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Revision as of 21:35, 15 April 2009

Bwilkins

Voice your opinion (talk page) (6/6/2); Scheduled to end 12:30, 22 April 2009 (UTC)

Nomination

Bwilkins (talk · contribs) – More from the "I already thought they were an admin" group. Has always been a source of information and help for me. Has been even keeled enough to chip-in at WP:WQA and keep others from loosing their cool. Seems like he'd be a big help as an admin. Padillah (talk) 12:30, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

Candidate, please indicate acceptance of the nomination here:

I am pleased and honoured to accept this nomination for an activity that can benefit not only Misplaced Pages and its editors, but also the users of the English Misplaced Pages as a whole.

I started out editing a single article, then a couple. I then created a the skeleton of a "most wanted article" which has since been expanded by many editors. I later installed Twinkle, and started NPP and welcoming users. Then I went to town on stub creation. Later, I wrote a far better brand new article from the "most wanted articles" list. Then I installed AWB and have fixed a lot of spelling, double-words, and other problems with articles. I learn a skill, and move forward. Now, here I am, and plan on building my skills starting with what I know, and building incrementally (although quickly) to assist the project in any way possible. (talk→ Bwilkins / BMW ←track) 15:23, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

Questions for the candidate

Dear candidate, thank you for offering to serve Misplaced Pages as an administrator. It is recommended that you answer these optional questions to provide guidance for participants:

1. What administrative work do you intend to take part in?

A: I have been very involved in WP:WQA for some time now, and have also been involved in assiting with WP:ANI incidents. As such, my primary plan is to continue to help assist with disputes overall; saying "yes, that person used a racist comment towards you ... now go talk to someone else thanks" and "you're right, that person just vandalized the crap out of that page, now please visit this location for a resolution" (which are the common type of issues I deal with on a daily basis) is far better served by having the Misplaced Pages tools to use when discussion/mediation/moderation are no longer effective. I also intend to help with usernames for Admin attention as an offensive username can be just as damaging to the project as Vandalism (which of course I will also keep an eye on), will. In the last few months, I have taken great interest in closing AfD's - I have done a number of non-admin closures based on pure common sense, and weighing the !votes very carefully. Indeed, the few closes that became "controvertial" were not so much the close, but that I, a lowly editor had closed them - by having the tools, I will continue to use this common sense approach to closures of all kinds. Just like all of my Misplaced Pages career, I will begin with the things I know (my strengths), then learn new skills in order to expand my repertoire of admin activities until I am covering as much of the spectrum as I can.

2. What are your best contributions to Misplaced Pages, and why?

A: My answer to this has recently changed: overall, I think the assistance in investigating and mediating issues in WP:WQA has been extremely useful to the project as a whole. Acting calm, rational, and according to a clear set process has helped solve many issues before additional admin action was required keeps Misplaced Pages working. I am also pleased with the creation of a whole whack of stubs related to both the Music of Newfoundland and Labrador, and also with islands and communities of Trinidad and Tobago - when I find redlinks, I often take the opportunity to do some original basic research, and start the building of an encylopedic article - this is, after all, the goal of Misplaced Pages. These two contributions are laudable goals. However, the other day I was thanked for helping to make a recently deceased editor happy. The editor was brand new, and had started to assist right away on an article I was recreating from scratch. All I did was throw up a nice welcome template, and actually thank them for their contributions. I knew nothing of their age, or of their disabilities - they were an editor who helped from the start. Apparently, this had made a positive impact on a new editor, and they took great enjoyment from their brief career in Misplaced Pages. Indeed, it's amazing how friendliness and thanks can benefit editors as a whole.

3. Have you been in any conflicts over editing in the past or have other users caused you stress? How have you dealt with it and how will you deal with it in the future?

