Anti-Israel Leadership on Wikipedia
Wikipedia, the web-based, free encyclopedia based on a model of openly editable content, is one of the most popular and influential websites in the world today.
As the largest and most popular general reference work on the Internet, it has an immense impact on how the public perceives practically any subject.
Wikipedia, however, is not without its immense flaws, much of which the general public is unaware. For instance, like other Silicon Valley and online-based enterprises, Wikipedia has a systematic bias to the left.
Unsurprisingly, this bias to the left also extends to a systematic bias against Israel. One key way in which Wikipedia is systematically biased against Israel is related to the website’s fundamental policy that all information presented in its articles be verified through the use of citations to “reliable sources.” The problem, therein, is that on Wikipedia what are considered reliable sources are generally “legacy media” (e.g. The New York Times) and works from academia, both of which are already known for their own systematic bias against Israel.
Within Wikipedia, like in the broader public sphere, matters related to Israel are controversial and fraught with disputes, resulting in a highly disproportionate amount of time and energy being consumed on this subject on the site. Due to these long-standing disputes, Wikipedia has adopted special rules governing editing articles related to the Arab–Israeli conflict (other controversial subjects are also subject to special editing restrictions, including abortion, the Syrian Civil War, and global warming).
Veteran anti-Israel editors are adept at gaming the system by using these special rules to limit the influence and efficacy of pro-Israel editors, if not to get them outright banned from editing in the topic area or from all of Wikipedia.
While Wikipedia is already structurally tilted against Israel, there is a group of six particularly prolific anti-Israel editors that are responsible for a disproportionate amount, if not even the majority, of the damage against Israel on Wikipedia, and therefore its broader public perception and reputation.
The Anti-Israel Leaders on Wikipedia
The six editors listed below have dedicated essentially their entire Wikipedia activity to demonizing Israel and promoting a hardline Palestinian narrative.
Some of their real identities are believed to be known (Zero0000, Nishidani, Sean.hoyland). There is also strong circumstantial evidence that Zero0000, Nishidani, Sean.hoyland, Huldra, and Nableezy have coordinated their activities “off-wiki,” which would arguably be in violation of Wikipedia policy and could lead to a ban for these users.
At one time or another, these editors have all been sanctioned by Wikipedia administrators for their overzealous anti-Israel activity. This shows that there is a certain level of accountability on Wikipedia and they do not operate with total impunity. Nonetheless, these sanctions have generally been limited in duration (from days to months) and these editors have been resilient in continuing their anti-Israel activity.
Without the daily activity of these key editors, the anti-Israel cause on Wikipedia would be dealt a severe blow.
- Zero0000
Other Wikipedia Accounts: McKay https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:McKay
Registration Date: 2003-08-17
Number of Edits: 1,900+ edits on English-language Wikipedia https://xtools.wmflabs.org/ec/en.wikipedia.org/McKay
Real identity: Brendan McKay (believed), Emeritus Professor in the Research School of Computer Science at the Australian National University (ANU)
Summary: Zero0000 is a long-time anti-Israel editor who also happens to be a Wikipedia Administrator, meaning he has been granted the technical ability to perform certain special actions on the English Wikipedia.
Zero0000’s real identity, Brendan McKay, has apparently been known by pro-Israel Wikipedia editors for many years.
What also makes Zero0000 vulnerable is that he uses two accounts, which he does not publicly disclose. Per Wikipedia policy, “Editors are generally expected to edit using only one account,” which could open him up to accusations of sock puppetry, and cause him to be banned from Wikipedia.
What is also telling is that anti-Israel editors Huldra, Nishidani, and Nableezy have all edited McKay’s personal Wikipedia page, indicating that they all personally know each other and are colluding to some degree offline. Under User:McKay, McKay has even openly edited his own personal Wikipedia page, which is a violation of the Wikipedia’s “Conflict of Interest” policy.
Of all the anti-Israel Wikipedia editors on this list, Zero0000 is then the most vulnerable.
