[WikiEN-l] A modest proposal

[NavouWiki]

Consider this scenario:


An editor creates a sockpuppet account to have discussion on a hot topic.
The editor does not want this discussion associated with the main account.
Checkusers are run, and the two accounts are reconciled.

Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not implying this occurs, it is a
plausible scenario.


Regards,

Navou
-

-----Original Message-----
From: wikien-l-bounces at lists.wikimedia.org
[mailto:wikien-l-bounces at lists.wikimedia.org] On Behalf Of George Herbert
Sent: Monday, August 13, 2007 3:58 PM
To: English Wikipedia
Subject: Re: [WikiEN-l] A modest proposal

On 8/13/07, Anthony <wikimail at inbox.org> wrote:
> On 8/13/07, David Gerard <dgerard at gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 13/08/07, Anthony <wikimail at inbox.org> wrote:
> >
> > > That checkusers have the ability to spy on Wikipedians and checkuser
> > > policy forbids other checkusers from revealing the fact that they did
> > > so is a major problem with Wikipedia.
> >
> > Has it stopped you editing productively?
> >
> It absolutely has cut down my productive editing drastically.  Around
> the time checkuser came out I started editing solely using TOR, so as
> not to reveal my IP address.  I even made a script which searches all
> the tor exit nodes to find one that isn't blocked by Wikipedia.  But
> nowadays I rarely bother with this, and most of the tor exit nodes are
> now blocked.  I set up a TCP tunnel through my friends house which is
> where I make my edits while at home.  My edits are way down from the
> pre-checkuser days, and this is due largely to the introduction of the
> checkuser tool and the lack of good policies against abusing it.

You have a right to use extra privacy technology if you want, but...

Why?

The worst that could happen from someone looking at my IP addresses is
that they could determine from outside what tech companies I've
consulted at over the last few years.

My own company's IP addresses are public, and I publish valid contact
info in WHOIS.

I don't exactly shy away from hot button topics on-wiki.

And in 20 years on the Internet, I've only had one incident where I
was bothered in real life from something that started online.

Everyone has their own comfort levels for privacy, but ...
seriously... why so much effort for Wikipedia usage?


-- 
-george william herbert
george.herbert at gmail.com

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