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Foxy Loxy

Voice your opinion (talk page) (19/7/3); Scheduled to end 02:11, 10 October 2008 (UTC)

This RfA was restarted from this one due to this post on BN.

Foxy Loxy (talk · contribs) - Hello fellow Wikipedians! I created my Misplaced Pages account on 12 July 2006 (under the username Atyndall), when I decided to make a few corrections to an article, and try and make my own (like a lot of newbs, my article ended up deleted) but after only a shortwhile, I became too busy, and forgot about the account (and really the 'pedia itself) for several years. After a while, I decided that editing Misplaced Pages is both addicting and helping a good cause. I started off how many new users do; small corrections, tagging pages as stubs/cleanup/etc, anti-vandalism (with twinkle, and later, rollback) and moved up on to the bigger stuff like mediation, articles for deletion, huggling, writing good articles and running a bot. Currently I try to commit a fair amount of time each week to the 'pedia, continuing with the article writing, anti-vandalism, my bot, participating in AfD discussions and occasionally mediation. I believe that I (using the terminology of some RfA !voters) "would be a net positive" to the 'pedia if I was given admin privileges. Of course, that decision is up to you.

I thank you all for your time in voting/commenting in this RfA. Foxy Loxy 02:22, 3 October 2008 (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: If I was granted the mop, I think that I would start off with what processes I am familiar with (closing AfDs and good old vandal-fighting) and then start to expand out into other areas like CSDs, PRODs and the Requests for Page Protection page. I would particularly focus on areas listed in the Administrative backlog category (at the moment, some ones I could have a look at; SSP, TFD and PUI). I would eventually settle into my own little niche in the 'pedia, mopping the floor in my attempt to make the place cleaner. Foxy Loxy 02:22, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
2. What are your best contributions to Misplaced Pages, and why?
A: I believe that LoxyBot would be my greatest contribution, even though it only performs a very simple and menial task it was my first proper PHP project and I improved the SxWiki framework to do many things it couldn't before, it also takes over from the broken Pearle in updating the {{opentasks}} list, helping to keep the list as dynamic as it should be. I also find my first notable article, BootX (Apple), to be a very good contribution also (it reached GA standard) as I managed to turn it from stub quality to that standard over a month or two (roughly dedicating 1-2 days a week on it). I have currently written Xgrid up to (well I think) that same standard and it is currently going through the GAN process right now, I think that I have done well on that article as well. I have draw up SVG diagrams and also uploaded 21 images (most are still registered under my old username Atyndall) to here or commons to include around the 'pedia or specifically in the articles I have editing. With the images, I am particularly proud of Image:Xgridprotocol.svg and Image:Misplaced Pages in binary.gif as I think they help to illustrate a point in creative ways. Foxy Loxy 02:22, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
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: Around March 2008 I was in a conflict with User:Lookinhere over the citation usage of James Rogers (soldier). I reverted the citations User:Lookinhere used as they were instead of <ref></ref> tag citations, I explained my actions to the user several times but was ignored/not noticed. After becoming frustrated at the fact that Lookinhere was questioning my knowledge of the subject (even though that is in no way related to reverting an edit, or so I thought at the time), showing that he/she hadn't even been listening to what I had been saying I yelled at him/her at the bottom of here, this was also ignored. Finally after accidentally adding a CSD tag to the user's talk page using Twinkle, Lookinhere brought the event to WT:AN/3RR calling me vicious and believing that I had malicious intent when I accidentally added the CSD tag to Lookinhere's talk page, after reviewing courses of action I calmly apologized at his talk page and that was how the matter ended. I know now, in hindsight, that I could have handled the situation much better; instead of just removing his contributions I should have taken the matter up with Lookinhere before he/she became angry and started ignoring my postings. I definitely should not have resorted to yelling at Lookinhere as that was a serious breach of Wikietiquette and possibly inflamed Lookinhere even more. I needed to keep a calm head when this happened, which I did at the beginning, but then lost at the end. Since then I have dealt with several other people who have insulted me with nothing but a calm response and will continue to do so in the future. Foxy Loxy 02:22, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
Optional questions from iMatthew
4. In your own words, what is the role of an administrator on Misplaced Pages?
A: An administrator is any user on Misplaced Pages that has been granted extra user rights (mainly block, protect and delete) that could cause high amounts of damage to the project if abused. These rights are granted (usually) through the stringent Request for Adminship process. The main or official roles of an admin (there are plenty) on Misplaced Pages are ones of maintenance and "cleaning up messes" (which is symbolized by the admin powers being represented by a janitor's mop, a symbol of cleaning up messes). Many admin related tasks are handling requests for the admin's tools to be used after consensus is determined (the admin reviews the situation then if it is favorable, acts as a proxy for the request. i.e. avenues such as AFD, AIV and RFPP), the admin using his/her judgment to apply use of the tools to benefit the project (i.e. reviewing SSP cases or NPP/AVP and blocking), intervening in disputes (i.e. WP:AN/I) or enforcing consensus/policy/ArbCom (i.e. 3RR blocks). Because of the stringent RfA process, people who pass through successfully are seen to have high community support/good judgment/experience/etc. and are looked upon as role models in disputes. Due to this, admins also attract people requiring some form of mediation/intervention and act as sort of unofficial mediators (which is why handling heated disputes is a key RfA requirement). Foxy Loxy 12:16, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
Questions from previous RfA
6. Just one more: As an administrator, you will come across some extremely vulgar language and often come under attack for your actions. You will most likely have to deal with some fairly troublesome users. The users you block will sometimes ask to be unblocked. Please review the very NSFW scenario outlined at User:Xenocidic/RFAQ and describe how you would respond to the IP's request to be unblocked.
A: After reading the question through, I believe that I would decline the unblock request, telling the user to wait it out (this would hopefully make the vandal get bored and move elsewhere), I would also provide the user with a welcome templatem links on how to constructively contribute (e.g. How to edit, MoS etc) and a warning that one more vandalism edit, and a 6 month - year block (account creation disabled) will be applied (its only a semi-dynamic ip right?). Then I would wait till the user's block has expired, then watch his/her contributions for the next week (occasional checks) and block as promised if any further disruption occurs. Foxy Loxy 14:50, 1 October 2008 (UTC)
NOTE: I now know a better answer to this question as learnt from the previous RfA oppose. Unblocking straight away and blocking for two weeks if disruption continues. Foxy Loxy 11:42, 3 October 2008 (UTC)

