SmashWiki:Administrators
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This page documents an official SmashWiki policy, a widely accepted standard that all users should follow. When editing this page, please ensure that your revision reflects consensus. If in doubt, consider discussing changes on the talk page. |
Different users have access to different functions of the site. While anyone can read and edit this site, administrators can access a few additional functions to maintain the high standard of content on SmashWiki. They are usually entrusted to mediate user disputes, arbitrate users, and interpret policy during times of argument.
Users can request adminship at SmashWiki:Requests for adminship.
Abilities
The additional abilities of administrators include:
- Deleting and restoring pages, page histories, and uploaded files.
- Locking (protecting) a page so it cannot be edited or renamed by non-admins, or semi-protect pages so that autoconfirmed users can edit it but new ones and IPs cannot.
- Blocking or unblocking IP addresses or user names from editing, and very quick "rollback" of undesirable edits.
- Check the IP address of any user, as well as any account that has used an IP address.
- Change the text and style of the interface by editing the pages in the MediaWiki namespace.
- Can view Special:Unwatchedpages to see pages which may be more vulnerable to vandalism.
- Applying (and removing) probation to users.
- Have access to the SmashWiki email account and YouTube account.
- Gain administrator status in the Discord channel.
Who are the administrators?
Listed below are SmashWiki's administrators. For a complete list of users with administrator access, see Special:Listusers/sysop.
Active
Active admins are generally on the wiki every day and edit on a regular basis. When it comes to looking for an admin for whatever reason, this group is generally the best bet.
- Aidanzapunk (Administrator)
- Disaster Flare (Bureaucrat)
- Serpent King (Bureaucrat)
- Toomai (Bureaucrat)
Semi-active
Admins in this group are not active enough to be considered so, but do show up on an irregular basis with reasonable frequency. They also will usually respond to messages on their talkpage or any contact attempts outside the wiki, and will help with their admin powers or participate in discussions if needed.
- Porplemontage (Developer)
Inactive
Admins in this group have not made an edit or been seen on-wiki in about a month, or may choose to be considered inactive. While inactive, they'll rarely, if ever, participate in the wiki, and may be unresponsive to any contact attempts.
- Miles of SmashWiki (Administrator)
- Omega Tyrant (Administrator)
Retired
Admins can be "retired" for two reasons: they have been deemed sufficiently inactive by a bureaucrat, or they have chosen to step down. Retired admins have no powers and are not part of any special usergroup. If a retired admin wishes to return to staff duty, a bureaucrat may choose to re-promote them without an RfA process if it is clear they are still well-suited for the role.
What are "bureaucrats" and "developers"?
Bureaucrats and developers are additional types of users that have powers distinct from a regular administrator.
Bureaucrats
Bureaucrats (or bcrats) are typically regarded as the next step above an admin. They have the following abilities:
- Can promote and demote other users to and from rollbackers, admins, or bureaucrats.
- Can edit interwiki data, adding, editing, or removing keywords used to apply shortcut links to other wikis.
- Can rename or merge and delete users.
- Can hide edits. Hidden edits are invisible to not only regular users, but admins as well, making them impossible for other admins to delete or undelete. As a corollary, bureaucrats can also see the log of these hidden edits.
Developers
Developers usually have all the power of a bureaucrat in addition to one powerful tool: They can lock the site completely. Currently, only the owner of SmashWiki, Porplemontage, has this power, which is usually only used during server maintenance when editing the site could damage it.
Inactivity
Administrators and bureaucrats who have not been seen for long periods of time are subject to demotion by inactivity. This decision is to be made by the bureaucrats, however it is disputable. Bureaucrats are also to make a decision on what to do if someone who was demoted in this way came back actively.
What can administrators not do?
Administrators should not use their administrator powers to settle editing disputes; for example, to lock a page on a version he or she prefers in an editing dispute that isn't vandalism. Administrator powers should be used to help keep the wiki clear of vandalism, spam, and users who make malicious edits, but not for simple disagreements between users acting in good faith. Ideally an admin shouldn't be considered "in charge". The ideal admin is just someone who is trusted to have a few extra buttons and to use them for the benefit of the SmashWiki community.
Administrators are not kings
Administrators have no additional say in the content of SmashWiki. Administrators are equally valuable to every contributor. Most administrators actively contribute to SmashWiki - they will, inevitably, get into content disputes with other users. However, they are not to use their status as admin to give their opinion undue importance. For example, they may not protect a page in a non-vandalism editing dispute simply to enforce their preferred version. (Note that this may be difficult to distinguish from protecting a page simply because it is part of an edit war. As always, admins are expected to exercise their best judgement when making such decisions.)
Likewise, no non-administrators should back down in a content-related argument with an administrator simply because the administrator has extra user rights. Simply being an administrator does not make one universally knowledgeable about all things related to Super Smash Bros.; normal users or even IPs are not immediately wrong simply because they disagree with an administrator. Users should view the comments of other users as just that - comments from another user, no matter their status.
...but administrators are still administrators
Ideally, administrators shouldn't be considered as being "in charge"; the ideal admin is just someone who is trusted to have a few extra buttons and to use them for the benefit of the SmashWiki community, by keeping the wiki clear of vandalism, spam, and malicious users. However, admins are promoted to a staff position because the community has agreed that they can be trusted to make tough calls or arbitrary decisions in cases where discussion and diplomacy do not reach a solution. Therefore, when the staff make a decision on a hotly debated or high-visibility topic, users are expected to comply.
Some situations where it may be necessary for administrator fiat to override community desire include:
- Decisions that, if carried out, would damage the wiki and/or its reputation
- Decisions that are risky or impossible for technical reasons
- Discussions that are at a stalemate, or where one or more sides refuse to concede
