User talk:Ral315/Archive 17

A potential article for the next issue of signpost
Thought that maybe you cound include a first wiki project to publishish a book in the next issue of signpost?

Here is an extract from invitation that was sent to MIT community:

The focus of our new book, tentatively titled We Are Smarter Than Me, is just that: a guide to the landscape of community knowledge and the identification of key principles to harness it. Organized initially around the major business functions and processes, the book will contain case studies of successes and failures, and commentary on the lessons learned. But most importantly, this book will (we hope) be written by hundreds or thousands of people, each listed as an author. Using wiki technology, the purpose of our experiment is to determine whether a community approach applies to book-writing, and to harness the knowledge of the community to advance the state of management. You can learn more about how this will work by visiting http://www.WeAreSmarter.org

To ensure the success of the venture, we've enlisted some additional resources to provide support. We're forming an advisory committee of faculty and industry experts, led by Tom Malone, a senior faculty member at MIT who heads up the Collective Intelligence Laboratory. Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, has agreed to serve as a member of the Advisory Board as well.

You are invited to participate in the project in a variety of ways. This would include, but not limited to, making contributions to current chapters, or creating new chapters if you believe the current structure is too constraining (you can review the current chapter structure on the website). Or you can simply monitor the chapter(s) you feel are most relevant, and you can provide commentary and content as you feel necessary. If you are interested in participating in this project, please visit http://www.WeAreSmarter.org to learn more about the project and to sign-up as a project participant. 20:01, 12 October 2006 (UTC)

WP:SIGN bot request
Hi! I noticed that your bot is doing the signpost edits, can you set it to not change the unicode things, I think there's a checkbox is AWB. The thing is, there's some template that I use about the wikipedia user page, blah blah blah, and it uses the escape codes to make it harder for people to "hijack" my userpage, for whatever reason. Thanks! ST47 Talk
 * Cool, thanks! ST47 Talk 21:33, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Re: African bit on N/N
Thanks for the tip! Flcelloguy (A note? ) 02:15, 29 October 2006 (UTC)


 * Hello Ral, thanks for the note. First, I would be more than happy to write the issue, but I'm actually contemplating running to serve the community this year - someone urged me to do so a few months ago, and I've been giving it some thought. I haven't decided anything yet at this point, but if I do, I obviously would not be able to write the series. However, my thoughts on the proposed timeline: I really don't see the need for an article on "About ArbCom/History of ArbCom", as well as "ArbCom duties and requirements". These two would virtually be the same as the ones last year (well, earlier this year), and because nothing significant in terms of those topics has occured, I don't know what would go into the articles other than a copy-and-paste of the previous articles and information. The same problem occurs in the "Recent ArbCom elections, ArbCom voting process", as most of the information would literally be old, and only have updates from last year's elections. Thus, my proposal is to eliminate those articles from the list and instead reference to the old articles from last year, and shift the start of the series forward two to three weeks to accomodate for the elimination of those articles. This would also allow me more time to mull over the choice, and if I do not decide to run (which is the most likely scenario), I would be willing to write the series. Does that sound like a feasable and reasonable plan? Let me know what you think. Thanks! Flcelloguy (A note? ) 23:18, 30 October 2006 (UTC)


 * I have decided to run for ArbCom this year. I will, however, be happy to continue writing News and Notes, with your permission. Thanks for your understanding! Flcelloguy (A note? ) 22:16, 4 November 2006 (UTC)

Esperanza
There is an active discussion about the situation between Barnstar and WP:ASR on Talk:Barnstar. As the thread currently is discussing, it might be a good idea to add an external link from Esperanza to Esperanza instead of an internal link. That way, mirror sites would not have any dead links. This might be a possibly successful compromise between our debate.

On a completely unrelated note, the header of the message you added (User talk:Ed) contains a link to Esperanza, not Esperanza. =)  E d  ¿Cómo estás? 23:11, 4 November 2006 (UTC)


 * You have made no comment regarding straw poll, as suggested by Nihiltres on Talk:Esperanza. Would that be a violation of Wikipedia isn't a democracy?-- E d  ¿Cómo estás? 23:21, 4 November 2006 (UTC)


 * Sorry, I'd re-added the barnstar selfref (and now re-removed), and confused the issue, thought I was simply helping solve a newbie's problem ;(
 * As I mentioned at the barnstar talkpage, Help and Cheat sheet also have selfrefs, possibly they have to be removed too? Though I'd argue those are useful enough to keep. (See also this VP(proposal))
 * But, "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member", and I don't particularly like graphical smilies or awards, so I'm apathetic about the Barnstar and Esperanza selfrefs.... --Quiddity 00:11, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Hey Ral315. I believe that the Wikipedia barnstar link should be added to the Barnstar page. Many other pages, such as that of Administrator or Mediation, have links on top to the article about Wikipedia. I constantly use the Wikipedia link at the top of the barnstar page as well as many others. Although it may conflict with the self avoidance policy, it is extremely useful. Without it, many newbies (and for that matter, some experienced members) will not be able to easily find the page about Wikipedia barnstars. Sharkface217 01:46, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

