[WikiEN-l] for years been promoting admins who go with the flow rather than challenge low level bad behavior by admins and long standing users

[FT2]

I have a few problems with the above thread too, but perhaps different ones.

Admins will naturally have a strong say in decisions being active
experienced users who have achieved wide respect and are often involved in
abuse and conduct related decisions. But they don't necessarily have special
standing beyond any other users. While only an admin can actually block or
unblock someone, any user/s can open or involve themselves in the
discussion. As admins, they make important decisions but the community as a
whole has a right to become involved in those.

It is largely the community that is expected to self-manage. Admins have
areas they proactively act and are going to act like experienced active
users more than most, but this is not intended to marginalize the full
community.  Far from it - anything that expects admins to act like
"custodians and decision-makers" to the point of overriding and
marginalizing the community will be a concern.

So the above thread seems wrongly positioned. The first priority for admins
is to understand and exemplify the community's norms to a high standard.
Good judgment, good sense of what the project is about, what helps it, what
harms it. There are wide views on this so wide views in admins is expected.
But some things are basics. "Do no harm" to the community itself. Admins who
can be relied on to judge calmly, be neutral, be fair, be a good "face of
Wikipedia" when they speak to new users who may be asking for help for the
first time.

Also admins need to be users who will make honest thoughtful judgments when
something is bad for the project or when a user or dispute comes to
attention. No cliques or putting friends and personal topics above the
project, no "emotional dramatica" - admins have to be trusted that way
moreso than for other users.  But this is meaningless if they have the wrong
initial attitude to adminship and the project in the first place.

Beyond that, everything else is secondary.

"Going with the flow" is a problem, but moreso is being an admin when one is
not a good custodian of Wiki norms and has a basically substandard or poor
attitude on wiki basics.

FT2