The only way I can think of for verifying identities like this is a credit check. For example, this service offered by Experian:
http://www.experian.co.uk/qas/qas-authenticate.html
I'm not sure what that would cost or what data protection restrictions there are on its use.
Hey Harry,I'm not sure if ii) *is* easier. Compare the work of verifying members before every AGM and EGM or merely at the point of joining.We don't really have formal check on membership at the moment - no applicant is asked to prove their residency at their address of that they have provided their real name.In terms of Wikimedia U.K. as a company it is required to keep an accurate list of members addresses and names (http://www.companylawsolutions.co.uk/topics/statutory_registers.shtml#Ins) (apologies if you knew that already) I don't think it's required to check validity of address. While, the legal view (on whether in creating a false membership invalidates any voting rights) will be informative, I'm still not seeing how that is material unless we have a mechanism for ID'ing false applications.Therefore, I still think the key question is one of 'How should we check those members' names and addresses are valid' in a way that isn't too invasive, expensive or time consuming. No suggestions yet...KatOn 19 November 2012 15:19, Harry Burt <harryaburt@gmail.com> wrote:
Aren't there really two points here:
(i) Should we enforce more checks on prospective members?
(ii) Should we enforce more checks on members before we let them vote at AGMs, whether in person or by proxy?
I think the legal question is a good one. Are charities required to do neither/either/both? Legal issues aside, surely (ii) but not (i) is the easiest by quite a margin.
Harry
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Harry Burt (User:Jarry1250)
On Mon, Nov 19, 2012 at 10:54 AM, Katherine Bavage <katherine.bavage@wikimedia.org.uk> wrote:
Hi All,At the board meeting on Saturday a valid point was made that currently the verification process for membership applications doesn't really prove a barrier to fraudulent or duplicate applications.I'd like to look at ways of improving this, so as we aim to expand our membership numbers we're also making sure fairness is enshrined in a checking process that means people can only have one vote.If people pay their membership fee with Paypal, this isn't so much of a problem, as having a verified paypal account has already required this person to link their identity to their postal address - but we want to be as open as possible and so there will be people who give us 'a form and a fiver'.What checking processes do we think would be acceptable without being invasive/onerous? At a basic level, we should be confirming that the applicant is the named person at the address given.Please flag up concerns, suggestions for services or resources we can use, and so on. It may be that we can't completely eliminate the risk of fraudulent applications, but we can make it more difficult and provide a measure or reassurance that no individual has more power than any other by being able to vote twice etc .Thanks!
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Katherine BavageFundraising ManagerWikimedia UKWikimedia UK is a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales, Registered No. 6741827. Registered Charity No.1144513. Registered Office 4th Floor, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT. United Kingdom. Wikimedia UK is the UK chapter of a global Wikimedia movement. The Wikimedia projects are run by the Wikimedia Foundation (who operate Wikipedia, amongst other projects).
Wikimedia UK is an independent non-profit charity with no legal control over Wikipedia nor responsibility for its contents.
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--
Katherine BavageFundraising ManagerWikimedia UKWikimedia UK is a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales, Registered No. 6741827. Registered Charity No.1144513. Registered Office 4th Floor, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT. United Kingdom. Wikimedia UK is the UK chapter of a global Wikimedia movement. The Wikimedia projects are run by the Wikimedia Foundation (who operate Wikipedia, amongst other projects).
Wikimedia UK is an independent non-profit charity with no legal control over Wikipedia nor responsibility for its contents.
_______________________________________________
Wikimedia UK mailing list
wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org
http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l
WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org