Wikipedia:Requests for arbitration/Rex071404

Case Closed on 13 Nov 2004

Please do not edit this page directly if you are not a participant in this case. Comments are very welcome on the Talk page, and will be read, in full. Evidence, no matter who can provide it, is very welcome at /Evidence. Evidence is more useful than comments.

Arbitrators will be working on a proposed decision at /Proposed decision.

Statement of complaint

I, on behalf of Wolfman, JamesMLane, Gamaliel, Gzornenplatz, Lyellin, Neutrality, John Kenney, Bkonrad and myself, hereby file an arbitration request against Rex071404. We seek relief from the personal attacks of Rex071404 in the form of a personal attack parole and a formal injunction against editing the John Kerry page. The behavior that caused this complaint — which has caused Rex to be given a 24-hour ban in the past — is listed at Wikipedia:Requests_for_arbitration/Rex071404/Evidence. Ambi 06:05, 7 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Note: A total of eleven users supported my Request for comment, as opposed to two for the counter-version. Rex has said mediation is "not ripe at this point." (See RfM). In addition, Rex has been blocked for 24-hours by Snowspinner, which has not seemed to have had much effect.

Supplement to complaint: request for temporary injunction

I join in the complaint and add a specific request that the Committee immediately issue a temporary injunction. I will elaborate on my reasoning and on the supporting facts on the /Evidence page. JamesMLane 08:23, 9 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Cross-Complaint against Wolfman, JamesMLane, Gamaliel and Neutrality

I, Rex071404, contend, complain and charge as follows:

These listed editors have abused the Wiki process by bringing an Arbitration complaint against me prior to exhausting attempts at dialog, so as to silence the one strong dissenting voice on John Kerry.
Neutrality in particular, in light of his knowledge of and familiarity with Wiki methods, could easily have taken a less confrontational approach with me than he has.

About Neutrality in particular, I contend:

He has left multiple false and misleading edit summaries, while reverting me.
He has engaged in a pattern and practice of doing John Kerry related reverts to me, virtually every time I edit that page.
He has far exceeded the reasonable limits on both acrimony and edit/revert wars against me that a skilled Wikpedian should.
He has gone out of his way to stir up animosity against me rather than try to reduce it.
He steadfastly refuses to dialog with me on John Kerry talk towards the goal of reducing our edit conflicts.
He follows me around the Wiki, wrongly deleting my comments (without so much as a talk page notification)
New charge added 09.14.04 - Neutrality has exceeded the (3) revert rule agaisnt me. See evidence about that here
New charge added 09.17.04 - Neutrality has again exceeded the (3) revert rule against me. See evidence about that here

Against Wolfman, I additionally complain as follows:

He ~~makes~~ has made mocking, snide edit summaries and talk page comments
~~He is very harsh and aggressive in his approach to me~~
He ~~violates~~ has violated (in the past) the "3-revert rule"

These charges vs. Wolfman were updated by me just now (15:36, 14 Sep 2004) - Please note that Wolfman and I have privately resolved much of our differences. Also, please note the new, documented 09.14.04 and 09.17.04 charges against Neutrality. [[User:Rex071404|Rex071404 ]]

Cross complaint against Bkonrad

Comes now Rex071404 and adds to his cross-complaint, the party Bkonrad, citing this reason: Personal attacks.

Initial evidence:

Please see this and this

Rex071404 17:53, 28 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Statement by affected party (Bkonrad)

First, I'm honored to be included with the other persons that Rex071404 has listed cross-complaints against. I don't really see much to respond to at this point. Rex071404 wrote something that I thought was preposterous nonsense (and still do) and pointed this out. Rex071404 was offended by this. What can I say? I have no control over what Rex071404 takes offense over. I do not feel I said anything that constitutes a personal attack on Rex071404. If the arbcom or anyone else feels otherwise, please let me know. older ≠ wiser 18:14, 28 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Statement by affected party (Wolfman)

Update: I see Rex has finally actually brought a charge against me. As to that, I refer you to the dispute in question from Talk:Swift Boat Veterans for Truth/Archive 2#Media Bias down through the next couple sections focusing on his NPOV tag. It would have seemed rather logical to include the SwiftVets page in the initial injuncion, as the most contentious material from the John Kerry dispute was moved there after Rex's ban. Wolfman 04:08, 30 Aug 2004 (UTC)

I'm not sure whether this is a place to respond to the Cross-Complaint or to comment on the arbitration request more generally. So, I'll just respond to the Complaint as the arbitration request is already pretty detailed.

