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#wikipedia-en-admins is a closed channel for administrators on the English Misplaced Pages. Many admins on other Wikimedia projects, former admins, developers and OTRS respondents are there as well if they are sufficiently friendly with other admins or Arbcom members. The channel is controversial and while many admins use it responsibly others do not. To such editors the frequent announcements on Misplaced Pages:Administrators' noticeboard/Incidents beginning "Following discussions on IRC, I have blocked..." ring alarm bells, as often such blocks concern well established editors and are often misguided. .
Purpose
While there is a lot of idle conversation, the main aims of the channel are to discuss, away from the rank and file editors, admin work and decisions. It's also amazing how people who argue furiously on the wiki can be a lot nicer in real time. It's good for quickly asking questions. Admins are more likely to find a checkuser when they're in a hurry too.
The channel was originally created by Talrias for Danny to deal with urgent living biography issues. Foundation staff and board members will often go onto the channel with a problem needing solving.
Important: The channel is useful for double-checking yourself, but don't decide things based solely on an IRC discussion. Unless there is a legitimate need for privacy, on-wiki discussion is usually a better choice than off-wiki.
Conduct on the channel
The ethos behind the channel is "You're an admin, you were picked for your chutzpah and judgement. Use it." The truth though is rather a different matter.
Some users do not comport themselves in a collegial manner, and bad blocks are frequently plotted on IRC. Many well established editors have been blocked unjustly as a result of IRC formulated blocks, these blocks have been heavily and publicly criticised on Misplaced Pages, and many editors feel the channel should be closed down. Established editors who have been blocked for machiavelliian reasons on IRC include Badlydrawnjeff and Giano. Fortunately, the channel is far from private, and logs are often leaked to mainstream editors or forwarded to ArbCom - many arbitrators also use the channel - which is another reason many of the rank and file editors of wikipedia do not completely trust the Arbcom.
How to get access
If you're an English Misplaced Pages admin:
- Request access below, providing your cloak details and/or IRC nick. (Someone will then process these by hand with /cs ACCESS #wikipedia-en-admins ADD nickname 5.). Once done, you can get access to the channel by typing
/msg chanserv invite #wikipedia-en-admins. You should then be able to join the channel as normal. - If you wish, go here to request an IRC cloak. (Sean then processes these by hand). This step is optional, but a good idea.
- If you wish for 'automatic' access where a /cs invite command is not required, please ask an op while in the channel. A cloak is required for this, they will op themselves and do
/mode +I *!*@your/cloak/here
- If you wish for 'automatic' access where a /cs invite command is not required, please ask an op while in the channel. A cloak is required for this, they will op themselves and do
- The IRC instructions page may also be helpful.
Requests
- In the form "cloak/nick - link to RFA - ~~~~"
- If you're such a grizzly old sysop not to have had an RfA, you can have access too.
Removal of access
none
Channel lizards
Access is at the sole discretion of James F., and his friends. These people like to term themselves as: "evil flying monkey helpers" they included Shanel, Mindspillage, Interiot, Dmcdevit, Mark Ryan, Lar, David Gerard, sannse, One, bastique and Kelly Martin.
David and James F. would quite like all English Misplaced Pages admins on this channel, (except of course the ones who have been given to understand that they're not welcome, but you know who you are!) particularly new ones, so as to get the admins talking to each other. IRC, however, is not mandatory to being an admin, and if anyone tries to make it a criterion for support at Requests for adminship. The controllers of the Admin channel suggest that such comments be ignored as hard as possible. As such discussion may be seen by ordinary editors, many of whom are already suspicious of the activities which are presumed to take place on IRC, especially that which takes place in the "supposed" secrecy of the admin channel.
Sources of processes detailed on this page
James F. is the contact freenode has for Wikimedia-related IRC channels. The Foundation disclaims IRC, so James is the sole source of authority. It's a good thing he's sane. Unfortunately, James is only occasionally active at the moment in this area. This means that his deputy, seanw should be consulted for the majority of issues.
Parts of this page may have apparently frivolous wording. This is not a problem, because admins are picked for their judgement and cluefulness.