[WikiEN-l] Correction to New Yorker Article

[Thomas Dalton]

> I find myself looking on it as "foolish" rather than "unacceptable".
> There *are* stalkers and freaks who go after WP editors, and our
> attitude has generally been that if it's not happening on WP itself,
> it's not our problem. So I can understand why Essjay thought of the
> false identity idea as a way to protect himself, and I might well have
> done it myself when I was his age, not thinking through all the possible
> ramifications. And he's not violating any WP policy, right?

While that is all absolutely true, it doesn't explain why he chose a
fake identity with a PhD and a tenured professorship. I can't see any
reason for that other than to get people to respect him more, which is
rather disappointing, to say the least. I take anything someone says
about themselves under a pseudonym with a pinch of salt, but I still
wouldn't expect that kind of deception.