Jimmy Wales wrote:
I think that mediation has mixed success, but not
because of the
intentions or the people involved, but because we've made something of
a structural error. Too many people aren't taking mediation
seriously, preferring to go straight to arbitration. The fact that
mediators can't really do anything other than talk sweetly is probably
the main issue.
Once a few people get visibly scr*w*d by arbitration decisions, I think
others will be much more interested in mediation. One would imagine the
random Wikipedian smart enough to understand that the arbitration
committee's powers are considerable, and that they really really want to
avoid its clutches, but it seems the more stubborn will have to "learn
by doing". :-)
Stan