Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Special/2006-12/S-Z

Below are candidate profiles and interviews of candidates for the December 2006 Arbitration Committee elections.

The election guide is intended to be a brief overview of each candidate's beliefs and experiences. More detailed information about each candidate may be gleaned from their user pages, as well as their responses to questions from other users. Not all candidates have yet replied to our questions; their replies will be added as they are received. : ArbCom candidate profiles:   A-F  |  G-K  |  L-R  |  S-Z  |  All  |  (Withdrawn)

Sam Blanning
Candidacy statement:

I've been on Wikipedia since September 2005, and an administrator since March 2006. I hope that in the year or so I've been here I've demonstrated the good judgment and calm head necessary to be on the Arbitration Committee.

My experience spans editing, vandalism prevention and dispute resolution. Closing Articles for deletion discussions is one of my preferred areas, where I try to give as much explanation as is necessary and desirable, particularly when consensus isn't obvious, and not shy away from making judgements on evidence and policy. While I'm not perfect - two of my closes have been overturned that I can remember - feedback on my talk page and the fact that most of the few that are reviewed have been endorsed have given me the impression that I take the right approach.

There are two important issues surrounding the Arbcom that influence why I'm running. The first is that we need more visible Arbitrators. The fact that of four cases in the voting stage, in three of them, Fred Bauder is behind the initial remedies, is not a bad thing, as Fred's judgment is sound; but it would be better if more arbitrators could reach this level of visibility. We know that much Arbcom discussion takes place "behind the scenes", but nonetheless, some more varied activity would be helpful and unlikely to make Arbcom judgments less effective.

The second bit is what Phil Sandifer aptly calls the inevitability of the Arbcom "getting its hands dirty". The recent decision banning Encyclopaedia Dramatica links and material was the sort of clear and unambiguous decision which will become increasingly necessary if Arbcom is to be able to resolve disputes, as Wikipedia's editors, articles and its maze of WP: pages increase like rabbits. I know that some editors were unhappy with that particular decision, but the Arbcom, like editors, must be bold to be effective. I remain convinced that Arbcom should not directly rule on what content should be included in an article, but if it restricts itself to saying when editors are edit warring or incivil, it's going to be seeing an awful lot more cases relating to the same editors and articles when probations and bans on single editors prove ineffective. We should empower the Arbcom to get to the root of disputes.

Thanks for reading; I look forward to answering your questions.

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.

'''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.

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.

Shell Kinney
Candidacy statement:

Note: Most know me as Jareth, my account name for much of the time here

I'm afraid I'm not the best speech writer, but I'll have a go. I'm a closet wikignome - I work on many tasks with the best interests of the project in mind. This, my experiences with a couple of ArbCom cases and my work with OTRS have led me to interact with many different facets of the project and hopefully I've learned from them. The work I do also leads itself to mediation and negotiating resolutions, whether its internal or with an external party through the ticketing system.

The community lays the foundation for precedents; policy itself should not come from the committee. ArbCom is an important part of keeping the editing environment healthy and I would be honored to devote my experience and skills to that cause. I have considerable time I can apply which I would hope might help resolve cases in a more timely fashion and allow Fred to cool his fingers now and again.

Further info based on questions:
 * I have the time to work with ArbCom and still do other things to help out the project. Neither becoming an admin nor starting work on OTRS changed my enjoyment of dabbling in areas of the project that need assistance.
 * Its possible I will make mistakes, however, I will also learn from them and whenever possible, fix them. My ego is infinitely less important than the well-being of the project.
 * Don't vote based just on what you see here, stroll through my contributions and decide for yourself if I'm qualified/sane. Be comfortable with the contributors chosen to represent the community on ArbCom and don't be afraid to ask for recall if someone doesn't work out.
 * ArbCom should limit itself to conduct disputes and rule based on existing community consensus. What I think about a particular policy doesn't change that mandate and I don't intend to try legislating from the bench.

Thank you for your time; I will be happy answer any questions.

What positions do you hold (adminship, mediation, etc.)?

I've been an admin for a teeny bit more than a year; I also work on WP:OTRS.

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

I was the initiator of the Shiloh Shepherd Dog case; after two months of attempted mediation I was unable to reach an agreement between two sets of parties with outside interest in the article. I was listed as a party in the current Pseudoscience case as an attempt by one party to bolster their case since I had once blocked another party; my involvement has been scarce other than to describe the particular dispute I encountered since I have no knowledge of the substance of the dispute and little bearing on the heart of the matter. I also had an editor attempt to open an Arb case against me because he didn't want to be warned for personal attacks ; it was rejected. I have commented on other cases occasionally, usually in regards to whether or not the ArbCom should consider the case.

