User:VeryVerily/ArbCom candidacy

This page is for information I wish to post on my ArbCom candidacy. Questions and comments should go to talk. As of now this is only my statement.

ArbCom statement

Hi! I have been here since August 2003, and have participated in almost every aspect of Wikipedia, from prolific article writing and editing to VfD and VfU to RfA and RfC, and am throroughly familiar with its workings. I believe I have the knowledge, background, and judgement for the arbitrator position.

Right now, the ArbCom is slow, inefficient, and lacking in clear or sensible standards. I favor quick, common sense, no-nonsense solutions, focused on who is helping the project and who is not.

Some of our best contributors - such as Zoe, Daniel Quinlan, Ark30Inf, and Adam Carr - have been or are being driven away because cranks and trolls make Wikilife miserable. I have experienced first-hand what an energy drain problem users are, and how nothing is done. We need to create an environment where people feel that contributing is worth their time and that the free and open nature of the Wiki is not a blank check to ruin our achievements.

However, I also believe that outright bans should not be the first line of defense. Creative solutions can do wonders, and stern, clear warnings should precede administrative action - but those warnings must have teeth.

I will also bring civility to the proceedings. Disputants, right or wrong, should be talked to respectfully by the arbitrators, who are the community's servants, not its masters.

I'm a very active Wikipedian. It is rare for me to go even 48 hours without making an edit; in fact I only have once since July. I can, and will, respond promptly to requests.

Thanks for reading.