[WikiEN-l] declining numbers of EN wiki admins - The theory that making it easier to get rid of admins is a solution to the decline in their active numbers

[AGK]

On 31 May 2010, at 00:39, Abd ul-Rahman Lomax <abd at lomaxdesign.com>  
wrote:
> (1) most legitimate admin work is not controversial to any degree
> that would affect an admin's status in the active community, which is
> what counts. Blocking an IP vandal isn't going to harm that, and it
> will only help it. If the IP vandal then registers an account and
> goes after the admin, sure. But, then, as to proposals that those who
> supported an RfA might retract that, or cause adminiship to be
> suspended pending examination, are concerned, this would be useless.
> Legitimate administration is indeed like janitorial work. Can we
> imagine a good janitor getting into an argument with other employees
> of a school or office as to what should be thrown away? Adminship was
> supposed to be "no big deal." When an administrator is asserting
> personal power over an editor, something has gone awry. Police have
> no power to punish, they may arrest on probable cause, but they then
> step aside and let the community make decisions on sanctions or
> release. A police officer who has become personally involved and
> insists on pursuing an individual might well be removed or ordered to
> work in other areas.

Thomas may be referring to any administrator work that is at all not  
purely technical in nature. This work usually involves policing the  
conduct of established accounts (and often long-term editors) in  
contentious subject areas, and will almost always cause the  
administrator to gain enemies.

AGK