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

WilliamH

 * Nomination statement (250 words max.)

I'm Will and I have been an editor for 5 and a half years, an admin for 3, and have OTRS access. I live in GMT/BST. I am offering to be a CheckUser because I believe I can assist in this area. I understand how CheckUser works, what it may and may not be used for, and what’s beyond its scope. I can easily be reached, and am frequently available in IRC, often at odd hours. I am over 18 and already identified to the foundation.

I am currently packing for a flight tomorrow. I look forward to getting stuck into these questions once I have reached my destination. WilliamH (talk) 21:29, 26 September 2011 (UTC)
 * I have reached my destination, thanks for your patience. I'm on holiday, but will do my best to be timely. WilliamH (talk) 23:54, 28 September 2011 (UTC)

Standard questions for all candidates
Please describe any relevant on-Wiki experience you have for this role.
 * A: Considering that CheckUser can only provide technical information, I believe that my prosaically motivated mind, well-versed in dealing with controversial subjects, lends itself very well to scrutinising editors potentially abusing multiple accounts, such as in their arguments and idiosyncrasies, as well as considering when a check is warranted. Unsurprisingly given my experience dealing with difficult subjects, there have been instances of suspect behaviour in protracted disputes where CheckUser was necessary, and yet at the other end of the spectrum, I've got no problem calling an account a duck if it looks and quacks like one. I do keep tabs on SPI and I've also dealt with large coordinated vandalism raids. WilliamH (talk) 23:54, 28 September 2011 (UTC)

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


 * A: In addition to considering WHOIS and geolocation information and understanding rangeblocks, I was a voluntary assistant manager to MSN's official community for teenagers before MSN Groups was disbanded, prior to me editing Wikipedia and Wikimedia subjects. In my role, I was permitted to run a bot in the IRCx based chat room and was thus privy to the list of IP addresses and ranges banned for unacceptable conduct, and could adjust it accordingly. Occasionally I would have to forward an IP to MSN's Head Office, as well as send screenshots of particularly abusive behaviour. WilliamH (talk) 23:54, 28 September 2011 (UTC)

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 have OTRS access to info-en, Junk, Junk (non-spam) and permissions. WilliamH (talk) 23:54, 28 September 2011 (UTC)

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)  19:34, 26 September 2011 (UTC)
 * A: Yes. I'm always willing to take a look at something. I think many people on IRC would agree with that. WilliamH (talk) 23:56, 28 September 2011 (UTC)

Would you be proactive in looking at the open cases at SPI to see if they could use a checkuser? -- DQ  (t)   (e)  19:34, 26 September 2011 (UTC)
 * A: Definitely. As I said, I do keep tabs on SPI, and whether as a CheckUser or an editor, I'll always be willing to offer my perspective. WilliamH (talk) 23:56, 28 September 2011 (UTC)

I see your also running to become a steward, do you think you could be taking on too much at once right now? (obviously you don't have to give details) -- DQ  (t)   (e)  19:34, 26 September 2011 (UTC)
 * A: No, I don't feel that way and there isn't really anything more to add to that. At any rate, I felt like I could be a good Steward. I wasn't particularly optimistic given my small amount of cross-wiki contributions, but I was encouraged to run by a few people that I've had varying amounts of correspondence with, but are at the least familiar with what I do on Wikipedia, and perhaps more importantly, the manner in which I do it. WilliamH (talk) 23:56, 28 September 2011 (UTC)

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 21:37, 26 September 2011 (UTC)
 * A: As previously hinted, I wouldn't describe myself as the most prolific cross-wiki contributor. However, I speak German to de-3 and Italian to it-1. I can read basic Dutch and French, and a few other Romance/Germanic languages at a very basic level. I am very confident when it comes to navigating my way across other projects, and can always find what I want. Liasing with other Stewards is no problem. (Being a native English speaker that has proficiency in a language other than English means I’m often considered a bit of a curiosity.) WilliamH (talk) 00:21, 30 September 2011 (UTC)

In your own words, what are the main differences between the WMF's CheckUser policy and the privacy policy? –MuZemike 21:37, 26 September 2011 (UTC)
 * A: I see that the Privacy Policy is an umbrella under which the CheckUser policy falls, namely that the CheckUser tool must treat derived user data in accordance within the Privacy policy. WilliamH (talk) 00:21, 30 September 2011 (UTC)

Under what circumstances do the above policies give on the release of CheckUser data? –MuZemike 21:37, 26 September 2011 (UTC)
 * A: Such circumstances are few and far between, but the policy on the release of data is quite clear. They are a 1) legitimate subpoena (Freedom of Information requests do not apply), 2) with the permission of the affected user, 3) investigating abuse of multiple accounts, 4) concerning the data collected by a web crawler and its “dissemination is necessary to illustrate or resolve technical issues”, 5) in order to substantiate a complaint to an ISP or assist in the targeting of IP blocks in cases of chronic vandalism/abuse, and 6) a general provision allowing for the reasonable protection of “the rights, property or safety of the Wikimedia Foundation, its users or the public.”
 * As for CheckUser policy, I think that a Magic 8-Ball is a good summation. I believe it is a prerequisite to respect privacy where it is possible to do so, and that still goes for cases of multiple accounts being used abusively. CheckUsers should block the IPs of sockpuppeteers discretely, and obviously do not reveal IPs when linking accounts. My view and how I would act here is: be frugal, and do not reveal any more than is necessary. WilliamH (talk) 00:21, 30 September 2011 (UTC)

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 21:37, 26 September 2011 (UTC)
 * A: An obvious example is the correspondence and results concerning sockpuppetry by an administrator. I would also be inclined to say that anything relating to sensitive IP addresses is also best handled off-stage. In general, I think that controversy should be handled professionally and tactfully, and that drama should not be an inherent part of dealing with controversy. I personally dislike drama because it detracts people from what we’re here to do: build a great encyclopedia. WilliamH (talk) 00:21, 30 September 2011 (UTC)

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) 17:20, 28 September 2011 (UTC)
 * A: I would prefer to understate than overstate the small amount of experience I have in this area on Wikipedia, but I do understand proxying and its use by vandals and sockpuppeteers to circumvent sanctions (although not everyone uses a proxy for purposes detrimental to Wikipedia), and I believe I have a sound understanding of how to identify them.


 * Obviously first of all, I would have to have reason to suspect that an IP is a proxy. For example, if a proponent of a contention or argument, or a certain style of vandalism is from a known country or ISP, and then another IP randomly chimes in doing the same thing from a different country, then that would definitely rouse my suspicions. I would Google the IP and scrutinise the results. I've got years of experience sifting through search engine results looking for obscure books and other publications based on their ISBN number, so looking for a potential means of access based on an IP address would be effortless for me. Then I would try to connect to the proxy and visit a website such as whatismyipaddress.com. Also, previewing my signature on Wikipedia would be conclusive. WilliamH (talk) 00:21, 30 September 2011 (UTC)

Comments

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


 * I have concerns about the long period of inactivity. While I certainly understand that real life often interferes with on-wiki activity, the point of these appointments is to find people who can actually commit the time to doing the work for some time to come. The recent inactivity period does not give me confidence that WilliamH will be able to do so. T. Canens (talk) 04:23, 5 October 2011 (UTC)