[WikiEN-l] Recent goings-on

Tue May 31 02:51:37 UTC 2005

I have been watching the last week's events with dismay. I have been trying 
to compose this email for two hours, but every time I get close, something 
else comes up.

I have decided to make this anonymous. I do not know how some of you would 
react and I do not wish to take any chance that I would be harassed for 
this.

There are two cases that bother me. Jack Lynch aka Sam Spade and Cranston 
Snord aka Enviroknot. Both of these cases scare me because of the precedent 
that they have set.

In the case of Jack, there was a question of a block war. Administrators 
were fighting over what to do with him. This is not a good thing for 
Wikipedia editors no matter who they are. It indicates that the user is less 
of a concern than something between the two Administrators.

It is the case of Cranston Snord aka Enviroknot that worries me more. This 
is the case that has made me take the drastic step of sending an email to 
the list anonymously. I had originally been trying to type up a response to 
Cranston's concerns about being blocked. I believe that SlimVirgin violated 
policy by doing so. Unfortunately for me, such an email would likely now be 
a day late and a dollar short.

Cranston was a disruption to the list, but much of that disruption was 
caused by other people on this list treating him with incredible disrespect. 
I was taken aback by his accusations against administrators but having 
looked at the cases in hand I believe that he has a point.

There were emails on this list asking whether anyone was taking him 
seriously. This is the height of arrogance, and it is something that 
frightens me. Administrators should never be acting as if ordinary editors 
do not matter.

As for his complaints about being blocked, the dismissiveness on this board 
hurt me. No matter who it is making a complaint, we have a duty to 
investigate it. We are listed as the last resort for users who have been 
wronged. I took the time to investigate SlimVirgin's blocking of Enviroknot, 
and I believe that it is not valid.

By the time I got to the discussion, it was a good series of emails long, 
and despite the number of list members who had posted, none save SlimVirgin 
had bothered to address Enviroknot's concerns on the block in any way. 
SlimVirgin herself made a bad judgement call. An edit made in good faith 
should never be considered a reversion, even if it contains some content 
that is included in a later reversion.

Instead of acknowledging this fact, the list members were universally 
dismissive of Enviroknot from the first email. One went so far as to demand 
that the term "rogue admin" not be used, without addressing the reasons that 
it had been brought up in multiple cases recently.

We have a problem with administrators exceeding their authority on 
Wikipedia. We have a problem with administrators not applying policy 
correctly. And we have a problem with arrogance on these lists, with 
administrators believing that they are somehow better than others.

With the increased power of administrator access comes a responsibility to 
use it fairly and adhere to the established procedures and policies. The 
actions of an Administrator should themselves be NPOV. We have stated policy 
that when a user is found to be violating policy, if they return and do not 
break policy, their previous transgressions should not be held against them.

There are a number of administrators who are failing in that responsibility, 
and they are present on this list. One of them, rather than addressing 
Enviroknot's concerns in a calm tone and actually going over policy, chose 
to kickban Enviroknot entirely.

I have never until today been ashamed to be a part of Wikipedia, but there 
it is. Take it as you will.

A.Nony.Mouse, for the purpose of this conversation.

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