[Wikipedia-l] Arbitration/mediation on en

[Alex R.]

From: "Ray Saintonge" <saintonge at telus.net>

> Fred Bauder wrote:
>
> >The arbitrators cannot decide any dispute that is not submitted to us,
but I
> >think our jurisdiction should include disputes over content in
appropriate
> >instances, for example, where repeated struggles to produce a NPOV
article
> >have failed.
> >
> Of course.  Arbitrators who are narrowly focused on whether someone
> should be banned or not would be a waste of human resources.  Based on
> the facts in an actual case, they should have a wide range of possible
> solutions available to them.

If Wikipedia's arbitration committee gets really good at what it is doing
perhaps
it can start soliciting arbitration cases and donate the fees for such
service to
Wikipedia. Online arbitration is a fast growing field. Maybe I'm dreaming
out loud but arbitrators that know the law regarding fair use and its First
Amendment implications on the net could provide a useful service and maybe
keep those DMCA disputes out of the courts like the recent Diebold and
the EFF contravention. Of course the wikiarbiters would have to be known
 as fair, impartial and knowledgeable, but there is little doubt that such \
will be the case in my mind.

Alex