[WikiEN-l] Re: This is backwards (was Re: 172 de-sysopped)

Mon Mar 7 08:24:33 UTC 2005

-------------- Original message -------------- 
TBSDY wrote:
> Those who are not admins would not know how easy it is to make a 
> mistake. You judge harshly: admins aren't paid, they cop abuse all the 
> time and they do make mistake in judgement. I know I do. There are 
> checks and balances: admins will often reverse the decision of other 
> admins if they see a problem with the decision made. That's one of the 
> reasons I created [[WP:AN]] - to allow admins to see what other admins 
> are doing and to fix problems/mistakes. 
> 
> Maybe if you became an admin you'd understand. Until then, I think it's 
> fair you critique admins. This helps keep us accountable. However, keep 
> those facts I just outlined in perspective! 

Even if other admins step in a reverse the damage fairly quickly, the abusing
admin will have gotten a little satisfaction from using their power and
imposing their will, and worse, they will have been unfair to a member
of the community and gotten away with it.  That is not good for community
morale.

These are not the kind of admins we need.  Admins are not in short supply,
and it is wrong to claim they can't behave themselves.  Yes there are people
who will strike their spouses or children, or use spiteful words their "loved
ones" will never be able to forget.  But it is possible to find people that can
show restraint, and more people will show restraint if there is a zero tolerance
policy.    It is a simple mental discipline, before you act, you ask yourself a couple
of questions about whether you are angry and why you are doing this.  Even then
if you still must strike out, you can still make the decision to use only user capabiliies and not the sysop powers you have been trusted with.  You don't
steal from or violate the community because you are mad at someone.

Yes, there are passionate people that we all love, but we and they need to 
recognized that they are not cut out to be sysops or parents or spouses, 
they can serve in other ways.   Perhaps they are not really bad people
in everyday life where people have faces and actions have consequences,
but if anonymity lowers their inhibitions they don't need to be sysops,
and we are doing them a favor by relieving them of this temptation.

                 -- Silverback