User: Ed Poor
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fr:Utilisateur:Edmond Le Pauvre
Candidate for Arbitration Committee
I've been around longer than most (I'm user #188). I was the developer who did most of the sysop promotion (using direct edits to the MySQL database!) until we automated that. I was the first admin to be elected as a Bureaucrat.
I probably have the lowest ratio of (extreme POVs held) to (edits reverted), because I'm rather good at distinguishing between "common knowledge" and "what I personally believe". So I hardly ever engage in edit wars. (Okay, except with Dr. Connolley, but it's all in good fun - it never gets mean-spirited. ;-)
I can get any relevant idea into any article, and make it stick -- without sparking an edit war -- simply by taking into consideration WHY the warring parties are so keen on keeping or deleting a certain wording. It's almost always because they feel that's the only way to keep Wikipedia from endorsing a biased POV.
Well, I'm all about improving accuracy and eliminating bias. Even though occasionally I get flamed for holding POVs that other contributors dislike, I'm generally one to whom people come frequently to put out the flames when the edit wars get out of hand.
I've brought peace to the Balkans, the history of Chile (see Augusto Pinochet), and so many other disputed articles that I've lost count.
If elected to the arbcom, I would encourage all contributors to try courtesy and empathy first before making an appeal. Also, maintain a "clean audit trail" yourself, as Jimbo used to say when he WAS the arbcom. I prefer to say, "People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" or "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." We shouldn't be making personal remarks about each other (that's why I wrote Wikipedia:Avoid personal remarks). And if others start teasing us, it's generally better to shrug it off (which is why I wrote Wikipedia:Staying cool when the editing gets hot).
I favor quick action. If an uncooperative user doesn't respond to polite requests on their talk page, I think an admin would be well-advised to block their account temporarily (i.e., a "temp-ban"). I have found even a 10-minute temp-ban works wonders. It's more about how swift the consequences are, than how stern they are.
For determined trolling or POV pushing, I would prefer to talk the matter over by private e-mail with arbcom members like Cecropia, Mav, sannse, Raul, Theresa and The Cunctator. I'm sure we can think of something effective if we put our (virtual) heads together.
Of course, if elected I would step down from the Mediation Committee. One must either mediate or arbitrate.
And if not elected, I'll still support the arbcom. --user:Ed Poor (talk) 19:50, Nov 23, 2004 (UTC)
My public watchlists
Suggestions are welcome.
Some articles I've started
- Use of force - Civilized people don't just kill every attacker they encounter
- Missing explosives in Iraq - moved to Al-Qaqaa weapons facility
- Reconstruction of Iraq - 97 edits by other Wikipedians since then
- Multinational force in Iraq - May 26, 2004: 72 edits by other Wikipedians since then
- Liberal bias - 90 edits by others