The only complaint I see here against me specifically is that I signed on to a request for arbritration. That's true. I stand by that.

Rex also generally alleges a lack of dialogue before arbitration. I disagree. A quick look through the acres of discussion on Talk:John Kerry shows why. See in particular the August archives 1 & 2 (from when I was editing).

As to the 5 complaints by Rex against Neutrality in particular, I disagree. Yes, I suppose everyone could be a bit more diplomatic and patient. But, in my view, Neutrality's behavior has generally been quite reasonable and often commendable. I'm not aware of any misleading edit summaries by Neutrality -- a couple obvious jokes aside. I'm also not aware of Neutrality reverting Rex without good cause.

One last thing, I stumbled over the cross-compaint almost by accident. It might be nice to leave a note on the user's discussion page if a complaint is filed against them. Wolfman 08:12, 18 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Statement by affected party (JamesMLane)

It appears that the only complaint against me is my role in bringing the complaint against Rex. In general, the bringing of a frivolous complaint could reasonably be grounds for a complaint. In this particular instance, however, the support on the ArbCom for the complaint shows that it wasn't frivolous or even premature. I've already summarized the other steps that were tried first. I won't burden the ArbCom with a detailed backup of that history (specific edits, etc.) unless one of the members asks me to do so. I note that what I've written here in my own defense is also true of Gamaliel and Wolfman, but the latter seems to have dropped out or changed his user name, so he may not know of Rex's cross-complaint against him. JamesMLane 21:07, 15 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Statement by affected party (Gamaliel)

Talk:John Kerry has screens and screens and screens worth of archived talk. There has been nothing but dialogue on every tedious point.

I have no wish to silence a strong dissenting voice. I do wish to silence a voice which has nothing but insults and contempt for people who disagree. Rex can be the former if he choses to stop being rude and starts to adhere to rules for normal civil conduct. He has chosen to be the latter, and he should suffer the consequences of that choice. Gamaliel 17:42, 23 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Statement by affected party (Neutrality)

The evidence says it all. [[User:Neutrality|Neutrality (talk)]] 14:45, 13 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Statement by affected party (Rex071404)

This effort is in my view, a blatent attempt to silence a dissenting voice.

There are two issues here, one of which has been mooted by my new approach to inter-editor dialog. The other, is a matter of perspective.

1) Various users have complained about me posting harsh assements or comments on my Edit Summaries or talk page entries. While previously, there was some merit to these complaints, there no longer is, for I have as of at least several days ago, desisted from such entries.

As my name shows, I have been here for lesss than a month and each week, my courtesy to others has grown. There is no rational basis to infer, suggest or anticipate that I will make rude comments about others. I am not doing that and any suggestions that I am, or will is groundless.

2) The rest of these complaints all derive from the fact that I am basically the lone dissenting voice on the John Kerry page. The entire page has been extremely pro-Kerry in it's POV. Virtually every time I make an edit that certain users disagree with, they immediately jump on it and revert it.

Please look at the latest (08.09.04) John Kerry talk page dialog about the Campaign HQ building break-in involving Cameron Kerry. The New York Times article which I am sourcing and linking to clearly states "he and an associate broke into the building where the phone lines were housed".

This statement of fact is unambigious, yet the other editor involved here, keeps reverting me and justifies his actions based on an older Boston Globe article - and his personal surmise of other, disparate facts.

I fail to see how this other user can simply declare his edits to be superior and superceding - and then even after I supply the information which shows him to be wrong turn round and add to the complaint against me here....

How does allowing such a complaint process against me to go forward, contribute to an egalitaran Wiki?

Here in summary, are the facts:

1) I have responded to each and every comment made to and about me. Excepting the few that I may have missed - I always dialog and I always repsond. This cannot be said about several of those who now complain about me.

2) As demonstrated by my continually improving dialog tone on the John Kerry talk page, I am mindful of the other users wishes to avoid harsh interpersonal comments and I am abiding by it. This too, can not be said about some others. Just yesterday in fact, one of them posted on the John Kerry talk page, this about me: "you are tiresome".

3) The sections of John Kerry text which I have wrangled over have inarguably gotten better since I joined up. Please review the history of the edits on the contested sections and you will see this to be the case. My participation, when blended into the edits made by others has helped hone the text in some areas to an improved state.

I am not sure, beyond this, how to respond, other than to say, on the various comments pages complainingg about me to date as well as on the John Kerry talk page, I have received some support. A review of the various comments sections so far, will reveal this.

