Round 2

Some of the issues in Round 1 were refined for this month-long second discussion:

• a probationary period – three or six months were mentioned (16–9–2)
• admin recall (16–8)
• admin apprenticeships – in the order of months (2–5)
• unbundling of certain deletion requests – rollback and account creator were mentioned as previous devolutions of tools (13–0)
• unbundling of limited block/unblock powers (7–2)
• establish criteria for adminship (13–13)
• elected admin "commissioners" to appoint and supervise admins (5–16)
• RfA pass contingent on strings attached – the not unless option (8–4)
• lower the level of numerical support required (3–12)
• automated recruitment of likely good candidates (24–3)
• create a WikiProject for admin nominators (13–0).

The last proposal was acted on by setting up WikiProject Admin Nominators; this is dedicated to supporting editors who are interested in acting as nominators for potential RfA candidates, and now has 24 participants.

Round 3

For the final round, which lasted a week, the organisers identified three issues they felt stood some chance of gaining consensus; but the discussion was marked by generally lower participation rates and a much stronger reluctance to support reform. The first issue was the not unless proposal; it gained only 2 supports, against 18 opposes. There appeared to be significant concern among opposers about losing control of the standards for passing RfAs, whether by outsourcing judgements to bureacrats or by general messiness. Orlady wrote that it's "too complex, and I can't see it resolving the kinds of issues that can make RfAs problematic". Beeblebrox said: "this would fundamentally change the role of the crat, forcing them into an area that is the exact opposite of what they are normally expected to do". Arbitrator SilkTork was concerned as to why candidates who fail do not re-present themselves: "it might be better to work on the reasons they don't come back, rather than attempt to paint over the crack".

The second issue in round 3 was to create a new user-right for limited power to issue blocks for vandalism or unsuitable usernames, on the premise that the existing admin corps will soon be unable to manage these tasks satisfactorily (an assumption queried by Scottywong). Only 9 editors supported, against 31 opposes. SmokeyJoe said: "The ability to block newcomers is more dangerous to the future of the project than poor blocks of regulars who know how to respond." Kurtis said, "I think many regular editors involved in AIV, UAA, and SPI are sensible enough to avoid wantonly blocking good-faith contributors". Manning's opinion was: "How on earth would we discriminate between those good enough for "Admin-lite" but mysteriously not able to be trusted with the full janitorial toolset? To boot, adding yet another layer of hierarchy would only worsen the perceived gap between "full" admins and regular editors." To Wizardman and others, "this is the absolute last userright I'd unbundle."

The third and final proposal was for a probationary period for new admins. This failed 8–14–1, not helped by indecision as to whether it should apply to borderline or all RfAs, a matter that Hammersoft pointed out. Participants were generally unhappy with the lack of certainty involved in giving up the binary pass–fail system. Anthony Bradbury said: "An editor is either trustworthy in the eyes of the community, or s/he is not." Regentspark's comment seemed to sum up much of the sentiment: "We should be aiming to simplify the process, not complicate it."

The organisers stated that "The next step is to see how much of a difference the four proposals that passed in Round Two will make: Concerned editors start searching for quality candidates, Auto-prospecting, Project for nominators, and Unbundling - some U1 and G7s." In their view, if no consensus for reform is generated, "we'll need to take a closer look at what jobs aren't getting done as the admin corps shrinks, and what can be done about that".

WereSpielChequers, who has written several Signpost reports on the admin drought, told us:

International comparisons

Very little is known among each of the the 285 Wikipedia communities about this critical aspect of governance in their sister projects. The Signpost asked several prominent editors in foreign-language Wikipedias about their admin situation.

Canton-de-l'Est writes the widely read French WP news outlet RAW. He told the Signpost that over the past year 11 admins have been elected (equating to nearly 70 new admins on the English WP, given that the French WP has about 16% of the number of active editors); this brings the total numbers to around 180, he says. "There's a feeling that we don't have enough admins – a perception that comes mainly from the admin community". Interestingly, once a contributor gets the broom, anyone with the standard minimum qualifications on the site may challenge its status. This is a highly formalised system centering on a noticeboard. Cantons says that the way this operates has appeared to change over time. "A year ago, a challenge was received with some openness; but nowadays, challenges are receiving their share of criticisms – and not only from the sysop who is under fire (see examples here and here)". He says that many admins have resigned since the procedure was established. "While some years ago we worried that many challenges would try to pin down an admin on shaky grounds, this no longer seems to be a problem." A lot of admins work without scrutiny from day to day, according to Cantons, through their openness, willingness to explain, skill in writing French, and forgiveness. "For others, a wikiday can be like a rollercoaster."

The Signpost reported last year on the major reform of the German WP admin system, the introduction of an obligatory recall page; if 25 editors within three months, or 50 within six months, sign that they feel an admin should stand for re-election, the admin has the choice of either standing for re-election or standing down. This has been credited by some as bringing about a relatively low RfA barrier and better admin–community relations. We asked Gestumblindi, a key sponsor in the 2009 reforms, whether this will be the last change for a long time.

