SmashWiki:Requests for bureaucratship/Shadowcrest

Shadowcrest (talk • contribs • edit count • RFA • RFB page)

Please direct all discussions to the talk page.

Candidate, please summarize why you are running for adminship below.

Since I'm running for bureaucrat- something only 3 users have done since my arrival for real- I'm going to bore you all with a wall of text explaining why I'm qualified and why I'm running.

To start, I want to help out the community. I do not mean to sound overly arrogant and self-important, but there aren't many people left who are viable candidates. Most of the current sysops either do not want to become bureaucrats or would not handle the role well. So in other words, I believe I am the best available candidate, offering at least a strong alternative to the few other possible candidates.

Something that I have to offer that other candidates don't is a different field of experience. Whereas others might know more about places like AllisBrawl and etc., I come from a background of other wikis. I've spent countless hours on multiple wikis, including GuildWiki, SmashWiki, Guild Wars Wiki and more recently DemiWiki- my second wiki-birthday is in 3 months. So I know how things work, and I know what's expected of me.

I also consider myself a good mediator/arbitrator. I have used my sysop tools when I have deemed it appropriate, but in general I have tried to resolve things via words or compromise if I feel the situation can be resolved in such a manner. So if you fear that I will become a dictator, as the joke goes, I don't think you have anything to worry about if you check through my contributions.

Speaking of contributions, I am quite proud of them. ~22/100 of all my contributions have been made in the SmashWiki/SmashWiki talk namespaces- about 3.3 times higher than C.Hawk, the next highest percentage from the active admins, and about 26.2 times higher than another admin from the active admins. I know I don't have one of the highest editcounts of the site, but the adage "quality, not quantity" is particularly apt here. I may not be very good at mainspace contributions, but mainspace isn't what you should be looking for in a bureaucrat- you should be looking at how they deal with policy matters and such. Seeing as policy was pretty much how I got into adminship (with handling user conflicts and dedication thrown in), it's pretty safe to say that if nothing else, I would excel in this field as a bureaucrat.

In terms of activity, I'd say I'm more active than every other admin except maybe Miles. Just throwing that out there :P

The only thing I can't say that I could on my RfA is that I've done this before. I've been a sysop for over a year, but I have not ever been a bureaucrat before. But I have had experience dealing with them- I frequently discussed bureaucratic actions with them, finding out why they did what they did, questioning them, etc. So saying I am inexperienced is only true via technicality.

The last reason I feel I would be able to benefit the community as a bureaucrat is because of the "one man show" effect. I have never felt this way, but I know that many users have felt like past bureaucratic actions were sometimes elitist, ignored the people, or were insider decisions. While I disagree with this sentiment on nearly all cases, having two bureaucrats would lessen the feelings that the community is being dictated by a lone bureaucrat.

To those of you that read the WoT, thanks for reading.

To everyone who tl;dr'd: Shadowcrest McSerious 4 bcratz --Shadowcrest 17:28, 25 April 2009 (UTC)

Support

• Do want - Need I explain? He's enforced most of the wiki's policies, has proven to be capable of handling adminship, and is the most serious teenager on the internet. Blue Ninjakoopa 17:34, 25 April 2009 (UTC)
• WOW... - You like massive walls of text, dont'cha? Anyways, you are obviously capable of being one, so all votes on Shadowcrest! --~The Blue Blur~^{New main in training!} 17:41, 25 April 2009 (UTC)
• Support You have shown that you are capable of quietly dealing with vandals and user conflicts, and I think you are experienced enough for bureaucratship. ClonedPickle 17:46, 25 April 2009 (UTC)
• SupportYou're a great admin and you do great work for the wiki.--Bek (talk) 18:08, 25 April 2009 (UTC)
• Support Of course. (Doesn't this need to be transcluded onto SmashWiki:Requests for bureaucratship?) (Already done). GT5162 (talk) 18:15, 25 April 2009 (UTC)
• Support. More than competent. – Defiant Elements +talk 19:44, 25 April 2009 (UTC)
• Yuh-huh. He said my name! *backtosrs* Rly, though, Shadowcrest knows wikis. He earns this. Miles (talk) 02:07, 27 April 2009 (UTC)
• Support Shadowcretz noez his wiki tools. - Hatake91 (talk) 02:39, 27 April 2009 (UTC)
• SupportWell, Mr. Tin Plated Dictator with Delusions of Godhood, you've proven yourself capable at pretty much everything thaat a bureaucrat should be able to do.L33t Silvie ^{Your epidermis is showing.} 20:00, 27 April 2009 (UTC)

Oppose

• ...

