[WikiEN-l] Another admin burnout

[Marc Riddell]

> 
on 12/19/07 11:06 PM, Todd Allen at toddmallen at gmail.com wrote:

> For most admins, though, a marked change in the way they react to people
> (especially toward the negative) should be a good reason for someone to
> gently suggest they take a voluntary and temporary break from the tools
> before they're given an involuntary and permanent one. Ideally, this
> would be someone the person knows and trusts, and that the person being
> given the advice would be hesitant to simply brush off as a troll or a
> fool. As to those trusted people, the best thing you can do for those
> you trust and care for is to be honest with them, even when that honesty
> might sting a little.
> 
Todd,

To me "civility" in a community of persons includes resources being
available for the individual to reach out to for assistance when they need
it. Within WP we have a lot of technical resources, with experts available,
when a Community Member needs this kind of help (and, believe me, I've been
one of them many times :-). But are there any resources available to someone
who is needing some emotional support?

Many, many persons bring many, many pieces of emotional baggage to the
Project. And we certainly can't do anything about that. But, when the
emotional dilemma a person finds themselves in is a direct result of some
activity in the Project, could we not provide some first step with an ear
where the advice might, in fact, come down to the person needing a break?
This could be something as simple as a list of persons who are willing to
make themselves available to listen and offer some input. I find this
process a lot more civil than just letting the person flame out on their
own.

Marc Riddell

-- 
Be direct - be fair - be assertive - but, above all, be civil.