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Amendment request: Race and intelligence

Initiated by SightWatcher (talk) at 01:01, 5 December 2012 (UTC)

Case affected

Race and intelligence arbitration case (t) (ev / t) (w / t) (pd / t)

Clauses to which an amendment is requested

1. 6.1: SightWatcher topic-banned
2. 7.1: TrevelyanL85A2 topic-banned
3. Cla68's one-way interaction ban
4. The Devil's Advocate's one-way interaction ban

List of users affected by or involved in this amendment

• SightWatcher (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log) (initiator)
• TrevelyanL85A2 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log)
• Cla68 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log)
• The Devil's Advocate (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log)

Confirmation that the above users are aware of this request

Information about amendment request

I request that all four sanctions are vacated.

Statement by SightWatcher

I don't intend to edit R&I articles anymore if my topic ban is lifted. I'm requesting that it be lifted because I want to go back to being totally uninvolved in R&I, the way I had been for a year before I was sanctioned. When I was sanctioned in May 2012, my last edit that had anything to do with R&I was in May 2011. But my topic ban has often made me a focus of R&I related discussions even when I avoid them, which makes me too uncomfortable at Misplaced Pages to keep editing articles about books and movies the way I used to.

In the recent request by Cla68, AGK made a very insightful comment about the current R&I remedies: "I do believe that some amendment to our current decision is necessary, because the current remedies seem to be as large a source of drama as the dispute itself was (before it came to arbitration)." AGK's point can be seen from the history of requests there have been about the same issues after the review: May 17 June 10 July 8 July 25 October 22 November 10 I understand there was drama in the R&I topic before the review, but there wasn't so much of it that a new arbitration request was happening almost every month.

The goal of sanctions at Misplaced Pages is to prevent conflict, but the decision Roger Davies wrote in the review is having the opposite effect. I had already quit the R&I topic a year before I was sanctioned, so the only effect of my sanction was attracting more attention to me. The Devil's Advocate explained here how another of the bans I'm appealing also has created more drama, and he and Cla68 can speak for themselves about their own sanctions.

I still don't completely understand the basis for my topic ban, or why it needed to include an interaction ban with every other person who's edited R&I articles. My finding of fact says I was sanctioned because my involvement there was inspired by an off-wiki discussion, and both SilkTork and Roger Davies said the findings do not allege I was deliberately recruited. This needs to be pointed out because my finding of fact has often been misremembered as saying I was deliberately recruited, even though Arbcom was clear during the review they did not support this claim. SilkTork also mentioned here that it's not problematic for a person to become involved here because of an off-wiki discussion. Since my finding of fact does not allege I did anything against policy, I don't understand why I needed to be topic banned when I was no longer involved in the topic.

The reason Arbcom rejected Cla68's request seems to be that they thought a full case was needed, as mentioned by SilkTork and Elen of the Roads. I would like it best if Arbcom could just lift the sanctions, but if they would rather open a full case, that would be okay with me also.

Response to David Fuchs: the reason I can't just ignore discussions about me is because I can still get sanctioned in discussions where I don't participate about articles I don't edit. That happened to me in the review. If Arbcom takes Elen of the Roads' suggestion to sanction the four parties I named here, the sanction against The Devil's Advocate will be another example, because TDA hasn't commented in this request. After situations like these, it would be very naive of me to think I can avoid being sanctioned under R&I just by staying away from the articles and discussions about them. As for how these sanctions can affect someone who doesn't edit the articles, look at the explanation TDA gave here.

There is one thing that's already been a danger if I don't participate in the discussions where I get brought up. Mathsci has misstated the reason I was sanctioned so many times that other editors (including some members of Arbcom) have sometimes forgotten what the real reason was. There's another new example of this in his comment below about "proxy-editing", which has no basis in any finding of fact, and was contradicted during the review by Roger Davies and SilkTork and also afterwards by Jclemens. I expressed concern to SilkTork here that if I don't do anything to stop this, Mathsci's version of events could become a sort of unofficial amendment that Arbcom never endorsed. At the same time I also have to be very careful what I do, because as Mathsci points out I've sometimes been threatened with blocks for participating in these discussions. It's very difficult to know how to avoid both these dangers at once, but if my sanction could be lifted I wouldn't be in this situation anymore.

I don't care whether Arbcom lifts the sanction, or finds another solution. I just want this situation to change somehow. SilkTork's suggestion to include Mathsci in the interaction bans also could be a solution, but I didn't request that because I knew I couldn't request it without being reported at AE. -SightWatcher (talk) 00:15, 7 December 2012 (UTC)

Statement by Cla68

I have never edited R & I, and I find my unilateral interaction ban incomprehensible. I would also find childish reactions to criticism, such as this one (I think I will label this the "I'm going to hold my breath until I turn blue if I don't get my way" defense) from someone who may be of adult age equally incomprehensible if I hadn't had so many years of experience dealing with Misplaced Pages's disfunctional and immature administration. Do whatever you feel is best ArbCom. If you want to continue to facilitate the ongoing, personal, years-long feud between an obsessive, established Misplaced Pages editor and an obsessive, established banned editor, while allowing thin-skinned admins to squish us peon content editors who try to say something about it, be my guest. Cla68 (talk) 01:52, 5 December 2012 (UTC)