I would also like to point out that most of the examples of self-refs I found you refered to as essential processes. Now I would like to ask you: How do you define an essential process? What is essential to one may not be essential to another.-- E d  ¿Cómo estás? 03:10, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

=
================================= Essential Process? Isn't that why we're discussing this? ^_~

But yes, I do believe that the link on the top of the page is essential to finding the Wikipedia:Barnstars page. After all, I always just type in 'Barnstar' on the search box, get sent to that page, and then I click the link to the Wikipedia page located near the top. Sharkface217 03:56, 5 November 2006 (UTC)


 * Why did you revert evrik on his reversion to Barnstar without a statement or explanation? There is a discussion about this on the talk page-- E d  ¿Cómo estás? 03:28, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

"Hoax article"
Out of interest, does "hoax article" mean the article is a hoax, or the article is about a hoax? David Mestel(Talk) 19:00, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Intellipedia
Your article is false.

The story of Intellipedia, the Wiki for the Department of Defense, is a hoax. Having personal access to JWICS, I can tell you that the leak of this "announcement of an intelligence Wiki" is actually a case of what appears to be mass journalistic hysteria.

If you take a good look at all of the news articles out, they will tell you a little. They'll mention John Negroponte (sometimes as the person who announced it, other times not), and a man named Michael Wertheimer, who is claimed to be 'the intelligence community's chief technical officer' (or as some other made-up, official-sounding name). There is no such thing, nor is there any such reference to this man outside of Intellipedia-related news stories.

When this hoax article was released, many journalists jumped on it as fact. I tell you now, it is not fact. There is no such thing as intellipedia (not that I have heard, and if there was, I WOULD HAVE HEARD IT).

Thank you for your time. ~  PH  DrillSergeant ... §  23:53, 7 November 2006 (UTC)


 * OK. Well, be on the lookout, I've reported the hoax to my superiors, you'll probably hear something in the next week or two. ~  PH  DrillSergeant ... §  01:33, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Sandbox mfd - why?
Why are you nominating all the sandbox pages for deletion? The sandbox pages help to strengthen Wikipedia's sense of community, yet you are determined to destroy some of the main community activity pages where users can have fun and enjoy themselves. Stressed wikipedians are not effective. Please reconcider your stance on the mfd of the sandbox pages. Think outside the box 09:38, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

3RR on Barnstar
You are in danger of violating the three-revert rule. Please cease further reverts or you may be blocked from editing. Please note that your opinion on a topic does not dictate what should be done on Wikipedia, even though you're an administrator. The self reference in Barnstar was definitely approved by the people who have worked on that article. I advise you to present your reasons for not having the self-ref on the page to the editors on Talk:Barnstar-- E d  ¿Cómo estás? 02:54, 9 November 2006 (UTC)


 * Please for the love of god stop posting boilerplate messages on my talk page. I know about 3RR, civility, etc.; I've not broken any, and your constant messages are pissing me off.  Consider this message my acceptance that I know about all Wikipedia rules (shocking, isn't it, as we've both been around wiki quite a long time), and if I should break one, let another admin block me without restraint.  Ral315 (talk) 06:01, 9 November 2006 (UTC)


 * Sorry to butt in here. I've been watching all of this with great interest and I agree that you are bordering on WP:HA/WP:POINT, Ed, much like what you were blocked for earlier this year. – Chacor 14:19, 9 November 2006 (UTC)


 * I'm not accusing you of anything. I have an obligation to warn users when they are about to or have broken Wikipedia policy. The 3 edits above were within 24 hours, in which case another edit would have gotten you reported to WP:AN. And in addition, there are people who support me on my side of our issue as well, as you can see on Talk:Esperanza and Talk:Barnstar. Why do you argue with consensus on Talk:Barnstar? Did you not argue that consensus should always be applied?-- E d  ¿Cómo estás? 02:08, 10 November 2006 (UTC)


 * You know what? I'm sick and tired of dealing with a damn troll.  I asked you to stay off of my talk page, and you've breached this.  I know Wikipedia policy, and it's clear you don't given the multiple times that you've bothered me with "civility" warnings that no one else has agreed with and "3RR" warnings.  Seriously, a user who's made more than, say, 2,000 edits pretty much has to know Wikipedia policy, especially if they're an admin.  As far as consensus, this is being dealt with on those talk pages.  Stop harassing me, and please just stay the hell off my pages.  Ral315 (talk) 05:32, 10 November 2006 (UTC)


 * WP:OWN-- E d  ¿Cómo estás? 18:38, 10 November 2006 (UTC)

WP:POST
Are you guys at the Singpost looking for new stuff/staff? It's been suggested that the Signpost cover WikipediaWeekly, and I'd be willing to write stuff for that, but am not sure if there'd be enough for a section of its own (given how it could effectively turn out to be an episode summary, which we already do). Any thoughts? Cheers, – Chacor 03:36, 11 November 2006 (UTC)

LSS
Hey, I'm wondering if you might be interested in cross-links between your signpost and LSS. --Improv 21:31, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

Suri Cruise
Could you add the Category:2006 births to the Suri Cruise article? --Carterhawk 10:51, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

ITN
thanks - my wife has reminded me a few times I should be asleep already since I got about 3-4 hours last night :(

Will do re the notes section - I am still trying to figure out what is the most efficient and effective way to prep the list each week.

