User:Giraffer/ACE2024

This is my guide to the 2024 Arbitration Committee elections. It is intended to provide an overview of each candidate's experiences, roles, and background, and to highlight important comments or answers they make. The guide will not have my opinions anywhere, although I will inevitably have to make editorial judgements about what to include and how to word things. You are very welcome to leave any questions or feedback on the talk page.

The first section is a table of statistics, giving an overview of each candidate's permissions. The second section provides short summaries of each candidate, briefly covering the main points of their background, arbitration experience, and the community response to their candidacy.

This guide is not intended to be a standalone resource—I strongly encourage you to read the candidate statements and discussion page at a minimum, and the questions if you can as well. Guides can contain useful information on candidates, but you are better off reading the evidence behind what is written rather than the guide writer's retelling. If you don't have much time (or don't care enough) to read a lot, I've made a list of the most important things to do at #If you really don't have much time.

Table of statistics

User	Reg. date	RfA date	Links	Administrator	Bureaucrat	CheckUser	Oversighter	Arbitrator	Arbitration edit count	Edits this year
CaptainEek	2014-02-19	2020-05-12	t · c · l · x	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	600	600
Just Step Sideways	2007-07-21	2009-08-30	t · c · l · x	Yes	No	Former	Former	Former	2600	4100
Worm That Turned	2008-07-13	2011-07-06	t · c · l · x	Yes	Former	Former	Former	Former	2300†	<100
ScottishFinnishRadish	2021-01-22	2022-09-21	t · c · l · x	Yes	No	No	No	No	800	12300
Simonm223	2008-03-12	n/a	t · c · l · x	No	No	No	No	No	<100	1700
Daniel	2006-05-26	2007-01-30	t · c · l · x	Former	No	No	No	No	1400†	4000
Guerillero	2009-11-05	2011-11-30	t · c · l · x	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	2000†	700
Theleekycauldron	2017-11-16	2023-08-17	t · c · l · x	Yes	No	No	No	No	<100	4600
Elli	2014-02-23	2024-06-07	t · c · l · x	Yes	No	No	No	No	<100	5600
Liz	2007-06-22	2015-08-04	t · c · l · x	Yes	No	No	No	No	1000†	140000
Primefac	2010-01-23	2017-01-16	t · c · l · x	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	1500	19100
KrakatoaKatie	2006-06-14	2007-06-08	t · c · l · x	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Former	600	200

Legend

  Permission currently held

  Permission requested unsuccessfully (most recent request), and after 1 January 2019

  Permission never held

  Permission previously held (removed in good standing)

  Permission previously held (removed under a cloud)

The legend is in order of precedence; i.e. if a user had a permission removed and later unsuccessfully requested it back, the cell would be colored in red and tagged as "Former". If they have never held a permission but requested it unsuccessfully, they would be colored in red and tagged as "No". All permission requests will be included in a hatnote for all applicable cells.

Notes

Collapsed for brevity.

Three-point summaries

Short(ish) summaries of each candidate, on three major points:

1. Background & activity level
2. Experience in arbitration areas
3. Candidacy overview (i.e. any particularly interesting answers to questions, noteworthy pieces of discussion about them, etc. What I find worthwhile and interesting is obviously subjective and so I'd encourage you to read everything for yourself, but if you're short on time, these would be my picks.)

CaptainEek

1. Became an arbitrator only around seven months after becoming an admin, so not much background (pre-arb) mopping to speak of. Wrote 2x FAs (Cactus wren and Vermilion flycatcher) before becoming an arb, among other content work, which is listed on her userpage. Eek has remained active on-wiki since she became an arb in January 2021, making over 1000 edits a year in her first three years on the committee, but not in 2024. Was marked as inactive on the ArbCom members page this year from May until September.
2. Elected in 2020 with 68.18% support, and re-elected in 2022 with 75.74% support. Did not serve as a drafting arbitrator on any cases in her most recent term, but did draft Conduct in deletion-related editing in 2022 and RexxS in 2021.
3. Q2 asked for a self-assessment of her service as an arbitrator; she chose DS/CTOP reform and helping the committee serve as a "moderating force on the Foundation" as highlights, and not drafting a case in her recent term as a point to improve upon. Also mentioned thinking that, on reflection, she did a poor job at drafting RexxS.