This is exactly what I'm talking about. ArbCom, could you please put a stop to this nonsense? How many more times do you need to be hit in the face by it? Cla68 (talk) 03:02, 5 December 2012 (UTC)

Roger Davies, of course SightWatcher is spending a lot of time trying to get the sanction lifted, because he likely feels that it is really unfair. I believe the rest of us unnecessarily santioned because we got in the way of the Mathsci steamroller feel the same way. Have you ever been unfairly sanctioned because you spoke up about something wrong that was going on, then got pounded by a misguided admin like Future Perfect at Sunrise or Timotheus Cannens have done here? It really sucks to feel that level of frustration. Good grief, Roger, stop contributing to the problem and do something about it. Please think like Newyorkbrad and get some empathy for everybody who is involved here. All the rest of you arbs, I will be filing an Arbcom request soon about Future Perfect's role in facilitating the obsessive BATTLE between these two editors at that core of this problem. It won't stop until you take the keys from the steamroller and put it in the garage. I'm not the one driving it. I'm the one standing in front of it trying to get it to stop, and I keep getting run over. Cla68 (talk) 22:58, 5 December 2012 (UTC)

SilkTork, if you all impose a sanction on Mathsci, please make sure it expressly covers his public interaction with suspected socks/IPs of this Captain Occam bloke. If Mathsci can only use private communication to alert you or other admins about problems with alleged harrassment from that banned user, then that should stop other editors from getting munched by Future Perfect or Timotheus Cannen when we raise warning flags about the BATTLE taking place in Misplaced Pages's public spaces. Cla68 (talk) 00:53, 6 December 2012 (UTC)

NuclearWarfare, from just a quick glance here, are you sure you should be clerking this? You know, if the ArbCom decides to open a case based on my request about Future Perfect, you could be a party to it. Cla68 (talk) 02:03, 6 December 2012 (UTC) Leaped before I looked. Cla68 (talk) 04:51, 6 December 2012 (UTC)

By the way, it finally dawned on me what Roger Davies meant by "others are being trolled here." I wasn't trying to provoke a reaction from Mathsci with my comment above. I was restating the problem as I see it, which is that there is an ongoing, three-year battle in Misplaced Pages between two editors, one of whom is banned, that has been facilitated by poor decision-making by several admins, and which has resulted in arbitrary and unnecessary sanctions for editors who have tried to say something about it. I believe the evidence supports this problem statement, especially supported by the events of the last couple of days. Cla68 (talk) 06:52, 6 December 2012 (UTC)

Arbitrators, could you please consider banning Future Perfect at Sunrise from the topic area and from using administrative actions, including participation in AE, in any way related to Mathsci? If you do so here, it will save me or someone else from having to file an ArbCom case request in the immediate future. If you need more evidence of his lack of objectivity besides his telling you all "F-you" over this a few weeks ago, then I'm fine with filing a case request. You may remember that Future Perfect at Sunrise has previously been desysopped. Based on his strong personal feelings on this topic area and towards Mathsci, it would likely save you all future work and drama if you removed him from the situation now. Cla68 (talk) 22:13, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

Also, if you were to ban Mathsci from public comments on-wiki related to Captain Occam or any suspected socks/IPs of his, that also save the wiki a lot of drama in the future. Mathsci should still be able to notify administrators (except Future Perfect at Sunrise) by email if Occam wiki-hounds him in the future. Cla68 (talk) 22:23, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

Mathsci, if you object to the lack of diffs, you should be joining me in advocating for the opening of a full case so this whole matter can be resolved. Here's a few just to get us started...there is some precedent to you objecting about something and then Future Perfect intervening and using his admin powers to take action on it. Here, you object to Loosmark's arbcom participation in Misplaced Pages, then Future Perfect steps in. Collect objected to your behavior related to Captain Occam, and Future Perfect warns him off. After you file a tendentious AE request on me, Future Perfect blocks me for electing to defend myself, then takes Mathsci's side in the AE discussion in which sanctions on Mathsci had been proposed, then quickly closes it despite objections from at least one participant. Future Perfect's desysopping happened after multiple violations of WP's policies. He has a history of using admin actions after apparently choosing a side in a Misplaced Pages battle, whether it be Eastern Europe, or the ongoing feud between you and Captain Occam. Please, let's open a case and this entire issue examined and put to rest. SilkTork, if I remember right you found some evidence that supported what I and others have been alleging about this. Could you please speak up? Cla68 (talk) 00:22, 11 December 2012 (UTC)

Newyorkbrad, Don't you think the rest of us might also be a little demoralized? Cla68 (talk) 07:24, 11 December 2012 (UTC)

Statement by Johnuniq

It is hard to see how a further discussion on this issue would assist the encyclopedia, particularly after:

• Amendment request Initiated by The Devil's Advocate on 25 July 2012; closed around 18 September 2012.
• R&I2 Initiated by Cla68 on 22 October 2012; closed around 8 November 2012.