Why are you running for the Arbitration Committee?

he ArbCom hears more and more cases as Wikipedia grows and there aren't a great deal of people who have the incredible amounts of time, in addition to the demeanor, to review cases. I know I've got the time and willingness and I hope the community thinks I have the demeanor, so I'd like to help out. I'm sure Fred's friends and family would like too see him again occasionally.

Starblind
Candidacy statement:

Hiya, I'm Andrew Lenahan, known to some as Starblind. I've been around since 2004 and have been an administrator since July 2005. In my time I've written articles on urologists, koala puppets, soul music, medieval cookbooks, nudist sci-fi, Victorian crime, novelty cakes, wargames, deer that get pumpkins stuck on their heads, and everything in-between. I've been a VFD regular, gotten a bunch of barnstars, and had a hand in creating policies and guidelines. I'd like to try being on arbcom, not with the goal of "fixing" it or shaking things up, but because 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.

What positions do you hold (adminship, mediation, etc.)?

I've been an administrator since July 2005.

'''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.

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.

The prophet wizard of the crayon cake
Candidacy statement:

I can't really say too much about myself. I deal with these sorts of issues quite a lot here (I almost exclusively dabble in behavior stuff, to be honest), and I'm willing to give this a shot as well.

What positions do you hold (adminship, mediation, etc.)?

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.

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

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.

Why are you running for the Arbitration Committee?

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 ;) )

UninvitedCompany
Candidacy statement:

It has now been some years since I resigned my membership in the arbitration committee, and I think I'm ready to return. I have followed most of the arbitration cases brought in the meantime, and believe I can therefore provide consistency and continuity of decisionmaking. Most of my recent work (last six months or so) has been related to answering the Foundation's email, which has given me a new appreciation for the impact our articles make on the real world.

In general, I'm hoping that Wikipedians will offer their support to potential arbcom members based on their dedication to the project, judgment, and ability to keep cool -- not based on a platform. To the extent I can be said to have a platform, it is made up of these planks:
 * The arbcom should not be involved in legislating policy - that's for the community alone
 * Any reasonable means of speeding up the process should be adopted. Justice delayed is justice denied.
 * I believe that strong, good-faith contributors should continue to be given every opportunity to mend their ways. However, at present the arbcom is too lenient with troublemakers, especially those whose contributions are weak.  This is unfair to those Wikipedians who have to deal with troublemakers, who are targeted by them, and who share their editing interests.
 * While I believe that partial remedies such as "probation" and article bans do have a place, I think they are overused and detract from the sense of fairness for people who go to the trouble to bring a case.

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.

'''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.

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.

Wildthing61476
Candidacy statement:

In my time here at Wikipedia, I have discovered that a lot of the heated discussions, arguments, and personal attacks are handled, and resolved through the work of the Arbitration Committee. I feel that I would be a good addition to this committee, as I have dealt with issues I have seen with even-handedness, keeping my cool when accusations are thrown my way, and my ability to listen to all sides before passing judgment. I welcome any and all questions, and I will do my best to answer them in a timely fashion. I also respect the opinion of my fellow Wikipedians as to my worth in an ArbCom position, be it good or bad.

What positions do you hold (adminship, mediation, etc.)?

None as of yet

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

None as of yet

Why are you running for the Arbitration Committee?

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.

Will Beback
Candidacy statement:

The Arbcom should provide predictable and prompt decisions that further the mission of writing a free encylopedia. Along with the AN/I, mediation committees, community forums, etc, the ArbCom exists to keep disputes and other problems from impeding the project. The ArbCom needs members who are fair, trusted, active, and solution-oriented.

To the ArbCom I'd bring the dedication that I've demonstrated over the past two years. I've edited more than 8,000 unique pages across a broad range of topics, including some of the least popular, and am among the 50 most active editors. Through it all I've maintained good humor and focus. I'm offering to devote all of that time and energy to ArbCom matters.

Other candidates are more qualified to be ArbCom members than me and I'm honored to run with them. It's great that there are so many good applicants for this job and that's a credit to the project. I'm running only because I may possibly be the fifth-most qualified editor.

ArbCom agenda:
 * Transparency, integrity, and accountability.
 * Prompt responses
 * Shared decision drafting
 * Effective, enforceable remedies

ArbCom decisions should be:
 * Rare - a last resort.
 * Carefully decided - ArbCom decisions have major short- and long-term consequences.
 * Timely - some cases have dragged on so long that they seemed to prolong their disputes rather than settle them.
 * Modest - focused on individual behavioral problems as mch as possible.

What positions do you hold (adminship, mediation, etc.)?

Admin and (emeritus/inactive) Mediation Committee.

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

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

Why are you running for the Arbitration Committee?

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.


 * ArbCom candidate profiles:   A-F  |  G-K  |  L-R  |  S-Z  |  All  |  (Withdrawn)

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