For example, just recently, a well known and respected fellow editor, after reviewing in detail - and making copious Talk Page notes, agreed that the facts which I asserted about John Kerry's military medical records were indeed correct: John Kerry, to date, has released only a summary of his military medical records. And yet, until the others would conceed on this point -which they did not do even when I showed them the facts, there was no way to reach consensus on the description of JK's 1st wound. It was only after another editor who has more group recognition backed me up and agreed that I am corrrect: "So, after further research, I'm going to have to side with Rex on this point.", that we resolved the edits to that section.

Obviously, since I have no power here, those that do are free to do with me as they wish. However, if the end result desired is an improved John Kerry page, then I should be allowed to stay. I have contributed positively to the end result of that page. And while doing so, have grown in my role. Even so, I leave the decision to you.

Rex071404 14:39, 9 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Updated statement by Rex0710404

I, Rex071404, hereby withdraw any and all cross complaints and/or counter complaints I have lodged in the course of this particular proceeding. It is not my goal nor desire to see harm or sanctions be placed on others and for that reason, I hereby cease to request sanctions against any whom I have complained about in this proceeding. [[User:Rex071404|Rex071404 ]] 20:07, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Primarily because of this edit here I no longer see a benefit in suggesting that the level of charges and counter-charges be toned down at this juncture. At this point, I think it best that the Arbcom proceed with no nudging from the parties involved, lest some parties view of the proceeding be adversly tainted. [[User:Rex071404|Rex071404 ]] 15:29, 13 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Preliminary decision

Arbitrators' opinions on hearing this matter

Accept - this does look like a case of an overly aggressive user. --mav 08:35, 8 Aug 2004 (UTC)
Accept. Fred Bauder 12:22, Aug 8, 2004 (UTC)
Accept. Martin 22:23, 8 Aug 2004 (UTC)
Accept. James F. (talk) 23:33, 8 Aug 2004 (UTC)
~~Recuse. →Raul654 23:13, Sep 4, 2004 (UTC)~~ - I have reconsidered. I think that my involvement was small enough that I can judge this case fairly. →Raul654 07:32, Sep 28, 2004 (UTC)

Temporary injunction

Rex071404 is banned from editing the pages John Kerry; John Kerry presidential campaign, 2004; and John Kerry VVAW controversy until the final decision is made in this matter. This is based on his churning of the article over petty matters as well as repeated efforts to inject a hypercritical point of view as illustrated by these edits: [1], [2], [3] ; [4], [5], [6] and [7]

6 out of 9 active arbitrators voted to accept this order as of 24 August 2004 - no votes against.

Final decision

Same numbering as used at /Proposed decision

Principles

1) Personal attacks are not permitted on Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:No personal attacks.

Passed 7 to 0

2) Wikipedia is not a vehicle for political advocacy or propaganda, see Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not which states that Wikipedia articles are not to used for "Propaganda or advocacy of any kind".

Passed 7 to 0

3) An encyclopedia article is a summary of accepted knowledge regarding its subject, not a complete exposition of all possible details.

Passed 5 to 2

5) Wikipedia editors are expected to be courteous and respectful towards other editors, especially those they may have a dispute with, see Wikipedia:Wikiquette which specifially admonishes editors to "Recognize your own biases and keep them in check."

Passed 5 to 0

Findings of Fact

John Kerry article

1) User Rex071404 and others including the complaining witnesses, Neutrality, Wolfman, and JamesMLane have in the heat of the US Presidential election focused on the article John Kerry and carried the issues of the campaign into the encyclopedia article in detail. See [8] and [9]

Passed 7 to 0

Discourtesy

2) User Rex071404 has in his conversations on the talk page of John Kerry and related articles and in his edit summaries been discourteous toward other editors which who he was in dispute.

Passed 6 to 0

Edits by User Bkonrad

3) User Bkonrad has made several edits which Rex071404 complains of, [10] and [11]. In the first Bkonrad is somewhat insulting, characterizing one of Rex071404's logical theories as "preposterous nonsense"; the second is unobjectionable. The complaints against Bkonrad's edits in Wikipedia:Requests for arbitration/Rex071404/Evidence are not linked to specific edits and cannot be fully evaluated but do seem to be somewhat lacking in Wikipedia:Wikiquette.

Passed 6 to 0

Feelings of being ganged up on

5) Rex071404 felt that he was out-numbered and ganged-up on as he edited the article John Kerry by supporters of John Kerry who were unfairly editing the article to minimize the point of view he was advocating and maximize their point of view.

Passed 6 to 0

Possible motivation of opponents

Passed 5 to 0

Difficulties in reaching agreement

8) It has with respect to a number of articles which concern the politics of the United States proven impossible for many editors to reach agreements with Rex071404 despite exhaustive attempts to negotiate.

