Changes

Law began editing as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:The_Undertow The_Undertow] in August 2006 [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stewie_Griffin&diff=prev&oldid=71979754], mostly reverting vandalism[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Contributions&dir=prev&offset=20070131055234&target=The+undertow]. He was made an admin in July 2007 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Requests_for_adminship/the_undertow], passing 49-1. Undertow was blocked by Raul654 on 16 June 2008 with an expiry time of 9 months ‎"Per discussion on the arbcom mailing list" [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Log&type=block&user=&page=User:The+undertow&year=&month=-1&tagfilter=]

Law began editing as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:The_Undertow The_Undertow] in August 2006 [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stewie_Griffin&diff=prev&oldid=71979754], mostly reverting vandalism[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Contributions&dir=prev&offset=20070131055234&target=The+undertow]. He was made an admin in July 2007 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Requests_for_adminship/the_undertow], passing 49-1. Undertow was blocked by Raul654 on 16 June 2008 with an expiry time of 9 months ‎"Per discussion on the arbcom mailing list" [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Log&type=block&user=&page=User:The+undertow&year=&month=-1&tagfilter=]

The reason for the block was never made public, but an ex-member of the Arbitration committee has claimed that Undertow "threatened to (and possibly did) file a lawsuit against another editor, also starting a revenge biography on the person. He made various statements, then excused them as mental health issues. ArbCom decided, in essence, that Wikipedia was not therapy" [http://wikipediareview.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=26748&view=findpost&p=197595], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Administrators%27_noticeboard/IncidentArchive433#The_undertow_and_related_dispute].

The reason for the block was never made public, but a member of the Arbitration committee has claimed that Undertow "threatened to (and possibly did) file a lawsuit against another editor, also starting a revenge biography on the person. He made various statements, then excused them as mental health issues. ArbCom decided, in essence, that Wikipedia was not therapy" [http://wikipediareview.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=26748&view=findpost&p=197595], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Administrators%27_noticeboard/IncidentArchive433#The_undertow_and_related_dispute].

Shortly afterwards, Undertow rejoined Wikipedia as User Law in September 2008 [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Log&type=newusers&user=Law&page=&year=&month=-1&tagfilter=], making over five thousand edits by March 2009 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Law], nearly half of which were in mainspace, when he was proposed for adminship by 'GlassCobra'.  

Shortly afterwards, Undertow rejoined Wikipedia as User Law in September 2008 [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Log&type=newusers&user=Law&page=&year=&month=-1&tagfilter=], making over five thousand edits by March 2009 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Law], nearly half of which were in mainspace, when he was proposed for adminship by 'GlassCobra'.  

Some time in August 2009, an anonymous IP outed Law on Law's talk page. The talk-page history shows that two edits were oversighted on August 16, the page protected, and the anon blocked. The implication is that someone used oversight to hide that Law had violated an ArbCom ban and had gained adminship by lying to the community, and that other admins blocked the whistleblower and protected the page against further revelations.

Some time in August 2009, an anonymous IP outed Law on Law's talk page. The talk-page history shows that two edits were oversighted on August 16, the page protected, and the anon blocked [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk%3AArbitration_Committee%2FNoticeboard&diff=317567253&oldid=317565517], [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Arbitration_Committee/Audit_Subcommittee/Reports&oldid=318109833#Full_reports]. The implication is that someone used oversight to hide that Law had violated an ArbCom ban and had gained adminship by lying to the community, and that other admins blocked the whistleblower and protected the page against further revelations.

On September 20 2009, Law unblocked user [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:ChildofMidnight ChildofMidnight ], overturning an arbitration enforcement block which had been placed by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Sandstein Sandstein]. It is expressly forbidden to overturn ArbCom enforcement actions in that way. When challenged, Law was unapologetic. Somewhere around then, it was discovered that Law was a reincarnation of Undertow.

On September 20 2009, Law unblocked user [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:ChildofMidnight ChildofMidnight ], overturning an arbitration enforcement block which had been placed by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Sandstein Sandstein]. It is expressly forbidden to overturn ArbCom enforcement actions in that way. When challenged, Law was unapologetic. Somewhere around then, it was discovered that Law was a reincarnation of Undertow.

* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:MZMcBride MZMcBride] who participated in defending Law here against a claim that he was acting like a cowboy administrator[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Administrators%27_noticeboard/Incidents&diff=prev&oldid=299528562]  

* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:MZMcBride MZMcBride] who participated in defending Law here against a claim that he was acting like a cowboy administrator[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Administrators%27_noticeboard/Incidents&diff=prev&oldid=299528562]  

* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Ched_Davis Ched Davis] "While I was on IRC, a few weeks ago, I learned that Law = the undertow. To be frank, I didn't really give it much thought since "the undertow" had come and gone before I ever started here. I assumed that anyone was entitled to WP:CLEANSTART[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk:Arbitration_Committee/Noticeboard&oldid=317832913#Statement_by_Ched_Davis].

* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Ched_Davis Ched Davis] "While I was on IRC, a few weeks ago, I learned that Law = the undertow. To be frank, I didn't really give it much thought since "the undertow" had come and gone before I ever started here. I assumed that anyone was entitled to WP:CLEANSTART[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk:Arbitration_Committee/Noticeboard&oldid=317832913#Statement_by_Ched_Davis].

==Community reaction==

==Community reaction==