[WikiEN-l] Checkuser for fun, for profit, for mild curiosity, for sharing, for whatever

[Casey Brown]

On 8/13/07, K P <kpbotany at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 8/13/07, David Gerard <dgerard at gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 13/08/07, K P <kpbotany at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > So, we have users given immense power to violate the personal space of
> > > other users, and we have no control over their use and abuse of that
> > > power.
> >
> >
> > Indeed. Checkuser evolved from the en:wp arbcom nagging the devs on IP
> > matches, eventually leading to Tim hacking together an interface for
> > me to look up IPs without needing full database access and having to
> > handcraft SQL. So I suggest you solve it at the technical level: how
> > to stop people having to access the database for any reason. I look
> > forward to your work.
>
> Ah, yes, I find problem's with the president's overseas policy, so I
> should shut up or run?
>
> I wouldn't actually give people access to the database for any reason,
> though.  I'm a bit shocked that's how it's done, too.
> >
> >
> > > And, you don't even have to personally abuse your own checkuser power,
> > > as shown by the recent e-mail where a user offered up his check user
> > > results to others who e-mailed him, so they wouldn't personally have
> > > to sully themselves by snooping--unbelievable.
> >
> >
> > What the whuh? Link?
>
> It was a fairly recent post, in the past week or so, where something
> came up about checkuser, and a list member offered to share his
> results of the check user with others with the privilege so they
> wouldn't have to look it up.
>
> That you didn't even notice is what I am talking about, that this post
> went by without a blink, is what I am talking about--there are no
> privacy considerations, a little sharing of what was revealed is all
> fun and fair.


That's how it's been, CheckUsers have a mailing list for that reason.  It's
not pixie dust, the results need interpretation and sometimes that needs to
be provided by other more knowledgable people.  Without knowing to *whom*
they were sharing this information, we can't really yell at them.  If a
CheckUser shares information with another CheckUser, that's fine, especially
since they all have access to the log.

>
> >
> > > So, are there privacy issues on Wikipedia? Damn straight, when huge
> > > powers to invade others' privacy are given without restraints.
> >
> >
> > Indeed, much as every man is a potential fabulous drag queen. That is,
> > theoretically.
> >
> Nice try.  Well, not really.
>
> This will still come back and bit Wikipedia real ugly.  There is no
> security and Wikipedia does not take user's privacy seriously enough
> to demand that those with the potential to invade it strictly limit
> everything they do with the knowledge they gain possession of.
>
> KP
>
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-- 
Casey Brown
Cbrown1023

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