[WikiEN-l] Re: Selection of Arbitrators

Sun Jan 25 02:37:58 UTC 2004

On Sat, 24 Jan 2004 23:22:43 UTC, Delirium 
<delirium at rufus.d2g.com> wrote:

> Having some sort of grandiose process I'm afraid will actually encourage 
> the overuse of the committee, as it makes it seem like it's normal to 
> refer matters to be decided through this process.  I think instead the 
> arbitration committee should be a "decision-making committee of last 
> resort", to which only relatively extraordinary matters are referred.  
> And so we could have a relatively minimalistic process: the committee 
> just votes, and thereby makes a decision (including possibly making the 
> decision "the committee declines to make a ruling on this matter").

This is probably a good idea; really, I'm not arguing for an elaborate 
procedure, but reacting to what seems to be becoming one. But why call it 
arbitration? "Committee of last resort" is a fine, descriptive name.

Even the arbitration clauses in the agreements for brokerage and 
credit-card accounts (unconscionable because they are imposed by force and
not in a genuine agreement, but that's another issue) give the aggrieved 
some power of selecting among the industry's pre-selected arbitrators to 
hear their case. As an organization that's charged with preserving 
Wilipedia's values (a good thing), "judges" would be a good term; but 
Committee of Last Resort, if a little verbose, would be best of all.