User:Carrite/ACE2024

Perfunctory introductory

This is my first voters guide since the 2019 election — I got busy with book projects that reduced my Wikipedia time pretty massively. But hey, free time is mine these days so I'll sink an hour or two into this effort. I'm no newcomer to these guides, having done six in a row before that, I believe. I also published a voter's guide to the October 2024 Administrator election on Wikipediocracy, which I hope was helpful to overwhelmed voters in their winnowing of the herd. (As an aside, I think that herd got winnowed a little too much, but that's okay — near-miss candidates should be back soon.)

Many of you may know me from my prolific participation on the Wikipediocracy message board, where I'm one of the top 3 most active posters, writing as Randy from Boise. I'm a bitter critic of the bureaucratization of Wikipedia and the usurpation of En-WP's autonomy by the WMF, which in my opinion is an unquenchable six-foot remora attached to the belly of a five-foot shark. WMF expropriates the social capital generated the good works of tens of thousands of volunteer editors from around the world so as to shake loose tens of millions more dollars than they actually need from WP's readers each year. WMF is not our boss, they maintain the site for us, the autonomous communities of volunteer editors. Arbcom, as the highest elected institution of the En-WP Community, needs to be alert to the danger.

In addition to my status (or infamy) as a core supporter of WPO, I am also, let there be no mistake, a dead-serious and totally committed Wikipedian — sitting at #995 on the Most Edits list, with a clean block log and all that good stuff. This year, 2024, is already my most active editing year ever. I am engaged.

What you will be getting from me here is a set of opinions about candidates, lending support to those with the courage of their convictions, even if I may not totally agree with them on this issue or that. I am also highly adverse to drama mongers and those seeking to start or perpetuate wars between thin-skinned "civility" extremists and those who engage in off-Wiki discussion.

Okay, my perspective is duly identified. Value or devalue my recommendations as you will. Thanks for your time.

—Tim Davenport, Corvallis, OR ////// Carrite on WP ////// Randy from Boise on WPO

Strongest Recommendation

• Just Step Sideways — Formerly known by the better screen name Beeblebrox, Beebs got done dirty by Arbcom a year ago, who took a little whoopty-whoopty and made a big whoopty-whoopty out of it largely as a means of spanking him for talking out of turn during his last month of tenure as an Arb Com member. I'm sure the details will be hashed and rehashed during this campaign period... The bottom line is that Beebs believed himself to be behaving honorably and was behaving honorably, and he was treated dishonorably, probably as a pretext to send a message about Arb participation at Wikipediocracy. This dude is 100% honest and on my short list of Wikipedians I would like to meet in real life and have a beer with. He's not afraid to say what needs to be said and to do what needs to be done. He has the best interests of Wikipedia at heart.

• KrakatoaKatie — There are many arbs who have disappointed over the years, but my recollection of Katie is that she did a very solid job. She and Liz will get an enormous number of votes and I'm not gonna spend a lot of words on the matter. Of course, she should get an enormous number of votes... She should!

• Liz — A reliable voice of reason on-Wiki. Liz is the sort of Wikipedian we all wish we had the temperament to be. Not sure if she or Katie will get the most net votes in this election, but both are slam-dunks to be among the top vote-getters. Righteously.

• Worm That Turned — Spinning back to my 2019 guide, I reminded myself that Dave/WTT was one of two Arbcommers who really tried to get it right in the Fram case, exemplifying hard work and due diligence in the middle of a difficult and controversial case resulting from WMF overreach. He has a great deal of experience as a member of the committee and invariably lands on the side of reason and common-sense. I'd trust him with the keys to my car and I really like my car.

Support

• Daniel — A former Arbcom clerk, I understand, which speaks to an enduring interest in Arbcom despite understanding of what a time-consuming shit-job being an Arb actually is. As an Ozzie, chances are he'll be in position now and again to add a little outsider perspective.

• Guerillero — I've long considered Guerillero as someone who registered at account at WPO just to read the stuff hidden from the search engines, but who is basically opposed to the site and its mission. Because I am a moron, I probably have conflated him to some extent with Gamaliel, who certainly fits the aforementioned description, presuming he has an account at WPO at all. In sifting the early edits to see exactly what it is that got my backhair up about Tom in the first place, I was surprised to learn he came on board at WP about when I did (2009) with early edits to straight-edge punk rock-related topics. That's a +1 on my scoring system. He took a sensible line on the November drama at Arbcom, before he was bullied off the proposed case with more or less specious conflict-of-interest charges because he voted not to accept and some people wanted their righteous two-month food fight... I'm actually not seeing much in the case files of Arbcom out of step with the sensible approach, actually. So, yeah, re-elect.

• ScottishFinnishRadish — A recently-minted Class of 2020 Wikipedian. It may be the source of some hilarity and mirth to regular WPO readers that I encourage a vote for The Radish here, after having taken a pound and a half out of his hindquarters on Wikipediocracy for perceived infidelity to that site's participants and potential duplicity. I was overwrought, admittedly. I watched his actions fairly closely during the November melodrama in which a few people were attempting to whip up another installment of BADSITES at Arbcom. My worst fears were assuaged, I am happy to report. Giving it to you straight: this is an intelligent, steady person with an interest in the administration of rules and order on-Wiki, and whose judgment I believe to be generally reliable. We may not see eye-to-eye on this or that, or much or anything at all, really, but I don't believe he will be one to throw gasoline on small fires or throw marginally-involved bystanders onto large ones. Would I trust him throwing punches next to me in a street fight? No, I would not. Do I trust him to do the right thing on Arbcom? Yes, I do.

• Theleekycauldron — Leeky is a comparative youngster at WP, coming on board as part of the Covid Class of 2020. I see her name here and there when I occasionally skim the drama boards to see who's acting like a buffoon this week... It seems pretty clear that she's a problem-solver rather than a provocateur, which is good. We need problem solvers. I had a good rationale for a NOTYET here, but we need to fill 9 slots and this is one of the top 9 candidates, so there you go.

Will Work in a Pinch

• Elli — Elli, née Eliot321, has been on WP since 2014, which is a decade after the first surge and a decade before today. Plenty of time to have learned the ropes, although she only became an Administrator in June of this year, so the timing of this run is a bit puzzling at first glance.

• Simonm223 — An old hand that doesn't really want the job, which indicates he'd probably be one of the best suited.

Just Say No

• CaptainEek — From the candidate statement: "I believe in transparency, and advocating for the Community." Uh, yeah, not so much... Let's just say the November effort to drum up a secret case against Wikipediocracy for the Star Chamber, drawing upon the whispiest vapors, caused me to do some very close reading of Arbiters opinions on the matter. I feel secure in saying that CaptainEek was chomping to start a brawl where one clearly needn't to have been launched, doubtlessly to the glory of "a harmonious and welcoming community." I do not have confidence in the judgment of this individual, plainly put. Now I will shut my mouth.

• Primefac — Top vote-getter in the 2022 Arbcom election. He was actually a party in the Nihonjoe affair, having laid an ill-considered block on Fram that drew the scrutiny of the committee. As we shuffle some on, we shuffle some off. Thank you for your service.

Back to work!