[WikiEN-l] Admin / experienced user flameout - how do we talk people down off the ledge?

[Charles Matthews]

George Herbert wrote:
> Admin Rodhullandemu just retired after being blocked for blocking
> Malleus Fautorum to win a dispute
>
> For reference:
>   https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Wikipedia:Administrators'_noticeboard#Block_review
>
> On and off wiki I have mentioned before that we are really bad, as a
> project, at identifying people who have worked themselves into an
> angry corner and feel that they must blow up and leave, and then
> talking them down and defusing the situation.  This is in my
> experience the typical (or at least, a major and common) exit mode of
> longtime highly involved contributors.
>
> Our existing policy and precedent really don't address this problem.
> We have had individual admins and experienced editors spot the pattern
> start and work to calm situations down on an individual basis, with
> mixed results.  But typically the pattern is not really recognized
> until it's too late.
>
> Posed for consideration - This is a problem worth putting more time
> and effort into, and which the project will benefit significantly from
> getting right over the long term.
>
> The question is - what exactly do we do about it?
>
>   
You'd never want to start from here - someone leaving - but it always 
anyway has to start with using "correct" language. Which here is that 
someone is on wikibreak, having been upset by events on the site. We 
have to remember the "wiki way", ancient wisdom. If you are upset, take 
a wikibreak. You are not going to get more perspective on the site. 
(This may sound unhelpful, but it isn't.)

I don't know the specifics, but AN has to take some of the cultural 
blame. A relatively recent issue I initiated (which was serious) was 
whisked onto AN and then to RfAr by "reactive" means. I protested 
feebly, but matters were so swiftly taken out of my hands (edit 
conflicts and all) I just had to be a saddened spectator.

Charles