[WikiEN-l] Re: Broken dispute resolution mechanisms (was Reithy is a problem)

[Fred Bauder]

I suppose we could ask for users to serve as "prosecutors, a few do now on
their own. We don't seem in mind in such cases that the offended parties are
not bringing the case but a third party who has marshalled all the offenses
together and made a case.

Fred

> From: Tim Starling <t.starling at physics.unimelb.edu.au>
> Reply-To: English Wikipedia <wikien-l at Wikipedia.org>
> Date: Sun, 07 Nov 2004 02:10:25 +1100
> To: wikien-l at wikipedia.org
> Subject: [WikiEN-l] Re: Broken dispute resolution mechanisms (was Reithy is a
> problem)
> 
>> May I suggest that when a serious matter arises that any user disturbed by
>> it engage in the dispute resolution procedure. Our failures to act in cases
>> which are not before us are to be expected. We do not initiate cases.
> 
> All I'm asking for is that every once in a while, we re-evaluate our
> dogma. You say "we do not initiate cases" as if that settles the matter.
> I don't know if your rule about not initiating cases is good or bad, I
> just wish we'd think about it critically every once in a while.
> 
> Let me take the negative position. Why not act on cases that are not
> brought before you? Is this a serious balance to your power? If the 9 of
> you wanted to abuse your power and bend editorial direction to suit your
> philosophy, would you have trouble finding a single non-member to bring
> cases that you secretly ask to be brought? If you are aware of failures,
> trolls bringing stress and anger to honest contributors and damaging the
> quality of the encyclopedia, how can you sit by and do nothing in good
> conscience?
> 
> -- Tim Starling