Optional questions from  Asenine 

7. In his daily editing, a newbie user edits a prominent page, and his edit is reasonably trivial. It does not violate any policies, and it contains reliable sources. Unbeknownst to them, the edit they just made was against an overwhelming consensus on the talk page. Disgruntled editors then take action and replace the edited text with their own version which was decided with consensus. Their version, however, does not include any sources at all, and is unverifiable. What should be done to resolve the issue effectively, and which editor is doing the right thing according to policy? In a nutshell: Which is more important, verifiability or consensus?
A: This is quite a tough question, I believe that there are a couple of different approaches depending on what kind of article it is. If the article is a BLP and the added statement is contentious then the new user could immediately remove the statement as per WP:BLP or report it to the BLP noticeboard. In any other kind of article or with non-contentious BLP info, per WP:V, the information could also be immediately be removed (as you said the material is unverifiable and V says that material without sources can be removed and because it is unverifiable no sources could possibly be found) and it should be, but then the new user should try and discuss with other user's on the article's talk page about why the information was removed etc and how their contributions are still welcome, provided they are verifiable. In a nutshell, I'm not trying to belittle consensus, it's still very important, but we are here to write a factually accurate and verifiable encyclopedia, not come to agreements over information that cannot be verified. Foxy Loxy 01:31, 2 October 2008 (UTC)
8. As an administrator, many inexperienced editors will come to you for advice. Some of them will be highly puzzled as to what is going on, or even angry because of something that has happened to them in the course of their time here. It is important to keep a cool head and handle the situation well, and also be knowledgeable in how to resolve the problem; so I ask - can you give us evidence that you have successfully aided annoyed users in the past?
A: I must say, that I don't really get annoyed users on my page ranting (well, I do get a lot of userpage vandalism, but you don't really respond to that). One time when the user was actually irate was this but I have helped to point a new user who has posted to my page in the right direction and give a user a very brief and very general explanation of who I am. I know that is not strong evidence, but you can't, in good faith, make irate/annoyed people come to your page and I think I have just been lucky (or maybe unlucky, depending on how people view this answer) in that department. Foxy Loxy 11:33, 2 October 2008 (UTC)
9. Will your current activities continue if you are appointed with the mop and bucket? If not so, which will you drop/be less active in/be more active in/take up?
A: My article writing and mediation will definitely continue if I were to be given the mop, but I think I may replace anti-vandalism with another admin orientated activity, like those talked about in A1. Foxy Loxy 11:33, 2 October 2008 (UTC)
'Optional Question from  Marlith (Talk) '
10. What do you want Misplaced Pages to be in five years?  Marlith (Talk)  03:50, 2 October 2008 (UTC)
A: Well, hopefully Misplaced Pages's quality has increased and bureaucracy has decreased. An overhaul of the RfA system is a must. Having an AI based antivandalism plugin build into MediaWiki would be an excellent idea. Oh, and a kind of scripting plugin that makes it when you need to do something like submit an RfA, you need to fill in one form, click, and all the necessary things are posted to the pages where they are needed (less steps! less creep!). I guess I would like a whole bunch of other improvements, including a bigger and higher quality article base and the ability to run bots from inside mediawiki. I don't really know what else to say, it just better be better! Foxy Loxy 11:42, 3 October 2008 (UTC)

