My beliefs about Wikipedia are simple: we are here to create a free encyclopedia, and policy, procedure and process are simply tools to enable us to do that most easily. I believe in a light touch; we should have the minimum quantity of rules necessary to function, and the enforcement of them should bear in mind the intended outcome—creating that encyclopedia—rather than in their mechanical application.
On the banning question, I believe it should be applied with my overriding principles above in mind—only if it is necessary for the functioning of the project. The purpose is not to punish, but to remove people who have proven they are not interested in helping the project, people whose intent is to disrupt and who will not reform.
I have a strong and abiding passion for the ideals of the Wikipedia project, and I've put in more time on it than I probably want to admit. I intend, if chosen, to apply myself to this task with equal passion. I am used to thankless jobs—I am a systems administrator, and know the rewards for good work are simply more work and nobody noticing.
I would love to hear your questions, comments or indeed criticisms. Thank you.
Please ask your questions here.
Being an arbitrator requires a finely tuned bullshit detector. What in your life has prepared you to detect bullshit with ease? Phil Sandifer 21:23, 27 November 2005 (UTC)
Many policies contradict and overlap with each other, and then WP:IAR makes things even more complicated while making them paradoxically more flexible. When two or more policies apply and conflict, what do you do? karmafist 18:49, 1 December 2005 (UTC)
Do you hold any strong political or religious opinions (e.g. concerning George Bush, Islam, or on which end you should break a boiled egg)? If so, would you recuse yourself from cases centred on these?
How willing are you to contest the decisions of other arbitrators rather than just "go with the flow"?
Do you view all requests to re-address cases, particularly requests made by those most penalised, as being automatically without merit?
In the case against Yuber, it was decided by the arbitration committee that it is the duty of arbitrators to investigate, and rule on the behaviour of not only one party involved, but all of them. Do you support this decision? [if current arbitrator] Does your visible behaviour on recent cases reflect this decision?
--Victim of signature fascism 16:49, 3 December 2005 (UTC)
Many people have noted that Wikipedia's original communitarian structure is no longer functioning very well. One editor has suggested that ArbCom is "about getting the trains to run on time," which is a reference to a fulfulled promise of Mussolini's fascist government. Do you agree that Wikipedia needs to become more orderly, and if so, do you think there are any options other than a move toward a more centrally controlled authoritarian system? Do you think that the spirit of cooperation in Wikipedia would survive such a change? Marsden 16:00, 6 December 2005 (UTC)
Q: How old are you and what do you do? (If student, please state what subjects you are studying.)
A: I am 32 years old and I work as a UNIX systems administrator.
Q: How many hours a month do you think you will need to be a good Arbitrator and are you really willing to put in the time?
A: While I can't answer that with a definitive number, I am willing to put in the time the task requires.
Q: If chosen, you will need to arbitrate on disputes arising from the creation or revision of articles. Experience of creating and revising articles yourself, particularly where it has involved collaboration, is very valuable in understanding the mindset of disputants who come to arbitration. With reference to your own edits in the main article namespace, please demonstrate why you think you have the right experience to be a good arbitrator.
A: I'm not the typical Wikipedia 'policy wonk'. I primarily work in the article space and have created and edited a vast number of articles. Last I checked, my edit count is in excess of 10,000, for those with editcountitis. I created one article that went on to become featured ( Canon T90) and have worked on many more. I created WikiProject Trains and have worked extensively with other editors in that and several other projects. I feel that I have a very good knowledge of what it's like to work on content, rather than just policy and administration, and believe that I understand the mindset of contributors to Wikipedia.
Q: Please list out what other Wikipedia usernames you have edited under.
A: None, except for occasional IP edits when I didn't realise I wasn't logged in. — Matthew Brown ( T: C) 19:54, 6 December 2005 (UTC)
Do you support the creation of a Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee Code of Conduct as I have just now suggested at User talk:Jimbo Wales#A sincere question? - Ted Wilkes 18:40, 10 December 2005 (UTC)
Thank you. Someone created the article without my knowledge. As such, would you mind offering some input there as well? Thank you. - Ted Wilkes 18:17, 11 December 2005 (UTC)
Do you support Wikipedia:User Bill of Rights? ( SEWilco 05:40, 21 December 2005 (UTC))
How about the proposed Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee Code of Conduct?
