Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case

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Requests for arbitration

Arbitration Committee proceedings

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Case requests

Request name	Motions	Initiated	Votes
Anachronist		16 June 2024	0/0/0

[edit]

Open cases

Currently, no arbitration cases are open.

[edit]

Recently closed cases (Past cases)

Case name	Closed
Venezuelan politics	25 May 2024

Clarification and Amendment requests

Request name	Motions	Case	Posted
Clarification request: mentioning the name of off-wiki threads	none	none	4 June 2024
Clarification request: Contentious topics restrictions	none	none	10 June 2024
Amendment request: World War II and the history of Jews in Poland	Motion	(orig. case)	21 June 2024

Arbitrator motions

No arbitrator motions are currently open.

Anachronist

Initiated by — Kaalakaa ^(talk) at 07:01, 16 June 2024 (UTC)

Proposed parties

• Kaalakaa (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log), filing party
• Anachronist (talk · contribs · blocks · protections · deletions · page moves · rights · RfA)
• Cullen328 (talk · contribs · blocks · protections · deletions · page moves · rights · RfA)
• Jayron32 (talk · contribs · blocks · protections · deletions · page moves · rights · RfA)
• AndyTheGrump (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log)

Confirmation that all parties are aware of the request

• [1]
• [2]
• [3]
• [4]

Confirmation that other steps in dispute resolution have been tried

• Link 1
• Link 2

Statement by Kaalakaa

Anachronist, as an admin, seems to have some chronic issues with understanding our policies and guidelines.

• Previously, on 3 August 2023 [5], Anachronist, citing WP:BLUESKY, claimed that you don't need to cite sources for content based on your own observations in a museum [6]. His arguments were refuted by Cullen328 [7] and Jayron32 [8]. Jayron32 particularly told Anachronist, "Please stop confusing the new users here, and if you can't speak knowledgeably on this stuff, please stop." [9]

• On 3 September 2033, Anachronist reverted my edit with an edit summary "This has nothing to do with censorship, but with WP:BURDEN" [10]. So I opened a discussion and provided him with a quote from the source, but Anachronist said, "I am not arguing that the statement was unsourced. I am saying that for a biography, we don't need to put undue emphasis on analysis of statements of faith." [11] This reply of his, in my opinion, has no relevancy with WP:BURDEN, and displays his misunderstanding of the policy.

• In November 2023, on his talk page, Anachronist was involved in an argument with AndytheGrump about a book published by University Press [12]. AndytheGrump appeared to be planning to take Anachronist to ArbCom to request that he be desysopped, stating: "you seem so clearly intent on misinterpreting multiple policies in order to exclude a legitimate academic source from a contentious article on entirely spurious grounds." At the end of the section, Anachronist said, "I'm going to sleep now. A dispute over content should be continued on the article talk page. I'll look for it tomorrow." However, Anachronist did not reply again on that article's talk page [13].

• On 26 February 2024, the arbitrators pointed out that Anachronist's understanding of WP:ARBECR was incorrect. [14].

• Recently, Anachronist used this essay to support his arguments [15] [16], but it turns out the essay was written only by himself. It contains many extraordinary claims about university presses, but many of them are not supported by reliable sources. The essay also seems to contradict our WP:OR policy, which states that "books published by university presses" are among "the most reliable sources." Within the essay, he also describes Russ Rodgers, a command historian of the US Army and former adjunct professor of history, as a hobbyist historian.

Statement by Anachronist

The bee in Kaalakaa's bonnet seems to arise from objections to his reliance on a source (Rodgers) in the Muhammad article for which he is the sole proponent, as that source is the primary topic of interaction Kaalakaa has had with me. For reference:

• Talk:Muhammad/Archive 34#Suspect sources
• Talk:Muhammad/Archive 34#Russ Rogers statements
• Talk:Muhammad/Archive 35#Recent neutrality concerns (about 2/3 the way into the conversation)

Iskandar323, DeCausa, Gråbergs Gråa Sång, and Admiral90 participated. Kaalakaa is the only editor promoting that source. The other points brought up appear to be WP:COATRACK grasping, and I won't waste my time addressing them, what happened happened, others are welcome to comment for better or worse. Otherwise, I'll add that the essay at WP:UPRESS, which seems also to irritate Kaalakaa who falsely claims it cites no reliable sources, is based on citations to two such sources, as well as the community discussions above, for which he also refuses to accept the arguments given.

