SmashWiki talk:Adoption

The Edits Section:

Use this section for suggesting ways to revise this proposal...

The +/- Section:

Use this section to post whether you support or oppose this proposal, and why...

• Oppose Users shouldn't need to apply for a way to get help; they should just be able to ask for help such as a simple question and anyone can help them. If they were completely lost they could say so and the community would help guide them without these unnecessary steps. This would also seem very complicated for a newbie who doesn't know anything about the wiki. The limitations on who can welcome users are very arbitrary; anyone who applies and shows the skill should be able to do it, not just sysops and two rollbackers. We also have the welcome template and Read this first. Awesome Cardinal 2000 19:26, 22 September 2013 (EDT)

• Oppose Smash, lemme educate you on a little something called free will. This is practically demanding that newbies seek out the help of an admin. It perpetuates the stereotypes that admins are kings (most people wouldn't read the NPA clause proving otherwise) and new users are in-confident (some new editors might, you know, actually know the workings of a wiki). RoyboyX Talk 20:14, 22 September 2013 (EDT)

• Oppose. It's not that hard to figure this place out, and RTFM already summarizes most of what anyone needs to know. Miles (talk) 20:16, 22 September 2013 (EDT)

• Oppose. What if the "new" user made useful contributions as an IP? They do not need to be re-guided when they decided to make an account. ZeldaStarfoxfan2164 (talk) 20:29, 22 September 2013 (EDT)

• Oppose. Per all, this policy would be redundant because of SW:RTFM and some new users may not need help at all. Dots The Arwing 21:02, 22 September 2013 (EDT)

• What the...?! If a newbie can't figure out how to do anything, how can they figure out how to do this? What problem does this solve? How does restricting who can help someone help the wiki? Why would any admin want to do this? Does any other wiki of similar size have anything resembling this?
  I ain't havin' this. Toomai Glittershine The Chilled 21:14, 22 September 2013 (EDT)

Well, I'm glad I'm getting all this feedback, so first of all, thanks! Secondly, yes Toomai, Wikipedia also has an adoption policy, but I didn't want this to look like plagiarism, so I used my own adoption idea, which only slightly mimics it. Third, you're right, Zeldastarfoxfan, I did not think of that. Fourth, Ac2k, I didn't say a single thing about absolutely having to do this. I just thought I could propose a way to help newcomers learn about the wiki in a less strict, and more organized way. "Some users may not need help at all." Well duh; This policy is meant for those who aren't familiar so they can ease into the Wiki. "This is practically demanding that newbies seek the help of an admin." As I stated above, this policy is intended for those who actually need help, and they really think they need serious help. I want that help to come to them, but just in this very organized way. "What problem does this solve?" It is supposed to help the newcomers (as heavily mentioned on the actual proposal page) so they'll become good users through help and support. "How does restricting who can help someone help the wiki?" It would only be organized in terms of "adopted users", meaning that these groups won't help anything outside of this, and that's not my concern in this proposal; it wouldn't really help. "Why would any admin want to do this?" Don't you admins WANT to see good users here? Well why not contribute to that cause by using the damn policy, getting your groups together, and helping the new users. "This would seem very complicated..." Well maybe so, but it's still organized, and that's how wikis should be: Organized. ...and I don't think I said ANYTHING about welcoming users; just about helping them, and nothing more.

But to simplify this, allow me to illustrate my point with an example:

So let's pretend I'm a newbie here! So I create my account, I'm not even autoconfirmed, and I'm already off to a poor start. So maybe I decide to read over the rules, to try and understand the wiki better. I stumble across SW:ADOP, "Ooh, perfect! Maybe this will help me!" I make an RfU, and wait for support. It's successful! I get a message saying I'm assigned to Omega Tyrant. I'm in his group, and he and his two rollbackers will help me (and some other new people) become a good user. I'll keep learning and getting better, and then once OT says I'm a sufficient SmashWikidian, then I'm "un-adopted", and I'm off on my own.

See my logic now?? I won't get to your replies for a while, 'cuz I'm about to go to bed, and I have school tomorrow. SmashBall104; Arrested for drunk Landmastering. 32:39, 22 September, 2013 (EDT)

Wait! What the fuck!? We're not done with this yet! Why is the failed template already there!? Only a few users responded, and I want more feedback! SmashBall104; Arrested for drunk Landmastering. 32:45, 22 September, 2013 (EDT)

This kind of thing works for Wikipedia because they're so large that individual users are lost in the mess, and attaching new people to old people is kind of the only way to notice them. SmashWiki is still small enough that a single user can keep track of every edit, so new users are easily detected and directed when necessary. Should a new user be looking for help, we have a reasonably stable core of active, skilled users that can usually help without requiring the assistance of a specific admin, and between SW:FIRST, the staff listing on SW:ADMIN, and the WhosOnline of RecentChanges, it's not hard to find someone. Simply put, the policy in a vacuum is not bad, but it does not fit the current state of the wiki. Toomai Glittershine The Yellow 23:50, 22 September 2013 (EDT)

Plus what everyone else already said, unnecessary bureaucracy is really bad, and just makes everything more difficult, complicated, and slower. A better, much faster and much simpler idea for struggling new users? Go to an active admin (or other prominent user) and post on their talk page "Hey, I need some help with X, blah blah blah", and there, they get the help they need near immediately or are directed to another user who can help them. No need at all to make a policy and whole request procedure for it. Omega Tyrant 07:08, 23 September 2013 (EDT)