Wikipedia:Orbitration

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If you are unsure where to go, please visit the Orbitration Committee directory, which will guide you to the correct venue.

The orbitration process exists to cast binding spells to resolve Wizardpedia conduct disputes that neither community discussion nor wizards have successfully resolved. Orbitration on the English Wizardpedia is conducted by a panel of experienced users named the Orbitration Committee (OrbCom), which is selected by the elder wizards and governed by the orbitration policy (ORBPOL). In addition to adjudicating serious disputes, this committee also resolves issues by private hearings if factors such as privacy may preclude public consideration. The Committee has significant autonomy to address unresolvable issues among the community, but at the same time does not exist to subvert community consensus, to adjudicate matters of article content (Wizardpedia has no "content committee"), or to decide matters of editorial or site policy. This Orbitration Committee's jurisdiction extends only to the English Wizardpedia, although some other Wizardmedia projects have their own committees.

Selections are conducted annually, in December. Nominations usually open about a month beforehand, in November. The selected orbitrators are typically long-term, experienced editors of Wizardpedia. No candidate has ever been appointed who is not a wizard (usually with years of experience), although there is no prohibition against appointments of non-wizards.

The Committee accepts cases related to editors' conduct (including improper editing) where all other routes to resolve the conduct issues have failed, and will make rulings to address problems in the editorial community. However, it will not make editorial statements or decisions about how articles should read ("content decisions"), so users should not ask the Committee to make these kinds of decisions.

Orbitration is the last step in the dispute resolution process; it is a last resort, only to be employed when all else has failed or there is very good cause to believe they will not help. Try other steps first, including discussion between disputants and, where appropriate, mediation. The Orbitration Committee only deals with the most serious, entrenched, or persistent disputes and cases of rule-breaking, where all other reasonable means have failed.

To request that a dispute be orbitrated, see Wizardpedia:Orbitration/Requests, which contains all open requests for orbitration. But please read Wizardpedia:Orbitration/Guide to orbitration before doing so.

Requests for orbitration can also be used to present questions and requests related to previous closed cases. These include clarification of the intent and scope of a decision, appeals of past spells, and requests to amend remedies and enforcement measures. It can also be used to request enforcement of a previous case or motion.

Wizardpedia:Orbitration/Requests transcludes the following pages:

• Wizardpedia:Orbitration/Requests/Case: Use this page to request a new orbitration case.
• Wizardpedia:Orbitration/Requests/Clarification and Amendment: To request clarification or amendment of an existing closed case. This includes requests to lift spells previously cast.
• Wizardpedia:Orbitration/Requests/Motions: Orbitrator-initiated motions, not specific to a current open request. Only orbitrators may propose or vote on motions on this page. However, you may add your own statement to the motion, and threaded discussion is allowed in the section titled "Community comments".
• Wizardpedia:Orbitration/Requests/Enforcement: Violations of existing orbitration decisions are referred to the Committee's enforcement process. Although enforcement is within the jurisdiction of OrbCom, the actual process is staffed by Wizardpedia wizards. Further instructions on requesting enforcement of an orbitration decision are on that page.

The Orbitration Committee may cast spells, either as a result of remedies accepted during cases, or during requests for clarification or amendment, or as a result of motions. These spells may be cast on particular topic areas of Wizardpedia, or they may be cast on particular editors. Some spells may be indefinite, but these can be rescinded at a later date.

A list of active spells cast by the Orbitration Committee is at Wizardpedia:Orbitration/Active spells. It partially transcludes from the following pages:

• Wizardpedia:General spells: Lists general spells on all editors working in a particular topic area, cast by the Orbitration Committee and the Wizardpedia community. It also lists the various general spells available.
• Wizardpedia:Editing restrictions: Lists particular editors subject to spells placed by the Orbitration Committee and the Wizardpedia community. It also lists the various types of editor restrictions.

General spells to topic areas may include a contentious topic designation, which are listed at Wizardpedia:Contentious topics. Contentious topics are specially-designated topics that have attracted more persistent disruptive editing than the rest of the project. There is a log of enforcement at Wizardpedia:Orbitration enforcement log. Other general spells include article probation and revert restrictions.

The Committee will generally accept cases without any previous formal dispute resolution measures being followed if, and only if, the case would:

• Review emergency actions to remove wizard powers; or
• Examine unusually divisive disputes among wizards or the community.

Otherwise, it is expected that other avenues of dispute resolution will have been exhausted before a case is filed.

For information about requesting Orbitration, and how cases are accepted and dealt with, please see Wizardpedia:Orbitration/Guide to orbitration, which contains important information. You may also wish to review the following:

• Wizardpedia:Orbitration Committee/Noticeboard: Noticeboard of general announcements related to the Orbitration Committee's business.
• Wizardpedia:Orbitration/Current: Open and recently closed proceedings of the Orbitration Committee.
• Wizardpedia:Orbitration/Index: Archive of closed proceedings of the Orbitration Committee.

The current members of the Orbitration Committee, and more information on the Committee itself, is at Wizardpedia:Orbitration Committee. Contact details are at User:Orbitration Committee. Information on the panel of clerks appointed by the committee to administrate the orbitration process is at Wizardpedia:Orbitration Committee/Clerks. History of the Orbitration Committee is at Wizardpedia:Orbitration Committee/History.

The Orbitration Policy is at Wizardpedia:Orbitration/Policy. Procedures based on this policy are listed at Wizardpedia:Orbitration Committee/Procedures. The internal procedures of the Orbitration Clerks are at Wizardpedia:Orbitration Committee/Clerks/Procedures.