What Wikipedia needs is more disinformation!

Says Ray Saintonge:
http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikie...uly/078315.html

And also Matthew Brown:
http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikie...uly/078320.html

David Gerard says it's time to smear Pierre Salinger by starting an article on the "Pierre Salinger Syndrome":
http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikie...uly/078298.html

Tell your grandchildren that you were there at the precise moment when Wikipedia evolved from a childish video game that tries to be an encyclopedia, to a childish video game that's a threat to the public's right to know.

Its main threat still remains that it puts reliable encyclopedias out of business while it replaces them with innacurate information.

The one that struck me the most was actually this one, from someone calling himself "Milos Rancic." On a free WordPress blog entry apparently set up specifically for the purpose, he insists that everything posted about SlimVirgin here and on Wikipedia-Watch is "trash," because "it is not possible to check" the claims made on both sites.

This is basically the essence of Wikiality - if you don't like something, just censor it out of existence so that you can pretend that what you do like is the truth. It has nothing to do with morality or ethics whatsoever; the only purpose is the maintenance of authority and the promotion of personal agendas.

I mean, we all saw the slimvirgin.com domain registration before it was proxied, we all saw the link in the Cambridge alumni listing, and he even claims that the name "Sarah" is "not found" because it's not on Wikipedia, even though there are dozens, if not hundreds, of archived WikiEN-L postings still extant in which she signs her name "Sarah" (like this one, among many others). I'd almost go to the extent of suggesting that "Milos Rancic" isn't a real person, but rather someone set up, sort of like Ray "User:El_C" Saintonge has suggested, specifically to spread disinformation and lies.

Exactly right, Somey. I saw that and couldn't believe what I was reading. The only thing comparable is SlimVirgin changing her domain registration to a proxy service after we had all been observing it for 1.5 years, and then getting King's College at Cambridge to delete their listing for Linda Mack, after we had all been mousing over the thing for almost a year, seeing her "slimvirgin1@yahoo.com" email address.

This is so typically Wikipedia. They think if they delete something, it never existed. Just like zapping something in a video game.

What was her domain registration before it was hidden?

Also was a slimvirgin1@yahoo.com actually listed as the email address of a "Linda Mack"?

It was slimvirgin.com. You can still see some useless stuff at http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://slimvirgin.com

It was registered to S. McEwan at a PO box in Swalwell, Alberta. The phone number was useless; Patrick Byrne told me that he tried it. I don't even know if Swalwell has a post office. The email on the registration was slimvirgin1@yahoo.com

The answer to your second question is "yes" — exactly the same email address under "Linda Mack" on the alumni list at King's College, Cambridge philosophy department as on the domain registration for S. McEwan.

Regarding Ray Saintonge. Geez, what the fuck is this, Spartacus? "I'm SlimVirgin!" "No, I'm SlimVirgin!" "No, I'm SlimVirgin!"

It would be nice if David Gerard did a minimum of research before he posted to wikiEN-L; the article [[Pierre Salinger syndrome]] was deleted in 2006, as a neologism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Art...linger_syndrome

All I can think about are "memory holes", "speakwrites" and "all of history was a palimpsest"

I've got to lie down...

This is very interesting reading. The first part that I found odd was that he refused to give a name to either the Slashdot posting or the article, simply referring to them as "the slashdot post" and "the article". He also refused to give a name to us (even though he linked here), instead referring to us as "a forum post". Surely it is relevant in any critical analysis to include such relevant details as titles and names and such?

Also, the part where he says "Slim signs her name as Sarah on Wikipedia -> not found" was something that *WE* found, and it was then oversighted by Jayjg.

Also, it says that we haven't referenced things. Yes, we have. It's just that what we need (perhaps in a blog post?) is to coordinate everything that we've uncovered on this issue. Does anyone want to spare the time to do it?

It didn't read so much as disinformation so much as someone who is incredibly gullible. But then again, it is sometimes hard to tell who are the disinformation peddlers and who are the gullible people who go along with it.