SightWatcher's contributions suggest that the last two edits not connected with R&I disputes were on 15 September 2012 and 25 February 2012. My view is that more emphasis should be placed on the encyclopedia, and less on R&I issues. Johnuniq (talk) 02:47, 5 December 2012 (UTC)

Comment by Professor marginalia

Yougottabekidding!

If anybody falls for this bait (arbitrators, you're anybodies too) you're not being helpful in reducing disruption here. You're allowing yourself to be played.

It goes like this: when a decision's been made, and some user (puppets, much of the time but not not every time) pops the BigStinkbombs to unwind it all - it's not the user(s) targeted that are responsible for the "disruption" but the rest of us that chase and flap all about in these BigStinkbombs like moths to a flame.

Arbitration's ONLY function is to diagnose remedies when the "anybody can edit" needs umpires. Arbitrators are the umpires. Not that the umpire's call can never change, but it sure isn't the least bit constructive if the umpire's call can be changed for no other reason than because the injured player just won't stop making a nuisance of himself perpetually bellyaching about it. Professor marginalia (talk) 12:18, 5 December 2012 (UTC)

@Newyorkbrad: Speaking as one of the maybe increasingly few editors who's genuinely grateful for the arbitration system no matter what decision it comes to because whatever decision in comes to, at least it's a decision, (a constructive step in and of itself), I have found this case immensely frustrating because it never ends. Decisions are too ambivalently expressed to be taken seriously as decisions! Decisions in this case have been treated not as "closing doors" but as opening new ones to argue the dispute again, and again. The problems exploding in R/I articles never really stemmed from Mathsci's "behavior". The initial R/I decision by arbcom may have lent more weight to the role of Mathsci's "attitude" than I agreed with, but by any measure since those supposed "behavior" issues have only arguably become even more "disruptive" after the won't-take-no-for-an-answer socks, trolls, and their apologist whoevers went off and re-litigated the same old issues, wikilawyered, continuing their crusade to circumvent what should have been resolved disputes through endless re-dispute, re-negotiated, re-thinked resolutions. That continued disruption is maybe half attributable to the "won't-take-no-for-an-answer" socks/trolls etc AND their apologists, who continue to offer EXCUSES for what's only more obvious today than it was when the initial R/I conflagrations were brought before the arbcom. The other half is a rag-tag, defacto coalition formed of those hedging or rethinking their own decisions, and those seeking to piggyback some of their own past and otherwise unrelated or meta-complaints about particular users. Mathsci's a rational human being, but he's not Mr. Unfailingly Polite Diplomat either. I don't know that any rational human being can be unfailingly polite, patient in the face of the infinitely crazy, "wont-take-no's", flowing in to comlain in this community, nor should they and thus -- here we are.

I really don't want to rehash the full R/I case because it's a waste of this community's time and an insult to its intelligence. I will say the R/I parties thus far sanctioned in the dispute are the most pathetically obvious agents of tricksy proxy/tag team/canvassed/sock editing that I've personally encountered on the wiki and whose sanctions are well founded and yet, still, doubts are raised here as if these "doubters" are damaging in terms of how Mathsci (and now Future Perfect's) responded against it? Who are we kidding? This would have been a "well in hand" "dispute resolution" in anybody's hands if but for the zombie proxies and recent entrants/agents (and antics) seeking to piggy-back oldstanding personal grievances unto an over-arching, almost atmospheric "meta-level" dispute resolution about process, for particular users, which, frankly, I couldn't care less for anymore......... I view the value of dispute resolution, and arbcom, in putting to rest such noisy distractions. This nonsense noise, in my view, certainly shouldn't be rewarded by arbcom by those bellyaching ad nauseum - and hey, I know it's not an easy job, but deep down inside do any of you really see any long term value in rewarding those who won't quit bellyaching?

I know bureaucracies are clumsy as a rule, but can't we expect from arbcom reasons, opportunities, to shut down or shut out the distractions? The stupid stuff? Arbcom in this case has not only hedged and confused nearly every call, but now its flakiness is threatening to sabotage the admins who don their helmets and dirty their shoes enforcing sanctions in disputes just as you've expressly charged them to do. Arbcom's at the same time threatening to undermine much of the progress they themselves have achieved in this case. It's so perverse that while the evidence *against* those sanctioned has only grown over the years since-to the point that only the world's biggest idiots would continue to furnish "excuses" for them-opportunists will always be there to exploit opportunities, won't they? And, as exemplified in this particular case, whose responsibility is it that wikipedia doesn't let itself be played? Professor marginalia (talk) 12:55, 11 December 2012 (UTC)

Comment from Heim

Risker, an entire case on one block, really? I was not under the impression AE required a consensus to impose a block or sanction; that rather, it was meant to be discretionary and require consensus to overturn. I wasn't a fan of the speed on the trigger, either, but a case would be really, really overkill and would undermine the discretionary nature of sanctions. Heimstern Läufer (talk) 14:30, 5 December 2012 (UTC)

Comment from Fut.Perf.