General comments

RfAs for this user:
  • I would just like to point out, with my edit summary percentages that my major edit summary usage is only 47%, this is because the majority of my edits are marked as minor and the major edits the tool are accessing are over 5 months old. Long story short, If you look at wannabe_kate's tool you'll see I haven't neglected to use an edit summary in 5 months. Foxy Loxy 02:30, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  • IMPORTANT NOTE My relatively low mainspace editcount seems to be one of the main concerns of the opposers so I would like to explain it here. My process of article building is to take a copy of a stub, copy it to my userspace and then edit up to a GA standard (for example, the BootX (Apple)'s userspace article is User:Foxy Loxy/AIP/BootX) although, I am now moving entirely to the mainspace. After the time it takes to write it, I then copy the finished product back to the article. So although I made many edits to my userspace version of BootX, the mainspace version is only 8 edits. (As pointed out below). So my mainspace editcount is low due to that, so I do do article writing, my editcount just doesn't show it. For any one interested in this, see User:Foxy Loxy/AIP. Also, I now plan to perform my full article writing in the mainspace. Foxy Loxy 02:30, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  • Links for Foxy Loxy: Foxy Loxy (talk · contribs · deleted · count · AfD · logs · block log · lu · rfar · spi)

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

Discussion

That's good, but I also think that the questions and answers to questions from the previous RFA should be pasted here. No reason for people to have to jump back and forth to look them up. Nsk92 (talk) 10:15, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
Done. Foxy Loxy 12:17, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
Support
  1. Support - No change in my stance since the last RfA. Wisdom89 (T / ) 02:42, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  2. Support - He was very helpful in mediating disputes at Bates method involving editors who can at times be rather difficult. PSWG1920 (talk) 03:07, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  3. Why not? - Edit counts show sufficient experience, good variety of interests, clear block log, no sign of antagonistic behaviors. Jehochman 03:33, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  4. I support. This user seems to have a good deal of experience in admin areas and maintenance. Sure, more general involvement in the mainspace would be good, but Foxy Loxy shouldn't have any problem in regards to wielding the administrative functions. —Anonymous Dissident 04:07, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  5. As in the previous RfA I Support this candidacy. X MarX the Spot (talk) 04:13, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  6. Weak Support. I had been thinking about Foxy's previous RFA and had yet to decide my stance when he went through the username change and relisted his RFA. Anyway, I agree with what was said in his original RFA, that creating an article in the userspace and then moving it into the article space is not a crime, but I think you might want to limit that practice in order to foster an attitude of collaboration. As a side note, I had no problem with your previous name, but I do prefer a phonetic one because I'm always talking with my roommates about Misplaced Pages. Useight (talk) 04:53, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  7. Strong Support. Good article and AV work; as before, no reason to consider the Banhammer in this guy's hands anything less than A Good Thing. Ironholds 05:07, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  8. Weak support per my statement at Misplaced Pages:Requests for adminship/Foxy Loxy. - Icewedge (talk) 06:04, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  9. Support YellowMonkey (choose Australia's next top model) 06:13, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  10. Weak support per my original reason. Good answer to Q3, by the way. Cosmic Latte (talk) 06:37, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  11. I'm of a mind that taking the feedback regarding the username and acting on it indicates an editor who will respect both consensus and the requests of their peers. These seem ideal admin traits. Pedro :  Chat  07:12, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  12. Weak Support I was severely disappointed in some of the opposers from the previous RfA. Blatant assumptions of bad faith, nitpicky, etc. You seem to do decent work, and I have no real issue with working on articles in userspace. A note of caution: do review Xeno's oppose in light of Q6 from the previous RfA, jumping to a 6 month is indeed too harsh. Good luck. GlassCobra 09:14, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  13. Support- I think adminising Foxy Loxy will be a net gain to Misplaced Pages. Sure restarting the RfA is highly irregular but I think, given