Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee Elections December 2020/Candidates/Bradv/Statement

Bradv[edit]

Hi everyone, I'm Bradv, and I'm volunteering for a second term on the Arbitration Committee.

I made a statement last year about my intentions at ArbCom, a statement which I have referred to frequently, and which has guided my decisions during my first term. I have fought to increase communication and transparency in order to maintain a high level of trust in the committee. I have tried my best to do the right thing, even when it was difficult or unpopular. I have worked with the WMF to encourage and maintain a clear separation of roles. And, perhaps most importantly, I have worked diligently to remain engaged with the community, both as an arbitrator and as an editor.

There are several new challenges before us in the coming year. A new Universal Code of Conduct is being discussed on meta, which has the potential to change the relationship between the editing community and the WMF, particularly in terms of crosswiki enforcement. Undisclosed paid editing continues to be a rising problem, and is taking up an ever-increasing amount of community time. And our complex system of Discretionary Sanctions is nearing the point of needing an overhaul, or at least some tweaking to keep it in line with the ever-changing needs of the community and the editing process.

The past year on the Arbitration Committee has been a real learning experience, and at times even quite stressful, but it has been made easier by a spirit of camaraderie and collaboration of which the whole committee is proud. It has certainly not been easy, it has not always been fun, but it has never been a chore. Even at points where we disagreed, which were plentiful, we never doubted the sincerity of our colleagues nor their commitment to the project. It is my hope that the committee can maintain this attitude going forward, to model it to the community, to encourage and advise those who lose sight of our mission, and to soberly admonish those who seek to undermine it.

I love this project. I'm proud of it, and proud of all the people who work so diligently to maintain its reputation for accuracy and neutrality in a world of disinformation and deceit. I am grateful for the opportunity to have served in this role for the past year, and if I am chosen to continue for a second term I will consider it an honour and a joy. Our work is not done, our encyclopedia is not complete, and the information revolution continues.

Declaration: I am signatory to the necessary agreements for access to non-public data, and have two alternate accounts: BradV, which I use solely to receive miscapitalized pings, and ArbClerkBot, which unfortunately still only has one job.

Arbitration Committee Election 2020 candidate: Bradv