@Risker: The opinions about the present block of Cla68 are currently pretty evenly divided on AE. I have made it clear that I don't consider it an "enforcement" block in the strict sense, i.e. I'm not squatting on its non-overturnability. As far as I am concerned, I will lift that block as soon as I am satisfied that it's no longer needed, and I've posted one proposal at AE about an outcome that would allow me to do so. If somebody else wishes to overturn it, they can certainly do so. That's what we have block reviews for. But then they should take the responsibility for it themselves and should not expect me to do it for them. Fut.Perf. ☼ 14:40, 5 December 2012 (UTC)

For the record, the AE thread has been closed with reminders to both Cla68 and Mathsci (and I have lifted Cla's block accordingly). I hope this sorry sideline can now be put to rest and the committee can concentrate of what this request is nominally about. Fut.Perf. ☼ 17:34, 5 December 2012 (UTC)

About the new motions: These same proposals were voted on just one month ago, and rejected. When people elsewhere on this project keep re-proposing the same rejected ideas over and over again to wear down their opposition, e.g. on AfD, their heads typically make contact with aquatic vertebrates rather quickly. Since when is "keep reproposing the same thing until you get your way" an acceptable strategy for arbitrators? Fut.Perf. ☼ 19:20, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

Comment from Enric Naval

WP:AE has proposed a solution. Can you let the AE admins solve this? Arbcom is supposed to intervene when the community can't handle the issues, it's not supposed to shortcircuit AE. --Enric Naval (talk) 20:05, 5 December 2012 (UTC)

Comment by Mathsci

The terms of SightWatcher's extended topic ban preclude him from making any request on behalf of others. He can make an appeal on his own behalf, but making requests for TrevelyanL85A2 (now AE-banned) or for Cla68 and The Devil's Advocate is not permitted. SightWatcher was advised by SilkTork in May to try to contribute outside project space. At the end of June, EdJohnston spelt out that a request discussing TreveyanL85A2 was inadvisable; at the same time MBisanz warned him that he would be blocked for one month if he attempted to make such a request. If SightWatcher wishes to edit completely outside R&I with a different username, he can probably arrange that privately and discreetly with the arbitration committee.

Apart from monitoring sockpuppetry by Mikemikev (my userpage is protected because he made fun of my illness), I have not had any active involvement in project or article space related to WP:ARBR&I. Periodically there have been attempts to misuse arbitration procedures by a small group of editors, made up of the DeviantArt group of editors, some of whom are now site-banned, and their facilitators/sympathizers. I was a catalyst in bringing to light coordinated editing within the DeviantArt group, including proxy-editing and most recently sockpuppetry. Almost all of the arbcom procedures in 2012, although nominally for a different purpose, have been diverted into some attempt to "write me out of the equation" as Roger Davies has put it.

Each request after a certain stage degenerates into free-for-all criticisms of me which contradict previous arbcom findings and remedies (the original 2010 arbcom case, its amendment later that year (when sanctions on me were lifted after a four months) and the subsequently tightly framed review in March-May 2012). In this request SightWatcher has made no mention of me, but, as a named party, Cla68 took the opportunity almost immediately to divert the case in my direction. He has used this page and WP:AE as a place to make personal attacks, assuming some immunity in arbcom-related space. As Future Perfect at Sunrise carefully explained to him, it is possible to present arguments without undue personalization or insults. His attempted caricature of me here is not reflected in my editing history or the findings of the original report or review. The "battleground" word has been misused: originally phrased as applying to "ideological opponents", words dropped at my request, in the context used it referred almost exclusively to the DeviantArt editors.

So the post-review pattern is this: an arbcom request appears phrased in such a way that it might be related to me; an editor uses the opportunity to launch unreservedly into personal attacks on me, presuming immunity on arbcom-related pages; then I respond, or am asked to respond. That is my involvement at present with WP:ARBR&I. That is also how Cla68 has created interactions with me. We have participated in previous unrelated arbcom cases, eg MBLPs, and I believe he wished to use the review to criticize me for conduct unrelated to R&I.

The problem with any of the editing restrictions is that they are taken not to apply to arbcom-related pages. Roger wrote below that I was trolled, by which I assume he was referring to Cla68's first thinly veiled dig at me on this page. Later Cla68's gloves came off and he launched into a full-blown personal attack on me unsupported by diffs. He described me as "obsessive" and a "monster" out to destroy others—the Mathsci steamroller. As far as I am aware, that kind of conduct is not allowed anywhere on wikipedia, including arbcom-related space. Mathsci (talk) 17:46, 6 December 2012 (UTC)

SightWatcher has now commented on me, with the usual objective of the DeviantArt campaign: to have some sanction imposed on me. That and his own reluctance to take responsibility for previous coordinated editing, despite the off-wiki and on-wiki evidence in the review, is not a good sign. Captain Occam was himself just as evasive about that collaboration in this exchange on WP:ANI with Shell Kinney on 17 December 2010. The pattern of "arbcom request on R&I issue --> parties sneaking in criticisms & requests for sanctions on Mathsci --> comments by me" could be halted by some form of motion restricting arbcom requests (the first step in the cycle), as Elen of the Roads suggests. Unsurprisingly SightWatcher is wikilawyering to keep that loophole open. He is also continuing to comment on other users, in this case The Devil's Advocate. In spite of the advice of SilkTork, EdJohnston and MBisanz, SightWathcer made a conscious decision to include TrevelyanL85A2, Cla68 and The Devil's Advocate in his request. He is now complaining about the consequences of that. Mathsci (talk) 02:10, 7 December 2012 (UTC)

Hersfold's motions

Beyond arbcom requests initiated by SightWatcher, Trevelyan85A2 or by others on their behalf, I have not interacted with these users or discussed them since the review closed anywhere on wikipedia, except in responses on arbcom-related pages. My own 2 requests to arbcom have just been to amend slightly the wording of the review and have concerned only myself. Of the mentioned parties, as Newyorkbrad has already pointed out, TrevelyanL85A2 will not be able to edit wikipedia in the forseeable future because he has an indefinite ban enforced at AE after violating his extended topic ban.

