User:Gwernol/AdminTips
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These are some hints on what makes a good admin on Wikipedia and how you might become one. The only purpose of this page is that I keep typing out similar messages, so its easier to put it in one place so I can link to it. This is all my own opinion. Please don't confuse it for anything official in any sense. Thanks.
[edit] Types of admin
There are lots of types of admins. Some are active vandal fighters, some concentrate on building the encyclopedia. Some use their admin tools a lot, some not so much. I tend to be more active, so my advice is skewed towards this kind of admin activity.
The bottom line though is, it's all good. You can contribute to the project as any sort of admin, or without the couple of extra tools being an admin gives you.
[edit] Being an admin
Being an admin can be quite stressful. Admins are empowered to enforce the rules of Wikipedia. Some users believe there should be no rules, or at least no rules that apply to them. Sometimes this leads to conflict. You will have annoyed users screaming abuse at you, accusing you of everything from being "gay" to being worse than Hitler. I'm honestly not sure how asking people to provide verifiable sources for a statement is worse than killing millions of people on the basis of their beliefs, but someone is going to accuse you of that.
If that doesn't sound like your idea of a fun time, then you might not want to be an admin.
Another nasty truth is that being an admin will take over you wiki-life. Many admins stop writing articles and concentrate on cleaning up after the vandals. This is a good thing: its a dirty job but someone has to do it. But if your first love is writing, then be warned that its hard to keep that up once you've got the mop.
[edit] What I like to see in an RfA
Here's a list I put together some time ago of what makes a good admin candidate. Successful RfAs tend to
- Get a solid number of edits under your belt, say at least 2500, preferably more like 3000-4000. This allows editors to see you react to a wide range of situations
- You should be active for at least 4 months before you apply for your RfA. Some editors like to see a longer timespan. Again, as you spend more time here you see more of the kinds of situations an admin will have to face, making it easier for us to decide if you will handle the tools well in the future
- Get involved with Recent Changes Patrolling. This will give you lots of opportunity to learn policy and demonstrate that you know how it applies
- Read, think about and comment on article for deletion debates. Don't be afraid to express contrary opinions where appropriate and where you can back your opinions up with policy. Again this gives you good practice in the sorts of work an admin will do.
- Read, think about and comment on other RfA debates. Similar to the above, plus it gives you an idea of what editors are looking for and what they don't want to see in a good RfA candidate
- Communicate with other editors (admins and non-admins) on article and user talk pages. Demonstrate that you can remain calm and civil even when faced with people who are not. This is an important quality for a future admin.
- Keep adding to Wikipedia articles in big ways and small, because ultimately we are here to build an encyclopedia
These things allow you to learn policy, learn how to apply it and demonstrate to others that you can be trusted with more responsibility.
