Cash for spam, functionary involved? Options

[Viridae]

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=...8#Cash_for_spam

(Perm link)

[Somey]

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=...8#Cash_for_spam

Well, if you're going to produce spam anyway, why not get paid for it?

I suppose, though, another "functionary using an undisclosed sock to edit for money on behalf of businessmen" story might be a potential candidate for the year's Top Ten list.

How many functionaries are there, anyway? And do any of the WP functionaries play cricket? Because if they don't, I'm not sure I can figure out why YellowMonkey would be interested in them. Whereas if they do, he's likely to write a book-length article about whoever it is, complete with charts and graphs showing an innings-by-innings breakdown of his batting career, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of the last ten innings (blue line).

[Viridae]

This is a list of who has access to the functionaries mailing list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:FUNC#functionaries-en

Might provide an indication.

[Somey]

This is a list of who has access to the functionaries mailing list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:FUNC#functionaries-en

Might provide an indication.

I'm not seeing any obvious cricketers...

If I had to guess, I'd say it's probably Jimbo himself. He travels a lot, so it's likely someone in India or Pakistan or South Africa taught him the essentials of the game at some point or other.

[Jon Awbrey]

The only real question here is how much Viridae is getting paid to spam the Review.

Jon

[Viridae]

This is a list of who has access to the functionaries mailing list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:FUNC#functionaries-en

Might provide an indication.

I'm not seeing any obvious cricketers...

If I had to guess, I'd say it's probably Jimbo himself. He travels a lot, so it's likely someone in India or Pakistan or South Africa taught him the essentials of the game at some point or other.

Sorry, had like 5 mins to spare at work when i posted that - couldnt reply in full.

Yellow Monkey used to be an arb - hence why he might be interested in functionary misbehaviour in addition to cricket. (But I think you know that )

[thekohser]

Now the Jimbo TalkPageTalkers are speculating that it might have something to do with our New Jersey friend who gives piano lessons, I Ching sessions, and Wikipedia articles in exchange for payment.

Does everything nefarious have to spiral back to me, somehow?

[CharlotteWebb]

If I had to guess, I'd say it's probably Jimbo himself. He travels a lot, so it's likely someone in India or Pakistan or South Africa taught him the essentials of the game at some point or other.

I'm sure Jimbo doesn't understand cricket, I'd bet dollars to donuts. He'd have to know what a crumpet is in order to...

Anyway if this is based on checkuser data, then anybody else with checkuser rights would be able to read the log and get a pretty good idea who he's talking about. They'd be unlikely to announce who the suspect is yet but should be at least able to indicate how plausible Bling-Bling's allegation is.

Of course if read the policy correctly "undisclosed sock" by itself would only be actionable if the suspect is not only a "functionary" but a current member of arbcom. However it seems like if YellowMonkey meant "current arb" he would have said so (but hey, stranger things have happened).

I can see how stress and/or boredom associated with "functionary" work, and a reluctance to acknowledge that they feel this way (lest they have some flock of busy-bodies recommending that they resign) could entice somebody to moonlight as an article editor under a secret account, and there would be nothing inherently sinister about it. Thus I'm more curious about what leads YellowMonkey to believe this editing (or some part of it) was "paid".

Speaking in general, one can consider possible scenarios in which a single-purpose account removes dodgy information from an article (about a business-man perhaps) in the interest of upholding BLP... but in a way that is indistinguishable from doing the same thing at the behest of (and possibly in exchange for compensation from) the article subject.

That is, I think WP would expect the former motive not to mean anything to a convincingly "new" user, and be more likely to assume bad faith. Shrug.

Consider also that some "functionaries" may (based on their interpretation of the alleged reasons for the removal Jayjg's "functionary" status) feel increased pressure to refrain from using their "functionary" account to edit potentially controversial topics in a way that indicates anything other than dispassionate interest.

Whatever evidence exists, whoever reviews it should be careful not to jump to conclusions not clearly warranted by it.

This post has been edited by CharlotteWebb: Tue 9th June 2009, 5:48pm

[tarantino]

This technical writer offering his wikiskills for pay is undoubtedly the cricket-loving OS/crat/admin Nichalp.

Besides technical writing, I also am an accomplished senior Wikipedia administrator with several featured articles to my name.