In the final vote for the PD in the review, the drafting arbitrator Roger Davies made this comment: "I don't think it's in the best interests of the project for him to be prohibited from reporting DeviantArt recruitees at SPI and so on. If, in the reports, there's a connection to Ferahgo or Occam, Mathsci needs to be free, provided he stays within the rules, to mention it. I say this because the alleged steady recruitment of apparent DeviantArt friends to edit the R&I topic is probably closer to the realm of not-yet-entirely-proven than no-it-didn't-happen. Let's not forget that Occam and Ferahgo are DeviantArt alumni." That is exactly what happened with Zeromus1. The sockpuppetry issues with him were handled privately off-wiki with checkusers: firstly with Amalthea; and later twice with AGK when more on-wiki evidence was available.

I have not made any requests related to SightWatcher since the review, on-wiki or off-wiki.Almost nothing has changed since the review, except for sporadic periods of intense disruption from troll socks of a community-banned user. That user is wholly unrelated to WP:ARBR&I. On this page I mentioned three bits of advice or warnings SightWatcher received in May and June from SilkTork, EdJohnston and MBisanz (diffs were added at Future Perfect at Sunrise's request). In the absence of any interactions and SightWatcher's own very rare editing, almost all in project space, Hersfold's motions do not seem to address any problems of conduct that have actually occurred or have any vague likelihood of occurring in the future. Nothing has happened since the last set of motions, except for SightWatcher making this request on behalf of himself and three users whom he is not allowed to mention. The only possible consequence of the motions would be that sockpuppets like Zeromus1, who seriously disrupted the last request for an arbcom case, would go undetected. That would seem to run completely contrary to Roger Davies' reasoning above. Mathsci (talk) 18:58, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

• Hersfold writes, "if Mathsci were to stop editing R&I topics, ...". Since he was site-banned and community-banned, I have identified lots of sockpuppets and ipsocks of Mikemikev. That does not appear to be "editing R&I topics". I occasionally have to comment in arbcom-related space, as here, but again that it not "editing R&I topics". In the review the finding was that my reporting at SPI was quite accurate. Mikemikev accounts for almost all the sockpuppetry in R&I. Then there is the quite separate matter of Echigo mole. His socking, trolling and wikihounding have nothing to do with R&I. A question was asked about his attempted harassment of me in the review. His ways of socking keep changing but his edits are usually easy to identify. Most recently 6 open proxy socks of his were blocked by Future Perfect at Sunrise and Reaper Eternal. I have participated here because I was mentioned by Cla698, in a negative way, when there was no need. Mathsci (talk) 19:47, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

• On his user talk page and here Cla68 has indicated or "mooted" that he might be requesting a new arbcom case involving FPaS as well as "evidence directly touches on an item that I'm not allowed to comment on on-wiki at the moment, except on ArbCom pages like AE". Until it is clear how Cla68 intends to proceed, it seems premature to pass or discuss any motions that involve his actions and other users' reactions. Mathsci (talk) 21:13, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

• David Fuchs, Sir Fozzie and Hersfold were inactive during the R&I review. My evidence and arbcom's findings in that review covered coordinated editing of R&I articles (to bypass topic bans) as well as coordinated editing on an RfC/U on WeijiBaikeBianji. That editing was not, as now, entirely restricted to interactions in arbcom space. If arbitrators are now proposing to modify the remedies, could they please confer with those who examined the evidence in detail, including the off-wiki evidence? Roger Davies was extremely careful and skillful in what evidence he elicited and used. As a result, very late in the day, there were findings and remedies on SightWatcher and TrevelyanL85A2. Despite being informed by the clerks, neither participated in the review. Consequently, following the review, some matters were left unresolved. As Roger put it, the issue of recruitment of friends is "probably closer to the realm of not-yet-entirely-proven than no-it-didn't-happen". If SightWatcher can have a fresh start under a new username, known only to arbcom, why not? Mistakes have been made and lessons learnt. Mathsci (talk) 22:07, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

• Cla68 has just made 2 outspoken suggestions concerning Future Perfect at Sunrise and me. These suggestions, one involving an WP:IBAN with Captain Occam, are extraordinary. No diffs, just unsubstantiated personal attacks. Cla68 mentions "wiki-hounding by Captain Occam". There has been no wikihounding by Captain Occam. By Echigo mole, yes. But these are two quite different people. There has been socking by Ferahgo/Occam (Zeromus1), handled in private. Cla68 also mentions: "Future Perfect at Sunrise's strong personal feelings ... towards Mathsci ..." Groan. Mathsci (talk) 23:49, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

