Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2011-08-08/Arbitration report

The Arbitration Committee closed one case, and opened a new case this week. There are now two open cases.

MickMacNee (Week 8)
The case was opened to examine allegations of incivility, unnecessary aggression, battleground behavior, and disruptive editing, as well as inappropriate and unnecessary use of the blocking tool. A few days after the case was opened, arbitrator Risker blocked the filer of the case,, as a sockpuppet of a banned user. To mitigate the potential influence on the end result of the case, the sockpuppet-filer's proposals and evidence were collapsed/archived. 13 users, including the blocked sockpuppet-filer, submitted on-wiki evidence in this case, while arbitrators, parties and others submitted various comments in the workshop. Drafter Kirill Lokshin submitted proposed principles for comment, but did not propose editor-specific rulings in the workshop. During the week, these principles and the remainder of the proposed decision were submitted for arbitrators to vote on, before the case came to a close.


 * What is the effect of this decision and what does it tell us?
 * All participants and contributors to Wikimedia projects are expected to conduct themselves according to standards of collegiality and professionalism set forth in the Wikimedia Foundation Resolution on Openness. This Resolution urges editors "to promote openness and collaboration", treat new editors with patience, kindness, and respect, "work with colleagues to reduce contention", "promote a friendlier, more collaborative culture", "discourage disruptive and hostile behavior, and repel trolls and stalkers." The Wikipedia community has outlined similar standards in the "fourth pillar" of community policy.
 * The expectation of collegiality among participants goes beyond mere compliance with the minimal standards explicitly outlined in behavioral policies (such as Wikipedia:No personal attacks). Even if a particular activity or attitude is not explicitly prohibited, it may still be inappropriate or disruptive in the Wikipedia environment. Users who have been sanctioned for improper conduct are expected to avoid repeating it; failure to do so may lead to the imposition of increasingly severe sanctions.
 * Administrators are expected not to take administrator actions arising from disputes in which they themselves are involved. See Administrators. As a specific and clear application of this rule, an administrator who is a party to a pending arbitration case may not block another editor who is a party to the same case, particularly when the case arose in large measure from disputes between the two of them.
 * is indefinitely banned from Wikipedia until such time as he demonstrates to the Committee that he is no longer a threat to the collaborative nature of the project. The Committee have set the earliest possible date by which the ban may be lifted as 4 August 2012.
 * is admonished for engaging in hostile and uncollegial conduct, and warned that the Committee may impose additional sanctions by motion if such conduct reoccurs.

Open cases
Following a request for arbitration, the Committee passed a motion to accept two separate cases (which are currently open). No other cases are currently open.

Cirt and Jayen466 (Week 3)
This case, the first of a pair of cases, was opened a fortnight ago, to examine the conduct of and  – including articles about new religious movements (broadly construed) and BLPs, as well as interpersonal conduct issues arising between Cirt and Jayen466. The Committee determined that for this case, those two users will be the only parties and that evidence in relation to broader issues or other editors is not permitted – instead, such evidence will be allowed in the second of the two cases ("Manipulation of BLPs", below). During the week, several editors submitted on-wiki evidence. Arbitrators have extended the evidence phase of this case by one week; this means that the evidence phase is now expected to close on 15 August 2011.

Manipulation of BLPs (Week 1)
This case, the second of a pair of cases, was opened this week, to examine meta-behavioural issues and to reconcile relevant principles. During the week, several editors submitted on-wiki evidence.