User:Blu Aardvark
I have left Wikipedia. While I appreciate the good-faith efforts and encouragement of many contributors regarding the appeal of this ban (User:Linuxbeak, User:Avillia, User:Raul654, User:Ikiroid, to name a few), I simply do not feel that I am welcome here. To try and contribute to a volunteer project where my efforts are unwanted is a waste of my time, and a waste of the project's time. I have numerous other things to be spending that time on.
I had faith in the Arbitration Comittee that they would open-mindedly evaluate the evidence, and make a decision that was in the best interests of the project. That faith appears to have been misplaced, as at the time that I am writing this, five arbitrators have endorsed false and misleading evidence, and have recommended a ban of a year based upon that selectively-chosen evidence. Nowhere has the arbitration committee noted my 1000+ constructive edits made while engaging in Recent Changes patrol, preferring to note that I "encouraged a banned user to stalk Wikipedians" (which is complete and utter bullocks). While the case is by no means over, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see where they are taking this one.
Later note: Looks like another arbcom member joined the crowd of yes-people who doesn't mind endorsing blatant lies. Whatever. I believe that my case has proven that the encyclopedia does not come before the wishes of the elite few (what some would refer to as the "Cabal"). It's preferable to selectively endorse "facts" that support the outcome that is desired, and groupthink and backroom decisions are the norm. What one cannot say, however, is that I did not try to resolve the dispute. I believe I stand stronger in that I have appealed my ban, even though my appeal has failed.
Wikipedia loses this case, sadly. I'll be here until the account is reblocked, either as a result of the arbitration commitee's upcoming decision, or as a result of some overzealous admin who blocks me for reverting vandalism (which I am going to go do right now, for a little while at least).
Unrelated notes
For those who are interested, I intend to update http://nextphaze.net. Since I don't really use the blog, I'll be removing it and doing something else with that particular domain. Eventually.
In entirely unrelated news, I have left wikipediareview.org. Neither forum seems to be getting anywhere, and at this point to continue contributing there seems counter-productive. Maybe we'll get something else set up at a later date; maybe not. I do believe that WR provided, at times, a valuable service... but was plagued with adminstrative problems and a lack of solid policies. If I ever re-launch a similar forum, I intend to operate it a bit differently. Although I might not relaunch a similar forum...
Ban / Block / Arbitration Notes
Unblocked in order to participate in arbitration. Fred Bauder 22:23, 5 June 2006 (UTC)
User ban extended to indefinite due to repeated sockpuppet activity, which has included page vandalism: see Category:Suspected Wikipedia sockpuppets of Blu Aardvark. --NicholasTurnbull | (talk) 04:56, 2 April 2006 (UTC)