the unusual situation with your previous user-name and the unwarranted nastiness of some of the opposes, starting afresh is justified. Reyk YO! 09:56, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  14. Weak support - I wasn't entirely happy with all of your responses to the previous incarnation, but you have shown you are adaptable, which I think is an essential quality in an admin. You've got moxie, kid. Have a cigar. Prince of Canada 09:58, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  15. Support - No change since last Rfa --Flewis 10:39, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  16. Support - I don't think that Foxy Loxy would be a disaster to the 'pedia. Xclamation point 10:55, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  17. Support - I can see no evidence that Foxy Loxy would abuse the tools. I also think that relisting the RfA was fine in this case, and hope you don't get hit too hard for it. Ale_Jrb 11:44, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  18. Support My rationale for support was going to be something that would now look just as a rephrasing of Pedro's rationale. I admire your attitide, I think only positive things can come from that. Good luck! SWik78 (talk • contribs) 12:52, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  19. Support - The crats restarted this thing, not the editor. The answers are good and they didn't change trying to game the system. The work is good. Solid XfD participation. Anti-vandal work, while not my big thing, is all properly done. And the userpage message encourages me -- I'd rather have someone trying to learn how to be a good admin than thinking they know it all and their various arrogations are correct. The answer to Q6 in the first RfA is actually a plus to me. We spend too much time coddling IP editors and adhering to a blocking policy that basically assumes that some how short little blocks are going to stop the vandalization when there's no evidence of such. Additionally, despite what people are claiming, at least 10 opposes were based on the user name. Finally, despite some claims, the editor is actually showing experience in several admin related fields : mediation, bot operation, both solo and coordinated article writing (and the negotiation and consensus building the latter involves), AN/I, patrolling, and the like. I firmly agree people should be able to oppose for whatever reason they like, but I'm afraid vague "bad feeligns" or suggestions of "ill-intentions" , or opposes based on a decisions by crats, doesn't really reflect on the editor's actual actions. -- Logical Premise 13:32, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
    Just as a point of order, the 'crats specifically declined to restart the RFA and the candidate closed it themself. –xeno (talk) 13:36, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
Oppose
  1. Oppose. I really really dislike the "restarting" of the RFA episode, just because you did not like the (valid) reasoning behind a few opposes. Seems to me to show someone who wants to be an admin way to much and is willing to mess with the rules in order to achieve it. Now, regarding the username issue. It is good that you changed the username. However, the fact that you had such a fairly clearly inappropriate username for so long and only changed it two days ago (and only after it became an issue in an RFA), is a problem in and of itself indicating judgement and maturity issues. I am quite willing to forgive and forget such things, but not after just two days. Second, quite a few opposes in the previous version of this RFA raised issues unrelated to the username. For example, the answer to Q6 in that RFA is quite bad. You don't threaten an IP with a one year (!) block in the circumstances described (after a block of just 31 hours). Nsk92 (talk) 09:31, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
    I would just like to make it clear that it was never my original idea to restart the RfA, although it was a good one, and that I only allowed it to restart as two crats and several users said it would be a good idea (also you can break the rules, due to WP:IAR). I did not changed my username for the sole reason to gain support votes, but xenocidic raised a good point that such a name could look like a smirk to people I might possibly block. Foxy Loxy 09:57, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
    That maybe, and I absolutely do blame the crats in question for making such a poor decision and creating a really bad and messy precedent, but you should not have agreed to this anyway. It just looks bad and desperate. By the way, please paste the questions and the answers to the questions from the previous RFA to this one. Nsk92 (talk) 10:11, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