I had to read Mr. Brown' s statement a couple of times before it dawned on me. At first I just thought he hadn't thought it through. I mean if you wanted to make a credible denial you would have to do so through the real identity not the pseudonym. But then I got it. Brownie is advocating identity theft. Heck of a job...

I think it's Runcorn. An obvious anagram of "Milos Rancic" is "I Claim Corns".

Pure amateur.

Greg

P.S. Either that, or he's just an "ironic clam".

Actually, there's a photo of him on ziki.com, which appears to be some sort of blog aggregator. He's from Belgrade, Serbia, which probably doesn't mean anything in itself... although there are those who feel that Serbians have a certain propensity for distorting the historical record, for a variety of purposes that might include diminishing their level of responsibility for World War I, and by extension the rest of the 20th Century, for example.

I'm just sayin'...

Tha proves it. This evidence should go up somewhere.

As plausible as anything else said about Runcorn.

From the helpful folks at Canada Post: there is one post office in Swalwell, AB; post code T0M 1Y0.

That's cool. Looks like a tiny little office. Now then, will they tell you who rented Box 112 as of 2002-05-07? That's probably impossible to find out unless you put on a shiny red Royal Canadian Mounted Police uniform, and ride up on a horse.

It might be easier to start asking around about a poodle that looks very unhappy in a snowsuit.

I just had a very unpleasant thought. What if SlimVirgin is an intelligence operative? What if Jayjg is an outright sockpuppet of Slimvirgin? What if Jayjg does systematically abuses Checkuser. Maybe I don't appreciate the limits or controls in place. Maybe there aren't that many. This might have serious--- an I don't mean the kind of nonsense that admins bitch about--- but serious---as in state intelligence suppressing domestic and foreign dissidents who happen to edit in sensitive area or express views. These people have been promised a level of privacy that they have relied upon. The WMF needs to appropriate steps to ascertain to determine if this has occurred. It needs to report its finding to the users and the wider community.

This may be so much worse than CharlotteWeb. The difference is that between lightning and the lightning bug.

That's a good point, GlassBeadGame. Anyone with CheckUser access should be not only be required to use their real name on Wikipedia, but should also be vetted by the Foundation Board, at least to the extent of trying to check out their references and their work history.

We don't know a damn thing about Jayjg, except that he's as suspicious as SlimVirgin. Jimmy knows, and his knee-jerk dismissal of this issue makes it all the more suspicious. This is a perfect situation for the Board to intervene and ask Jayjg to identify himself, or take away his CheckUser access.

We have a Foreign Agents Registration Act in the U.S. If the Justice Department wasn't so screwed up at the moment, it might be worthwhile trying to send out some letters to our representatives and various federal officials.

One Canadian who commented on the Ohmynews site about SlimVirgin said that they would contact their representative about SlimVirgin. Apparently MI5 needs the permission of the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service before mucking around on Canadian territory.

So would any other "foreign" intelligence agency operating on Canadian soil.



Or city police, or provincial (state) police or CSIS...

The only way you'll ever get info on Jayjg from the WMF is to have a supoena issued.

Boy, I don't know how an individual gets standing on that type of issue. Maybe a legislative committee, or some grand jury looking at some matter relating to unregistered foreign agents. They are both (if two people) in Canada. Maybe a person acts on behalf of a foreign power through actions carried out on a server in Flordia.... Boy, that a stretch. If Jimbo knows it might make a difference. Maybe if someone's civil rights are violated, say speech chilled or involvement in a activist group disrupted, they might have a private cause of action. But they are unlikely to able to figure out the source of their troubles.

I believe the board does know the identity of Jayjg. It is required of all users with CheckUser access, per the board resolution described at http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Resolu..._nonpublic_data

It would seem they must, unless a resolution was passed pursuant to paragraph (7) that says exceptions to this policy may be made only by the resolution of the Board of Trustees. It is also a fairly recent resolution (April, 2007). Are all resolutions available to the public?

