On 3/14/06, guru brahma wikibra@yahoo.co.in wrote:
I am sorry to say this, but it appears ridiculous to classify admins as a separate class of users. Being an admin doesn't give any extra "editing" privileges. The privileges that we get as admins may be at the most abused to prevent someone from doing something - blocking, protecting etc but do not give a free rein. Also, WP:AN takes care of violations asap. I believe admins are same as other users - only difference being that those afflicted with adminitis would feel that "all users are equal but admins are more equal than others."
It is my experience that admins are perceived as having some sort of authority. Maybe not a lot, but there is a difference when an admin offers his opinion on the interpretation of some policy. It shouldn't be like that, but it's probably unavoidable.
All we can ask is that admins be sensitive to that fact, and attempt to explicitly disclaim any such false authority arising purely from adminship. Of course, most admins have a fair bit of experience on Wikipedia and therefore *do* know the policies better than *most* people, but not necessarily better than *everyone*.
Steve