Because google seems to be including more and more news sources that I would consider not meeting the verifiability standards, I wanted to ask you your view on the editorial discretion of which articles to include. Basically, I am categorizing articles based on source (in descending reliability/interest): large circ, large circ foreign news, small circ, specialized print, online respected, online specialized, online computer news, blogs, PR releases. Then focusing on the mainstream stuff - avoiding the blogs unless it is something particularly interesting versus random complaints/acclaim. I think I'll add a column on "topic" so it will be easier to identify which articles to group together.

Any suggestions you have on that would be helpful - perhaps I'll ask for feedback on the suggestion page. -- Trödel 04:11, 14 November 2006 (UTC)
 * Agreed RE the register - that article was one of the ones that got me thinking about the need to make better decisions about what to include/not include. -- Trödel 04:24, 14 November 2006 (UTC)
 * When you said The Guardian did you mean The Register or is there something I am missing about the guardian - as I thought it was not a tabloid. -- Trödel 04:25, 14 November 2006 (UTC)
 * Hope you get some -- Trödel 04:31, 14 November 2006 (UTC)
 * Done earlier this week :) -- Trödel 21:02, 20 November 2006 (UTC)

ArbCom questions

 * What positions do you hold?  Well, none really. I'm not an administrator (although I have declined near to 10 proposals from editors who offered to make a RfA for me), but I am a member of the Mediation Cabal, and have taken the odd case, however most of my efforts tend to be informal on article talk pages to cool people's tempers. I am one of a very small number of active RFCU clerks. Nominally, I have 11,000 edits, although I acknowledge that this does not bring with it any rank or position as referred to in the question.


 * Why are you running? I feel that not being an administrator does not mean a person couldn't do this job. In fact, I think there should be more input from those not with "the tools" - although, by definition, sysops are just "regular users with a couple more buttons", in practice a lot they tend to see the technical, not the community side, all too regularly. This is why I have nominated myself; because I believe there should be a smattering of those who may see things slightly differently to those who are currently in the positions of the AC or administrator. It's not that admins don't/wouldn't do a good job - that couldn't be father from the truth - but another, slightly different perspective on the Arbitration Committee "board" to provide insight into dealing with Wikipedia's largest and most complex problems is by no means the worst thing could happen - it might even be the best. That's why I'm running.


 * Have you been involved in any arbitration cases? In what capacity? Normally, I just write the proposed findings of fact/remedies etc., something which I feel sets me up well to be an ArbCom member - I try to help Fred Bauder out in this way. Other than that, I've been egregiously listed as a party on the odd occasion (they've been rejected, and the one I'm currently listed in looks like it will be rejected too), and often give my opinion on matters both at the accept/reject stage and the evidence/workshop stage.

If you need me to refactor for length, just let me know. Cheers, Daniel.Bryant [ T · C ] 02:07, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Arbcom Questions: Improv
Hi. You've given me a number of question #1s :) I hope this is what you're looking for. Take care. --Improv 02:12, 27 November 2006 (UTC)
 * 1) I'm a retired/inactive mediator and an admin on EN and Meta.
 * 2) I'm running because I am willing to serve. With an election of several people, having a good set of available people to choose from is helpful to the community.
 * 3) I have occasionally offered my thoughts on cases to the Arbitration Committee, and very occasionally posted evidence to some cases.

Just in case...
Just in case you missed the various notes I've left around the place, some information on the candidates is summarised here. Carcharoth 02:16, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

¿Qué? CakeProphet

 * 1) I'm currently an active-ish mediator over at The Mediation Cabal, with almost all of my contributions to the wiki being directly involved in some way with mediation efforts.
 * 2) Hmmm... spur-of-the-moment/lack-of-other-things-to-do mainly. Not to say I consider the position a lax adventure. User:Kylu, a friend of mine (and a candidate in the elections too), encouraged me to do so, and my mediationizings with the MedCab have been dwindling in frequency. I figured this was the best way to keep contributing (since I absolutely suck at actual editing ;) )
 * 3) Not directly. Quite a few of the MedCab cases act as a stepping stone for an ArbCom cases, but I've had very few of such cases (I actually discourage the use of ArbCom in situations where it was considered by conflicting parties). I've watched them from afar though, examining the various situations without really commenting on them.

*tip of the hat* -- The Prophet Wiz ard of the Cray on Cake  02:30, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

re: ArbCom questions - Jpgordon answer
Heya. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 02:30, 27 November 2006 (UTC)
 * 1) I've been an Admin since November 2004.
 * 2) I'm here to serve.
 * 3) I've offered comments on a few arbitration cases over the years, but I don't think I've ever been a named party in one that's been accepted.

ArbCom questions: Kylu
What positions do you hold (adminship, mediation, etc.)?
 * I am an admin on English Wikipedia, have accounts on several Wikimedia Foundation wikis (though they are primarily to support my work here), I am one of three coordinators for the Mediation Cabal, often thought of as the "first step" of the Dispute Resolution process, and have access to both the OTRS system and the Toolserver.