I freely admit that I was inconsistent in my understanding of AE decisions. We live and learn. ~Anachronist (talk) 01:26, 17 June 2024 (UTC)

Statement by AndyTheGrump

• Regarding my November 2023 dispute with Anachronist over content in the contentious Coerced religious conversion in Pakistan article, it is well documented in the thread already linked on Anachronist's talk page, so I'll only summarise. There are, in my opinion, at least two factors that need to be considered here.

(1) Anachronist and myself seem to have entirely differing understanding regarding constraints put on editing under active arbitration rules. As far as I am concerned, what happened was quite simple. The article was made subject to AE, Anachronist removed sourced content then in place, and per AE I "challenged by reversion". Anachronist's position seems to be that rather than applying to content in the article at the time, 'reversion' can be backdated at will, to whatever version of an article that suits a contributor.

(2) Anachronist's understanding of WP:RS policy in regard to the disputed content is without question utterly at odds with anything I've seen the community support in decades. He makes starts by arguing that it's questionable that this assistant professor is even a notable scholar per WP:NPROF as if WP:N had anything to do with WP:RS, and than doubles down by describing the author as "WP:FRINGE". Per my comment on Anachronist's talk page, the author, Jürgen Schaflechner is an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Heidelburg. He has been doing fieldwork directly related to the topic of the article for something like a decade. He is the co-editor, and a chapter contributor, to a book published by the Oxford University Press, where he analyses in detail the subject of the 'coerced conversion' topic. In summary, Schaflechner is as credible a source on a topic as Wikipedia policy could possibly expect, and about as non-fringe as could be imagined.

Ultimately Anachronist seemed to half-heartedly back down over some of these highly questionable claims, though still insisting that I had "violated AE" (see [17]). And frankly, even if that were true (I'm sure those familiar with policy will agree it isn't, after looking at the timeline, and the arguments presented), Anachronist's absurd arguments regarding the validity of a published academic - an anthropologist writing on a subject he had been researching through fieldwork for many years - as a source can only lead me to the conclusion that Anachronist is unfitted to be an admin. I cannot in good faith believe that it is acceptable for anyone in that position to be so at odds with core Wikipedia policy and yet remain in a position of trust.

Re Barkeep below: If ArbCom cannot accept evidence demonstrating that an admin lacks any understanding of the core policies they are being asked to ensure compliance with, what mechanism then exists for the community to deal with the issue? WP:ANI cannot, per policy, de-sysop. If ArbCom won't look into the matter, there appear to be no alternatives. I refuse to believe that this impasse has ever been sanctioned by the community that places admins in a position of trust.

Statement by RoySmith

From what I've read above, the issues with Anachronist don't have anything to do with their conduct as an admin. Even if we take every one of these complaints at face value, it all adds up to not understanding sourcing policy. Citing your own essay in an argument isn't a good look, but again, it's not an abuse of the admin tools. Looking at this another way, were they to be desysopped, that wouldn't affect their ability to do the things that they've been accused of doing. So I don't see why this is being framed as a request to desysop.

Statement by Deepfriedokra

As I see no links to WP:AN or any other dispute resolution process, I imagine this will be declined.-- Deepfriedokra (talk) 13:39, 16 June 2024 (UTC)

Comment by Serial

Regarding RoySmith's query, the committee would have to ask the filer for their understanding, but mine would be along the lines that if someone can hold such an... adjacent (mis)understanding of some of our most fundamental policies, then can they be trusted with advanced permissions? The way things are going, I don't know. ——Serial Number 54129 13:44, 16 June 2024 (UTC)

Statement by Lemonaka

Is this Arbcom request filed correctly? The links for previous discussion or WP:DR went missing. Might be these following discussions between them?

Talk:Muhammad/Archive_34#Recent_revert_that_cites_WP:BURDEN or this one [18]? Have there been any discussion on WP:ANI before coming to here since ARBCOM is really the last step?---Lemonaka 14:27, 16 June 2024 (UTC)

Statement by Hammersoft

It may be a good idea to place Wikipedia:Reliable sources (university presses) for WP:MFD. Its only (very few) uses are by Anachronist, and it appears to contradict standing norms. As to the rest of this, perhaps a WP:TROUT is warranted. But, sanctions? Having a few mistaken impressions and exiting a conversation doesn't seem to rise to the bar of sanctioning someone. Admins don't enjoy special protections above any editor here, but if this case is accepted it's guaranteed to result in Anachronist being de-adminned. The levels of off base behavior simply don't rise to that level. Anachronist has used admin privileges more than 14,000 times, or about a thousand a year since passing their RfA. If Anachronist is really that far off the rails, let's see some evidence of inappropriate or flat wrong use of admin privileges. --Hammersoft (talk) 15:09, 16 June 2024 (UTC)

