[WikiEN-l] Should the content of articles be subject to arbitration?

Jimmy Wales jwales at bomis.com
Mon Jan 26 20:33:32 UTC 2004


Sascha Noyes wrote:
> Arbitration should be about enforcing policies and not making editorial 
> decisions about particular articles or disputes.

I agree completely.  The wiki process, if respected, is sufficient to
generate excellent articles.  If the wiki process is being abused,
then that's where arbitration comes in (as a last resort, after
mediation fails).

I find it difficult to imaging a situation in which an arbitration
committee is asked to settle an issue of editorial judgment.  It's
about behaviors at that point, not article contents.  (I do agree, of
course, that the two may be entertwined.  But in all the cases that I
have dealt with personally, the article contents weren't the actual
issue -- the issue was unwillingness to work in a spirit of kindness
with others.)

--Jimbo



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