A: When you contribute to WQA, and occasionally do NPP, plus close AfD's, you're bound to have occasional conflicts - how we deal with them (and learn from them) is the true show of a person's abilities. Personally, I am very keen on asking advice from trusted souces when a conflict arises. For example, one person's userpage still accuses me of being racist (even though they have no idea of my ethnic background) because they completely created a new meaning for a word, so as to turn in into something quite um, "fun", that then involved a few tit-for-tat warnings, and a couple of reversions of things off usertalk pages before I then went and asked for advice. Another situation actually ended up taking me to WP:ANI - an editor did not like/understand my reply in an earlier ANI, so they challenged me on my talkpage. I clearly tried to articulate what I meant, at which point I was attacked back in ANI. I then respectfully asked the editor to stop posting on my talkpage, and if they had issues with my "supposed incivility" for no longer responding to him, then they should to go to WQA. The editor then raised a new ANI instead, which was quick quickly quashed. My most recent incident involves a comment I made in WQA, that another editor twisted to their own meaning. Another editor has decided that I am responsible for that editor's out-of-context use of my comment, and wants to take me to mediation. I have politely declined a few times, while trying to point them in the right direction. The remnants of that remain on my talkpage as we speak. I will continue to help people as long as they want to be helped. I will continue to ask advice of others where needed. I will continue to act in a calm, rational manner - looking at the ABC concept (see User:Bwilkins for the ABC model) in any and all "altercations"

Optional question from Cool3

4. I've looked through all your contributions back to January on AfD, and I've found a lot of non-admin closures, but not a single !vote in a discussion (it's quite possible I just missed something though). Why do you close so many AfDs without commenting in any? Also, I imagine that you're fairly familiar with Misplaced Pages:Non-admin closure which suggests that non-admins restrict themselves to "Unanimous or nearly unanimous keep", "speedy keep", or "pure housekeeping" closures, but I've found a lot of relatively contentious closes, many of which you closed as no consensus. Do you feel that it's generally appropriate for non-administrators to close such AfDs? Why or why not?

A (strictly optional) question from Tempodivalse:

5. What is your understanding of consensus? How do you determine when consensus does or does not exist?

General comments

• Links for Bwilkins: Bwilkins (talk · contribs · deleted · count · AfD · logs · block log · lu · rfar · spi)
• Edit summary usage for Bwilkins can be found here.
• Promote Bwilkins (bureaucrats only)

Please keep discussion constructive and civil. If you are unfamiliar with the nominee, please thoroughly review Special:Contributions/Bwilkins before commenting.

Discussion

• Editing stats posted on the talk page. –Juliancolton |  15:33, 15 April 2009 (UTC)
• For those who prefer them:
  • WikiChecker edit counter
  • X!'s edit counter
  • Wikimedia edit counter

~ ωαdεstεr16_«talk 15:35, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

Support

1. Absolutely. Polite, helpful, reduces drama. SHEFFIELDSTEEL 15:43, 15 April 2009 (UTC)
2. Support Yes, without a doubt. I've seen plenty of Bwilkins' work at WP:WQA; so, even without the NHL or Trinidad and Tobago work, I'm confident that his/her maturity, common sense, and level headed approach to Misplaced Pages will bring us a strong net positive in the end. As Sheffield mentions, "reduces drams", and I'm all for that! — Ched :  ?  16:04, 15 April 2009 (UTC)
3. Support Per SheffieldSteel.--Giants27 /C 16:13, 15 April 2009 (UTC)
4. Support. Per SheffieldSteel, my nom above, and may I add resourceful. Padillah (talk) 17:24, 15 April 2009 (UTC)
5. Support I can be a bit of a hot head sometimes, and BMW's friendly comments to me in the past have led me to take a step back from conflicts and reflect on a more constructive approach. The difs below demonstrate that he is prone to get a bit prickly in tense situations, but on balance he does more to keep the peace here than I or many other admins do. A net positive by far. Hiberniantears (talk) 18:20, 15 April 2009 (UTC)
6. Weak Support The diffs pointed out in the oppose section are rather unsettling, but these edits were all made roughly all about 7 months ago. Bwilkins has done a significant amount of excellent for the project and I believe that in 7 months, Bwilkins has perhaps changed for the better. I am certainly willing to give this user another chance to improve. Regards, Fastily (talk) 19:57, 15 April 2009 (UTC)
7. Support, a single questionable event six months ago does not particularly trouble me. No evidence user would abuse the tools. Lankiveil 20:57, 15 April 2009 (UTC).
8. Assume the presence of a belly button. I acknowledge the opposition, but remain unpersuaded. In general, I feel that Bwilkins can be trusted to use the tools properly. –Juliancolton |  21:12, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