Neutral

• Meh - I'm not sure how you would work with this tool to be honest. Blue Ninjakoopa 20:28, 27 April 2009 (UTC)
• Decidedly neutral (a) I don't think we need another bureaucrat (b) you have an errant definition of 'trolling' to include things that are definitely not, I think (c) you don't have the willingness to deal with certain vandals the way they ought to, and the way policy dictates (d) you've dealt with user conflict very well (e) you aren't an idiot, (f) you've used your sysop power fairly and accurately. I think I need to come down neutral on this one. Semicolon (talk) 22:00, 4 May 2009 (UTC)

• If you don't include being a jackass in the definition of trolling, then yes, you are correct that you're not a troll. If you do, however, you're dead wrong.
• "The way they ought to be dealt with" is a crap line, because it's entirely subjective. In my opinion, you're doing it wrong- if you're going to use it to oppose me then it might as well be factual. And by the way, if we're using that idiotic policy (that really ought to be deleted) as a way to dictate when and for how long users are banned, we're all in violation- especially you. "Try not to block ISP proxies since this would affect a wide number of users." Hmm, I wonder who took that side of the argument. I'll give you a hint- it wasn't you. Another side note- governing blocks and deletions with a policy is an extremely bad move.
• If all of the above weren't enough, then there's also the fact that these opposes have nothing to do with being a bureaucrat. The appropriate place to have put these comments would have been my RfA, but it's a little late for that. Remember what powers bureaucrats have and what they use them to do- and banning isn't in their list of tools. --Shadowcrest 22:31, 4 May 2009 (UTC)

• I can only take that as an insinuation that I am, in fact, a jackass, making that a personal attack. I don't think we should have people personally attacking other members, a sysop no less in this case, as a bureaucrat.
• Yes, it is subjective. But I happen to disagree with you on this very critical point, thus I don't want it to be implemented. This is a spin off of the 'it's just your opinion' argument, which it is. Which I'm both right about and completely entitled to, and can be used as grounds to oppose you.
• Of course they are. You are asking for the highest position on this wiki, asking for power equal to that of the person who makes the ultimate decisions on that wiki, and to be honest, I don't want that person to be you. Being a bureaucrat isn't the expansion of a sysop, it's being in the position to be make the final decisions on all big matters on the wiki, and as I significantly and substantively disagree with you on many points (rather than resorting to ad hominem nasty insinuations about my character) then I legitimately oppose you on these measures. You're not helping yourself here. Semicolon (talk) 23:28, 4 May 2009 (UTC)

Nevertheless, the insinuation is true. I can wait until I talk to you on irc to elaborate, but the fact of the matter is that your attitude is not exactly desirable.

I can make/defend my decision just as easily as a sysop than I could as a bureaucrat (and also just as easily as a user. l2yav). So again, not relevant.

For starters, the highest position on the wiki would be a staff member, so zzz.

