Hot Slog tipper Mike alerted us to this neat tool for looking up IP addresses whose users have made anonymous edits on Wikipedia. Of interest to Mike (and us): The City of Seattle (IP address: 156.74.0.0-255.255), where city staffers with a LOT of time on their hands made 437 anonymous edits in the past four years to Wikipedia pages, including those for right-wing radio host Laura Schlessinger, terrible Whoopie Goldberg movie Sister Act, civil rights heroine Rosa Parks, and chick magnetKlingon Language. Most interesting (and revealing) were the edits to Seattle politicians’ sites—both by identified Wikipedia users and anonymous City Hall lurkers.

Here are some of my favorites.

City Council member Peter Steinbreuck

May 6, 2007:
“He holds a degree in architecture from the University of Washington, although he is neither licensed nor practicing.”

May 7, 2007 (edited anonymously on a city computer):
“He holds a degree in architecture from the University of Washington and is a licensed architect.”

Deleted anonymously from a city computer, also on May 7:
During this time the Council went through the so-called Strippergate scandal, ending in three Councilmembers defeated for election in the 2003 election.

Also deleted (twice!), though not from a city computer:

“Rumors of his alledged [sic] state of mental instability are not confirmed, but he does have an ego that rivals other regional elected officials. Peter often appears as if he slept in his clothes the night before council meetings and can be incoherent before lunch. Blowhard would be an apt description, as he often tries to grandstand with no real intent to carry through on his half-baked ideas. A favorite sport of Council staffers is to count how many times a council meeting he mentions his father’s accomplishments (as if that translated into tangible results for Peter). Finally, Peter is well known for literally ducking out during controversial council votes to go to the bathroom so he can avoid having his vote tallied either for or against.

Mayor Greg Nickels

June 22, 2007:
They have two children, Jacob and Carey. Their son, Jacob Dyson Nickels was recently indicted by a Federal Grand Jury in San Diego, CA, in an alleged casino cheating organization.

July 3, 2007 (edited anonymously on a city computer):
They have two children, Jacob and Carey.

City Council President Nick Licata

July 2, 2003:
Nick Licata is the president of the Seattle City Council.[…] He has clashed with Mayor Greg Nickels on a variety of issues, including housing and transportation. His aides, Newell Aldrich, Lisa Herbold, and Frank Video have worked for him since he took office in 1998.

July 3, 2003 (edited anonymously on a city computer):
Nick Licata is the president of the Seattle City Council. His aides, Newell Aldrich, Lisa Herbold, and Frank Video have worked for him since he took office in 1998.

And then there’s this war, apparently ongoing, about whether Licata staffer Lisa Herbold is a hottie (as if there was any question!)

July 23, 2007:
Nick Licata is the current president of the Seattle City Council. His aides, Newell Aldrich, Lisa Herbold (totally [sic] hottie), and Frank Video have worked for him since he took office in 1998.

August 4, 2007:
Nick Licata is the current president of the Seattle City Council. His aides, Newell Aldrich, Lisa Herbold, and Frank Video have worked for him since he took office in 1998.

August 8, 2007, 9:01 pm: His aides [[1]], Newell Aldrich, Lisa Herbold (who many believe is a total hottie) and Frank Video have worked for him since he took office in 1998.

August 8, 2007, 9:03 pm: Nick Licata is the current president of the Seattle City Council. His aides, Newell Aldrich, Lisa Herbold, and Frank Video have worked for him since he took office in 1998.

August 8, 2007, 9:54 pm:
Nick Licata is the current president of the Seattle City Council. His aides, Newell Aldrich, Lisa Herbold, who is both attractive in her contributions to the policy arena and pleasing in her appearence, and Frank Video have worked for him since he took office in 1998.

August 9, 2007, 9:59 pm:
His aides, Newell Aldrich, Lisa Herbold, and Frank Video have worked for him since he took office in 1998.

And then there’s this, from July 2, 2007, which was removed immediately for obvious reasons:
“In June 2007, Nick Licata decided to “come out of the closet,” as he was quoted, and announce himself as a gay man. Licata announced his current relationship with local land developer Mark Russell to the public, saying ‘our passion is unparalleled.’”

The entire city council is listed on the Seattle politicians page, with one notable exception—council member David Della, who does not have a Wikipedia page (take from that what you will.)