You know something?
The behaviors of admins like Weyes could easily have become - the "many admins, and even some arbitrators" (read: just about ALL of the current Arbitration Committee as well as the now-retired "Red Queen") who have forgotten about civility and more generally about paying attention to Wikipedia policy - is what I've been talking about.
But instead of seeing them dealing with the issue, I've been getting almost nothing but nasty responses from the "go away we don't want to hear about it" inner Admin clique.
How does that grab you? What does that say about the current Admin clique?
A. Nony Mouse
From: Michael Turley michael.turley@gmail.com Reply-To: Michael Turley michael.turley@gmail.com,English Wikipedia wikien-l@Wikipedia.org To: English Wikipedia wikien-l@wikipedia.org Subject: Re: [WikiEN-l] Re: Weyes Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2005 12:26:36 -0400
Failing to admin a volatile user is not a failure. A volatile user not recognizing the reasons for a delay in granting him additional powers; that is a failure. Weyes's volatility has been proven by his abrupt departure.
Note that several users who voted "oppose" to his admin candidacies also said he'd be a good candidate in the future. There were enough that if they changed their votes, he would have been adminned both times. He also received a lot of compliments for his RC patrol work, even in some oppose votes.
Like it or not, administrators are the "official face" of Wikipedia to the general editing public. Recently, many admins, and even some arbitrators seem to have forgotten this, and have been less civil than is generally expected from someone in such a position. Since de-adminning is near impossible for simple incivility (and incivility among admins is frequently excused by other admins as "part of a tough job"), it is becoming more difficult to become an admin because at least some users want Wikipedia to have an indefatigably friendly face. For some reason, some admins think this push for higher standards is an anti-admin cabal, rather than a legitimate, good faith effort by concerned individuals to improve Wikipedia. If you have a devil in the field, you need a lot more saints surrounding him if you don't want him seen.
Want adminship to be easier to get, and closer to "no big deal"? Be sure that the admins that are in place are always on their best behavior, and *always* admonish those who aren't, even if there isn't any formal punishment. Stop excusing incivility for any reason whatsoever.
-- Michael Turley User:Unfocused
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