All of those things you're saying about a bureaucrat arise because of who the bureaucrats are. Bureaucrats are people who promote/demote users. The end, hope you enjoyed the show. They are not the ultimate authority. They are not the highest users on the food chain. They are not mediators. They are not the representatives of the community. They do not get what they want just because they say so. The most correct statement you made in that paragraph was "Being a bureaucrat isn't the expansion of a sysop", because it's not- and everything you're talking about is the job of the sysops. Sysops are the judges, the jury, and the executioners in all but maybe .01% of conflicts. Sysops do everything you're describing- mediating conflicts, arbitrating, blocks, and all the other diplomatic stuff you're talking about. And I've done it as a user and a sysop, so right off the bat there's proof that it doesn't have to do with being a bureaucrat. So if you want to go request a reconfirmation on the RfA be my guest- but that still doesn't help your case here. --Shadowcrest 19:12, 5 May 2009 (UTC)

Let me point a few things out. First of all, the simple tools granted are not all that this is about. There is a certain amount of prestige associated with the title of bureaucrat, regardless of if that prestige is artificial or if you disagree with it existing. Possibly on other wikis it doesn't matter, but here it does and perception is quite important. Two, considering that the tools (and as you argue the entire point of being a bureau) allow promoting/demoting of sysops, if someone has a problem with your actions as a sysop it stands to reason that s/he would not want you to be making other people sysops as well. Three, you established precedent that actions as sysops are fair use in RfBs when you opposed Randall on the grounds that you disapproved of his actions as a sysop. You don't get it both ways. Four, one of the descriptions of bureaus is that s/he mediates user conflicts that transcend normal levels, so you are dead wrong in assuming that all you do is promote/demote. Basically, I haven't made up my mind about where I stand on this (hence the placing in the neutral area), but I do feel a need to respond to some of the things that have been said above. Clarinet Hawk (talk · contributions) 19:27, 5 May 2009 (UTC)

In that, you are correct. There is an "air of superiority" that is associated with bureaucrats. It's crap, and I really and honestly wish people would stop putting sysops/bcrats on pedestals because of their positions, but yes, it's there. But that's still not why I'm running- I don't wish to abuse perceptions, as useful as that would be to me. Perhaps I could even work to reduce the informal bonus that we get along with our rights? ;)

The tools are still why I'm here. In terms of user rights, bureaucrats really are the final say, and I'm not advocating change for that. But even given that this argument is about the tools, my role as a sysop would remain what it is if I were to become a bureaucrat because they're not related. The only thing they could possibly have in common is if I were abusing my powers and you didn't trust me because of it... but seeing as that is not the case (unless that's what you're actually trying to say here?), it's still not relevant. And judges of things don't have to be good at what they're judging; for example, Semi frequently comments on strategical things in Starcraft, but freely admits that he can't himself play at the top level. People can know what they're talking about even if they can't do it.

Would you care less if I changed the word "sysop" to "user"? Because really that's what it comes down to. I don't really trust Randall not to be a bad influence on SmashWiki even as a regular user; I am a perfect example of how much regular users can influence things. So, given the lack of trust I have in his abilities at all, it's valid. You can argue that I'm trying to play both sides of the field, but that's not it; it was a wording inaccuracy.

Key words in that last point: "mediates user conflicts that transcend normal levels". As in, the only time a bureaucrat is really needed is when two sysops start a banning war. For everything else, a sysop can/should/will handle it. So no, I am not dead wrong that 99.99% of your job as a bureaucrat is promoting/demoting users. Everything else you do because of who you are. --Shadowcrest 20:10, 5 May 2009 (UTC)

Two thing I still want cleared up. First, why exactly do you feel that you (or for that matter anyone besides me) needs the pro/demote tools. The use of those tools hardly ever comes up and the "one man show" perception argument that you forwarded has no basis in any dialogue I've seen out of users. If I've missed something, please point me in the direction of it and I'll be happy to review it. So, to use a question that you've popularized on the RfAs, "why do you need the tools to do your job better?" Secondly, your argument about judging not being equal to executing is legit, but the comparison you used is a false analogy. Semicolon's comments on Starcraft theory versus his playing are not (in his argument) equivocal to his comments on your sysop abilities. There is a difference between knowing what you need to do yet not being able to do it and not knowing what to do and still not doing it. In the case of Starcraft theory, Semi understands what needs to be done, he just lacks the means to execute it. His argument above (I believe) is that you don't understand how to effectively use the tools, ergo he doesn't trust you to be the one judging others capability to use them. Clarinet Hawk (talk · contributions) 20:52, 5 May 2009 (UTC)