[WikiEN-l] Just what *is* Jimbo's role anyway?

[Steve Bennett]

According to Erik, he has no legal power. According to Phil, he has
reserved a role that includes the power to make decrees like "this is
unacceptable". What is going on? What can he and can't he do? Why does
he ignore the merge of WP:V and WP:OR into WP:ATT (and I thought I was
slow for missing it...), then appear and not only criticise it, but
actually act on it: "As a first step, I am removing the claim on this
page that is supercedes the other two, and restoring the other two to
their rightful place in the pantheon of Wikipedia."

I don't attribute any malice to Jimbo, or anyone else for that matter.
But clearly, there is widespread confusion about Jimbo's role in
Wikipedia that needs resolving. Perhaps I could pose some questions
for the audience:

1) What is Jimbo's financial position with respect to Wikipedia? Does
he own any part of servers, software, intellectual property? In what
way, if any, does he profit from it?

2) What is Jimbo's legal position with respect to Wikipedia?

3) What is Jimbo's position as an editor on Wikipedia? Does he have
the right to ignore consensus? What happens if people disregard his
right? Can he confer this right on others? How do we distinguish
between Jimbo as normal editor and Jimbo as editor with godlike
powers?

4) Does Jimbo have a leadership position, and if so, of what? Whom
does he lead? In what way? Is that leadership contestable?

5) What concrete changes have taken place as a result of Jimbo being
succeeded by Anthere as chairman of the Wikimedia Foundation Board?
What is the day-to-day effect of these changes?

6) What is Jimbo's position as a spokesperson for Wikipedia or the
Wikimedia Foundation? What does it mean when Jimbo tells the press
that some change "will probably be going ahead"? Are we to interpret
that as an order to be obeyed?

7) Are the answers to any of these questions different for the
different language Wikipedias, or other Wikimedia projects?

Thanks in advance for answers and positive discussion.

Steve