrestricted manner now.  If anyone has
serious questions about oversight or review of unblock-en-l
activities, propose an oversight mechanism.  Just be aware that the
oversight mechanism will have to work with the privacy mechanism.

The complaint about unblock-en-l also betrays a serious
misunderstanding of what the role is of unblock-en-l.  We're there as
one of several appeals mechanisms.  Others include email to the
blocking admin, email to any other admin who will listen, posting an
unblock request template on your talk page, filing a request with
Arbcom, or ultimately going to the Foundation or OTRS.  Unblock-en-L
can't and has no authority to override and keep blocked anyone who
successfully appeals via another mode, and we certainly aren't the
only way to appeal something.  We're just one way to get ahold of
people who are real human beings, will take a look at a situation if
asked, and will assist if we think it's needed.  There is no special
power - I was active on unblock-en-L for many months before becoming
an admin, using nothing more than the powers of research, reasonable
discussion, and persuasion where I found a block that I thought might
be questionable.


-george

On 4/10/07, Gary Kirk <gary.kirk at gmail.com> wrote:
> Not getting into it, but why didn't this message come with [WikiEN-l]?
>
> On 10/04/07, Parker Peters <parkerpeters1002 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > A new entry for you to read, and enjoy.
> >
> > Perhaps you will find enlightened, depending on how corrupt a wikipedian you
> > are.
> >
> > The more corrupt will dismiss it out of hand, of course.
> >
> > http://parkerpeters.livejournal.com
> >
> >
> > --------------------------------
> >  the "Unblock-en-l" list, which was supposedly created to allow a new avenue
> > for people to seek unblock (once people on wikien-l got tired of people
> > asking for unblock there), has been Completely Closed Off. The archives are
> > no longer public record. Nobody is allowed to subscribe, save for those who
> > are in the "good graces" of a certain group of abusive administrators
> > already. Anyone can submit an email to it, but until such time as they see
> > an email back, they cannot see the discussion surrounding them, or the
> > behavior of those inside the group.
> >
> > I can tell you why this is. It is simply because the Unblock-en-l group is a
> > *total and utter fraud.* It was never intended, and has never been intended,
> > that it be a legitimate place for legitimate users to get unblocked. Rather,
> > it's yet another rubber-stamp on the lies and deception
> > necessary<http://parkerpeters.livejournal.com/3130.html>to keep anyone
> > who page-owning administrators and interest groups feel might
> > one day be part of a consensus against their particular point of view, out.
> >
> > --
> > ====
> > Parker Peters
> > http://parkerpeters.livejournal.com
> >
>
>
> --
> Gary Kirk
>
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-- 
-george william herbert
george.herbert at gmail.com