Why are you running for the Arbitration Committee?
 * I have perhaps an odd answer for that: I'm mostly interested in giving the contributors to Wikipedia the widest possible selection of good users to choose from. I'd be just as happy if I didn't get an Arbitration Committee seat...provided that those who are selected are as good or, preferably, better. I'm already familiar with the dispute resolution process, but there is always something that can be improved.

'''Have you been involved in any arbitration cases? In what capacity?'''
 * I've been tangentially involved in Requests for arbitration/Giano, though as I was not directly involved in the dispute under arbitration, I chose to not be directly involved. I tend to think that if I'm in a case that gets to arbitration, it means I've failed to cooperate to find a resolution with the party that I'm in dispute with. So far, there's only one situation I'd like to take through the dispute resolution process (another party to the Giano case) but the other party and I don't communicate often and, sadly, has not taken me up on my offer to resolve the situation.


 * Take care! :) ~Kylu ( u | t )  02:31, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Q&A: Geogre

 * 1) Currently, I'm an administrator and have been since 2004. I do not hold any other official titles.
 * 2) Essentially, I think that my length of involvement in the project and longstanding interest in policy debates and the structural issues of Wikipedia operation give me an insight on how we can best interact with one another to keep the editing environment healthy.  Additionally, I have noticed that, of late, arbitration decisions have been light on explanation, and some people are implying that ArbCom is a type of rule or power at Wikipedia.  I believe that my ability to explain and my deeply held belief in the equality of all users (with our various positions being tasks rather than honors) are needed.  I am cheered by the current slate of candidates and see quite a few people who, like me, have been drawn into standing because of the emergent belief that ArbCom members are above other users.  We are all volunteers, and volunteers cannot be ruled, as no one signs up to be a lower caste.
 * 3) I have been an involved party to an ArbCom appeal, once, where a person was appealing a block and named me (because he had been blocked partly for responding inappropriately to something I had said).  Three times or thereabouts, I have been one who offered a view.  In the recent Giano RFAR, I was not a named party initially, but I added myself to the case.  It's never a pleasant process for anyone in any capacity, even as a witness.  I cannot foresee it ever being nice, but I hope it can be more apparently arbitrated and less arbitrary to the participants.  Geogre 03:01, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Arbcom Questions: Avraham
Hello, Ral.


 * What positions do you hold (adminship, mediation, etc.)?:I am an administrator here in English Wikipedia.
 * Why are you running for the Arbitration Committee?: ArbCom combines elements of interpersonal mediation with policy and guideline interpretation and application. It is a challenging position, and as I say in my statement, by applying a measured sense of reason, a desire to be fair and equitable to all participants, and a liberal smattering of humor, I feel that my background, temperament, wikiediting history, and administrative activities, together with some deep-breathing exercises, would allow me to contribute to the community as a whole in this fashion.
 * Have you been involved in any arbitration cases? In what capacity?:No, not directly, having neither been called, nor requested arbitration, although I have commented in an arbitration case workshop.

Thank you for collating and editing this! -- Avi 03:15, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

ArbCom questions Alex Bakharev
Take care and happy edits Alex Bakharev 03:19, 27 November 2006 (UTC)
 * 1) I am an admin on English Wikipedia.
 * 2) Because I like the project and I think Arbcom is very important for the health of the project. Despite having registered accounts measured in millions, statistics show that 50% of all edits are done by ~500 users, 75% of all the edits are done by ~1400 users. Taking into account remarkable people able to create good articles in two edits we would find that Wikipedia as we know it would not exist without 2..3 thousand people. Having any of them banned brings an unrepairable damage to the whole project, having any of them is locked in an edit war instead of doing productive work makes an unrepairable damage to the whole project, even having any of them to spend 2..3 months on a contentious Arbcom case makes an unrepairable damage to the whole project. The last but not least having any of the potential great contributors bitten and driven out by the more experienced wikipedians makes an unrepairable damage to the whole project. To save the editors and to save the editors' time we need arbitrators who understand that this project is not done by unmeasurable them hiding somewhere in the dark corners of the Universe but by quite a limited number of us with all our weaknesses and shortcomings.
 * 3) I was a plaintiff in the case against AndriyK - it was an easy case, I have written my statement and the first round of comments on the objections, in a few months I learnt that we won. I was not officially a party but actively monitored the Giano case. I thought (and still think) the case was important for the whole project and besides my friends were parties to the project. I have presented evidence in a few cases arguing arbitrators to reject them. I believe all of these cases were indeed rejected.

ArbCom questions (UninvitedCompany)

 * 1) What positions do you hold (adminship, mediation, etc.)?
 * I don't see myself as holding any "positions." I am a long-term volunteer for the project and work in those areas where I believe I can make the strongest contribution.  Over time, I've worked in most of the community-related areas.  Lately, I've been following the checkuser pages and OTRS tickets.


 * 1) Why are you running for the Arbitration Committee?
 * The committee has a major, ongoing impact on the project and needs people with the background, interest, time, and judgment to do the job well. There are fewer such people than might be imagined, although I'm pleased to note that there are enough qualified candidates to make the choice a meaningful one for voters.


