Hi All,
Would it be possible to slightly reduce the number of messages being sent to this list? In the last 48 hours there's been over 90 messages sent to wikien-l, a lot of which have just been bickering. Perhaps I'm alone in this but seeing 15 messages with the subject "Stevertigo sysop? (was: [WikiEN-l] automatic sysopping)" doesn't inspire me to read them all, and reduces the chances of me reading the important messages on this list. I think maybe the mailing lists would be better used for providing information and for urgent announcements (i.e. rampaging vandals) than for arguments about whether or not someone should be allowed to sign their name using various symbols. I'm not saying people shouldn't discuss things, just why not use a Talk page somewhere and send one message to this list saying 'A discussion of XYZ is happening at [[ABC]], please come and contribute'?
Also, could an [[Application to be a sysop]] page be set up somewhere? If people want to be a sysop then they can add their name to this page. Every Sunday (for sake of argument) someone could send one email to this list detailing who has applied, then people can go and debate on that page the merits of each applicant. After one week if there aren't any outstanding objections the applicant can be made a sysop, if there are objections let the debate continue (maybe each applicant should have their own page?). Perhaps the names of new sysops could also be sent out in the weekly email. I just don't think that people becoming sysops is that urgent an issue that it needs to be discussed here.
Anyway, sorry for ranting a bit but my day hasn't been particularly fun and being confronted by an Inbox full of messages, most of which were barely worth reading, didn't cheer me up!
Andrew [[Ams80]]