NOTE: Outside/real world refers to any venue, website, body, or place outside of Wikipedia, ranging from one on one conversation (IRL, email, phone, Instant messaging) up to other websites (news sources, Wikis, message boards) up to legal/government agencies, or anything in between. Basically, anything not hosted on Wikimedia Foundation IP addresses/domain names.

Bump, and someone answered Yes to question one. Why? Please explain.

Infoboy, with all due respect, that's a rigged poll, and somewhat of a bully poll too. I'd suggest that you make a new one, with the same questions, but get rid of the "If you say yes, please explain why". It's kind of threatening to word it in that way. Maybe you didn't mean it like that, but that's how it comes across. If you can create a new poll, with the same things, but none of the "Please explain yourself" stuff, then I think someone can delete this for you. Or else perhaps Somey or someone can just edit out that bit so its less aggressive. Or I guess we will all just ignore it.

I voted "Yes" on the first question, by the way, because quite honestly this is the internet, and there are very good reasons why people are often anonymous over the internet. I can link to a place that says my real name, but I won't directly say it on here, not my full name. I can tell you that my first name is Adrian and that Louisa Meredith is my great great great great great grand-mother, on my father's side, but I can't tell you my name. I am very much worried that if I do then some sicko out there will use it to stalk me. Perhaps its a bit paranoid, but once bitten twice shy you know.

How would you word it to get an idea of why people think the outside world (new media, government, etc., lone people) should respect WP's privacy policies?

I think the question is backward. Users (and anyone visiting the site) have rights vis a vis the WMF because of the WMF Privacy Policy. It creates a reasonable expectation of privacy. If WMF (through Checkuser or otherwise) violates the policy any person harmed by reliance on that expectation can seek damages under Florida (and possibly other) laws.

Er, I think this is being mixed up. My goal is to see specifically if people believe that the outside world (non-WMF) has any moral, ethical, or legal obligation or duty to adhere to, honor, or respect the WMF's privacy policies.

WP has a Privacy Policy, which is linked to on the bottom of each and every page on the site. This only creates obligations for WMF and its agents. It is not something outsiders can adhere to or not. They are intended to benefit from it. Maybe you mean something more generic by "privacy policies" such as abiding by "no outing" rules. No I don't think the outside world has to abide by that kind of thing. Of course WP could always ban people who won't comply. If someone, god forbid, actually harmed someone (defamed, scuffed their sneakers, wiki-raped) while "outing" the individual harmed might have a cause of action but WMF would not have standing as a plaintiff (possible WMF could be a co-defendant.)

There's nothing wrong with your question. Just the "If you say yes, please explain" is trying to force the person voting to vote in the way that you want them to. That's the issue.

I was just looking for people to explain why they felt the way that they do.