 * 1) Have you been involved in any arbitration cases?  In what capacity?
 * Several. I was a member of the committee when it was deciding its first case.  I was among those who brought forward the Ed Poor case involving the deletion of AfD/VfD.  I have had cases brought against me on several occasions, none of which have been accepted by the committee.  The two incidents I remember involve users that are now banned.  I have provided evidence and comments in other cases.

The Uninvited Co., Inc. 22:48, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

ArbCom questions (Flcelloguy)

 * 1) I have been an administrator here since August of 2005, and have been a member of the Mediation Committee shortly after that. I was also recently promoted to an admin on Meta, and serve as a member of both the Communication Committee (Internal subcommittee) and a participant in OTRS.
 * 2) I've served the Wikipedia community as a mediator for a long time, currently now as one of the longest-serving active mediators on the Mediation Committee. I believe I can serve the community better and more efficiently as an Arbitrator; my experience and background in dispute resolution, along with my work in other aspects of Wikipedia/Wikimedia as both an editor and administrator, will provide me with a keen perspective on the Arbitration Committee.
 * 3) I have provided comprehensive evidence in a few cases (see my questions page for more details) and given my view as a third-party in several cases, but I have never been a "major party" in an Arbitration case. However, I've covered the Arbitration Committee in the past, writing the entire Signpost series on the January 2006 ArbCom elections.

Thanks for the questions, Ral! (As a side note, you may be interested in using ArbCom candidate, something I used for the Jan. 2006 elections... it's been abandoned since, but with a few modifications should be good.) Flcelloguy (A note? ) 04:09, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Arbcom Q's MONGO
1. I have been an adminstrator since November 2005 and have held no other elected position. 2. Though not always the case, the arbitration process is sometimes too slow. I would like to see most cases resolved within 30 days of being accepted. One way to achieve this goal is to have more arbitrators and another might be to have an informal guideline which encourages a 30 day resolution. Since Wikipedia is getting larger by the day, the need for dispute resolution is growing all the time, so I believe that one natural part of that evolution is to make arbcom bigger. My contributions as a arbitrator would be to demand plenty of evidence, not hesitate to ask questions, be open to community suggestions and to ensure a fair but firm resolution. Many a fine editor is sidetracked by those whose primary purpose on Wikipedia is disruption and I would like to have more involvement in putting a stop to that. 3. I was most recently party in the Requests for arbitration/MONGO case. I also was a party in the Requests for arbitration/Beckjord case and have commented in Workshop, proposed decisions and in the initial case statements of several other cases.

ArbCom questions (Nihonjoe)

 * 1) What positions do you hold (adminship, mediation, etc.)?
 * I've been an admin since about May 2006 (it may have been late April, but I'm not keeping track). I founded WikiProject Japan in March 2006, though I'm not sure that's necessarily a "position" per se.
 * 1) Why are you running for the Arbitration Committee?
 * I enjoy helping people and I enjoy Wikipedia a lot. As I indicated in my statement, "I've had an official account here since 2005, though I used Wikipedia (and did some minor editing) fairly regularly for about a year before that." In that time, I've created quite a few pages (see my userpage for an almost comprehensive list), and editing thousands of others. I especially enjoy translating articles from the Japanese Wikipedia to this one. I'm generally easygoing, and try to avoid conflict when possible. I think I would bring a lot of experience in working through issues as I've been (and currently am) a moderator on many online forums and mailing lists, and I've chaired multiple convention committees staffed by people with wildly divergent opinions on various matters. I've been told that I'm a calming influence, and I think that's important when working through disputes such as those handled by ArbCom.
 * 1) Have you been involved in any arbitration cases?  In what capacity?
 * I've been involved in a mediation case, but never an arbitration case. I may have commented on one or two cases, but I have close to 19,000 edits, and don't have the inclination to browse through them to see if I have. I have, however, followed a few without commenting on them. ··· 日本穣 ? · Talk to Nihonjo e  04:50, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

ArbCom questions: Kirill Lokshin

 * 1) I've been an Adminstrator since October 2005; I'm also the Lead Coordinator of the Military history WikiProject.
 * 2) Based on my work on Wikipedia, I think that I would make a good Arbitrator (and I have a certain liking for such non-article-space work, in any case).
 * 3) I've been a party to two arbitration cases (Requests for arbitration/Monicasdude and Requests for arbitration/Añoranza), and an uninvolved participant in a couple more (chiefly Requests for arbitration/Giano).

Thanks for taking the time to go through these! Kirill Lokshin 05:11, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Arbcom questions: Will Beback
1. Admin and (emeritus/inactive) Mediation Committee.

