geni wrote:
Other than the need for a friendly developer is there a reason why we could not in theory ignore jimbo and elect arbcom whatever?
You could try, but generally speaking we operate under a longstanding set of carefully grown and slowly changing conventions. At least to date, my method of listening very carefully and working very hard to try to bring together a very broad consensus about a way forward means that my special role in the 'constitutional framework' of Wikipedia has proven to be more often useful than not, and of course I intend to do my best to continue to the best of my abilities with good faith and concern for all.
--Jimbo