[WikiEN-l] Self-sensorship, how far should it go?

[Anthony]

On 8/2/07, Matthew Brown <morven at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 8/1/07, Andrew Gray <shimgray at gmail.com> wrote:
> > This is a problem that could be solved not by "appeasement", that
> > loaded but meaningless term, but by a simple and pragmatic decision by
> > a handful of [already-pseudonymous] users to stop editing for a few
> > weeks and come back under another name. I don't care who you think
> > "wins" if that happens - it's the best solution, inasmuch as it stops
> > this vast amount of noise and disruption.
>
> Unfortunately, this is not possible.  You can't easily come back to
> Wikipedia under another name and not be recognized, if you're
> recognizable, if people already know you and your writing style and
> your interests and your behavior.
>
> It's been tried over and again by people trying to escape their
> reputation and start afresh, and it fails often enough that I must
> conclude that it's not a winning strategy.
>
I'd say your sample is necessarily biased because the ones who don't
get caught you wouldn't find out about.  I've made significant edits
under a few different accounts other than the one I originally
created, and while I assume some people have probably noticed it I
haven't really received any public accusations recently.

In the end you probably are fighting a losing battle though.
Pseudonymity doesn't really work.

> And if you disappear and come back under another name, it'll only add
> gasoline to the flames in terms of conspiracy theorists.
>
So what is the solution, then?  I ask this not just for Sarah, but for
all of us.  I think we've gotta accept either the fact that our
pseudonyms are eventually going to be found out or else we've gotta
change pseudonyms frequently.  Even moreso for most of us, who don't
have friends to oversight our edits for us.