2. I'm offering my time and experience because a properly functioning ArbCom is important to the project. I don't claim to be the most qualified nominee, but I may the the fifth-most qualified. I have a couple of years of editing experience including more than 43,000 edits, over a year as an admin, have never been accused of wheel warring, have never been blocked, and have exposure to a range of topics, many types of disputes, and a variety of users. Outside of Wikipedia I've been involved with volunteer organizations and have served on juries and disciplinary or policy-setting committees

3. I've been involved in several arbitrations.


 * Involved party:
 * Requests for arbitration/Ericsaindon2
 * Requests for arbitration/Rangerdude
 * Requests for arbitration/Alienus


 * Uninvolved party: (gave evidence or discussed motions)
 * Requests for arbitration/Lyndon LaRouche 2/Evidence
 * Requests for arbitration/Israeli apartheid/Workshop
 * Wikipedia talk:Requests for arbitration/Blu Aardvark
 * Requests for arbitration/Jacrosse
 * Requests for arbitration/Sathya Sai Baba/Evidence

Thanks for assembling this information. Cheers, -Will Beback · † · 05:16, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

ArbCom questions for Paul August

 * 1) What positions do you hold (adminship, mediation, etc.)?
 * I've been an admin since May 2005.
 * 1) Why are you running for the Arbitration Committee?
 * Because I care deeply about our encyclopedia, I want to serve, the ArbCom plays an important role, and because I think I can help.
 * 1) Have you been involved in any arbitration cases?  In what capacity?
 * I've never brought or been the subject of an ArbCom case. I have presented evidence and contributed to the workshop page and talk pages of several including:
 * Ed Poor &mdash; Evidence presented by Paul August
 * Webcomics
 * TonySidaway
 * Licorne &mdash; Evidence presented by Paul August
 * Eternal Equinox
 * Paul August &#9742; 05:29, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

ArbCom questions for Sam Blanning
Hi. I'm Ral315, editor of the Wikipedia Signpost. We're doing a series on ArbCom candidates, and your response is requested.


 * 1) What positions do you hold (adminship, mediation, etc.)?
 * I've been an admin since March 2006. I don't have any other 'official' positions, though I've signed up to the Mediation Cabal and WikiProject Indian cinema.
 * 1) Why are you running for the Arbitration Committee?
 * Wikipedia needs the Arbitration Committee as a last resort to resolve disputes through binding decisions; and the Arbitration Committee needs Wikipedians who are experienced, trustworthy, have the judgement to conceive appropriate remedies and the confidence to put them forward. I believe I'm suitable for the task and after just over a year on Wikipedia I would be glad to help out in this area.
 * 1) Have you been involved in any arbitration cases?  In what capacity?
 * I've been directly involved in only one; I brought Requests for arbitration/Lou franklin. Apart from that, I watchlist requests for arbitration and I've commented on a few requests, mainly at the request stage or in the 'Clarifications' section, e.g.  . My areas of interest don't generally include articles which are prone to disputes, but I did comment in Requests for arbitration/Protecting children's privacy both before and after opening, as I felt it was an important matter which affected everyone. --Sam Blanning(talk) 18:36, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

ArbCom questions for JzG
You asked: The answers are: I'm happy to expand on any of these if requested. Guy (Help!) 18:51, 27 November 2006 (UTC)
 * 1) What positions do you hold (adminship, mediation, etc.)?
 * 2) Why are you running for the Arbitration Committee?
 * 3) Have you been involved in any arbitration cases? In what capacity?
 * 1) I am an admin.
 * 2) Because I am a glutton for punishment :-)  Actually it's because I seem to have more time to spare for Wikipedia than most, and ArbCom seems to me to need more arbs with time to spare, to keep the process moving along.  The Clerks have helped, of course, but ArbCom does not scale well - I'm not suggesting that less deliberation be given to issues, only that more active arbs will allow cases to move along that bit quicker.  Also because I think I could do a reasonable job, although I'm pleased to see that there are some candidates who I would support without hesitation, so maybe I'll not be needed after all. Also as an admin there is a certain pressure towards immediatism, which makes me uncomfortable at times.  Wikipedia is better suited to the long game, and I'd like to spend more time doing that sort of work.  Perhaps I should register a sock and edit some articles instead...
 * 3) Several as witness and as bystander, such as Requests for arbitration/Jason Gastrich, Requests for arbitration/Ackoz, Requests for arbitration/WebEx and Min Zhu, some still in process.

ArbCom Questions: Wildthing61476
1. None as of yet 2. I feel that I can give Wikipedia a fiar, and honest assessment when it comes to arbitration cases for one, and I also feel that I can be even-handed and ratinal when making my case for each arguement. 3. None as of yet

For the Signpost

 * I'm an admin, since June 2005.
 * Running because I have an analytical mindset, have experience with finding causes and solutions to problems on the wiki, and because several people who never seem to agree with me on anything have nevertheless called me a voice of reason and stability. I believe this indicates I would be a capable arbiter.
 * I have contributed to the case of Giano (see also) as an uninvolved party, and to non-notability and Children’s privacy as involved party, having filed the latter.
 * For more information, please see my candidate statement or questions page. If you want a motto, that'd be "Wikipedia is not a bureaucracy" :) ( Radiant ) 21:21, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