I can help you by metamorphosing technical jargon into simple language that could be understood by a wide audience. If you need a good profile on Wikipedia, I can help you out there too through my rich experience.

[endallbeall]

This technical writer offering his wikiskills for pay is undoubtedly the cricket-loving OS/crat/admin Nichalp.

Besides technical writing, I also am an accomplished senior Wikipedia administrator with several featured articles to my name.

I can help you by metamorphosing technical jargon into simple language that could be understood by a wide audience. If you need a good profile on Wikipedia, I can help you out there too through my rich experience.

If so, you can measure his wikilife in seconds... but he's gone already, isn't he? Hasn't edited since January.

[Milton Roe]

The only real question here is how much Viridae is getting paid to spam the Review.

Jon

If he's here as a psych-ops mental virus, their first mistake was naming him. I mean, really.

[tarantino]

If so, you can measure his wikilife in seconds... but he's gone already, isn't he? Hasn't edited since January.

Not as Nichalp.

He's also Zithan (T-C-L-K-R-D) , and possibly other accounts.

[Somey]

This technical writer offering his wikiskills for pay is undoubtedly the cricket-loving OS/crat/admin Nichalp.

...

He's also Zithan (T-C-L-K-R-D) , and possibly other accounts.

Damn you're good! They might as well all just give up, frankly.

Anyhoo, Mr. Rootlogy has started an RfC on Paid Editing. That should be good for some nice, wholesome entertainment...

[Jon Awbrey]

Anyhoo, Mr. Rootlogy has started an RfC on Paid Editing. That should be good for some nice, wholesome entertainment …

Maybe, but it'd be a lot more entertaining if the notion of "payment" could be liberalized to include sexual favors.

Then we might catch some Really Big Fish —

><> ><> ><>

Jon

[No one of consequence]

Now the Jimbo TalkPageTalkers are speculating that it might have something to do with our New Jersey friend who gives piano lessons, I Ching sessions, and Wikipedia articles in exchange for payment.

Does everything nefarious have to spiral back to me, somehow?

Two different people, as far as I know.

[Milton Roe]

Anyhoo, Mr. Rootlogy has started an RfC on Paid Editing. That should be good for some nice, wholesome entertainment …

Maybe, but it'd be a lot more entertaining if the notion of "payment" could be liberalized to include sexual favors.

Then we might catch some Really Big Fish —

><> ><> ><>

Jon

Okay, so what kind of sexual favor did Jimbo have to do for Guy to get the Marsden BLP edited?

[tarantino]

A concerned wikipedian writes:

They could be bluffing, or this could be a Joe Job. Unless there is technical evidence connecting a functionary to sock puppets, I don't think there's much to go on. Jehochman Talk 22:59, 9 June 2009 (UTC)

Nichalp's name is not well hidden, it = Nicholas A. He's currently attending university in Australia, and previously graduated from Mumbai University.

Nicholas A feedback at Elance.
http://www.elance.com/jobs/16984786/stereo...&job_tier=11188
"As discussed, Wiki page on Stereofame.com."
wiki page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Zithan/sandbox3

Nicholas A feedback at Elance.
http://www.elance.com/jobs/16933583/wikipe...&job_tier=11188
"We would like a quote to create a wikipedia article about our CEO Brad Sugars"
wiki page
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=...&action=history

A Joe Job, Jehochman? Why don't you ask him? Then you can carry on with deleting Zithan's user space and pretend nothing's happened.

[privatemusings]

can't really argue with the rather compelling info, I reckon....

being a bit bored of the cloak and dagger stuff, I just dropped this info onto Jimbo's talk page, and to the users concerned... hope that's cool, and we'll see where this heads....

[Somey]

being a bit bored of the cloak and dagger stuff, I just dropped this info onto Jimbo's talk page, and to the users concerned... hope that's cool, and we'll see where this heads....

They'll probably say it's OK if this guy does it, because he "didn't incorporate."

[trenton]

Well, I think the core of the problem is that Jimbeau is pissed that, unlike the creators of all the other major top websites, he's not a multi-billionaire.

Sure, he still gets his speaking fees and what not, but that's a comparative pittance.

Anyway, I don't think I really blame this guy. Spend years of your life working for free and climbing up a retarded social ladder and its no wonder that when you grow up and realize that you've been under the spell of, and enriching, the cult leader, you try to recoup some of your losses.