Revision as of 00:16, 10 November 2008

This is the candidate statements page, where editors wishing to run in the 2008 Arbitration Committee elections may present themselves and their nomination statement.

Criteria for running

• Editors must be either 18 years of age or older, or of legal age in their place of residence, whichever is higher, and will be required to identify to the Wikimedia Foundation before taking their seats.

Arbitration Committee ruling on age limit  · Background: WT:ACE2007#Ruling on age limit and WT:ACE2008#Identification

Reminders regarding candidate statements

• Statements should be fewer than 400 words, although candidates are free to link to a longer statement if they so wish. Statements which exceed this limitation may be removed pending trimming by the editor.
• Your statement will be filed using the input box under "To run for this year's elections;" it will be filed using {{Arbitration Committee Elections statement}}.
• Statements will only be accepted after 00:00 November 10 2008 and before 23:59 November 24 2008 (UTC). Any statements transcluded onto this page (in other words, submitted to the election) outside this period will not be accepted, and may be removed by any user.

To run for this year's elections

• Type "Misplaced Pages:Arbitration Committee Elections December 2008/Candidate statements/Example", replacing 'Example' (and only that text-not the preceding slash!) with your username. Click "submit query".

• Further instructions will be given once you click "create a statement."

NB., you will need to transclude your statement—once it is saved—at #Standing candidates, using:

{{Misplaced Pages:Arbitration Committee Elections December 2008/Candidate Statements/Your username}}

Standing candidates

Candidate statements are now being accepted. To run in this year's election, see the instructions above. Voting is not yet open.

Jdforrester

I'm now coming to the end of my fifth year as an Arbitrator, having helped found the Committee in 2003/4. I've decided to stand again because I believe it is what I am best at providing to the enwiki community, and, more importantly, that this is of value over and above that which some/many others would provide. Necessarily, in the five years I've been working on and around the Committee, I have given a number of people reasons to take a dislike to me, to find something I've said or done, or some position I've held, with which to disagree. Further, I can understand - and empathize with - those who think that it's time for a change, that long-serving Arbitrators are part of the problem, having habituated ourselves and our working practices to the processes as we've developed them. It is inappropriate for me to comment on the validity of those concerns; that's the community's rôle, and reasonably so. Indeed, I do not expect to be given the community's support; nevertheless, I ask it, and welcome any and all questions.

• Jdforrester (talk · contribs · deleted · count · AfD · logs · block log · lu · rfar · spi)
• Questions for the candidate
• Discuss the candidate
• Support or Oppose this candidate

Privatemusings

G'day Wikipedians :-)

I've been around the wiki for a few years now - less than some, but more than most, I'd say (reader from 2003 onwards, dabbler 2004, registered my first account 2005).... Head over to my userpage for important background, and of course feel free to ask any questions of me you'd like

I've been fairly critical of arbcom on a number of levels for quite a while, and feel it's only fair to stick my hand up, and offer a few ideas as part of my candidature. This is a preliminary statement - there is more here, and here are a few 'key' aspects of my thinking;

• I am not an admin - it is a 'good thing' to have a non-administrator representative on arbcom.
• I will stand for re-election after 1 year regardless of term lengths - if I'd like to go longer, I can stick my hand up again, and you will get to decide :-)
• Arbcom has fallen way short of best practice on a number of levels, and in many ways we set up some of our best editors to fail... I'll be sharing more of my ideas about ways to fix some things, which I hope you may consider :-);

• Arbcom Communications are appalling! - I will respond to emails, discuss matters on my talk page, and post actively to case pages. I will be a dynamic arb where possible!
• The two watch words of my approach (tatooed on the backs of my weary hands) will be "De-escalate" and "Resolve" - to this end I will ask questions, offer suggestions, and where necessary apply sanctions.
• Content is king - and the best content editors are the true kings of the wiki. This is important.
• I will create an Arb Surgery - not as painful as it sounds, rather the concept that I will be regularly available, in real time, 'on wiki', in voice conversation, or via any practicable means to talk about anything any Wikipedian would like to. Every Sunday evening, UTC, any wiki editor can simply talk something through with me as an arb, if they'd like.

• I don't really like the existence of 'Oppose' voting - so if you'd really really like to Oppose someone - make it me, and make me your only 'Oppose' vote - this too is important in my view, so please give it some thought. Thanks!

Vote Privatemusings!

• Privatemusings (talk · contribs · deleted · count · AfD · logs · block log · lu · rfar · spi)
• Questions for the candidate
• Discuss the candidate
• Support or Oppose this candidate

Coren

Hello!

I've been a Wikipedian since 2003. While my contribution to the encyclopedia contents have always been modest, I've done everything I can to help protect and support the work of our invaluable contributors by fighting vandals, checking copyvios, and gnomish work. As an administrator, I've gained a reputation of being a "hardliner", who has little patience for gamers, those who destroy the hard work of others, or corrupt our encyclopedia to make a point or a political statement. Accordingly, I am one who tends to act decisively to protect and defend, mindful of the legal traps that lie around biographies, editor privacy, and copyright compliance.

I've been a clerk since January, able to observe ArbCom's successes and failings up close, and I feel the current Committee is too soft collectively to be effective as it must: an injection of fresh "hardline" blood may be just what it needs to tackle the increasingly difficult issues that face it. Being willing to sit on ArbCom may require a little idealistic insanity, but Misplaced Pages is worth the pain.