FloNight Signpost reply

 * What positions do you hold (adminship, mediation, etc.)? I became an administrator in May 2006 and an Arbitration Committee Clerk in August 2006. I enjoy editing articles and consider myself an Article Editor also.
 * Why are you running for the Arbitration Committee? I believe I can do a good job as an Arbitrator because I have knowledge of Wikipedia culture and policy as well as ample time to spend in this role. Since I am not employed my schedule is flexible giving me the ability to research cases and assist in writing the Findings. Quite a few users also encouraged me to run.
 * Have you been involved in any arbitration cases? In what capacity? Yes, many. I was a party in the WebEx and Min Zhu case after I commented in a RFC related to the case. I've commented in many other cases on the workshop page and the main RFAr page. Recent case is Requests for arbitration/Non-Notability. As an Arbitration Committee Clerk, I announce the Final Decisions, sometimes enforce Remedies, and answer questions as appropriate. FloNight 21:36, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Re: Fwd: Fwd: Re: Bcc:
— freak([ talk]) 23:00, Nov. 27, 2006 (UTC)
 * 1) I've been an administrator since December 2005. I was a member of the (cough, cough) Esperanza Advisory Council from May to August of 2006. I have been a member of the bot-approvals group since its inception in March 2006.
 * 2) I'm running for the arbitration committee because I see a shortage of promising candidates, and because I have a gut feeling the more suitable nominees don't stand a chance in hell.
 * Yes, upon reviewing my contributions, it appears I've participated in several arbitration cases (maybe I forgot some): Boothy443 (evidence, workshop); Copperchair (enforcement); Dyslexic Agnostic (logging of indefinite block on T-Man); Giano (commented against unreasonable proposals); Highways (involved party); Israeli apartheid (commented on precedents); Konstable (made proposals at workshop, ongoing); Pedophilia userbox wheel war (evidence, workshop); Protecting children's privacy (workshop); Saladin1970 appeal (enforcement)

User:Matt Yeager's responses

 * 1) I hold the position of editor of the Wikipedia, no other, and that's fine by me.
 * 2) I'm running because I feel that the committee has been much too soft on people who have bent the rules and unilaterally rewritten policy in order to get what they want and then have proceeded to hide behind a defense of "stop wiki-lawyering!" Personally, I'm sick of that. I hate myraid policies and legalism, too, but there's a reason we have rules likes "don't ban people you're in a content dispute with". =/
 * 3) None, thank heavens. I haven't even been close. I had a small supporting role in User:David Levy's arbcom case  a while back, and I almost joined a couple cases as far as submitting an amicus curiae, but I've tried to keep away from that stuff as best I can (sometimes it hasn't worked brilliantly, unfortunately, but hey, that's life.) Good luck! Matt Yeager ♫ ( Talk? ) 23:25, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

ArbCom questions for Blnguyen
Hi. I'm Ral315, editor of the Wikipedia Signpost. We're doing a series on ArbCom candidates, and your response is requested.


 * 1) What positions do you hold (adminship, mediation, etc.)?
 * I've been an admin since May 2006. I have not been appointed to any other "official" positions, though I've signed up to the Mediation Cabal, reactivated WikiProject Eurovision and have heavily involved myself in the DYK selection process.
 * 1) Why are you running for the Arbitration Committee?
 * I am running because I feel that I have the time and interest required to speed up the arbitration process as currently I feel that it is too slow and allows disruptive users extra time to inhibit the progress of the encyclopedia. My interest in helping out is also augmented by my personal experience of witnessing an explosion in the number of irretrievable battles that have erupted in recent months. I feel that attention to detail in my RfA research show the attention to detail, objectivity and analytical approach that is required to make the optimal result for the growth of our encyclopedia. I feel that my attempts to gain a wider and more complete wiki-experience allow me to treat all types of contributors fairly with their work with respect. In general, I seem to have a strong urge to contribute to the encyclopedia, as I feel that many candidates who are more suitable, have refused to run or are unlikely to succeed.
 * 1) Have you been involved in any arbitration cases?  In what capacity?
 * I've been directly involved in one: the current Hkelkar case, as a non-editor not under investigation, after attempts to extinguish a bunch of religious disputes related to India failed. Aside from that I have given evidence on Jason Gastrich (sockpuppetry) and also DarrenRay and 2006BC. Aside from that I have commented on a few other non-materialised arbitration requests urging rejection.

Arbcom answers by Andrew Lenahan - St ar bli nd
1. What positions do you hold (adminship, mediation, etc.)?

I've been an administrator since July 2005. Andrew Lenahan -  St ar bli nd  02:20, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

2. Why are you running for the Arbitration Committee?

I'm not out to "fix" it or shake things up, but I see it as a logical progression of how I can further give back to a community and project which has given quite a lot to me. It's just pitching in, really. Andrew Lenahan -  St ar bli nd  02:20, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

3. Have you been involved in any arbitration cases? In what capacity?

No, I've not had any ArbCom cases or RfCs. That's certainly not to say everybody's always agreed with me, but I like to think I can diffuse a nasty situation before things get that far. I've always been a bit of a peacekeeper, and I like to think it's an off-wiki skill that servers me nicely on-wiki as well. Andrew Lenahan -  St ar bli nd  02:20, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Please Explain
Why are you not putting the Wikiproject Report in the signpost. That is a perosanal attack to me. -- Nathannoblet 06:10, 28 November 2006 (UTC)
 * If you can't even spell "personal"... just for Ral's info: this user has brought people to ArbCom over things the "victims" didn't even consider conflicts, so I'd just soundly ignore him. – Chacor 10:02, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

