< Misplaced Pages:Requests for arbitration | Matthew Hoffman

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After considering /Evidence and discussing proposals with other Arbitrators, parties and others at /Workshop, Arbitrators may place proposals which are ready for voting here. Arbitrators should vote for or against each point or abstain. Only items that receive a majority "support" vote will be passed. Conditional votes for or against and abstentions should be explained by the Arbitrator before or after his/her time-stamped signature. For example, an Arbitrator can state that she/he would only favor a particular remedy based on whether or not another remedy/remedies were passed. Only Arbitrators or Clerks should edit this page; non-Arbitrators may comment on the talk page.

For this case, there are 10 active Arbitrators (excluding 1 who is recused), so 6 votes are a majority.

Motions and requests by the parties

Place those on /Workshop. Motions which are accepted for consideration and which require a vote will be placed here by the Arbitrators for voting.
Motions have the same majority for passage as the final decision.

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1) {text of proposed motion}

Support:

Oppose:

Abstain:

Proposed temporary injunctions

Four net "support" votes needed to pass (each "oppose" vote subtracts a "support")
24 hours from the first vote is normally the fastest an injunction will be imposed.

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1) {text of proposed orders}

Support:

Oppose:

Abstain:

Proposed final decision

Proposed principles

Administrators

1) Misplaced Pages administrators are trusted members of the community and are expected to follow Misplaced Pages's policies and guidelines. Occasional lapses may be overlooked, but consistently poor judgment may result in revocation of adminship.

Support:

Oppose:

Prefer 1.1. Kirill 17:09, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Abstain:

Administrators

1.1) Administrators are trusted members of the community and are expected to follow Misplaced Pages policies. They are expected to pursue their duties to the best of their abilities. Occasional mistakes are entirely compatible with this; administrators are not expected to be perfect. However, consistently or egregiously poor judgement may result in the removal of administrator status.

Support:

Oppose:

Abstain:

Don't bite the newcomers

2) New contributors are prospective Wikipedians and are therefore our most valuable resource. Editors are expected to treat newcomers with kindness and patience. Nothing scares potentially valuable contributors away faster than hostility. Blocking policy states, "Warning is not a prerequisite for blocking, ... but administrators should generally ensure that users are aware of policies, and give them reasonable opportunity to adjust their behaviour accordingly, before blocking."

Support:

The Uninvited Co., Inc. 04:48, 3 December 2007 (UTC)
True, but it is important to note that with good reason administrators often block sock puppets of indefinitely blocked or banned users with little on site discussion. The biggest problem here was ~~the lack of~~ inadequate follow up and discussion after the block. FloNight 12:15, 3 December 2007 (UTC)
Fred Bauder (talk) 14:36, 8 December 2007 (UTC)
Kirill 17:11, 8 December 2007 (UTC)
Paul August ☎ 18:09, 8 December 2007 (UTC) It appears that this important principle is being ignored with regularity. It is much better to err on the side of caution in situations like this. Disruptive editors will eventually be identified and dealt with soon enough. Good new editors are a necessary resource for the project. If treated poorly they usually leave becomming a permanent source of bad PR, disuading many others from participating as well. This is a serious matter. One good editor lost does far more harm to the project than dozens of disruptive editors not blocked at the first possible moment.

Oppose:

Abstain:

Blocking policy

3) Blocking policy specifically proscribes any use of "cool-down" blocks, and (with the exception of removal of material per the policy on biographies of living people) proscribes the use of blocks in situations where the administrator is in a content dispute with the editor to be blocked.

Support:

The Uninvited Co., Inc. 04:48, 3 December 2007 (UTC)
Right or wrong, the blocking policy specifically says "Brief blocks solely for the purpose of "cooling down" an angry user should not be used, as they inevitably serve to inflame the situation." Fred Bauder (talk) 14:36, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Oppose:

Personally, I do not think that "cool down" blocks are useful and usually make the situation worse not better. But thoughtful administrators disagree with this position saying that our policy allows for wide discretion for them to block to stop disruption. FloNight 12:24, 3 December 2007 (UTC)
"cool-down" has never been well-defined; it's debatable whether the intended meaning applies here. Kirill 17:11, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Abstain:

Blocking of sock puppets

4) Evidence that a user is familiar with Misplaced Pages editing conventions (such as the use of Wikitext markup, edit summaries, and core policies) is, by itself, insufficient basis to treat the user as a sock puppet.

