Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee/CheckUser and Oversight/2011 CUOS appointments/CU/HelloAnnyong

HelloAnnyong

 * Nomination statement (250 words max.)

Hey. I'm HelloAnnyong, and I'm offering my assistance to the project as a checkuser.

I've been active as an editor since early 2007, and have been an administrator since September 2010. I've been a sockpuppet investigations clerk for roughly a year now, and in that time have become one of the most active clerks. I've looked at and made judgments on hundreds of cases using both checkuser data and behavioral evidence. As such, I've got quite a bit of experience in analyzing edit patterns, working with rangeblocks and IP geolocation, and so on. I've worked with the checkusers extensively and understand what sort of information the checkuser tool can provide. Additionally I've been involved with the identification and handling of several of the larger and more prolific sockfarms.

I believe I've served my position of SPI clerk well, and will continue to do so in the future. As a checkuser I would be able to assist even further with cases, as well as help in other situations where sockpuppetry issues arise. In terms of availability, I'm around almost every day and can be contacted by email or on IRC.

Standard questions for all candidates
Please describe any relevant on-Wiki experience you have for this role.
 * A: I've been an SPI clerk for more than a year now. As one of the most active clerks there, I've handled hundreds of cases spanning all sorts of issues. I've evaluated behavioral evidence, handled checkuser results, and analyzed edit patterns, particularly when it comes to rather prolific sockfarms. I've built and blocked rangeblocks when circumstances have called for them.

Please outline, without breaching your personal privacy, what off-Wiki experience or technical expertise you have for this role.


 * A: I hold a bachelor's degree in computer science, and my day job is in that field. I've built several tools on the Toolserver and have extensive knowledge with IP, browsers and user agent strings, CIDR and IP ranges, and so on.

Do you hold advanced permissions (checkuser, oversight, bureaucrat, steward) on this or other WMF projects? If so, please list them. Also, do you have OTRS permissions? If so, to which queues?
 * A: I don't have advanced permissions elsewhere, and I'm not on OTRS.

Questions for this candidate
Being a new checkuser, would you be willing to help with the Checkuser backlog at WP:ACC as there are usually up to 6 requests waiting about 5 days+? -- DQ  (t)   (e)  19:29, 26 September 2011 (UTC)
 * A: Sure! I've never really been involved in that domain, but am absolutely willing to help out.

Would you be proactive in looking at the open cases at SPI to see if they could use a checkuser? -- DQ  (t)   (e)  19:29, 26 September 2011 (UTC)
 * A: Yes. I'm still plan to be as heavily involved with SPI as I am now - part of which is looking at open cases to see if a checkuser is warranted. In many cases, I've added a checkuser request when I feel a checkuser would be beneficial.

As a CheckUser, you will likely, from time to time, coordinate and communicate with the Stewards. What cross-wiki experience can you bring that can help out not only the Stewards, but editors, administrators, and CheckUsers on other wikis? –MuZemike 21:34, 26 September 2011 (UTC)
 * A: I've not really had much experience on other Wikis. I've done some editing on the Japanese Wikipedia and have been around on Commons for image uploads (and once dealing with a sockpuppeteer), but that's about it.

In your own words, what are the main differences between the WMF's CheckUser policy and the privacy policy? –MuZemike 21:34, 26 September 2011 (UTC)
 * A: The privacy policy explains what data is collected, who has access to that data, and under what circumstances that data can be released. By comparison, the checkuser policy explains under what circumstances the tool should be used, who has access to the tool itself, and what sort of data can be released. The privacy policy is more general in its description; the checkuser policy more clearly defines how the privacy policy applies to the CU tool.

Under what circumstances do the above policies give on the release of CheckUser data? –MuZemike 21:34, 26 September 2011 (UTC)
 * A: Checkuser data can be released when it is requested from law enforcement, for abuse complaints (including for reports made to ISPs), or when necessary to protect the Foundation. Other circumstances include when a user specifically states to release it, or for technical issues with bots.