Aoidh: The history over time proves otherwise. --Hammersoft (talk) 01:53, 17 June 2024 (UTC)

Statemennt By Just Step Sideways

Just FYI I moved the essay back to their userspace just now, noting in the move log "per our longstanding policy of keeping extreme minority opinion essays in the userspace of the person who wrote them" Just Step Sideways ^{from this world ..... today} 20:20, 16 June 2024 (UTC)

Statement by Ad Orientem

The issues being raised are legitimate and warrant discussion. However, and as noted by others above, there is no evidence that this matter has been previously addressed in any other forum. Absent a credible claim that Anachronist has abused the tools, this appears to be premature and I suggest the committee decline the requested case. -Ad Orientem (talk) 20:31, 16 June 2024 (UTC)

Statement by DeCausa

"Anachronist, as an admin, seems to have some chronic issues..." Meh. Some potentially troutable interpretations of policy at most that would raise a minor ripple if this had been brought to ANI first. My experience of these two editors have been at the Muhammad article. I've seen and interacted with Anachronist there for the last decade and a half (both under current and former name). He's been a balanced, reasonable and calming influence on what can be a choppy talk page. Certainly a net positive there. Kaalakaa appeared there about 12 months ago and their voluminous edits resulted in a complete re-write of this prominent article over 2-3 months - but it's been with a discernible POV, and a dubious selection of sources. This happened less than two months after the account was created. Kaalakaa showed a high familiarity with the nuts and bolts of editing and policy for such a new account. See WP:RSN#RfC: Sources for Muhammad for more on their sourcing choices. As was pointed out in that thread there is discomfort with what Kaalaaka has pushed through, including from Anachronist. Hemiauchenia summarises it accurately here. This Arbcom request is about attacking opposition in a content dispute and the Committee should dismiss. DeCausa (talk) 21:11, 16 June 2024 (UTC)

Anachronist: Clerk notes

This area is used for notes by the clerks (including clerk recusals).

• @Kaalakaa: you have about 125 words for any responses. AndyTheGrump you have 85 words. If either of you need an extension please ask for it prior to posting. Thanks, Barkeep49 (talk) 14:24, 16 June 2024 (UTC)

Anachronist: Arbitrators' opinion on hearing this matter <0/0/0>

Vote key: (Accept/decline/recuse)

• My standard for accepting cases are three questions: Is there some reason ArbCom needs to handle this case? Are the allegations, if proven true, enough to merit a sanction? Is there enough evidence to suggest the allegations have a reasonable chance to be proven true? The latter two questions appear to have the answer as yes, considering I apply a lower standard for admins. So far the first question, even though this is an admin, seems to be a no. I will wait to see if more evidence emerges to answer that question before deciding whether to vote to accept or decline this case. Barkeep49 (talk) 14:21, 16 June 2024 (UTC)

  While I am not yet convinced this is issue is ready for ArbCom intervention, I don't consider AN/ANI to be a mandatory step prior to the committee hearing an admin case. For me the ARCA is such a step. And the community nature of the teahouse discussion serves some of the same purpose that an AN/ANI discussion would have, despite the fact that the teahouse is obviously and clearly not a dispute resolution forum. If the filer had therefore filled out the paperwork of this case differently including one or both of those in the DR section it wouldn't effect, for me, my current stance. Barkeep49 (talk) 14:36, 16 June 2024 (UTC)

• @Hammersoft: I don't think a desysop is or should be the only possible result and certainly isn't a guaranteed result. @Kaalakaa: cases do generally require prior dispute resolution and the diffs provided so far do not show behavior that is severe enough that it requires an ArbCom case bypassing the community processes (per Wikipedia:Arbitration/Policy and Wikipedia:Administrators#Arbitration Committee review). If this is a situation where Anachronist has lost the trust or confidence of the community (per WP:ADMINACCT) then the community needs to have a reasonable chance to decide if that's the case. - Aoidh (talk) 00:03, 17 June 2024 (UTC)

• @Hammersoft: Highly likely but not guaranteed, and the percentage of past desysops should not be a consideration in whether a case is accepted. Each case should be weighed on its own merits. - Aoidh (talk) 02:08, 17 June 2024 (UTC)