  In open collaborative projects like Wikipedia, interactions among users can
produce tension and misunderstandings. Complex disputes require more
sophisticated mechanisms of conflict resolution. In this paper, we examine the
case of the Spanish Wikipedia and its Arbitration Committee, known as CRC, over
its two years of activity. We postulate that the high percentage of rejections
of cases presented by non-administrators, the lack of diversity inside the
committee (composed only by administrators), and the high number of cases
involving administrators played a central role in its eventual downfall. We
conclude that mechanisms that fail to acknowledge the ecosystem they are part
of cannot succceed. Therefore, further research is needed to determine if
granting more decision-making power to non-administrators may lead to more
effective conflict resolution mechanisms.