• Have I been trolled again? Cla68 has just given examples of the "evidence" he would present in the arbcom case he has in mind. The first diff is taken from Loosmark's discussion page at ACE2010. Here's what actually happened: Wikipedia_talk:Arbitration_Committee_Elections_December_2010/Candidates/Loosmark I objected to Loosmark's suitability as an arbcom candidate because of multiple previous EE sanctions. Within a few days he was blocked as a sockpuppeteer first by Avraham for a month and then indefinitely by Timotheus Canens. Yet Cla68 writes that I "objected to Loosmark's participation on wikipedia." How does "candidacy for arbcom" morph to "participation on wikipedia"? Mathsci (talk) 01:02, 11 December 2012 (UTC)

Response to Newyorkbrad

AE or community sanctions, particularly if minor, should preferably be appealed where they were imposed, not here. Arbcom requests are a last resort and immensely time-wasting and draining (R&I fatigue syndrome).

The arbitration committee can decide on a quick "rule of thumb" for when amendments, clarifications and most importantly new cases related to WP:ARBR&I are appropriate. The original case concerned content editing in topics related to WP:ARBR&I and conduct in the first half of 2010. The review concerned content editing in topics related to WP:ARBR&I and conduct from summer 2010 to the beginning of 2012. Discussing matters unrelated to content editing is probably the main factor which has allowed arbcom pages to degenerate into what often resembles the courtroom scene in Alice in Wonderland. Any new case, such as Misplaced Pages:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Race and intelligence 3 (please, please, no!), should be directly related to content editing in WP:ARBR&I. Cla68's Race and intelligence 2 was completely divorced from issues of content editing in R&I topics and the same is even truer of Cla68's more recent proposal for a new case. It is without merit—another one of Cla68's bad jokes—and should be nipped in the bud.

If I had called Cla68 a "monster" created by an unnamed administrator or described him as "the Cla68 tank engine," folks like Sir Fozzie would have good reason to raise objections. I have not done so. Sir Fozzie is now just trying to recycle his first failed motion. That motion failed because of objections about micromanagement from administrators at AE, particularly Timotheus Canens. Nothing has changed except that Cla68 has been blocked for making personal attacks on me in arbcom-related space. Since voting in the election is over now, I can reveal that I privately asked Newyorkbrad and NuclearWarfare if there was a way to deal with Cla68's disruptive attacks on this page ("the Mathsci steamroller", etc). Apparently nothing could be done.

As Newyorkbrad has said, please could those supporting either motion point to any interactions with Cla68 or SightWatcher that have occurred recently outside arbcom space. The thinking behind the motions is apparently that no restriction applies within arbcom space. That is presumably why Cla68 has been allowed, even encouraged, to engage in personal attacks on this page despite his AE restriction. Their motions would not prevent comments in arbcom-related space, which is the only place they have ever happened.

If editors have been sanctioned at AE and are unhappy about their sanctions, they should appeal those sanctions at AE. It is gaming the system to play off AE administrators against arbitrators as Cla68 has done here. There is also no reason for other editors to make appeals on their behalf. SightWatcher's case is special. In matters concerning R&I, his topic ban precludes him from making appeals on behalf of other editors or suggesting sanctions on other editors. Appeals to lift indefinite topic bans at AE usually require some sign of normal editing in content space away from the topic; in normal circumstances, the same is presumably true of appeals to arbcom. Arbcom should give clear advice on future appeals by SightWatcher. I am surprised he did not consult arbcom privately, on arbcom-l, before making this request.

Trolling by Echigo mole is a red herring and seems to be under control at the moment.

Comment by Beyond My Ken

Mathsci is, once again, being played here, and it would be better if his reaction to being played wasn't quite so predictable, since it likely gives his harassers satisfaction when he reacts as he does. Nevertheless, he is, as usual, not the one at fault here, and I continue to believe that sanctioning him -- however superficially "fair" it may seem -- would be a gross injustice. However, something clearly needs to be done, so I would urge that Elen's position -- which is basically Silk Torx's position minus a sanction against Mathsci -- be seriously considered. If the people harassing Mathsci on Arb pages are forced to stop, Mathsci will have nothing to react to, and there will be peace on earth all around. Beyond My Ken (talk) 03:00, 7 December 2012 (UTC)

