[WikiEN-l] Re: Blocking without following policy

Sat Jun 12 17:32:10 UTC 2004

John Robinson wrote:

> Fred Bauder wrote:
>
>> I definitely want to see some evidence and also some information 
>> about what
>> would be evidence. How do we determine that someone is a 
>> reincarnation of a
>> previously banned user?
>
> It's pretty simple really, using the old saw:
>
> 1) They look like a duck. Check, derivative usernames (Entmoots of 
> Trolls, JRR Trollkien, Leo Trollstoy)
>
> 2) They walk like a duck. Check, editing mostly the same articles as 
> the banned user did.
>
> 3) They quack like a duck. Check, the edits made to the 
> above-mentioned articles are virtually the same as those made by the 
> banned user.
>
> Even with all three of these being the case, it is hypothetically 
> possible that they are not, indeed, a reincarnation of the banned 
> user. However I think it is overkill to go to their house, knock on 
> their door and ask "Hey, are you [banned user]?" Assuming that the 
> banned user was banned for their behavior, it makes sense that a new 
> account displaying the same behavior should also be banned.

These are not evidence.  They are merely grounds for suspicion, although 
I agree that simply asking them if they are reincarnations of a banned 
user can't be a very fruitful process.

Hard evidence likely involves the analysis of contribution logs.

We need a process to be somewhat more sophisticated than kangaroos 
jumping on ducks.

Ec