The story so far: arbitrator User:FT2 posted a bizarre Arbcomm decision in which a user was, apparently, tried and sentenced in secret. Unsurprisingly, outrage ensued. One other arb then repudiated the judgement, and said it was done "without the approval or prior knowledge of the Committee as a whole". Unhelpfully, other arbs stayed fairly tight-lipped, so it was unclear who was telling the truth. Appeals to them to comment were ignored. You can read far far more about this than you would want to at Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/Orangemarlin and other matters. As you can see from that, a story is slowly being stitched together that maybe can be attempted to be believed: its all a matter of "miscommunication". The DHMO-word is not being spoken, except in dark corners.
All this matters, in the wiki-world (and maybe outside, because a lot of people use it), because wiki won't hold together without some ultimate authority. The idea of it being a benevolent anarchy is moonshine. Up till now, the arbcomm has been a slow and uncommunicative but generally correct UA. King Log more than King Stork, perhaps, but still there. The re-listing of the OM RFA looks like a mistake, but hopefully one they can recover from.
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On Jimbo's talk page, Cade Metz asks, "Speaking with my journalist hat on (sorry, Jimbo), can I suggest as this unfolds that someone provide an ongoing attempted-NPOV summary of the players and the issues? As in, pretend you were writing a Wikipedia article on 'The ArbCom Controversy of June 2008'. That would be beneficial for everyone. As it is, I find myself having to go read A Site Which Shall Not Be Named in order to find out what it's all about, and I suspect I'm not the only observer in that position."
Here is my view of the Dramatis Personae of this Shreklisch Drama...
* Homo Politicus Dominus (Cabalicus Corruptibus)
* Homo Subjecticus (Biographicus Ridiculus)
* Homo Scientificus (Moultonicus Outcasticus)
* Homo Encyclopaedist Ethicalus (Neminicus Contradicenticus)
* Homo Ludens Inanicus
* Homo Lurkerus WTFicus
* Homo Apatheticus Snoozicus
"It is hazardous to rely on Wikipedia for climate information. The main editor for climate is a William Connolley, who is a rabid warmer, more interested in pushing CO2 AGW than in moderating a balanced account. He is notorious." appeared in comment # 244 of Andy Revkin's DotEarth blog post of the 27th titled "What's Really Up With North Pole Sea Ice?".
[You can't argue with that, can you? -W]
It's funny that the author thinks a Wikipedia entry ought to be a "balanced account" subject to "moderation." This is code for "my views as a non-scientist should have as much influence over the content of the article as William's views as a climate scientist."
[Try to stay on track, the issue is arbcomm madness, not mine :-) -W]
I leave and the place almost immediately goes nuts. Odd, because it's usually my presence that gives rise to chaos and confusion, not my absence.
[Oh, there is yet more madness onstream. Jump in! -W]
Here is an update of the primary clans or tribes who comprise the Dramatis Personae of this Shreklisch Drama...
* Homo Politicus Dominus (Cabalicus Corruptibus)
* Homo Subjecticus (Biographicus Ridiculus)
* Homo Scientificus (Moultonicus Outcasticus)
* Homo Encyclopaedist Ethicalus (Neminicus Contradicenticus)
* Homo Ludens Inanicus
* Homo Dramaticus (Bardicus Operaticus)
* Homo Moderaticus (Banhammeranimus Ornericus)
* Homo Lurkerus WTFicus
* Homo Apatheticus Snoozicus