Arbitrator comments

• Awaiting statements. Note that the relevant case link is Misplaced Pages:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Race and intelligence/Review. Note also that TrevelyanL85A2 is blocked indefinitely, so I don't think we need to consider the request as to him. Newyorkbrad (talk) 01:55, 5 December 2012 (UTC)
• Cla68, you've linked to a post by TCanens - I don't follow, whose reaction in that post are you calling childish? Casliber (talk · contribs) 04:21, 5 December 2012 (UTC)
• Seeing that Mathsci has raised this yet again at enforcement as a result of this case request (and the resulting admin frustration with Mathsci as a result) makes me think that we missed an opportunity to head off more issues by making the interaction ban mutual last time in the motion that was proposed. I'm neutral, towards leaning oppose to modify the other issues here. SirFozzie (talk) 05:30, 5 December 2012 (UTC)
  • I've noted the unilateral block action taken by Future Perfect At Sunrise in the AE request based on this thread.. I think that this action will certainly be looked at (either in this request, or in the request for a full fledged case that is currently being mooted by Cla68). I would say FPaS's actions may not be strictly against consensus but solely on the basis that only a few folks had spoken, but I do note that FPaS's actions were unilateral and not in tune with those uninvolved administrators who had already commented on the AE request. SirFozzie (talk) 09:01, 5 December 2012 (UTC)
• Okay, folks. It seems that *none* of you is interested in editing in the area of R&I. It is also obvious to everyone that these continued requests for sanctions or variations in sanctions is doing absolutely nothing to improve the encyclopedia, and is becoming increasingly disruptive. Please bear in mind that the Arbitration Committee's mandate is to address disruption on Misplaced Pages, not providing due process or "fairness" to any individual editor(s). I'm thinking that we extend all topic and interaction bans in this area to indefinite, with the opportunity to appeal in six months, and that Mathsci be included in topic/interaction ban. Much as I understand that Mathsci is being trolled here, at this point his reactions to the trolling have become more disruptive to the encyclopedia than the trolling itself, and he clearly needs a break from this area. And Future Perfect at Sunrise, please lift your block on Cla68; I don't want to have to hear an entire case because you're being inflexible on a block that is clearly not supported by the consensus of admins on AE. Risker (talk) 13:24, 5 December 2012 (UTC)
• I sort of have to echo RIsker; what we have is a small-ish group of editors, none of whom seem to want to edit the R&I topic, and all of whom need to be kept away from each other. And at this point, that includes Mathsci; running to AE when we're already here was pretty much the definition of not helpful. I understand ou are getting trolled by a banned user, but every time this shows up I'm struck by how much battlefield conduct there is, and how much less of it there would be if the various parties would just act as if they had no need to comment on or to each other. Courcelles 16:42, 5 December 2012 (UTC)
• Decline: I don't see much merit in this request; Sightwatcher's Misplaced Pages activities now appear exclusively directed to protesting his ban.
  On the broader issues, it's probably not just Mathsci who's being trolled here.  Roger Davies 21:00, 5 December 2012 (UTC)
• Games are being played here, and it is time this was stopped. I would support extending topic/interaction bans to Mathsci, and also adding a provision that nobody involved in these bans can appeal or raise the issue on Misplaced Pages, not on AE or through these ArbCom pages. All communications related to these bans, including notifications about infringements, would need to come direct to ArbCom, and to ArbCom only, by email. These public requests simply inflame matters. SilkTork 00:43, 6 December 2012 (UTC)
  • I think the Racepacket case has a model of interaction ban that could be useful here -- very broad, and pretty much a total cease and desist globally. Courcelles 05:06, 6 December 2012 (UTC)
• First, comments on the initial request. SightWatcher, if you don't intend to edit R&I articles, I see no reason why you would need the topic ban lifted. You are not required to comment on any discussion related to R&I; while your name may be mentioned, you should be perfectly capable of ignoring them should you not wish to be involved. As to the rest of your request, you have no grounds from which to request the removal of other's sanctions; even if you did, the grounds on which you're requesting this are somewhat shaky. It seems as though the better approach would be to, as several other arbs have suggested, make the interaction bans mutual and in so doing prevent anyone involved from causing any problems in the area whatsoever, because they can't talk to one another. Would anyone care to post some motions to that effect? Hersfold 01:38, 6 December 2012 (UTC)
• decline' per all of the above really. Casliber (talk · contribs) 04:04, 6 December 2012 (UTC)
• There's a couple issues at play here; if Cla follows through, a case regarding FPaS is one of them that isn't really at issue regarding the initial request. As pointed out by Hers, I don't see how someone who isn't editing R&I articles is affected by a ban from them, or how they could be roped into the surrounding drama willingly therein; SightWatcher, I'd be happy for clarification on that point. I'm thinking Silk's idea might have merit to lessening the drama on-wiki, although given how invested the participants in I'm not sure that wouldn't just migrate the same issues into another sphere for them to blow back to Wiki with less noise but the same smell. Der Wohltemperierte Fuchs 04:33, 6 December 2012 (UTC)
• Decline this request. While there are wider issues with this topic area, I don't think we need to open a case to examine them at the moment. PhilKnight (talk) 04:59, 6 December 2012 (UTC)
• Decline request and would consider both a motion that none of the four named can request an alteration/lifting of the sanction for the next year, and a working practice to allow the clerks to remove requests made on behalf of a third party in this manner. I am very reluctant to consider anything that looks like a sanction for Mathsci, but would strongly recommend he avoids reporting any of this group onwiki at AE, as all it is doing is painting a target on his back. Elen of the Roads (talk) 21:58, 6 December 2012 (UTC)

Motions

For this motion there are 13 active arbitrators. With 0 arbitrators abstaining, 7 support or oppose votes are a majority.