-- HK 00:23, 4 January 2006 (UTC)
PurplePlatypus 07:49, 21 December 2005 (UTC)
Tito xd( ?!? - help us) 06:55, 24 December 2005 (UTC)
Zordrac (talk) Wishy Washy Darwikinian Eventualist 16:26, 24 December 2005 (UTC)
(Being asked of all candidates)
Do you believe that regardless of Jimbo Wales' own views on the matter, the community should be able to strip arbitrators of their position under certain circumstances, and if so, what circumstances?
As a corollory:Do you believe, regardless of Jimbo Wales' view on the matter, that a large number of signatories (e.g. 150 requesting censure against 50 supporting the arbitrator) to an RFC against an arbitrator is enough that the arbitrator should be judged as having been rejected by the community in light of their actions, and consequently for them to be forcibly stripped of their post?
wikipedia has a policy of NPOV. Excepting straw men, have you ever introduced a substantial opinion or fact that contradicts your own political or religious viewpoint into an article on a topic of which you have strong opinions, and if you have, how frequently do you do so compared to your other substatial edits to articles?
-- Victim of signature fascism 01:44, 5 January 2006 (UTC)
I am asking these questions of all candidates:
1. Do you pledge to abide by the proposed recusal guidelines at Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee Code of Conduct#Recusal?
2. Are there any parts of Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee Code of Conduct that you do not agree with? If so, please describe in detail how you would improve them.
3. Will you please pledge to support expanding the number of seats on the Arbitration Committee? If not, how would you propose alleviating the present arbitration backlog?
4. Have you voted over at Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee Elections January 2006/Proposed modifications to rules? If not, why not? If so, please summarize your votes.
Thank you for your kind consideration of and answers to these questions. — James S. 06:55, 5 January 2006 (UTC)
— Simetrical ( talk • contribs) 02:44, 10 January 2006 (UTC)
User:Improv, who is also a candidate for the arbitration committee, has placed the following statement on Wikipedia:Village pump (policy):
I am inviting all candidates, including Improv, to expand on this theme on their questions pages. Do you agree that this is a cause for concern as we move into 2006? How do you see the role of the arbitration committee in interpreting the interpretation of Wikipedia policy in the light of this concern? -- Tony Sidaway| Talk 20:51, 12 January 2006 (UTC)
My beliefs about Wikipedia are simple: we are here to create a free encyclopedia, and policy, procedure and process are simply tools to enable us to do that most easily. I believe in a light touch; we should have the minimum quantity of rules necessary to function, and the enforcement of them should bear in mind the intended outcome—creating that encyclopedia—rather than in their mechanical application.
On the banning question, I believe it should be applied with my overriding principles above in mind—only if it is necessary for the functioning of the project. The purpose is not to punish, but to remove people who have proven they are not interested in helping the project, people whose intent is to disrupt and who will not reform.
I have a strong and abiding passion for the ideals of the Wikipedia project, and I've put in more time on it than I probably want to admit. I intend, if chosen, to apply myself to this task with equal passion. I am used to thankless jobs—I am a systems administrator, and know the rewards for good work are simply more work and nobody noticing.
I would love to hear your questions, comments or indeed criticisms. Thank you.
Please ask your questions here.
Being an arbitrator requires a finely tuned bullshit detector. What in your life has prepared you to detect bullshit with ease? Phil Sandifer 21:23, 27 November 2005 (UTC)
Many policies contradict and overlap with each other, and then WP:IAR makes things even more complicated while making them paradoxically more flexible. When two or more policies apply and conflict, what do you do? karmafist 18:49, 1 December 2005 (UTC)
Do you hold any strong political or religious opinions (e.g. concerning George Bush, Islam, or on which end you should break a boiled egg)? If so, would you recuse yourself from cases centred on these?
How willing are you to contest the decisions of other arbitrators rather than just "go with the flow"?
Do you view all requests to re-address cases, particularly requests made by those most penalised, as being automatically without merit?
In the case against Yuber, it was decided by the arbitration committee that it is the duty of arbitrators to investigate, and rule on the behaviour of not only one party involved, but all of them. Do you support this decision? [if current arbitrator] Does your visible behaviour on recent cases reflect this decision?
