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Revision as of 20:32, 18 November 2008 editJohn Vandenberg (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users68,507 edits my statement  Latest revision as of 20:32, 18 February 2024 edit undoZinnober9 (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers51,321 editsm itailcs corrected 
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{{cquote|I went to the ] as a journalist, and returned a cold-blooded revolutionary.|||]|Editors note, '']'' by Douglas Brinkley. ISBN 0747553459, p.xvi.<br/><small>See ] for another apt alternative of this quote.</small>)}} {{cquote|I went to the ] as a journalist, and returned a cold-blooded revolutionary.|||]|'']'', Editor's note by ]. {{ISBN|0747553459}}, p.xvi.<br/><small>See ] for another apt alternative of this quote.</small>)}}


Hi. My name is John Vandenberg. I have "outed" myself on my userpage. Nothing too exciting, however I feel it is very important that arbitrators are real people. It is not necessary that their real name is known, but it is important that their formal education and experience is known, in order that the community can make informed decisions about who to vote for, and so that people coming to the committee for arbitration can get a feel for the people making the decisions. Hi. My name is John Vandenberg. I have provided a detailed history about myself on ]. I believe that arbitrators should be very open and honest about their formal education and experience in order that the community can make informed decisions about who to vote for, and so that people coming to the committee for arbitration can get a feel for the people that will be making the decisions.


I served as a ] for much of the first half of 2008, and this experience and the termination of it was an eye opener. I am aware of the responsibility, workload and difficulty involved, and still wish to put my name down - more fool me. I served as an ] for much of the first half of 2008. I resigned due to a messy affair, which has since been settled amicably. This experience, and the termination of it, was an eye opener. I am aware of the responsibility, workload and difficulty involved.


My commitments: My commitments:
# I will not edit policy pages or influence policy. This is the responsibility of the community, and arbitrators should not write the policies that they will use in decisions. # I will not edit policy pages or influence policy. This is the responsibility of the community, and arbitrators should not write the policies that they will use in decisions.
# I will oppose any remedy that that is not substantially grounded on existing policy that was written by the community, or on resolutions passed by the Wikimedia Foundation. # I will oppose any remedy that is not substantially grounded in existing policy that was written by the community, or on resolutions passed by the Wikimedia Foundation.
# I will be highly active and available, and will step down and turn in my "access" if I am no longer carrying my share of the load. # I will be highly active and available, or I will step down and turn in my "access".


I will bring to the committee the following: I will bring to the committee:
# ''Broad'' technical skills to automate tasks that the committee regularly performs, and improve processes where possible. # ''Broad'' technical skills to automate tasks that the committee regularly performs, and improve processes where possible.
# ''Broad'' experience and exposure to the culture and leaders of most of the WMF projects # ''Broad'' experience and exposure to the culture, policies and leaders of most of the WMF projects. There are very few arbs, ex-arbs, or other candidates who have measurable experience outside of English Misplaced Pages.
# ''Broad'' language skills - I can only write in English, however I ''enjoy'' working with foreign languages and people who don't have a good grasp of English. # ''Broad'' language skills - I can only write in English, however I ''enjoy'' working with foreign languages and people who don't have a good grasp of English
# ''Limited'' patience for long & drawn out cases. Quick and measured solutions that result in the least amount of pain and disruption are good. ].
# ''Limited'' wiki-friendships with the elite in the power structure here on Misplaced Pages. It will be rare that I need to be recused.


Whilst on the committee, my mission ''for'' reform within the committee and arbitration process will be to: Whilst on the committee, my mission ''for'' reform within the committee and arbitration process will be to:
# Encourage ].
# Encourage ].<br/>The arbitration committee has taken on too much authority, overburdening themselves, putting themselves up for the great fall, and causing many people in the community to quake in their boots when committee member waltzes in. It is now up to the committee to stop, turn around, devolve responsibility, and encourage and assist the community to set up better wiki management for the non-arbitration tasks that are in their workload simply because they are the only current elected group that is endorsed by WMF to make decisions. With less "other stuff" to do, the committee can spend more time focusing on '']'', and stop trying to define right and wrong.
# Fire the ]s and the ]s and people whose term is up.
# Fire the ]s and the ]s and people whose term is up.<br/>Each year, more people are added to "ex-arb" list, who can keep their ] and place in the ]. I'll be honest: I dont know what effect this has on the ability of the sitting arbs to do their job properly, however I do know that it is good to shed dead skin every once in a while. After obtaining a good feel for the inner workings, and in consultation with the sitting arbs, I will write a report for the community summarising traffic levels on the arbcom list, grouped in various ways, including breaking it down by arbcom list member. The community will be encouraged to define what they want to know, and to discuss the results openly. Obviously the report will be limited to what is fit for public display. I envisage this type of report to the community will become a quarterly bulletin.
# Require that arbitration cases have a clear scope before they open.
# Require that arbitration cases have a clear scope before they open.<br/>Arbcom cases go haywire when they are not well defined. This is primarily a community problem, but it is also the responsibility of the committee. The community often throws meaningless comments supporting or opposing an RFAR that hasnt opened. This initial period should be for the people involved to define their grievance, and for the community and arbcom to agree on a scope. Where no scope can be established, there is no case, and it should be rejected until the community can put together something that can be arbitrated.
::''See for more detailed explanations of these three points.''


*{{usercheck-short|Jayvdb}} *{{usercheck-short|Jayvdb}}

Latest revision as of 20:32, 18 February 2024

Jayvdb

“ I went to the Democratic Convention as a journalist, and returned a cold-blooded revolutionary. ”
— Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in America, Editor's note by Douglas Brinkley. ISBN 0747553459, p.xvi.
See Wikiquote for another apt alternative of this quote.)

Hi. My name is John Vandenberg. I have provided a detailed history about myself on my userpage. I believe that arbitrators should be very open and honest about their formal education and experience in order that the community can make informed decisions about who to vote for, and so that people coming to the committee for arbitration can get a feel for the people that will be making the decisions.

I served as an Arbitration Clerk for much of the first half of 2008. I resigned due to a messy affair, which has since been settled amicably. This experience, and the termination of it, was an eye opener. I am aware of the responsibility, workload and difficulty involved.

My commitments:

  1. I will not edit policy pages or influence policy. This is the responsibility of the community, and arbitrators should not write the policies that they will use in decisions.
  2. I will oppose any remedy that is not substantially grounded in existing policy that was written by the community, or on resolutions passed by the Wikimedia Foundation.
  3. I will be highly active and available, or I will step down and turn in my "access".

I will bring to the committee:

  1. Broad technical skills to automate tasks that the committee regularly performs, and improve processes where possible.
  2. Broad experience and exposure to the culture, policies and leaders of most of the WMF projects. There are very few arbs, ex-arbs, or other candidates who have measurable experience outside of English Misplaced Pages.
  3. Broad language skills - I can only write in English, however I enjoy working with foreign languages and people who don't have a good grasp of English
  4. Limited patience for long & drawn out cases. Quick and measured solutions that result in the least amount of pain and disruption are good. Perfect is the enemy of good.
  5. Limited wiki-friendships with the elite in the power structure here on Misplaced Pages. It will be rare that I need to be recused.

Whilst on the committee, my mission for reform within the committee and arbitration process will be to:

  1. Encourage participatory democracy.
  2. Fire the slackers and the lurkers and people whose term is up.
  3. Require that arbitration cases have a clear scope before they open.
See here for more detailed explanations of these three points.