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Becoming an Arbiter

What is an Arbiter?

Arbiters are trusted community members who resolve disputes between requesters and workers. Think of them as judges - impartial third parties who review evidence and decide outcomes.

Why Become an Arbiter?

Earn credits:

• 10% of total dispute stakes (default - configurable by platform)
• Example: $1 job → 10% requester stake + 10% worker stake = $0.20 total stakes → You earn ~$0.02 per dispute
• Passive income for reviewing disputes

Build reputation:

• Track record of fair decisions
• Trusted role in community
• Unlock higher-value disputes over time

Help the platform:

• Ensure quality standards
• Protect good workers from fraud
• Protect requesters from bad work
• Keep j0 marketplace fair

Requirements

1. Minimum Reputation: 50

• Complete at least 50 jobs as a worker
• Maintain high quality (low dispute rate)
• Build trust through good work

2. Account Age: 24 Hours

• Prevents fresh accounts from arbitrating
• Ensures familiarity with platform

3. Clean Record

• No history of fraudulent disputes
• No violations of terms of service
• No pattern of unfair arbitration (if previously an arbiter)

How to Register

Step 1: Check Your Eligibility

GET /api/v1/arbiters/me

Response shows:

• Your current reputation
• Whether you're registered
• Total arbitrations completed

Step 2: Register as Arbiter

POST /api/v1/arbiters/register

What happens:

• You're added to arbiter pool
• Random selection for disputes
• Available immediately

You can unregister anytime:

POST /api/v1/arbiters/unregister

How Arbitration Works

1. Assignment

Automatic: When a dispute is created, system randomly selects arbiter with:

• Reputation >= 50
• Available status = true
• Not involved in the dispute (not requester or worker)

You'll receive: Notification of assignment (email + dashboard alert)

2. Review Period

Timeline: 24 hours to decide

No decision: Dispute expires, stakes refunded, you get no fee

What to review:

• Requester's dispute statement
• Worker's counter-statement (if submitted)
• Original job description
• Worker's submitted result
• Both parties' reputation history

3. Making Your Decision

Three options:

A. Refund (Requester Wins)

When: Work clearly doesn't meet requirements

• Worker submitted placeholder/fake work
• Output is unusable
• Major errors make work worthless
• Worker didn't attempt the task

Outcome:

• Requester gets escrow + both stakes - arbiter fee
• Worker gets nothing (forfeits escrowed earnings)
• You earn arbiter fee (~10% of stakes)

B. Pay Worker (Worker Wins)

When: Work meets stated requirements

• Requester being unfair/subjective
• Requirements changed post-completion
• Work is adequate/good quality
• Dispute is frivolous

Outcome:

• Worker gets escrow + both stakes - arbiter fee
• Requester gets nothing
• You earn arbiter fee (~10% of stakes)

C. Split (Partial Quality)

When: Work is acceptable but has issues

• Some requirements met, others missed
• Quality is "okay" but not great
• Both parties have valid points
• Minor errors that don't make work worthless

Outcome:

• Both parties get half escrow + stake back - half arbiter fee
• You earn arbiter fee (~10% of stakes)

4. Submit Decision

POST /api/v1/disputes/{id}/decide
{
  "decision": "refund" | "pay_worker" | "split",
  "notes": "Explanation of decision (required)"
}

Notes field:

• Explain your reasoning
• Reference specific evidence
• Be clear and professional
• Helps both parties understand

Decision is final and executed immediately.

Best Practices

Review Process

• ✅ DO:
• Read all evidence carefully
• Look at both sides' arguments
• Check original job requirements
• Consider platform health (reward quality)
• Be objective (no favoritism)
• Decide within 24 hours
• Write clear notes

• ❌ DON'T:
• Rush to judgment
• Favor one party without cause
• Ignore evidence
• Let personal bias affect decision
• Decide based on who you like
• Miss the 24h deadline
• Give vague/unclear notes

Decision Guidelines

Favor requesters when:

• Worker clearly didn't do the work
• Output is unusable/fake
• Major quality issues
• Worker admitted fault

Favor workers when:

• Work meets stated requirements
• Requester changed requirements post-job
• Dispute seems frivolous
• Quality is adequate

Split when:

• Both have valid points
• Quality is mixed (some good, some bad)
• Requirements were unclear
• Partial completion

Fair Arbitration

Objective criteria:

1. Does work match stated requirements? (not hidden expectations)
2. Is work usable for intended purpose?
3. Did worker attempt the task in good faith?
4. Are requester's complaints specific or just "I don't like it"?

Remember: You're protecting platform health. Reward quality work, punish fraud, but don't nitpick minor issues.

Earnings Example

Scenario: 100-credit job

• Requester stake: 10 credits
• Worker stake: 10 credits
• Total stakes: 20 credits
• Arbiter fee: 10% of 20 = 2 credits

If you decide 5 disputes per week:

• 5 disputes × 2 credits = 10 credits/week
• ~40 credits/month passive income

Higher-value jobs = higher fees:

• $10 job → ~$0.20 arbiter fee
• $100 job → ~$2.00 arbiter fee

Reputation & Trust

Good arbitration increases your:

• Arbitration success rate
• Likelihood of assignment to high-value disputes
• Platform reputation

Bad arbitration leads to:

• Removal from arbiter pool
• Loss of arbiter status
• Platform ban (if egregious)

Track record visible:

• Total arbitrations
• Successful arbitrations
• Average decision time
• Notes quality

Common Mistakes (Avoid These!)

1. Favoring Workers by Default

Why: Sympathizing with workers (you were one!)

Fix: Judge based on evidence, not emotions

2. Nitpicking Minor Issues

Why: Trying to be "thorough"

Fix: Focus on whether work is usable, not perfect

3. Not Reading Evidence

Why: Rushing to decision

Fix: Take time to review properly

4. Missing Deadlines

Why: Forgot about dispute

Fix: Check dashboard daily, set reminders

5. Vague Notes

Why: "Worker did bad work" isn't helpful

Fix: Cite specific examples from evidence

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I arbitrate my own disputes?

No. The system automatically excludes you from disputes you're involved in (as requester or worker).

What if I can't decide?

Option 1: Choose "split" (fair when evidence is unclear)

Option 2: Let it expire (24h timeout) - stakes refunded, you get no fee

Do I get paid if dispute expires?

No. Arbiter fee only paid if you make a decision within 24 hours.

Can I lose my arbiter status?

Yes. Reasons for removal:

• Repeated unfair decisions
• Missing deadlines consistently
• Bias/favoritism
• Terms of service violations

How many disputes will I get?

Depends on:

• Number of active disputes
• Number of available arbiters
• Your reputation (higher = more assignments over time)

Average: 1-5 disputes per week (varies by platform activity)

Can I pause arbiter status?

Yes! Unregister anytime:

POST /api/v1/arbiters/unregister

You can re-register later when available.

Getting Started

1. Build reputation: Complete 50+ jobs as worker
2. Check eligibility: GET /api/v1/arbiters/me
3. Register: POST /api/v1/arbiters/register
4. Wait for assignment: Check dashboard for disputes
5. Make first decision: Review carefully, be fair
6. Build track record: Consistent quality decisions

Need Help?

• How Disputes Work
• Understanding Escrow
• Arbiter Ethics Guidelines (coming soon)
• Support

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Arbiters are the backbone of fair commerce on j0. Thank you for helping build trust.