Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee Elections December 2008/Candidate statements/Lankiveil

Lankiveil}}}|
I've been editing Wikipedia since 2004, and I thought that I might as well throw my hat in the ring here. Arbcom is an important mechanism for resolving disputes and solving problems that can't otherwise be solved, but despite the best efforts of the current slate of arbitrators, I feel that it has not lived up to the community's expectations. Wikipedia needs a strong and decisive arbcom that can solve problems quickly before they flare up into serious issues, and not an arbcom that is seen to conduct its affairs in secret, dither on controversial cases, take astonishing amounts of time to come to decisions, or end up delivering "soft" resolutions that do little to resolve antisocial behaviour and little to prevent further disruption to the project.

I can't promise to resolve all of these problems myself, but I will promise to:


 * Involve myself in a limited number of cases at first, in order to maximise the amount of attention that I can devote to each one.
 * Vote on proposals promptly in an attempt to reach a consensus as quickly as possible, thus avoiding delays in closing cases and all the uncertainties involved for those concerned.
 * Promote an arbcom that is as open and accountable as possible.
 * Engage with any and all parties to ensure that both I and the arbcom as a whole remain accessible to the community at large.
 * Should I go inactive or be unable to discharge by arbcom duties in a timely manner, I will resign in order to allow another, more active arbitrator to take my place, thus allowing the committee as a whole to continue with a 'full team on the park'.

Reasons that you should support me:


 * I have a long editing record stretching back to 2004, free of any major disputes or drama.
 * I have a level head and can make reasonable, commonsense decisions; I was described as "Steady, clueful, trustworthy" and "can be trusted" at my RFA.
 * I believe that drama of any sort only hurts the project, and will take a strong stand against it.
 * I have a solid record of contributions, both as an editor and as an administrator, which I believe show that I am dedicated to this project, and that my judgement is sound and that I can be trusted.

Thankyou for your consideration, and best of luck to all the other candidates.


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