[WikiEN-l] Dangerous factionalism (Was: Re: SlimVirgin and CheckUser leaks)

[Jonathan Hughes]

>
> From: "Alec Conroy" <alecmconroy at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [WikiEN-l] Dangerous factionalism (Was: Re: SlimVirgin
>        and     CheckUser leaks)
>
> Again, the point here isn't justice, but to figure out how we can best
> write an encyclopedia.
>
> Let us assume, as you do, that there are clear innocents here. Even
> still, I think it's entirely plausible that a person could be
> sufficiently victimized that they're no longer capable of performing
> the role of admin.
>
> As the number of conflicts a user is involved in increases, it errodes
> their ability to serve as an uninvolved neutral third party able to
> resolve inter-user conflict.  It's conceivable to me, in the abstract,
> a user could, through no fault of their own, find themselves in a
> position where it was probably best they no longer act as an admin.
>
> One way of looking at it would be that, as factions form, it might be
> hard for a controversial user to reasonably be viewed as "uninvolved"
> in practically any inter-user.  Another argument could be that a user
> has become a lightning rod for a deeper dispute--  much like the guilt
> or innocents of OJ Simpson became, in some circles, a focal point for
> race relations in the US.   Or maybe it's as simple as recognizing the
> status quo isn't working out for the project--  akin to the end of a
> romantic relationship, recognizing  "This just isn't working out...
> I'm sorry, but, the precise nature of our relationship has to change,
> but I hope we can still be friends".
>
> (But admittedly, this whole line of thinking is predicated upon the
> assumption that adminship truly is not a trophy, and that therefore,
> desysopping is truly not automatically a demerit, a punishment, or a
> mark of guilt. )
>
> Alec
>

Wouldn't it be just a bit easier to have admins go on wikibreak instead?
It'd have the same effect (assuming either works) and without the stigma of
desysopping.  Or else suggest that admins voluntarily stop doing admin
things for a while.  If necessary, a wikibreak could be enforced (there's a
script to add to your monobook.js file, [[Wikipedia:WikiProject User
scripts/Scripts/WikiBreak Enforcer]], which could do it) or something
drastic like that, and it'd still be better (I think).

[[User:Lifebaka]]