Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee Elections December 2008/Candidate statements/Phil Sandifer

Phil Sandifer

I am willing to serve as an arbitrator. Since the job is really more situational than ideological, I do not think that there is much to offer in the way of promises or statements up front. Instead, I would prefer to address issues via Q&A, where I can deal more directly with specific issues as they are raised, given that arbitration issues are not handled in the general case, but in the specific.

That said, having gone through the vast majority of the questions, there is a clear thread that is worthy of general comment - the question of transparency, what goes on on the mailing list, and private evidence. Clearly this is an issue of grave community concern. As I am not an arbitrator, I do not know what goes on on the arbcom mailing list. I do not know the details on any private cases. I know that arbitrators I trust and respect have participated in the current system, and I would be very surprised to find malfeasance or corruption. On the other hand, the community concern is undeniable.

All I can say on this matter is that, without full knowledge of the facts, I am unwilling to draw conclusions about current practice. However, if elected, I will look seriously at the issue, look seriously at the community concerns, and do what I can to address them. I will enter the committee with an open mind, and will look at these issues with fresh eyes. I can't promise change without knowing all the facts, but I can promise that I will thoroughly investigate the situation and come to a careful conclusion about it that keeps in mind community concern.