Just Step Sideways

1. Very active, with >4000 edits this year. Recent activity this year appears to be mostly general admin work (CSDs, XFDs, UAA blocks, etc.) alongside some content gnomery. Appointed as an Oversighter in 2010 and served until his ArbCom suspension in late November 2023, excluding a 6-month break in 2016 and brief period in 2019. Also served intermittently as a CheckUser until his ArbCom suspension. Unsuccessfully requested functionary tools in October 2024.
2. Not elected in 2012 (54.04%)—recieved enough support for a one-year term but was too far down the order. Elected in 2013 for a one-year term (55.28%); did not run for re-election. Elected in 2019 (66.63%) and re-elected in 2021 (65.54%). One drafted one case (Stephen) in their most recent term. Was suspended from ArbCom for six months in November 2023 after he repeatedly failed to [p]reserve in appropriate confidence the contents of private correspondence sent to the Committee and the Committee's internal discussions and deliberations by making disclosures on off-wiki forums. Intial wording of the motion described the suspension as follow[ing] a previous formal warning issued to Beeblebrox in September 2021 by the Arbitration Committee concerning his conduct in off-wiki forums, but was amended to read In September 2021, within the scope of internal Committee discussions, Beeblebrox was advised that his off-wiki conduct was suboptimal. following a successful ARCA request by JSS disputing the formality of the warning. A redacted version of the disputed warning is publicly viewable.
3. Q1 on regaining trust and Q6 about reflecting on their response to the suspension are particularly worth a read.

Worm That Turned

1. Inactive this year, with just over 100 edits at the time of writing; only ~30 between January and the start of November. Resigned sysop and crat at the start of the year, but requested the tools back at RfA after posting their ArbCom candidacy. Appointed as an Oversighter in July 2012 and served until July 2016, and from December 2017 until his ArbCom resignation in September 2023. Also served as a bureaucrat from 2014 until 2016 and 2017 until January 2024. Author of 2x FAs and 30x GAs, among other content work.
2. The most tenured candidate this year, with just under 7 years on the committee. Not elected in 2011 (59.03%); elected in 2012 (78.25%) and did not run for re-election. Elected in 2017 (70.38%), re-elected in 2019 (75.94%), and re-elected in 2021 (78.85%). Resigned in September 2023, noting his then-recent inactivity. Did not draft any cases in his most recent term.
3. His answer to Q5 on investigating the veracity of evidence presented is interesting. Was endorsed by sitting (outgoing) arb L235 on his discussion page.

ScottishFinnishRadish

(For complete transparency, I opposed SFR at RfA two years ago.)

1. Highly active, with over 12000 edits this year (and yet their least active on record so far). Highlights the time they have to dedicate to ArbCom as a strength of theirs. Passed RfA in 2022 after a crat chat. Active in antivandalism and blocking at AIV/UAA. Has written multiple articles, including 3x GAs.
2. Very active at AE, with >600 edits in under two years and hundreds of logged CTOP actions. Only major case participation was in Skepticism and coordinated editing. Has never run for ArbCom before.
3. Wrote a detailed answer to Q4 on when to accept a case based on secret evidence, which is worth reading.

Simonm223

1. Long-term highly fluxuating activity, with multi-year gaps. >1800 edits this year, but did not edit between May and October. Very active on talk pages, with the Article talk namespace making up the plurality of their edits (38.5%). Lots of activity at noticeboards too, with >600 edits to ANI, >400 edits to FTN and RSN, and >200 to NPOVN and BLPN. No FAs or GAs, but has created six articles, albeit all over 15 years ago.
2. Limited experience at arbitration—over 60 edits to AE, although only 9 this year, and the 10th most recent was in 2019. Have made a handful of contributions (10-15) to ARC and ARCA, although they edited the latter most recently in 2019.
3. Q8 asks about access to CUOS as a non-admin; they say they were not aware that being an arb would give them access. Various civility concerns raised on their discussion page, including a comment referring to some people as "parochial Americans".

Daniel

1. Passed RfA in 2007; activity dropped off steeply in 2010. Returned briefly in 2021 and more fully in 2023; has edited consistently since October 2023. Author of 2x FAs and 4x FLs, among other content work. Formerly active in closing AfDs and at ANI, before they resigned adminship in October of this year anticipating a period of editing inactivity. Has pledged to resysop if elected. Notes that the format of ArbCom work makes it easy to do on the go, which he says would increase his activity.
2. Highly experienced former arbitration clerk, with >1400 edits to arbitration-related pages. Was marked inactive in September 2012 and is currently marked as a former clerk.
3. They break down their (in)activity in Q13 pretty thoroughly. In Q14 they give some concrete examples of their dispute resolution skills.