Give some examples on when CheckUser requests of a sensitive nature or discovered CheckUser results of interest that would not be posted on-wiki. –MuZemike 21:34, 26 September 2011 (UTC)
 * A: I can recall a few times when Checkuser results were withheld due to surprising or unexpected results. For example, if a longterm editor or administrator comes up as possibly being involved, the results aren't divulged. Similarly, checkuser requests involving issues with administrators would probably not be released openly.

Checkuers are often relied on to determine whether someone is using anonymising proxies to perform their sockpuppetry. Please describe your general experience in this area. Please also describe, preferably with an example, how you (would have) suspected, identified, confirmed, and blocked a socking open proxy on Wikipedia. -- zzuuzz (talk) 17:18, 28 September 2011 (UTC)
 * A: Admittedly I don't have a lot of experience in rooting out proxies, though I've blocked a few that were confirmed. I know you can use nmap or other tools built on nmap to check for proxies, though I've not used them. I suppose you could suspect an IP of being a proxy if you have a previous history of socking for a particular master, and have a new IP that seems to match the master behaviorally but geolocates to a very different area. You could also just Google the IP to see if it comes up on any lists of open proxies.

First of all, thank you for all your hard work at SPI. As a regular reviewer of unblock requests I have examined a good deal of your work and generally you do a great job. However, I have to ask if you could comment further on the most recent report in Sockpuppet investigations/The Legendary Ranger/Archive. (note that all blocks have since been overturned by other admins, including myself, who found the behavioral evidence unconvincing.) Beeblebrox (talk) 18:24, 30 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Sure. First, this is the first I've heard about the case after dealing with it; no notes were left on there about the unblocks, and I was never contacted about it. Anyway, to the case. I'd point out that all of the IPs geolocate to the same city (New York) and their focus is the NYC train system. I didn't block all four IPs as socks of the master. As I wrote, I think the 128 IP and the master were the same based on behavioral grounds: the 128 IP came out of basically nowhere and, over roughly ten minutes, undid quite a few edits. That doesn't strike me as someone who's particularly new to Wikipedia. The other IPs struck me as also being not new; one of the IPs left a comment on the sockpuppet case without ever having been notified of it, which is fairly suspicious. Perhaps the evidence linking the other IPs is more tenuous, though. I'm not infallible, and everyone makes mistakes from time to time - so if I made a mistake, I'll apologize to the editors. —  Hello Annyong  (say whaaat?!) 21:19, 30 September 2011 (UTC)

Comments

 * Comments may also be submitted to the Arbitration Committee privately by emailing 


 * HelloAnnyong has been active and displays consistent good judgment in the current role of SPI clerk. Seems like a fine candidate for CheckUser. --Orlady (talk) 14:07, 26 September 2011 (UTC)
 * In my visits to SPI, I have observed HelloAnnyong to be fairly active and good faith. I don't know this user well enough to make a strong statement of support but I can say that I have no objection at this time. Pinetalk 19:29, 30 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Already a highly dedicated user in the realm of SPI, knows the ins and outs of it better than most. Answer to my question is satisfactory as well. No objections. Beeblebrox (talk) 21:22, 30 September 2011 (UTC)
 * I concur with the assessments above. HelloAnnyong seems to be very solid, trustworthy, consistent, and competent in everything that (s)he has done. (S)he has been active, communicative, and informative at ANI whenever SPI incidents come to the fore, and his dedication to doing things not only right, but above reproach is greatly appreciated. I can think of nothing that would tarnish HelloAnnyong's ability to be a similarly outstanding CheckUser. VanIsaacWScontribs 10:46, 1 October 2011 (UTC)
 * Would hate to lose your clerk work (as you'll probs be running the checks now) at SPI, but I would support you in moving on. -- DQ  (t)   (e)  18:47, 3 October 2011 (UTC)
 * From online and offline experience of this user, a fine addition to a strong team. Daniel Case (talk) 02:51, 5 October 2011 (UTC)
 * Agree with DQ and Daniel Case. A pity how we often lose good clerks to the annoying checkusers :) T. Canens (talk) 04:15, 5 October 2011 (UTC)