Jimmy Wales wrote:
I'm with you 100% on the openness thing, and probably with you on the hierarchy thing, too. And don't even get me started on dmoz's broken culture.
The Cunctator wrote:
Claims that mediation and arbitration can't work without secrecy are false.
Or to be more positive: any structure set up which involves a level of secrecy, if we are to move past the benevolent dictator model, MUST have formal methods of ensuring accountability and oversight by the general community--that is, everyone, including non-Wikipedians.
Arbitration should be a completely open process, where everybody knows all that is happening. This may be different for mediation where the objective is to have the warring parties come to some agreement.
The last thing that the mediator needs when he is trying to resolve a delicate question is to have a hamhanded newcomer to the war throwing flames when the matter is none of his business. That can drive away one combatant, and harden the other in his position.
Ec