Guerillero

1. Moderately active this year, with >700 edits. Wrote an FA this year, while serving on ArbCom. Author of 3x FAs, 6x FLs among other content work, viewable on their userpage. Passed RfA in 2011, has served since aside from a gap in late 2013. Has served as a CheckUser since December 2014. Was an Oversighter for five years from 2013 to 2018 and picked up the hat again upon return to ArbCom in 2022. Was active at AE before being elected an arb in 2022.
2. Very experienced in arbitration on and off ArbCom; served for three years on ArbCom (2014, 2023–present) and previously as an arb clerk. Was not elected in 2012 (56.25%), not elected in 2013 (54.04%), elected in 2014 (62.02%), not elected in 2020 (60.72%), not elected in 2021 (62.47%), and elected in 2022 (69.32%). Has >200 edits to AE from during and before his current term as an arb. Prolific case drafter, having co-written the PDs for Armenia-Azerbaijan 3, AlisonW, Industrial agriculture, Venezuelan politics, Historical elections, and Yasuke, aka 6/11 cases during their term.
3. Not much going on on their questions and discussion pages. Waiting for a couple more qs to be answered.

Theleekycauldron

1. Highly active, with >4000 edits this year. Active content creator—author of 4x FAs and 2x FL, among lots of other work, listed on their userpage. Also active in projectspace (particularly DYK). Was the primary architect of the the most recent RfA reform, which implemented admin elections, RfA monitors, and admin recall. Passed RfA in August 2023 after a withdrawn run the year before (also makes them the most recent user to pass an RfA after failing one). Notes that they are starting law school in late 2025 and so may only serve for one year, but will free up seat for ACE2025 if so.
2. Some experience at AE (>60 edits), but very little participation outside of that. Shows familiarity with arbitration, but unlikely to bring much experience to the committee (in that area); however, their content (prose) skills may be of use when drafting committee decisions.
3. Answers to Q2 on disagreeing with a recent committee decision and Q8 on POV-pushing are well worth a read.

Elli

1. Highly active this year, with >5000 edits. Active content creator, having written 1x FA among other work listed on their userpage. Has the least sysop experience of all admin candidates (including Daniel and WTT), having only passed RfA this June. Works in a variety of areas as an admin, but is particularly active at at RFPP.
2. Has the least arbitration experience of all candidates—only six lifetime edits to subpages of WP:Arbitration and WP:Arbitration Committee and their associated talk pages.
3. Wrote a long answer to Q2 (which asks about a committee action they disagree with) expressing their views on transparency.

Liz

1. Incredibly active with >140000 edits this year. Passed RfA in 2015, and is one of the most active admins on the site. Regularly closes AfDs and deletes CSDs; has deleted over 600000 pages. Also highly active at ANI, with >2700 edits. No FAs or GAs.
2. Former arbitration clerk, serving until until 2022. Relatively few edits to arbitration pages since: their 10 most recent edits to ARC go back to 2020, and most of their recent AE activity is archiving discussions.
3. Many long and opinionated answers to questions. Of particular note: Q2 on a committee action they disagree with, Q5 (and Q13) on how ArbCom would impact their (significant) activity elsewhere, and Q14 on the fallout related to the ANI legal case.

Primefac

1. Highly active, with >19000 edits this year. Passed RfA in 2017. Has served as an Oversighter since late 2017 and a bureaucrat since 2019. One of the most active Oversighters, often the most active. Has served as a checkuser since being elected to ArbCom in 2022. Was party to an arbitration case this year, Conflict of interest management, and had two findings of fact passed about them: one on their administrative participation in an AN thread (passed unanimously) and another on their correct use of suppression, but WP:INVOLVED Oversight block of another case party (passed 6–5). A "reminder" remedy was proposed against them, but failed 3–7 with 1 abstention. Primefac had previously apologised at the case request for their lapse of judgement.
2. Elected in 2020 (76.61%), re-elected in 2022 (83.69%). Drafted three cases in their most recent term: World War II and the history of Jews in Poland, SmallCat dispute, and Yasuke. No significant period of inactivity as an arb.

KrakatoaKatie

1. Inactive this year, with <200 edits. They address this in their candidate statement and explain why they do not believe this will continue next year. Passed RfA in 2007, and was appointed a CheckUser and an Oversighter in late 2016. Author of 2x GAs.
2. Elected in 2017 (81.83%), re-elected in 2019 (70.07%). Drafted two cases in their last term: Portals, and Jytdog. Was also active in the functionary appointment process while an arb.
3. The answers to Q5 on when to accept a case based on private evidence, to Q15 on arbitrator inactivity, and to Q18 on conflicts of conscience, are all particularly worth reading.

If you really don't have much time

1. Read the candidate statements. They're shorter and more repetitive than they might seem at first, so it shouldn't take too long.
2. Skim the discussion pages. Most of it will be praise—you can largely ignore this—but look for any disqualifying concerns.
3. Read the voter guides, with a mouthful of salt. They are usually unwaveringly opinionated, but will still have valid points in them that you might not find elsewhere.
4. If you can, read each candidate's answer to what are usually questions 2 and 4 (a committee decision they disagreed with, asked by L235; and the threshold for accepting a case based on private evidence, asked by Carrite). These are the two questions which I've found give the most insight into a candidate's views on arbitration.