[WikiEN-l] Cheese Dreams/proposal for a new policy

Sat Feb 5 20:15:08 UTC 2005

Fred Bauder points out that what I suggest amounts to a permanent 
ban.  Yes, this is precisely what I mean.  I understand that many people 
might disagree with me, but this is the effect of what I proposed.  If 
Jimbo rejects it, so be it.  But to reiterate, what I am suggesting should 
only be used in the most extreme cases, and after some sort of due process.

David Gerard points out that this is, in effect, the current situation 
concerning Cheese Dreams.  Yes, I understand that too.  But it is an 
informal and ad hoc response.  I am suggesting giving the ArbCom one more, 
formal, ultimate sanction.  I think making the sanction official will make 
it easier to enforce; having the ArbCom in charge guarantees that the 
accused will benefit from due process.

By the way, although I do think CheeseDreams would be a perfect candidate 
for this sanction, my main point was not to orchestrate some consensus that 
she is an "outlaw" -- that would make this just another ad hoc 
response.  My main interest is in creating an ultimate sanction the ArbCom 
can apply in the most extreme cases, where banning and blocking are 
ineffective and scoffed at by the person blocked.  Put another way, I am 
suggesting a new protocol for enforcing permanent bans; the protocol 
amounts to asking all editors to be on the lookout for activity by the 
person banned and known (it has to be official) sock puppets, and to 
reverse edits without any fear of violating the three revert rule.

Nicholas Knight suggests another strategy for handling this, and Rhobite 
has some concerns.  I am neutral, but do hope that there will be vigorous 
discussion about Nicholas's proposal.  It may be more effective than mine 
-- or less effective; perhaps both proposals have merit and can work in 
concert.

But the main point that I share with Nicholas Knight: "It's just going to 
get worse, and as legitimate users get fed up and leave, people like CD 
will turn Wikipedia into a laughing stock."

Forget about my personal gripe with CD -- forget about CD altogether.  The 
point is, we can count on situations in the future where a person given the 
most reasonable temporary ban will flout the ruling of the ArbCom, and, by 
using many sock puppets, effectively neutralize our current means of 
blocking users.  This calls for some new policy.  People now have my 
proposal and Nicholas's proposal to consider.  I really urge all committed 
Wikipedians to participate in this discussion, and perhaps develop other 
proposals worthy of consideration.

Should such a discussion occur primarily on this list-serve, for now?  Or 
should we create some page on Wikipedia where people can discuss proposals 
(if so, what page?  Where?)?

Steve

Steven L. Rubenstein
Associate Professor
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Bentley Annex
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio 45701

[WikiEN-l] Cheese Dreams/proposal for a *new* policy

[WikiEN-l] Cheese Dreams/proposal for a new policy