ArbCom (Harvestman is Deadly Late : Lo!)
Hello Ral315. Thank you for your interest in that election.
 * What ? I'm an editor. I like to peruse RD questions.
 * Why ? There are plenty of subjects that I'm interested in and their WP coverage is correct. I run here to give help where I may be useful, to learn something more ; maybe to prove to some, being French, that the cabal is much more subtle than they imagined.
 * When ? People asked questions about my statement and I just took a look at some ArbCom cases - to find it is an awful task to read, understand and determine what to do. -- DLL .. T 18:04, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

horribly late arbcom questions - Crazytales
What positions do you hold (adminship, mediation, etc.)?
 * Nothing beyond usership. I have been a user about 18 months now.

Why are you running for the Arbitration Committee?
 * To make a difference. I believe I'm a pretty down-to-earth user, and not of any special importance like admins or bureaucrats. I'm also interested in reforming admin abuses.

Have you been involved in any arbitration cases? In what capacity?
 * Nope, never been involved in an arbcom case. ~  crazy tales -Stalk My Contribs!!!- 02:08, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

ArbCom questions for Proto
Hi Ral. Answers, as requested:


 * What positions do you hold (adminship, mediation, etc.)?
 * I've been an admin since April. I don't hold any other positions, as I feel there are people better qualified than me to handle mediation - frankly, it's not something I have either the patience nor the ability, nor the aptitude for, and I'm full of admiration for those who do.


 * Why are you running for the Arbitration Committee?
 * I believe in Wikipieda, strongly. I believe that the volunteering of so many hours of time, without pay or recognition, in a group bid to build a wide-ranging and comprehensive resource for everyone is a beautiful thing.  I want to do more to help.  The Arbitration Committee play an - unfortunately - vital role in maintaining that.  I would prefer that the ArbCom were not necessary, and that people were always able to interact with others in a sensible and tolerant manner.  Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and some form of definitive sanctioning group - chosen by peers - is required; hence, the Arbitration Committee.  As I said, I want to do more to help.  I believe that the skills and judgement I have would be an asset to the ArbCom and thus to Wikipedia as a whole, and, if chosen, would do my very best to ensure that the ArbCom continues in its excellent, impartial and thoughtful way.


 * Have you been involved in any arbitration cases? In what capacity?
 * I've occasionally commented on a case, but only as an outside opiner. Perhaps I've been lucky.  I always try and resolve any points of contention I have with another user well before the final step is required.  Considering the number of contentious, borderline deletion discussions I take it upon myself to close (as few admins will choose to involve themselves in these), this remains a surprise.

Hope this is what was required! Proto :: type  10:26, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

Arbcom Answers: Nandesuka
1. What positions do you hold (adminship, mediation, etc.)?


 * I'm an administrator and (I hope) a responsible and meticulous editor. I'm equally proud of both of those roles.

2. Why are you running for the Arbitration Committee?


 * Parties hostile to Wikipedia seem to have identified interactions between admins and non-admins as a potential fault line to be exploited to divide the community. I'm of the opinion that Wikipedia operates best when it operates with formal hierarchy kept as a minimum. Admins are not "better" than editors. Editors are not "better" than admins. Both admin and article editor are primarily roles, and the role is not the man (or, as the case may be, the woman). Right now I think the best place to be to defend against those trying to divide the community is Arbcom. So that's where I want to be.

3. Have you been involved in any arbitration cases? In what capacity?


 * I was involved in Wikipedia:Requests_for_mediation/Medical_analysis_of_circumcision, which I believe resulted — at least for a time — in clearing a number of logjam issues on that article. I've been involved in a few arbitation cases as a party, such as Requests_for_arbitration/Alienus, Requests_for_arbitration/MONGO, although I don't believe I was under risk of censure in either of those cases. I've been an interested bystander and/or participant on the workshop pages in Requests_for_arbitration/Depleted_uranium, Requests_for_arbitration/Tony_Sidaway, Requests_for_arbitration/Webcomics, and Requests_for_arbitration/Giano.

Please let me know if you have any further questions. Nandesuka 13:27, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

ArbCom questions
Hi. I'm Ral315, editor of the Wikipedia Signpost. We're doing a series on ArbCom candidates, and your response is requested.


 * 1) What positions do you hold (adminship, mediation, etc.)?
 * I hold the position of longtime, dedicated editor. One which, until recently I truly enjoyed.
 * 1) Why are you running for the Arbitration Committee?
 * Because I believe I can make a positive difference, and make working here enjoyable again for other dedicated editors, longtime or new.
 * 1) Have you been involved in any arbitration cases?  In what capacity?
 * I've not been a defendant, if that's what you mean...at least not yet:) Only an observer and occasional Peanut Gallery participant. There are links to the two most important cases in my candidate statement.

Please respond on my talk page. We've already gone to press for this week, but your responses would be added immediately, and you and other late-entering users would be noted in next week's issue as well. Thanks, Ral315 (talk) 23:24, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

Anything else?--R.D.H. (Ghost In The Machine) 23:41, 29 November 2006 (UTC)