Thank you. Can you unblock me? -Enviroknot
From: "A Nony Mouse" tempforcomments@hotmail.com Reply-To: English Wikipedia wikien-l@Wikipedia.org To: wikien-l@Wikipedia.org Subject: [WikiEN-l] Recent goings-on Date: Tue, 31 May 2005 03:51:37 +0100 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Originating-IP: [141.76.1.121] X-Originating-Email: [tempforcomments@hotmail.com] X-Sender: tempforcomments@hotmail.com Received: from mail.wikimedia.org ([207.142.131.234]) by mc11-f35.hotmail.com with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.211); Mon, 30 May 2005 19:51:42 -0700 Received: from zwinger.pmtpa.wmnet (localhost.localdomain [127.0.0.1])by mail.wikimedia.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 954951AC1783;Tue, 31 May 2005 02:51:39 +0000 (UTC) Received: from hotmail.com (bay18-f20.bay18.hotmail.com [65.54.187.70])by mail.wikimedia.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3F49A1AC0233for wikien-l@Wikipedia.org; Tue, 31 May 2005 02:51:38 +0000 (UTC) Received: from mail pickup service by hotmail.com with Microsoft SMTPSVC;Mon, 30 May 2005 19:51:37 -0700 Received: from 141.76.1.121 by by18fd.bay18.hotmail.msn.com with HTTP;Tue, 31 May 2005 02:51:37 GMT X-Message-Info: LGjzam7y+LvsjpDGxM6Oqmnkb/CrgJfZtfx+bYcWYIk= X-Original-To: wikien-l@Wikipedia.org Delivered-To: wikien-l@Wikipedia.org X-OriginalArrivalTime: 31 May 2005 02:51:37.0579 (UTC)FILETIME=[A9EEDBB0:01C5658B] X-BeenThere: wikien-l@Wikipedia.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: English Wikipedia <wikien-l.Wikipedia.org> List-Unsubscribe: http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l,mailto:wikien-l-request@Wikipedia.org?subject=unsubscribe List-Archive: http://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l List-Post: mailto:wikien-l@Wikipedia.org List-Help: mailto:wikien-l-request@Wikipedia.org?subject=help List-Subscribe: http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l,mailto:wikien-l-request@Wikipedia.org?subject=subscribe Errors-To: wikien-l-bounces@Wikipedia.org Return-Path: wikien-l-bounces@Wikipedia.org
I have been watching the last week's events with dismay. I have been trying to compose this email for two hours, but every time I get close, something else comes up.
I have decided to make this anonymous. I do not know how some of you would react and I do not wish to take any chance that I would be harassed for this.
There are two cases that bother me. Jack Lynch aka Sam Spade and Cranston Snord aka Enviroknot. Both of these cases scare me because of the precedent that they have set.
In the case of Jack, there was a question of a block war. Administrators were fighting over what to do with him. This is not a good thing for Wikipedia editors no matter who they are. It indicates that the user is less of a concern than something between the two Administrators.
It is the case of Cranston Snord aka Enviroknot that worries me more. This is the case that has made me take the drastic step of sending an email to the list anonymously. I had originally been trying to type up a response to Cranston's concerns about being blocked. I believe that SlimVirgin violated policy by doing so. Unfortunately for me, such an email would likely now be a day late and a dollar short.
Cranston was a disruption to the list, but much of that disruption was caused by other people on this list treating him with incredible disrespect. I was taken aback by his accusations against administrators but having looked at the cases in hand I believe that he has a point.
There were emails on this list asking whether anyone was taking him seriously. This is the height of arrogance, and it is something that frightens me. Administrators should never be acting as if ordinary editors do not matter.
As for his complaints about being blocked, the dismissiveness on this board hurt me. No matter who it is making a complaint, we have a duty to investigate it. We are listed as the last resort for users who have been wronged. I took the time to investigate SlimVirgin's blocking of Enviroknot, and I believe that it is not valid.
By the time I got to the discussion, it was a good series of emails long, and despite the number of list members who had posted, none save SlimVirgin had bothered to address Enviroknot's concerns on the block in any way. SlimVirgin herself made a bad judgement call. An edit made in good faith should never be considered a reversion, even if it contains some content that is included in a later reversion.
Instead of acknowledging this fact, the list members were universally dismissive of Enviroknot from the first email. One went so far as to demand that the term "rogue admin" not be used, without addressing the reasons that it had been brought up in multiple cases recently.
We have a problem with administrators exceeding their authority on Wikipedia. We have a problem with administrators not applying policy correctly. And we have a problem with arrogance on these lists, with administrators believing that they are somehow better than others.
With the increased power of administrator access comes a responsibility to use it fairly and adhere to the established procedures and policies. The actions of an Administrator should themselves be NPOV. We have stated policy that when a user is found to be violating policy, if they return and do not break policy, their previous transgressions should not be held against them.
There are a number of administrators who are failing in that responsibility, and they are present on this list. One of them, rather than addressing Enviroknot's concerns in a calm tone and actually going over policy, chose to kickban Enviroknot entirely.
I have never until today been ashamed to be a part of Wikipedia, but there it is. Take it as you will.
A.Nony.Mouse, for the purpose of this conversation.
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