User:Serpent King/A message to aspiring administrators
The purpose of this page is to inform you, an aspiring administrator, exactly what you are getting yourself into. It does not serve to dissuade you in any way, only to provide you with a few things to think about. I want to give you a chance to hear what the job is actually like, which is something I wish I had when I applied.
My reasons for wanting adminship[edit]
The reason I applied to be an administrator was because I wanted to help SmashWiki grow beyond what I could as an ordinary user. I wanted to put a stop to the mass vandalism that was occurring at the time. I wanted to fill out our administration team, which, at the time, included only Miles, Nyargle, and Toomai, so I applied (for a second time, I did have a failed RfA, which occurred under different, yet irrelevant, circumstances).
The struggle[edit]
My main struggle with being an administrator is keeping myself in check. I battle with my ego and bias each and every time I make a decision, big or small, in an attempt to keep myself neutral. I consult this list at least once a month and evaluate whether or not I am still meeting the criteria within. Still, things slip. Recently, I blundered about with a certain PM discussion in which I lost sight of my primary aims. The experience stained both SmashWiki's and my own reputation with the PM community, probably forever, and I can't expect anyone to live it down.
Being in a position of power like this places you under a micro-glass, so to speak. Everyone watches you very closely, waiting for you to screw up so they can call you out on it. This is a hypocritical point, true, because I myself am quick to point out other administrators' misconduct as it is, but it is none the less true.
Conflict[edit]
One key opposition reason from both of my RfAs was my apparent inability to solve conflicts, but it seems like, since gaining the power, all I seem to have done is get involved in these discussions and do my best to make everyone happy. Naturally, this is impossible. There is always going to be someone, whether it be a regular user or an outsider, unhappy with a decision I may have made, even if the rest of the wiki is all for it. They will make their voice heard, and in many cases, will plead that I am unfairly siding against them or disregarding their side of an argument. It then becomes my responsibility to directly refute their argument, weak though it may be, and explain the other side of it.
Conclusion[edit]
In conclusion, before submitting an RfA think about the investment you are about to take. You are about to give up a large amount of your time to make the site the best it can be, and the effort it takes to do that can sometimes be maddening. Do not submit it lightly, be fully sure that you are ready to take the plunge into the never-ending battle. If, after reading this, you are sure that this is what you want, only then should you submit your RfA, and upon doing so, I wish you good luck.