Passed 6 to 0

User:216.153.214.94

8) During the course of arbitration Rex071404 ceased editing under that user name and began editing as User:216.153.214.94. See page history of Dedham, Massachusetts

Passed 6 to 0

Edit war at Dedham, Massachusetts

9) Editing as User:216.153.214.94, Rex071404 has engaged in a protracted edit war at Dedham, Massachusetts in which User:Antaeus Feldspar, User:AlistairMcMillan, User:Ambi, User:RickK, User:Gamaliel, User:Jerzy and User:Violetriga have participated. This edit war originated in a dispute between Rex071404 and Antaeus Feldspar respecting this content which Rex071404 repeated inserted into the article.

Passed 6 to 0

Retaliatory vandalism

11) Editing anonymously as User:216.153.214.94 retaliated by engaging in vandalism, blanking an opponent's (Violetriga's) home page with the comment, "delete vandal's home page". User:Violetriga is a well-established Wikipedia user but participated in the edit war at Dedham, Massachusetts.

Passed 6 to 0

Justification of reversion by reference to arbitration

12) Following his [probably initial] reversion removing the insertion of the disputed material by Rex071404, Antaeus Feldspar justifies it by questioning not only its relevance to Dedham, Massachusetts but also justifies the reversion by linking "the situation" to Rex071404's arbitration case.

Passed 5 to 1

Petty offenses

18) In reaction to Rex071404 a number of those who engaged in disputes with him and participated in the arbitration have committed various petty offenses, some of which are mentioned in other proposed findings of fact including personal attacks [12], taunting of Rex071404, aspersions on his honesty [13] and tag team reverting, see page history of Dedham, Massachusetts. Rex071404, in turn, has recipricated.

Passed 5 to 0

Decision

1) Rex071404's cross-complaint that the complaining witnesses "abused the Wiki process by bringing an Arbitration complaint against Rex071404 prior to exhausting attempts at dialog, so as to silence the one strong dissenting voice on John Kerry" is without merit. There were extensive efforts to engage in dialog. There is a great deal of evidence of distress on the part of the complaining witnesses due to the conflict but not of intent to silence Rex071404.

Passed 6 to 0

2) It is not possible for the Arbitration committee to deal with Rex071404's cross-complaint that "Neutrality in particular, in light of his knowledge of and familiarity with Wiki methods, could easily have taken a less confrontational approach with me than he has". It is true of all Wikipedia users that they could do better.

Passed 6 to 0

3) No penalties shall attach to the various "petty offenses" which parties to this matter committed during the course of this protracted dispute. This is partially due to contraints of time and energy and partially in response to recognition that the parties mutually provoked one another.

Passed 5 to 0

Remedies

2) Rex071404, Bkonrad and others who have committed petty offenses are admonished to consult Wikipedia:Wikiquette and to conform their edits to that standard.

Passed 6 to 0

3) Rex071404 is banned for 4 months from editing Wikipedia articles which concern United States politics.

Passed 6 to 0

4.1) Rex071404 is banned from reverting any article for six months.

Passed 5 to 0 with 1 abstain

5) In view of his demonstrated deficiencies in engaging in and interpreting the results of research Rex071404 is required to cite a relevant authority, either by footnote or by comment embedded in the text, which supports every [disputed] edit he makes.

Passed 5 to 1

Enforcement

2) Edits (including those whose edit summaries offend) by Rex071404 to John Kerry and related articles or their talk pages which contain insulting language directed towards those he views as his political opponents may be removed by any user. Attempts by Rex071404 to revert such removals shall justify a short ban which may be imposed by any sysop.

Passed 6 to 0

3) Edits by user Rex071404 during the period of his ban to any article which concerns United States politics may be removed by any user.

Passed 6 to 0

4) Any sysop may impose a short ban (one day or up to one week for repeat offenses) of Rex071404 should he revert or reinsert any material removed by another user from an article which concerns United States politics during the period of his ban.

Passed 5 to 0

5) This decision shall apply to User:216.153.214.94 and any other username or ip which Rex071404 may utilize.

Passed 5 to 0

6) In the event Rex071404 makes an edit which cites no authority or an inappropriate authority it may be removed by any other user.

Passed 5 to 0 with 1 abstain

7) In the event Rex071404 reverts any edit for any reason any administrator may impose a short ban (a hour to a day for first offenses and up to a week for repeat offenses).

Passed 5 to 0 with 1 abstain