I am seeking the mandate to bring a some energy and "down-to-earth-ness" to the Committee, and to help tackle what I feel should be its priorities:

• More awareness of a growing issue that is poisoning the very essence of collaborative editing that makes Misplaced Pages possible: real-world factions that vie for control over articles, turning them into polemical battlegrounds where surface civility is used to cover bias, tendentiousness and even harassment. ArbCom needs to take a strong stance against that sort of "polite disruption" and those who use our rules of civility as weapons, recognize that long-term warriors are toxic, not vested, and investigate beyond surface behavior issues.

• Less timidity in addressing issues related to contents (POV warring, tag teams, academic dishonesty). While it is appropriate that the Committee never rules on contents, it should be more active at curtailing content disputes. Academic integrity should become a priority; unlike "simple" incivility, the damage caused by editors misquoting, plagiarizing and editorializing destroys the credibility of our encyclopedia.

• Increased transparency in the arbitration process, the Arbitrators must explain their decisions in better detail beyond a simple "aye/nay" and expose their reasoning and justification. It is important that the community understands why the Committee rules as it does, not just receive seemingly arbitrary edicts from "on high".

Thank you for your consideration.

• Coren (talk · contribs · count · logs · target logs · block log · lu · rfas · rfb · arb · rfc · lta · checkuser · socks · rights · blocks · protects · deletions · moves)
• Questions for the candidate
• Discuss the candidate
• Support or Oppose this candidate

Cool Hand Luke

Hello. I've been around for a while, and I've worked on complex arbitration. I'm running because I want the Arbitration Committee to be what it ought to be: a speedy, just, respectful, and respected institution.

In the last year, ArbCom has frequently failed us. ArbCom has tied up hundreds of valuable volunteer hours in dragging cases. ArbCom has declined to make public votes about the very issues they were asked to resolve. ArbCom needs reform.

I believe ArbCom's mandate flows from the community and from the Foundation's mission to create free content. Unless ArbCom serves the community's encyclopedic objective, it serves no legitimate purpose at all. We must put it back on track. I intend to do so.

As a candidate, I pledge commitment to speed, transparency, and subservience to the community.

Speed is important because Misplaced Pages is a volunteer project. This encyclopedia exists because thousands of uncompensated volunteers donated valuable time to write it. We should be suspicious of any dispute resolution process that burdens contributors with bureaucratic busywork—drudgery that burns out users and distracts from the encyclopedia. Disruptive users always waste contributor time, but ArbCom can minimize the damage and disillusionment by conducting speedy and orderly arbitrations. Trolling should not be tolerated, and ArbCom should regularly update parties on their status. Draft findings should be regularly posted to elicit input.

Transparency similarly respects Misplaced Pages's volunteers. When a valued contributors sets aside time—often hours—to produce detailed evidence, ArbCom must minimally explain how their findings are supported by the evidence. Too often, detailed evidence has passed completely unnoted. Not only does this give the impression that evidence has been unfairly handled, it also demeans the work of volunteers.

Although many deliberations are sensitive and cannot proceed publicly, I would make factfinding open whenever practicable. "Secret hearings," apart from being unseemly, don't allow public examination of claims. I believe that truth prevails under vigorous scrutiny, so I am wary of private evidence that cannot withstand crossexamination.

Finally, ArbCom must behave as the community's servant. When an insoluble case arises, ArbCom must resolve the problem with existing policies. Sometimes, ArbCom may note that existing policies are inadequate, but it should always answer the question posed to it.

To ensure my responsiveness to the community, I stand with the option of "Arbitrator recall." I also pledge to never stand in the way of the community's choice of leadership.

Thank you. Cool Hand Luke

• Cool Hand Luke (talk · contribs · count · logs · target logs · block log · lu · rfas · rfb · arb · rfc · lta · checkuser · socks · rights · blocks · protects · deletions · moves)
• Questions for the candidate
• Discuss the candidate
• Support or Oppose this candidate

Withdrawn candidates

Candidates who withdrew prior to voting.

Bishzilla, Bishzilla (talk · contribs). Withdrew on 19:30, November 17, 2008.
Catherine de Burgh, Catherine de Burgh (talk · contribs). Withdrew on 23:04, November 18, 2008.
Phil Sandifer, Phil Sandifer (talk · contribs). Withdrew on 02:55, November 19, 2008.
NWA.Rep, NWA.Rep (talk · contribs). Withdrew on 13:47, November 24, 2008.
Hersfold, Hersfold (talk · contribs). Withdrew on 04:22, November 25, 2008.
Secret, Secret (talk · contribs). Withdrew on 16:25, November 25, 2008.

Candidates who withdrew whilst voting was underway.

• Gwen Gale, Gwen Gale (talk · contribs). Withdrew on 05:42, 1 December 2008.
• Sam Korn, Sam Korn (talk · contribs). Withdrew on 22:12, 1 December 2008.
• BillMasen, BillMasen (talk · contribs). Withdrew on 17:09, 3 December 2008.
• WilyD, WilyD (talk · contribs). Withdrew on 17:54, 6 December 2008.
• Jehochman, Jehochman (talk · contribs). Withdrew on 03:15, 7 December 2008.
• WJBscribe, WJBscribe (talk · contribs). Withdrew on 22:43, 10 December 2008.

• Misplaced Pages Arbitration Committee Elections 2008