Oppose

1. Perhaps the unseemly saga described by Goodmorningworld below was out of character, but it happened too recently, to be dismissed as such. --Malleus Fatuorum 17:08, 15 April 2009 (UTC)
2. Oppose. The tone of some of his comments is a little troubling. "Wow you egg him on, then seem surprised that he got a little upset? " It's not egregious, but it's not a great comment. This is another impolite comment, with a highly uncivil edit summary directed at a good editor. This is another uncivil remark in the same discussion (this was a while back though). Another unpleasant exchange . : Another rather unpleasant edit summary "response to discorteous reply" (is that really necessary?), also in that diff: "a cursory glace at which will speak volumes of his misuse of Huggle and misunderstanding of policy". That seems rather harsh and unnecessary. More borderline rudeness. I'd expect a better record of civility out of someone who works at WP:WQA and expects to do so as an admin. On the AfD front, I'm finding a lot of closes as "no consensus" which isn't a problem in and of it itself, but I'd rather see an admin close those. Per Misplaced Pages:Non-admin closure, non admins really shouldn't be closing controversial AfDs. Furthermore, as a regular editor, it seems that it would be more useful to provide an opinion and work towards consensus than make a non-admin no consensus closure(for example). He's had several non-admin closures challenged at DRV, such as Misplaced Pages:Articles for deletion/Artivist Film Festival & Awards (ultimately closed as no consensus). What bothers me most about his AfD record is that I've been through the contribs all the way back to January 1, and while I've found a number of non-admin closures, I can't find a single instance of actual participation in an AfD discussion. I'd like to support, but I'm just finding too many diffs that bother me. Cool3 (talk) 17:11, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

   "speak volumes of his misuse of Huggle" is "rather harsh and unnecessary"? Wow, OK. Padillah (talk) 17:21, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

   I'm much more bothered by the edit summary "response to discorteous reply" combined with that comment. It's not some sort of horrible incivility from Bwilkins but it's impolite and unnecessary. There's no reason to be so harsh to someone, and it's a failure of WP:AGF. Cool3 (talk) 17:33, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

3. Oppose The diffs provided by Cool3 and Goodmorningworld's comment show that his way of speaking is way over "saying too outspoken" and breach our incivility policy. Calling a name like "useless editor" to Collectonian (talk · contribs) is totally inappropriate and against his own preaches to editors at WQA.--Caspian blue 18:33, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

   I would appreciate you looking at a) how far back that incident was, the genesis of it, and the discussions that Collectonian and I have had in support of her work since. (talk→ Bwilkins / BMW ←track) 18:51, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

4. Oppose Per the neutral comment by Goodmorningworld. America69 (talk) 18:43, 15 April 2009 (UTC)
5. Oppose - doesn't handle criticism well. PhilKnight (talk) 19:16, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

   Goodness me, candidate is not perfect, oppose. </sarcasm> That diff really doesn't look all that bad. SHEFFIELDSTEEL 20:04, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

6. Oppose Have to be honest, some of GMW's diffs cause me concern.--Cube lurker (talk) 19:57, 15 April 2009 (UTC)
7. Oppose Needs a few months more experience. -download | sign! 21:01, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

   Bwilkins has been editing for 12 months, for what it's worth. –Juliancolton |  21:08, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

8. Name appears too frequently at ANI where I feel his interjections are unhelpful at times. Smacks of someone out to get adminship, rather than do the best for the project, and the nomination acceptance statement above is grounds for a strong oppose on its own, it's a while since I've seen such sickly sweet self serving nonsense. Nick (talk) 21:35, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

Neutral

1. Going neutral until I can do a thorough review on contribs and ask so questions if necessary (just don't want to forget about this one). Good, straightforward answers, although i prefer to see more audited article work and i'm not sure the rationale for needing the tools is that strong (we need smart, calm people on ANI, not more people will block buttons). --Der Wohltemperierte Fuchs 15:39, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

