Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee/June 2008 announcements/Checkuser appointments

Following a June announcement by the Arbitration Committee, a number of Checkuser appointments are likely to be made.

Granting of checkuser access is the single most serious appointment within the Arbitration Committee's remit, and process and critieria are stringent.

Preamble
CheckUser is an access right given only by appointment of the Arbitration Committee, and never lightly. it is subject to Wikimedia Foundation privacy policy, and is given at times when it is deemed appropriate, not on request, and not by solicitation.

It should be clarified that at any time, Checkuser appointments are the user(s) we feel most likely to be best for the flag. There is no "queue" and no "getting there early", and there is no "precedence" or "preferred users". It is purely done on the basis of ab initio and intense discussion at the time.

To underpin this, as Arbitration Committee standing policy, we do not discuss who was considered, or reasons why one was appointed rather than another. In many cases it is a matter of sifting highly trusted people against each other, and such comparison as a public or private wikidrama would manifestly be unfair to very exceptional members of the community not appointed at that time.

Whilst we have a list drawn from past inquiries by users, and our own existing discussions, there are already a few more credible, seasoned names than appointments (around 10), and further names of comparable credibility that meet the appropriate standard will be considered completely on a par. The strongest candidates from the resulting list will be taken further.

Application to be considered for the Shortlist
The Arbitration Committee is considering appointing new checkusers in the near future. Any user who is interested in being considered for the shortlist please email us. Please do not suggest others (although you may wish to make them aware), and please do not advertise nominations on the wiki. At this time we are simply checking for any significant omissions on our existing shortlist.

Checkuser is our most important appointment, and the Committee's considerations are searching, stringent and wide ranging. Checkuser may not be obtained by demand, by wiki-process, or by popular vote; it may be obtained only by discussion and invitation of the Committee, at a time appointments are being considered. To ensure the integrity of selection, details of the process of selection, the exact nature of any criteria, and any factors taken into account during the decision, are as a norm non-public – it is felt that the users who are able to do the task will be able to make that assessment personally, for and of themselves. Given the caliber of the existing shortlisted users we are aware of, already under consideration, we will not be considering users other than seasoned and experienced administrators.

We are not anticipating a flood of new nominations, but those users who genuinely may feel they meet likely criteria may wish to email the committee's designated contact (see below), to have their names considered. No statement or details are needed; we are simply identifying names at this time, to discuss internally; a brief note will be fine. You will also need to be over 18 and also of adult age in the country you reside (or imminently so), be an active administrator in good standing on English Wikipedia, and be willing to formally identify yourself for legal purposes to the Wikimedia Foundation.


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 * Process: Please send an email containing (just) your wiki account name, confirmation of interest, and confirmation that you meet the Wikimedia Foundation criteria and will be willing to identify if appointed, to ex-Arbitrator Theresa knott (email) for forwarding to the Committee, no later than midnight Thursday July 2 (UTC) (7 days). At such time as we are ready to make actual appointments, the community will be advised, and opportunity will be provided to submit comments and impressions of a factual, salient nature which users are expected to be prepared to discuss thoughtfully with Arbitrators if necessary. Interested users are requested to submit their names by email only in order to avoid querulous wikidrama.
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Thank you.

FT2 (Talk 14:28, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

For and on behalf of the Arbitration Committee