[WikiEN-l] A six-day roll-back poll?

[doc]

Earle Martin wrote:
> On 10/01/2008, geni <geniice at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 10/01/2008, doc <doc.wikipedia at ntlworld.com> wrote:
>>> Where do I ask for a reconsideration?
>> You don't. You may beg via a bug report.
> 
> Doc's concerns are valid ones regarding an abuse of process. Who on
> Earth do you think you are to make such a statement?
> 
> 
> 

There are reasons why devs are not supposed to act without a clear and 
settled consensus in the community. Because when they do, it is 
incredibly disruptive, and that is what is happening right now.

Many of us opposed this. Now, had there been a clear consensus for it, 
we'd have accepted that - and got on with it.

But this has been done in a way that has appeared sneaky and 
manipulative from the start, and now we are supposed to accept it? No. 
This is raising the temperature and causing anger and will be very 
disruptive.

Most disruptive is the manner in which this has happened. A very short 
confused poll, over a few days in the Christmas holidays. A bizarre act 
by some unnamed dev - not accountable to the community at all. 65% of 
support unprecedently considered a consensus - we don't even risk 
promoting sysops on that count!!!! Substantial opposition and doubts 
cast aside. And here we are.

But also, the whole thing is half-baked. There is no policy for its use. 
No consideration of how we deal with problems. No settled consensus 
about anything.  And now, we'll either have wheel wars or some new 
b'cratic process - we already have a requests page, then there will be 
requests for removals to be debated, and people appealing admin 
decisions (with 1400 admins you'll get bad ones)... and so it will grow. 
  More pages of policy. Posts on ANI. Arbcom. We've already had one user 
declined and now complaining it was a personal attack. And what happens 
when another admin grants it?? All this process, for a tool for which 
no-one has demonstrated the benefit to the project. (Oh, I know there's 
demand from the vandal fighters - but do we have backlogs of reported 
yet unreverted vandalism? No, we have 6 users reverting at once).

This needs switched off now, before further damage is done. Then calmly 
and quietly we can pick our way through this issue and decide what to 
do. If that leads to a consensus to proceed - then at least we can do so 
whilst still remaining a community.