[WikiEN-l] Registration system and blocks

[Jimmy (Jimbo) Wales]

Nicholas Knight wrote:
> 2) ArbCom thinks it's toothless to deal rapidly with clear abuses.
> 
> 	If this is the case, I think *YOU* (Jimbo) can and should fix it by 
> making it clear to them they're not.

I think we're good at this point.  The ArbCom is empowered to deal rapidly
with clear abuses, and I think they know it.

> 3) ArbCom is afraid of backlash for dealing rapidly with clear abuses.

> 	I feel like this may be the most likely problem. I also think
> 	it could be worked through simply by biting the bullet and
> 	coming down hard and fast on a few exceptional problem
> 	cases, making Wikipedians get used to the fact that "due
> 	process" doesn't mean "any process that makes it harder to
> 	ban someone". (I think this is an artifact of a time when
> 	Wikipedia was much smaller you held sole power to ban and did
> 	everything you could to avoid it. A benevolent dictator
> 	presiding over a medium-sized project is markedly different
> 	from a pseudo-democratic body presiding over one of the
> 	largest "open source" projects in the world with one of the
> 	lowest barriers to entry. I don't think enough people have
> 	grasped that.)

I think this is basically accurate.  I do recommend, though, that the
"coming down hard and fast" be really limited to a few exceptional
problem cases, as opposed to being random.

> 4) ArbCom is woefully understaffed.
> 
> 	I think staffing levels are a factor regardless of the truth of any 
> 	of these other points. From the sound of things, the recent elections have 
> helped. Depending on how the next few weeks and months go, I think 
> serious consideration should be given to expanding ArbCom further.

Yes.  I think we should keep an eye on it and increase the size as
needed.

I liked your idea of some form of temporary volunteer help for the
ArbCom as well, although I hate to see more and more people bogged
down with this stuff.  Perhaps it is better to just streamline the
process to a degree.

--Jimbo

-- 
"La nèfle est un fruit." - first words of 50,000th article on fr.wikipedia.org