[WikiEN-l] Jayjg: Abusing CheckUser for political ends?

[Kat Walsh]

On 6/15/07, Slim Virgin <slimvirgin at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 6/15/07, Kat Walsh <kat at mindspillage.org> wrote:
> > On 6/15/07, Slim Virgin <slimvirgin at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > On 6/15/07, Kat Walsh <kat at mindspillage.org> wrote:
> > > > I realize this is a minority opinion and I've been outnumbered on it
> > > > before, but there it is. If I were not completely open about who I am
> > > > on this site, and did want to maintain anonymity, I would probably
> > > > want to be using TOR myself.
> > >
> > > Kat, the issue of editing with proxies is different from wanting to be
> > > an admin and carry on using them.  We have issues with users running
> > > more than one admin account, and one of the ways they're allegedly
> > > doing this is by using open proxies. Being able to log an admin's real
> > > IP address is the only tiny bit of accountability the Foundation has
> > > regarding admins.
> >
> > I don't actually think it's very different, editing and being an
> > admin. Admins do not have much technical power beyond that of ordinary
> > editors; what they do have could just as easily be abused by someone
> > editing from a public library, cybercafe, or other public terminal,
> > and yet we don't ban those accounts from becoming admins.
> >
> The latter's true, but checkusers can at least see their location. If
> you have two admin accounts making the same kinds of edits, with the
> same voice, and both editing from location X (one from a library, the
> other from an internet cafe), it's a good indication you've got a
> problem.
>
> Trojan admin accounts can do a lot of damage. They can view and copy
> deleted material; unblock abusive users; unprotect pages that would be
> better left protected; cause endless arguments on AN/I by questioning
> other admins; log and hand out conversations on the admins' channel,
> and doubtless other things I haven't thought of.

I still don't see why someone using an anonymizing proxy, who has
maintained a consistent identity, does not resemble another user, and
otherwise does not ping anyone's trouble radar, is more of a risk here
than any other admin for whom we do not know any personal details.

-Kat

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