   Tentative neutral I'm not sure yet (more question/answers would be good for decision making), but the candidate's responses and comments on ANI/WQA seem to me like crossing between straightforward and (too) outspoken, so I have a slight concern about it.--Caspian blue 16:14, 15 April 2009 (UTC) (Moved to Oppose)--Caspian blue 18:33, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

2. Neutral Until a few months ago, I had BMW's name on my mental list as the editor to whom I would give my most automatic Support ever in his upcoming RfA. There is no question that candidate possesses intelligence and maturity, qualities that are sorely lacking in most of the people coming here asking to be made admin. His conflict resolution work at WP:WQA, using nothing but the power of reasoned argument, has been mostly top-notch. There, BMW has shown what an editor can accomplish even without any of the admin buttons, simply by talking to people, respecting them as human beings, dialing down drama, and even using humor when appropriate.
   Except… for his inexplicable, out-of-character actions at WP:WQA and WP:ANI regarding user:Greg L and user:Tony1.
   At WP:WQA he kept open a stale complaint against Greg L for far too long, and when that didn't bring about the results that BMW wanted, he recruited one of Misplaced Pages's most block happy admins known for being quick to block established editors to weigh in on his side, with a predictable outcome: she blocked Greg L. Then when Tony1 showed in on that admin's page to defend Greg, and user:Daedalus969 went into a ballistic trajectory of frenzied rage in support of the admin, BMW did not ask Daedalus to shut up. Instead, he tried his damnedest to get Tony1 blocked. (Diffs for the above on request.)
   The experience has left me with lingering bitterness about BMW. Because Tony1 and Greg L are Wikifriends of mine, I feel unable to give a fair and unbiased opinion here, hence my Neutral. --Goodmorningworld (talk) 16:51, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

   I vaguely remember this conflict but could you provide at least a begining diff to help me research it? Thanks. Padillah (talk) 17:19, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

   Will do, give me some time to do the legwork, please. --Goodmorningworld (talk) 17:29, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

   Archive of first WQA thread.

   Request for closure by Goodmorningworld does not get heeded.

   Archive of second WQA thread.

   Request for closure by Goodmorningworld in second WQA thread also does not get heeded.

   BMW rejects request for closure: "Not likely for a long time. Sarcasm used to undermine someone's input (and even to discourage it) is uncivil. All the rhetoric in trying to defend such actions are really allowing them to dig a big deep hole ."

   Out of Misplaced Pages's 1600-strong admin corps, BMW turns to one with a rep for blocking established editors.

   BMW starts a dialog on "Civility and Sarcasm" on GMW's user page.

   GMW points out to BMW inconsistency between BMW's professed attitude to sarcasm and his own employment of it here; there is no reply from BMW.--Goodmorningworld (talk) 19:04, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

   Hostile, possibly threatening comments from BMW directed at two users who showed up on blocking admin's page to register their objections.

   The same two editors are subsequently dragged before WP:ANI. When they try to defend themselves, BMW makes this comment but later, to his credit, strikes it through.

   In short, my impression was that BMW was painting targets on the backs of Greg L and Tony1, for reasons unknown to me.

   Note to editors who are opposing based on my diffs: There is a reason why I am in the Neutral column, not in the Oppose column. I believe that BMW is a cut above not just the average Wikipedian but the average WP admin, I believe that the good he has accomplished to date far outweighs the bad. Please take the time to research the candidate and please do not decide based only on the issue raised by me, thanks.--Goodmorningworld (talk) 19:21, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

   I did want to add, however, that this situation as a whole is an example of me asking someone else for advice. I did not ask for the users in question to be blocked, I asked an admin to have a second set of eyes on the situation - I would of course AGF and never acuse an admin of being block happy :-). (talk→ Bwilkins / BMW ←track) 18:05, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

3. Neutral - I believe that people should not be judged over single incidents which may be out of character, but do believe that the above incident is of concern. — neuro 21:05, 15 April 2009 (UTC)