Some possibilities:

• WMF knows who Jayjg is and he is not Sarah McEwan.
• WMF is decieved about Jayjg's identity.
• WMF knows Jayjg is Sarah McEwan but does not connect that name with the SV account.
• WMF knows that Jayjg and SV are both Sarah McEwan.

Of course, Jayjg being SlimVirgin's outright sockpuppet is not the most likely scenario. It is more likely that they simply work in close concert whether one, both or neither are involved in current intelligence activities and whether, if one or both are involved in intelligence activities they might know or not know of the activities of the other. Hell, it is even remotely possible that they both work across purposes with conflicting intelligence agencies.

I think it's more likely that the Board doesn't know who Jayjg is, and Jimmy won't tell them, which is why they passed this resolution. They're still afraid to push this particular issue, and they don't plan to make it retroactive.

How else do you explain Jimmy's blind arrogance when it comes to defending Slim and Jayjg? A normal person in the position of Jimmy wouldn't make quick judgments about our evidence or lack of evidence concerning Slim. I'll bet that if you asked Jimmy to summarize our evidence on Slim, he would have nothing to say because he hasn't looked into it at all.

That's exactly what makes Jimmy suspicious on this issue.

I have a vague recollection that Jayjg did not stand re-election to ArbCom because he would have to disclose his identity. Do I remember right? I don't know where to start to check.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jayjg

I didn't find anything specific on that, but the timing is right. I recall that Brad Patrick had issued rules to the effect that you had to be 18 and identify yourself for certain high positions, and those were in effect last December, when Jayjg decided not to seek re-election.

It's been suggested that he is under 18 or was at the relevant time.

I'm shocked the board doesn't have to maintain a public listing of which users have been verified. Not any private info, just:

* User1: Verified
* User2: Verified, etc.

When they actually were in that position, they didn't pass any such resolution so they wouldn't look toothless (check the foundation mailing list archive - they didn't require checkusers to identify themselves earlier specifically because Essjay wouldn't do it).

Post Essay, I'm sure the board managed to get all the checkusers to id themselves.

I'm sure some of them, at least Jayjg, sent in fake IDs.

I've also heard that every female checkuser is a male-to-female transexual and Jimbo has no idea about that.

Sounds nonsense to me. Kelly Martin was supposed to be one, but she's not a checkuser any more.

The only other checkuser that claims to be female is Rebecca. The rest appear to claim to be male.

I am new to the Wikipedia Review, and I love the idea of Wikis, but I do not like the cabalist regime of King Jimbo. Jimbo's support for people who use fake identifications to hide their identities is rediculous. Reminiscent of the Stalinist Г.У.лаг (GULag) regime and the CIA. What is this nonsense? I bet Jimbo knows all about that SlimVirgin is Sarah McEwan is Linda Mack, and he just supports Big Brother-ish people for some odd Leninist reason. I don't see how someone who has two names (Sarah, Linda, what identity is next??) can be trustworthy, let alone letting in SJ, RJ, or whoever. Jimbo needs mental help. Is she Sarah? Is she Linda? Is she even a Slim Virgin? Who is behind the SlimVirgin account. Also, why is it mandatory to be 18 for the CheckUser (read:invasion of privacy) when really you don't have to even reveal your identity. It is also very suspicious that Jayjg is SlimVirgin. No identity, no confirmation. This is very weird, the SarahLindaMackEwan thing. Quite suspicious. GlassBeadGame, I believe that it is #4, that the WMF knows that Jayjg and SV are both (SarahLinda).

Welcome, jdrand.

Thanks for the welcome.

Another possibility: that SlimVirgin is Sarah McEwan, and Jayjg is a meatpuppet, named C E McEwan, possibly her brother. Quite suspicious because from what the Namebase entry says it seems C.E. McEwan works for the British Intelligence.