Support:

The Uninvited Co., Inc. 04:48, 3 December 2007 (UTC)
True, but the situation is more complex here. By my reading of the evidence, in this instance there was familiarity with the article and issues that might cause one to think the user was an experienced user returning with a different account making an abusive sock puppet a possibility. The other possibility is a meat puppet which also might be blocked if after discussion administrators think they are carrying the banner of a blocked user in a manner that is disruptive. FloNight 12:37, 3 December 2007 (UTC)
Fred Bauder (talk) 14:36, 8 December 2007 (UTC)
Kirill 17:11, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Oppose:

Abstain:

Review and discussion of blocks

5) Since administrators are strongly discouraged from reversing one another's blocks, it is of particular importance that blocking admins respond to good-faith requests to review blocks they have made. Similarly, administrators who perform independent reviews of unblock requests are expected to familiarize themselves with the full facts of the matter before marking the unblock request "declined."

Support:

The Uninvited Co., Inc. 05:54, 3 December 2007 (UTC)
True, the main problem in this case is an inadequate review of the block by the blocking administrator and other admins. FloNight 12:44, 3 December 2007 (UTC)
Fred Bauder (talk) 14:36, 8 December 2007 (UTC)
Kirill 17:11, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Oppose:

Abstain:

Know yourself

6) It is important for all users, but especially administrators, to be aware of their own agendas, feelings and passions, and to deal with them appropriately, avoiding both biased editing and ill-considered administrative actions.

Support:

Oppose:

Abstain:

Administrators: use of administrative tools in a dispute

7) Administrative tools may not be used to further the administrator's own position in a content dispute.

Support:

Kirill 17:11, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Oppose:

Abstain:

Proposed findings of fact

Adam Cuerden

1) Adam Cuerden (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log) has edited Irreducible Complexity and other evolution-related articles in an effort to make the articles adhere to Misplaced Pages's policy on neutral point of view. While this editing is laudable, it makes it clear that Adam Cuerden has specific content goals for these articles in mind.

Support:

The Uninvited Co., Inc. 05:13, 3 December 2007 (UTC)
Not much editing, but definitely has a point of view, see . Fred Bauder (talk) 16:11, 8 December 2007 (UTC)
I'm not opposing based on my opinion about if Adam has a point of view about this article or not. I'm opposing this Fof as worded because it does not state clearly state that Adam has a point of view, rather saying that he was trying make the article adhere to policy. As worded I feel this Fof might be interpreted as stopping admins from protecting pages, blocking sockpuppet accounts or using their administrative tools to enforce policy when they are not over involved with the topic but merely enforcing our core policy. I'll suggest other wording. FloNight (talk) 16:38, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Oppose:

These articles need to have more participation from experienced editors and administrators trying to make them read from a neutral point of view. I reject the idea that administrators approaching articles in an effort to make them adhere to Misplaced Pages's policy on neutral point of view should be completely ineligible to make blocks of sockpuppets or banned users they find editing them. This seems to be the point of this proposal. Rather, if you feel that Adam has a strong point of view that is influencing his editing and administrative actions then that would be a reason he should abstain from using his tools. To me there is a significant difference between the two and so I oppose as I can not support this wording. FloNight 12:06, 3 December 2007 (UTC)

Abstain:

Adam Cuerden

1.1) Adam Cuerden (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log) has edited Irreducible Complexity and other evolution-related articles with specific content goals for these articles in mind. Based on the frequency and the type of participation with these articles, there is evidence that Adam Cuerden was too involved to use his administrative tools in an unbiased manner.

Support:

This better states the issue, I think. FloNight (talk) 16:49, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Oppose:

Abstain:

Edit history of Irreducible complexity

2) The Irreducible complexity article history does not show that the article was subject to repeated edit wars, ongoing content disputes, or heavy editing in the weeks leading up to the block. .

Support:

The Uninvited Co., Inc. 04:56, 3 December 2007 (UTC)
Most of the dispute, heated as it was, was on the talk page, and most of the heat came from users reacting to Matthew Hoffman, not from him. Fred Bauder (talk) 16:05, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Oppose:

Don't see how this is relevant, particularly as worded. Kirill 17:18, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Abstain:

Cuerden's statements about Hoffman not borne out by the facts

3) Adam Cuerden's talk page and block log statements made to justify his block of MatthewHoffman (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log) include claims of harassment, POV pushing, extreme rudeness, and vandalism (more on evidence page). These claims are not borne out by a review of Hoffman's contributions.