Motion 1: Mutual interaction bans

1) In an effort to prevent further disruption of the Race & Intelligence topic area, all interaction bans implemented as part of Misplaced Pages:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Race and intelligence/Review are hereby amended to be mutual. Specifically, editors who actively contribute in the Race & Intelligence topic area are indefinitely prohibited from participating in any discussion about the conduct of SightWatcher (talk · contribs) and/or TrevelyanL85A2 (talk · contribs), except to participate in dispute resolution and noticeboard discussions, as necessary and within reason, when and only if their own conduct has been mentioned. Violations of this restriction may be enforced by block as outlined in this section, however violators should be given sufficient warning prior to enforcement.

Support

1. I think the crux here is if there's any reason for the involved parties to be communicating, period. From what I've seen it usually is only a prelude to grievances on all sides, and so a mutual ban seems a good option to try and prevent this occurrence in the future. Der Wohltemperierte Fuchs 18:31, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

Oppose

Abstain

Arbitrator Comments

Due to the broad nature of the interaction bans as passed in the review, this is the literal interpretation of "make the bans mutual" - however it may be a bit of overkill, and could catch some editors not involved in this mess completely unawares, hence that bit at the end about "sufficient warning". However, it would probably allay SightWatcher's concern - which I still don't really understand - that he could be sanctioned for something he's not doing. Hersfold non-admin 16:46, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

TrevelyanL85A2 is blocked indefinitely and won't be coming back anytime soon, so I don't follow why this motion would be needed as to him. SightWatcher, as Roger Davies has pointed out, hardly edits any more either; is there an example of a time when Mathsci commented about him, outside the arbitration pages themselves? Newyorkbrad (talk) 05:17, 11 December 2012 (UTC)

Motion 2: Mathsci interaction ban

2) Mathsci (talk · contribs) is indefinitely banned from participating in any discussion about the conduct of SightWatcher (talk · contribs) and/or TrevelyanL85A2 (talk · contribs), except to participate in dispute resolution and noticeboard discussions, as necessary and within reason, when and only if their own conduct has been mentioned. Violations of this restriction may be enforced by block as outlined in this section.

Support

1. Der Wohltemperierte Fuchs 19:13, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

Oppose

Abstain

Arbitrator Comments

This is the sort of "mutual" I think most people were thinking of; where Mathsci can't discuss those two. Note that this can pass alongside motion 1; the way motion 1 is worded, if Mathsci were to stop editing R&I topics, he would technically no longer be under the interaction ban if motion 2 were not in force as well. Hersfold non-admin 16:46, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

Motion needs to add Cla68, I think we can drop the indef blocked user in its place, though, any objection to making the change? SirFozzie (talk) 20:20, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

Yeah, TrevelyanL85A2 is pretty much never coming back, so passing any motion involving them is a waste of time. Courcelles 21:17, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

It's not much of a waste when we're passing a motion anyway, and not including him makes it appear as though we're singling out SightWatcher for some reason. SirFozzie, do you mean Cla68 should not comment on SW/Trevelyan, or that Mathsci also shouldn't comment on Cla68? Hersfold non-admin 21:38, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

That Mathsci also shouldn't comment on Cla68. SirFozzie (talk) 08:11, 11 December 2012 (UTC)

Comments on motions

I'm also wondering if it would be worthwhile to add an admonishment to "don't feed the trolls," but not sure. I don't believe it is appropriate to add a moratorium on appeals of these or related restrictions; it should be clear enough anyway that we're not willing to consider any for some time, particularly not from these grounds. Hersfold non-admin 16:46, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

I think there is pretty well universal agreement at this point that Mathsci is inadvertently rewarding the banned users who have been harassing him, or perhaps others who are trollishly imitating the banned users, and that by this point he should have heeded the advice he has received from multiple parties not to react so predictably. It would clearly be better if Mathsci were to back away from dealing with them, except when essential (such as when there is trolling on a page Mathsci was already on, as opposed to his seeking it out elsewhere), and if someone else would take on the task for awhile. However, I remain reluctant to enforce this in the form of any kind of a motion, which would lead to its own set of arguments and rules-lawyering and which I know would be terribly demoralizing for Mathsci. Can't someone think of another way for everyone out of this situation, which has become repetitious and tedious for everyone, and a giant diversion from everyone's editing, whether about race and intelligence or anything else. This is one of those odd situations where, if I had to explain to a non-Wikipedian what issues come before the Arbitration Committee, I wouldn't even know how to begin explaining it. In my experience, when an on-wiki problem has become that abstruse, it means we have gotten too caught up in internal affairs and diverted from the mission of Misplaced Pages. Newyorkbrad (talk) 05:23, 11 December 2012 (UTC)

"too caught up in internal affairs and diverted from the mission of Misplaced Pages." Agree. And, I suppose, that's where ArbCom comes in. What we have, though, is a situation where people are broadly in agreement that there is a problem, but are sadly reluctant to do anything about it. While the Committee is in disharmony with itself, with other users, and with AE admins over if we should do anything and what we should do, the situation does not get better and encourages more ArbCom and ANI postings. I agree with the implication of " Can't someone think of another way for everyone out of this situation" that what we need is ideas and discussion, and the discussion should take place here, not on the ArbCom list, so that those who may be impacted by our decision, such as the participants and the ANI and AE admins, are given the opportunity to participate. SilkTork 10:31, 11 December 2012 (UTC)