ArbCom nominations begin, Two weeks left to draft Wesley Options

[One]

After months of speculation on MBisanz' page, official candidacies are being accepted, and will be for the next two weeks. Standing candidates (scroll up for table of contents). Privatemusings is the first to cross form "likely" to actual candidacy.

Hopefully there will be some good dark horses.

Jdforrester has an interesting statement that concludes, "I do not expect to be given the community's support; nevertheless, I ask it, and welcome any and all questions."

This post has been edited by One: Mon 10th November 2008, 5:40am

[Kato]

The Arbitration Committee is almost entirely irrelevant at Wikipedia. The committee is not "the leadership". It oversees only a handful of convoluted cases a year that largely have nothing to do with an encyclopedia's content. Most of these cases relate only to ridiculous trivial dramatic feuds. And even then, the Arbitration Committee tends to fudge a verdict, resulting in conditions that are little different to those if the players had never bothered bringing it up at all. Simply a tremendous waste of time.

The Arbitration Committee is just another avenue for gameplayers to relieve their drama fixes. These annual elections in particular serve no purpose other than to provide a dramatic Carnival of the Absurd every year. Amusingly, this circus kicks up much negative drama that is clearly harmful to Wikipedia - with no net gain.

If you can't see this, then I suggest that you are so addicted to this crap you've lost all perspective, and should seek professional help.

[Cla68]

The Arbitration Committee is almost entirely irrelevant at Wikipedia. The committee is not "the leadership". It oversees only a handful of convoluted cases a year that largely have nothing to do with an encyclopedia's content. Most of these cases relate only to ridiculous trivial dramatic feuds. And even then, the Arbitration Committee tends to fudge a verdict, resulting in conditions that are little different to those if the players had never bothered bringing it up at all. Simply a tremendous waste of time.

The Arbitration Committee is just another avenue for gameplayers to relieve their drama fixes. These annual elections in particular serve no purpose other than to provide a dramatic Carnival of the Absurd every year. Amusingly, this circus kicks up much negative drama that is clearly harmful to Wikipedia - with no net gain.

If you can't see this, then I suggest that you are so addicted to this crap you've lost all perspective, and should seek professional help.

I think a lot of what you say is true. But, ArbCom is as close to a governance/"adult supervision" body as Wikipedia has. So, rightly or wrongly, WP participants look to them for leadership. If WP had a committee to address the other concerns that fall outside ArbCom's purview, then much less attention would be paid to ArbCom and whatever it happens to be doing at any given moment.

Someone said once in another thread that it isn't in Jimbo's best interest to have an effective governance committee in en.wp, because that committee would probably send him packing and remove what little connection he still has to this project. Maybe that's true.