Support:

Oppose:

Abstain:

72 hour and indefinite blocks of Matthew Hoffman were outside policy

4) Adam Cuerden's block of Matthew Hoffman for 72 hours, and the subsequent extension of the block to make it indefinite, were both outside blocking policy. The reasoning used to justify the blocks was fallacious, and Cuerden was involved in a content dispute with Hoffman. Further, the justification for the blocks in part is to encourage Hoffman to "cool down," which contravenes blocking policy.

Support:

Oppose:

Abstain:

Matthew Hoffman not a sock puppet

5) There is no evidence to suggest that Matthew Hoffman is a sock puppet.

Support:

The Uninvited Co., Inc. 06:03, 3 December 2007 (UTC)
In fact, posting at the top of a talk page is evidence that he is not an experienced user. Fred Bauder (talk) 16:00, 8 December 2007 (UTC)
Kirill 17:18, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Oppose:

Abstain:

User:Chaser

6) Chaser (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log) failed to familiarize himself with the full facts of the matter before declining the unblock request. In particular, Chaser relied upon discussion at the Administrators' noticeboard without reviewing the evidence himself.

Support:

The Uninvited Co., Inc. 06:14, 3 December 2007 (UTC)
Apparently so Fred Bauder (talk) 16:23, 8 December 2007 (UTC)
Kirill 17:18, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Oppose:

Abstain:

Comment:

True, but I feel that singling out this user is overly harsh since this routinely happens at AN and AN/I. A general caution is better here. FloNight (talk) 17:11, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Hot button

7) Efforts by the intelligent design movement and its advocates to establish "knowledge" in Misplaced Pages that there is a "scientific" basis for creationism excite understandable passion in advocates of scientific reason.

Support:

Fred Bauder (talk) 15:50, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Oppose:

Implicitly a content decision. Kirill 17:18, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Abstain:

MatthewHoffman

8) MatthewHoffman (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log) in his talk page posts, and in his few edits, strongly advocated recognition of the claims of intelligent design under our stated policy of neutral point of view.

Support:

Fred Bauder (talk) 16:18, 8 December 2007 (UTC)
Although this isn't really relevant. Kirill 17:18, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Oppose:

Abstain:

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9) {text of proposed finding of fact}

Support:

Oppose:

Abstain:

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10) {text of proposed finding of fact}

Support:

Oppose:

Abstain:

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11) {text of proposed finding of fact}

Support:

Oppose:

Abstain:

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12) {text of proposed finding of fact}

Support:

Oppose:

Abstain:

Proposed remedies

Note: All remedies that refer to a period of time, for example to a ban of X months or a revert parole of Y months, are to run concurrently unless otherwise stated.

Adam Cuerden

1) Adam Cuerden's administrative privileges are revoked. He may reapply only by appeal to this committee.

Support:

The Uninvited Co., Inc. 06:20, 3 December 2007 (UTC)

Oppose:

No RFC or other attempts were made to give this administrator feedback. This is much too extreme compared with the other cases where we revoke admin tools. FloNight 11:02, 3 December 2007 (UTC)
Failing to respond appropriately to a vigorous and intelligent user with an activist agenda is err but not grounds for desyopping. Fred Bauder (talk) 15:58, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Abstain:

MatthewHoffman

2) The block log is to be annotated to show that this committee has found the 72 hour and indefinite blocks of MatthewHoffman to be unjustified.

Support:

The Uninvited Co., Inc. 06:20, 3 December 2007 (UTC)

Oppose:

No, that's POV pushing karma. Fred Bauder (talk) 15:58, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Abstain:

Adam Cuerden cautioned

3) Adam Cuerden is cautioned to avoid taking significant administrative action with respect to content or other issues regarding which he has strong opinions.

Support:

Fred Bauder (talk) 15:58, 8 December 2007 (UTC)
I believe that Adam has gotten the message and will use better judgment in the future. FloNight (talk) 17:05, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Clerks and Arbitrators should use this section to clarify their understanding of the final decision--at a minimum, a list of items that have passed. Additionally, a list of which remedies are conditional on others (for instance a ban that should only be implemented if a mentorship should fail), and so on. Arbitrators should not pass the motion until they are satisfied with the implementation notes.

Vote

Four net "support" votes needed to close case (each "oppose" vote subtracts a "support")
24 hours from the first motion is normally the fastest a case will close.