2. Nishidani
Username: Nishidani https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Nishidani
Registration Date: 2006-05-03
Number of Edits: 70,000+ edits on English-language Wikipedia https://xtools.wmflabs.org/ec/en.wikipedia.org/Nishidani
Real identity: Peter Nicholas Dale (believed)
Summary: Nishidani is believed to be Peter Nicholas Dale, an Australian-born academic like Brendan McKay (Zero0000).
On August 29, 2018, Nishidani stated he “retired” from Wikipedia, after a Wikipedia administrator warned, “I will consider imposing a block or an indefinite topic ban, with or without any prior discussion, in the event of continued battleground-like conduct by Nishidani.” In the past, Nishidani has tactically stated he “retired” in order to avoid short-term scrutiny and sanctions, only to emerge weeks or months later to pursue the same anti-Israel activity.
Over the years, Dale has edited content related to his real identity (Giuseppe Gioachino Belli, Shōichi Watanabe, Nihonjinron), even by promoting his own very work, which is a violation of the Wikipedia’s “Conflict of Interest” policy.
3. Huldra
Username: Huldra https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Huldra
Number of Edits: 58,000+ edits to English-language Wikipedia https://xtools.wmflabs.org/ec/en.wikipedia.org/Huldra
Real Identity: Unknown. The user states on their userpage that they are female. On an older version of her userpage, she provided the contact email [email protected]. In a post on her user talk page dating back to 2005, she stated she is Norwegian.
Summary: More research is necessary to determine real life identity, discover other vulnerabilities (i.e. ways in which the user violated Wikipedia policy which could result in a ban).
4. Nableezy
Username: Nableezy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Nableezy
Registration Date: 2007-11-01
Number of Edits: 32,000+ edits to English-language Wikipedia https://xtools.wmflabs.org/ec/en.wikipedia.org/Nableezy
Real Identity: Unknown. At some point their userpage stated they were from Egypt or of Egyptian heritage. According to other information, Nableezy lives or lived in the Chicago area.
Summary: More research is necessary to determine real life identity, discover other vulnerabilities (i.e. ways in which the user violated Wikipedia policy which could result in a ban).
5. Sean.hoyland
Username: Sean.hoyland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Sean.hoyland
Registration Date: 2007-06-19
Number of Edits: 31,000+ edits to English-language Wikipedia https://xtools.wmflabs.org/ec/en.wikipedia.org/Sean.hoyland
Real Identity: Sean Hoyland (presumably). On his user page, he has stated that his name is in fact Sean, he lives in Thailand, is a geoscientist or is specializing in geoscience, and is an alumnus of Imperial College London.
Summary: Since November 2016, Sean.hoyland has edited Wikipedia sparingly, at least under that username. Sean.hoyland has only made 21 edits since that date and only one in the 2018 calendar year. On his userpage, Sean.hoyland says he is “semi-retired” and “no longer very active on Wikipedia.” However, Sean.hoyland could choose to become active again at any point.
Aussie Dave adds: Hoyland seems to be the Israel hater behind the initiative to get the Israellycool Wikipedia page deleted (he succeeded).
6. Onceinawhile
Username: Onceinawhile https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Onceinawhile
Registration Date: 2010-04-08
Number of Edits: 20,000+ edits to English-language Wikipedia https://xtools.wmflabs.org/ec/en.wikipedia.org/Onceinawhile
Real Identity: Unknown.
Summary: Given that Onceinawhile started contributing at a very high-level from their first edit, it is likely that Onceinawhile is the latest manifestation of previously blocked account, which would go against Wikipedia policy. One Wikipedia user noted this back in October 2010.
More research is necessary to determine real life identity, discover other vulnerabilities (i.e. ways in which the user violated Wikipedia policy which could result in a ban).
Posted from Israellycool with SteemPress : https://www.israellycool.com/2019/10/21/anti-israel-leadership-on-wikipedia/
Well done...and, please repost this on GAB. It is a good idea to maximise the information you provide and Gab will not censor or downvote until you are greyed out. It is the only platform I know where there is real free speech. The nasties (responsible for so much hate speech) you mention, the more often they are exposed, the better.