Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee Elections December 2015/Candidates/Kirill Lokshin/Statement

Kirill Lokshin

I am a long-time Wikipedian and former arbitrator, having served three terms on the Arbitration Committee (2007–2009, 2010–2011, and 2012–2013). During my time on the Committee, my primary focus was drafting case decisions—I ultimately wrote more than 60—but I was, at various times, involved with virtually every aspect of the Committee’s work. Among other activities, I was the Committee’s first coordinating arbitrator, served a term on the Audit Subcommittee, and helped develop the current arbitration policy as well as the original system of discretionary sanctions.

Much has been written elsewhere about the various problems with the arbitration process as it currently stands. I will not repeat those points here, save for two:

The fundamental purpose of the Arbitration Committee is to hear requests for arbitration and to render decisions on them; its consistent inability to do so in a timely manner is unconscionable, and needs to be addressed. Part of the problem is, I suspect, simply a lack of active arbitrators with the experience necessary to efficiently draft case decisions; but, beyond that, too much of the Committee’s time is being taken up by its various secondary roles. This is a problem that we can and should resolve, in part through better technical solutions, and in part through delegation and devolution of elements of the Committee’s work to the community, or to other groups, as appropriate.

The Arbitration Committee must take a strong stand against harassment of Wikipedians, both on and off the project, with particular attention paid to systemic harassment directed against vulnerable individuals and under-represented groups in our community. While the Committee will probably not be able to solve this problem on its own, it must, at the very least, be part of the solution—and not, as has unfortunately often been the case, part of the problem.

With the Committee likely to experience significant turnover and loss of institutional memory as a result of this election, I believe there will be a need for experienced arbitrators in the coming year, and offer my services to the community once again.

Disclosures: I am already identified to the Foundation, and have signed the applicable agreements regarding access to non-public data. I have a single alternate account, Kirill Lokshin (test account).