Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee Elections December 2012/Candidates/Elen of the Roads/Statement

Elen of the Roads
Hello, I'm Elen of the Roads, and I've been a member of the Arbitration Committee for the past two years. I'm not going to post a long statement - you'll probably have seen me around and maybe already formed a view. The project is going through interesting times (as in that old Chinese proverb) - although a relative newcomer myself, I very much get the sense that those who were here from the early days are struggling with what probably seems like a new world order, while those arriving fresh to the project are struggling to adapt to its ways. To my mind, it is very important to keep our established editors - as with churches and voluntary organisations, they are the backbone of the project. At the same time, we must welcome new editors who will go on to become the backbone of the project in the future.

I don't think the committee is working as well as it might. Its role too is changing - the community is better at solving many issues, and the need for arbitration has reduced: at the same time, the disputes that are arbitrated on have become very complex, sometimes extend outside Wikipedia, and are not easily solved just with blocks and bans. Suggestions I have seen range from replacing the committee with a couple of psychotherapists to tripling the size of Arbcom and creating 'lower courts' so I don't think a consensus solution has presented itself yet.

Since civility seems to be something of a trope in this election, people might be interested in User:Elen of the Roads/On editing in a collaborative project

Add: non tooled-up alt account User:Elen on the Roads. No other accounts and I don't think I've ever edited as an IP.