Submissions:2017/Combating harassment with user page protection

Title

Combating harassment with user page protection

Theme (optional)

Community

Academic Peer Review option

No

Type of submission

Presentation

Author

Pax Ahimsa Gethen

E-mail address

web-wikipedia@funcrunch.org

Username

Funcrunch

Affiliation

None

Abstract

Harassment is an ongoing problem on Wikipedia, particularly for editors from marginalized groups, including women, people of color, and members of the LGBT+ community. Vandalism of user pages can be particularly damaging to such people. An idea was submitted to the Spring 2016 Inspire campaign to protect user pages by default from editing by anonymous and new editors. The proposal gained significant support, and was developed into a Request for Comment, which reached consensus for semi-protection. The user page protection was implemented by means of an edit filter on the English Wikipedia in November 2016.

This presentation will discuss the motivation for and thoughts behind this process from the viewpoint of the proposer, Funcrunch, a member of multiple marginalized groups. Comparisons will be drawn to harassment in other Internet communities. Arguments for and against user page protection will be analyzed, and examples of attempted vandalism that have been prevented by the edit filter will be examined.

Length of presentation

30 min.

Special requests

Need Internet connection and projector

Preferred room size

100

Wikimania submission?

Yes

Will you attend WikiConference North America if your submission is not accepted?

Probably

Interested attendees

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1. Seeeko (talk) 12:52, 20 June 2017 (EDT)
2. Anasuyas (talk) 15:55, 20 June 2017 (EDT)
3. Jackiekoerner (talk) 17:33, 22 June 2017 (EDT)
4. Add your username here.