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

[Rory Stolzenberg]

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.


And if you have two admins making the same kinds of edits, with the same
voice, both editing from Tor, it's a good indication you've got a problem.
While, just like the library/internet cafe situation, there's no way to be
absolutely certain it's the same person, deciding that you're reasonably
sure would be just as difficult in both situations.

Yes, trojan admin accounts can do all those things. But so can regular admin
accounts. What's the difference?

Rory