    The current name could too (but please don't go changing it!) Giggy (talk) 10:07, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  2. Per me last time around. Giggy (talk) 09:52, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  3. Oppose. Based on your userpage (" have many roles on Misplaced Pages as I am trying to gain enough experience to become an administrator"), you seem to think Misplaced Pages is a game, and the purpose is to become an admin. I do not want people like this being administrators, sorry. I'm afraid I still get the feeling you're "ticking all the boxes" (do one or two articles, do loads of huggle and twinkle stuff to get the edit count up, do a bit of mediation, etc) solely to get the admin bit - viewing it as some kind of "levelling up". The fact you switched to editing Misplaced Pages after your "cutting your addiction to MMORPGs" is telling; it seems like you simply changed the game you were playing, rather than broke the addiction. As long as you see Misplaced Pages as an MMORPG where you gain XP by bashing vandals and level up through RFAs, you're still not what I'm looking for in an admin. Sorry.
    Above was copied from my opposal in the previous RFA. In addition to this, restarting an RFA halfway through - especially when it was 15/22/8 at the time - is a very poor show. I wonder if you would have opted to do the same if it was 40-0-0? fish&karate 10:01, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
    If it was 40-0-0 and no one objected to the username, there wouldn't be much cause to restart, would there? GlassCobra 10:13, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
    Precisely. fish&karate 10:47, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
    Precisely what? You're not making any point. If no one objected to the username, there would have been no need to restart this RfA. GlassCobra 10:51, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
    Then there would be no anti-username votes, would there? Xclamation point 10:55, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  4. Oppose Sorry, but this whole do-over routine (not to mention switching names in the middle of the original aborted RfA) is too erratic for me. Ecoleetage (talk) 12:13, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
    I agree on point, but note that we've had name changes during RfAs before - John Carter, formerly Warlordjohncarter, is one example - though that RfA passed 146/0/1. UltraExactZZ ~ Evidence 12:24, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
    This candidate is no John Carter -- the aborted RfA was closed at 15/22/8. This is strictly a do-over, which is unfair to the process -- should every failing RfA candidate get a do-over while the process is in motion? Restarting a failing RfA is bad form. Ecoleetage (talk) 12:40, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
    Agreed - there's a reason I highlighted the result of that RfA. The name change itself doesn't bother me, but the re-do is hinky, however well-intentioned. UltraExactZZ ~ Evidence 13:39, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  5. Per reasons given in last RfA. — Realist 12:26, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  6. Oppose - While I appreciate the softened stance to the hypothetical vandal (it's actually maybe too much of a reversal, even I asked the person to prove themself with a {{2nd chance}} template), this whole restart business is just too gamey for my tastes. There was really only one person opposing solely because of the username and I think that issue has been blown out of proportion. I would've preferred to see them come back in a month or so after addressing some of the other concerns and I would've been able to support. –xeno (talk) 12:27, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  7. Oppose. I'd like to see the editor work on articles in article space rather than user space for a bit (details of my oppose in previous Rfa). --Regents Park (sniff out my socks) 13:11, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
Neutral
  1. Neutral - I personally don't agree with restarting an RfA simply because of difference in reasoning behind a couple of oppose votes. I was neutral leaning support, but not, truthfully, I cannot say the same. - Jameson L. Tai 06:42, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  2. Neutral I completely agree with Jamesontai. My concerns about his username no longer stand, but an overall lack of experience prevents me from supporting at this point. Cheers, –Juliancolton 13:10, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
  3. Neutral as the one who originally suggested this might be appropriate for a restart after the name-change. I was Oppose for reasons unrelated to the username in the first go-round... but as that was a repeated concern in the first RfA, after the change in circumstances the restart seems to me, at least, understandable. And since my Oppose was based on candidate's unwillingness to acknowledge consensus, and restarting this RfA seems evidence to the contrary, I'm comfortable hanging on the sidelines for this one. For anyone thinking candidate is gaming the system, all I'll say in response is it wasn't originally the candidate's idea. Townlake (talk) 13:45, 3 October 2008 (UTC)