--Victim of signature fascism 16:49, 3 December 2005 (UTC)
Many people have noted that Wikipedia's original communitarian structure is no longer functioning very well. One editor has suggested that ArbCom is "about getting the trains to run on time," which is a reference to a fulfulled promise of Mussolini's fascist government. Do you agree that Wikipedia needs to become more orderly, and if so, do you think there are any options other than a move toward a more centrally controlled authoritarian system? Do you think that the spirit of cooperation in Wikipedia would survive such a change? Marsden 16:00, 6 December 2005 (UTC)
Q: How old are you and what do you do? (If student, please state what subjects you are studying.)
A: I am 32 years old and I work as a UNIX systems administrator.
Q: How many hours a month do you think you will need to be a good Arbitrator and are you really willing to put in the time?
A: While I can't answer that with a definitive number, I am willing to put in the time the task requires.
Q: If chosen, you will need to arbitrate on disputes arising from the creation or revision of articles. Experience of creating and revising articles yourself, particularly where it has involved collaboration, is very valuable in understanding the mindset of disputants who come to arbitration. With reference to your own edits in the main article namespace, please demonstrate why you think you have the right experience to be a good arbitrator.
A: I'm not the typical Wikipedia 'policy wonk'. I primarily work in the article space and have created and edited a vast number of articles. Last I checked, my edit count is in excess of 10,000, for those with editcountitis. I created one article that went on to become featured ( Canon T90) and have worked on many more. I created WikiProject Trains and have worked extensively with other editors in that and several other projects. I feel that I have a very good knowledge of what it's like to work on content, rather than just policy and administration, and believe that I understand the mindset of contributors to Wikipedia.
Q: Please list out what other Wikipedia usernames you have edited under.
A: None, except for occasional IP edits when I didn't realise I wasn't logged in. — Matthew Brown ( T: C) 19:54, 6 December 2005 (UTC)
Do you support the creation of a Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee Code of Conduct as I have just now suggested at User talk:Jimbo Wales#A sincere question? - Ted Wilkes 18:40, 10 December 2005 (UTC)
Thank you. Someone created the article without my knowledge. As such, would you mind offering some input there as well? Thank you. - Ted Wilkes 18:17, 11 December 2005 (UTC)
Do you support Wikipedia:User Bill of Rights? ( SEWilco 05:40, 21 December 2005 (UTC))
How about the proposed Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee Code of Conduct?
-- HK 00:23, 4 January 2006 (UTC)
PurplePlatypus 07:49, 21 December 2005 (UTC)
Tito xd( ?!? - help us) 06:55, 24 December 2005 (UTC)
Zordrac (talk) Wishy Washy Darwikinian Eventualist 16:26, 24 December 2005 (UTC)
(Being asked of all candidates)
Do you believe that regardless of Jimbo Wales' own views on the matter, the community should be able to strip arbitrators of their position under certain circumstances, and if so, what circumstances?
As a corollory:Do you believe, regardless of Jimbo Wales' view on the matter, that a large number of signatories (e.g. 150 requesting censure against 50 supporting the arbitrator) to an RFC against an arbitrator is enough that the arbitrator should be judged as having been rejected by the community in light of their actions, and consequently for them to be forcibly stripped of their post?
wikipedia has a policy of NPOV. Excepting straw men, have you ever introduced a substantial opinion or fact that contradicts your own political or religious viewpoint into an article on a topic of which you have strong opinions, and if you have, how frequently do you do so compared to your other substatial edits to articles?
-- Victim of signature fascism 01:44, 5 January 2006 (UTC)
I am asking these questions of all candidates:
1. Do you pledge to abide by the proposed recusal guidelines at Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee Code of Conduct#Recusal?
2. Are there any parts of Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee Code of Conduct that you do not agree with? If so, please describe in detail how you would improve them.
3. Will you please pledge to support expanding the number of seats on the Arbitration Committee? If not, how would you propose alleviating the present arbitration backlog?
4. Have you voted over at Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee Elections January 2006/Proposed modifications to rules? If not, why not? If so, please summarize your votes.
Thank you for your kind consideration of and answers to these questions. — James S. 06:55, 5 January 2006 (UTC)
— Simetrical ( talk • contribs) 02:44, 10 January 2006 (UTC)
User:Improv, who is also a candidate for the arbitration committee, has placed the following statement on Wikipedia:Village pump (policy):
I am inviting all candidates, including Improv, to expand on this theme on their questions pages. Do you agree that this is a cause for concern as we move into 2006? How do you see the role of the arbitration committee in interpreting the interpretation of Wikipedia policy in the light of this concern? -- Tony Sidaway| Talk 20:51, 12 January 2006 (UTC)