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

[stevertigo]

On 3/20/07, Steve Bennett <stevagewp at gmail.com> wrote:

> What does leadership of an open-source effort to build a free and open
> encyclopaedia have to do with "private governance"? It's not like I'm
> asking questions relating to Jimbo's other business interests. And I'm
> not even trying to put anyone on the spot here - if certain questions
> are sensitive, then that's fine. But I don't see how a question like
> "can Jimbo overrule consensus" could be construed as a sensitive one
> best dealt with privately.

Well I certainly didn't mean to imply that you were a troll. But the
fact is that until Jimbo decides otherwise, he is the reigning
monarch.

> 2) Jimbo retains one or more extraordinary powers on the English
> Wikipedia to do with arbitration. (if ArbCom is not confined to en, my
> apologies)

ArbCom on en is confined to en simply because of language constraints.
Likewise is Jimbo's governance. If he spoke Tagalog, he no doubt would
take an active interest in how that language branch handled particular
matters - from arbitration to sourcing.

> 3) Jimbo retains an unofficial role as community leader and spokesman
> on the English Wikipedia. His pronouncements and directions are
> followed, if at all,  because of trust, respect, his previous role as
> GodKing, and perhaps due to community misunderstanding of his role.

Is the role of a king an "unofficial role?" Of course not. Just
because there is no limitation to his "exceptional" powers doesn't
mean that they are not well defined.

> I would note that role 3) definitely seems to be declining. He
> intervenes much less frequently than he previously did, and is much
> less present on the mailing lists and talk pages than previously.

That is your opinion. Others may have thought so as well, but as
todays events demonstrate, whether use of his executive power may wax
or wane is purely up to his discretion. How else would a monarchy be?

-Stevertigo