[WikiEN-l] Bureaucrats decide!

[Ray Saintonge]

Erik Moeller wrote:

>On 4/10/07, David Gerard <dgerard at gmail.com> wrote:
>  
>
>>aaaaand, one-moron-one-vote is, if not dead, certainly marked for disposal:
>>    
>>
>There is no reason to resort to namecalling ("morons"). 
>
I concede that David's representation of reality was somewhat stark.

>This
>particular RfA was closed very professionally and gave good reasons.
>What we have to avoid is an opposite extreme: admins & bureaucrats
>closing AfDs and RfAs merely based on their own opinion, and those of
>people they like. Whenever admins or bureaucrats apply discretion in
>interpreting process outcomes, they should ideally
>- not act alone
>- provide a clear justification to the community.
>
It was a courageous decision that flies in the face of the chattering 
classes.  Let the bureaucrats as a group by themselves make and apply a 
preliminary decision.  A vote would be needed only if the community 
wants to appeal that decision.

>That reduces the risk of one man crusades and increases community
>buy-in. The opposite scenario deterioratres relationships between
>admins/bureaucrats and regular users, and makes people feel that their
>opinion is worthless. I have seen that happen in other wiki
>communities. David, sometimes I am concerned that you are pushing
>exactly in that direction by resorting to bombastic rhetoric and vocal
>indignation over reasoned arguments and analysis. We need less of the
>former and more of the latter.
>
Having everybody vote on everything is clulessocracy.  All other wikis 
are smaller than this one, and whatever system is part of your vision 
for them is just not scaling well.  The bureaucrats gained their 
position through our already imperfect system.  Shouldn't that suggest 
that there was already some broad trust of them in the community?  If 
so, then let them get on with the job. 

This madness that purports to be democracy has a really dark side.  It 
has allowed petty street gangs to set up camp around some policy where 
they resist all efforts to change the system.  In general society there 
is indeed a widespread alienation from the political process, and a 
feeling in "democratic" as well as dictatorial regimes that governments 
will do what they damn well please without regard to public opinion or 
need.  This is not solved by letting local warlords run rampant.  
Rebuilding of trust is necessary.  For us that means that people in 
positions of leadership need to be free to do their jobs while needing 
to be responsiive to the community.  Their actions need to be 
transparent, but community members also need to look at issues in a 
context greater than what is encompassed by a narrow personal world 
view.  Community members also need to realize that full democratic 
participation in every decision is a physical impossibility. 

It's not just RfA that needs reform; it's the entire decision making 
process that needs review.

Ec