Simon Shek has been an admin sysop on the Chinese WP since 2007, which he says has 79 admins. "I have seen the RfA process on the Chinese WP become harsher than it was back when I started, with increasingly high expectations of community participants in RfAs (success requires at least 25 valid votes and 80% support within two weeks). Admins, he says, block about 27 users a day. Is admin behaviour ever regarded as a problem on the Chinese WP? "Yes! We sometimes have poor decisions about deletion and blocking. In such cases, another admin will review these decisions. Adminship can be removed by community consensus and voting. Two admins have been removed in this way. I don't think our RfA process will see any dramatic changes in the near future."

• Education in Namibia: The Wikimedia Blog, in conjunction with the Wikipedia Education Program, has published a piece by Peter Gallert, an English Wikipedia editor and lecturer at Polytechnic of Namibia, on his Wikipedia-related work in the African country.
• Core Contest begins: The Core Contest, an English Wikipedia initiative to increase the quality of important articles—which in the past has included topics like the Alps, Ecosystem, and the Middle Ages—has begun its first competition of 2013. £250 in prizes will be given out to multiple editors; article entries can be submitted until 12 May at Wikipedia:The Core Contest/Entries. Editors are encouraged to collaborate with others and participate in this initiative, which aims to "focus on improving Wikipedia's most important articles, particularly those in the worst state of disrepair."
• Audit Subcommittee candidates: The English Wikipedia's Arbitration Committee has invited the community to comment on the six Audit Subcommittee candidates. Nomination statements and answers to standard questions are available at the appointments page, and comments will be accepted until 17 April. The candidates are Guerillero, Jake Wartenberg, MBisanz, Penwhale, Richwales, and TParis.
• Language committee: The Language committee, which advises the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) on the creation of new language versions of the current WMF sites, has opened its mailing list to read-only subscribers.
• Quarterly reviews: The WMF's quarterly review process, which critically examines key WMF initiatives so that they are accountable, on the right track, and do not to reallocate resources, has met with the "E3" team (editor engagement experiments) for the second time. The notes from that have been published on Meta, the coordinating wiki for the Foundation, its component sister projects, and the volunteer communities involved in all of them.
  
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2013-04-15

The featured process swings into high gear

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By Armbrust

Demand Notes, scanned by Godot13

$5 U.S. banknote

$10 U.S. banknote

$20 U.S. banknote

This Signpost "Featured content" report covers material promoted between 7 and 13 April 2013.

Featured articles

• Alcohol laws of New Jersey (nom) by ColonelHenry. The state laws governing the control of alcohol beverages in New Jersey are unique. They are among of the most complex in the United States and contain many peculiarities not found in other states. State law provides for 29 distinct liquor licenses granted to manufacturers and for the public warehousing and transporting of alcoholic beverages. General authority for the statutory and regulatory control of alcoholic beverages rests with the state government.
• George Harrison (nom) by Evanh2008. George Harrison (1943–2001) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Harrison also released several best-selling singles and albums as a solo performer, and in 1988 co-founded the supergroup the Traveling Wilburys.
• King Island Emu (nom) by FunkMonk. The King Island Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae ater) is an extinct subspecies of Emu, that was endemic to King Island. The King Island Emu was the smallest of all emus, and had darker plumage than the mainland Emu. It was black and brown, and had naked blue skin on the neck, although in common with mainland Emus its chicks were striped. They were distinct from the Kangaroo Island Emu in a number of osteological details, including size.
• George Herriman (nom) by Curly Turkey. George Herriman (1880–1944) was an American cartoonist best known for the comic strip Krazy Kat. Herriman was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and grew up in Los Angeles. After he graduated from high school in 1897, he was employed in the newspaper industry as an illustrator and engraver. He moved on to cartooning and comic strips, and drew a variety of strips until he introduced his most famous character, Krazy Kat, in his strip The Dingbat Family in 1910.

Featured lists

• List of international cricket centuries by Aravinda de Silva (nom) by Vibhijain. Aravinda de Silva (born 1965) is a former cricketer and captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team. During his career he scored twenty centuries in Test and eleven in ODI cricket matches organised by the ICC.
• BBC Sports Unsung Hero Award (nom) by The Rambling Man. The BBC Sports Unsung Hero Award is an award given annually as part of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony each December. The award is given to the sportsperson who has made a substantive yet unrecognised contribution to sport. Sportspeople are nominated by the public, and must be aged at least 16 years on 1 January that year.
• List of international cricket centuries by Michael Clarke (nom) by The Rambling Man. Michael Clarke (born 1981) is an Australian cricketer and captain of the Australia national cricket team. To date he has scored twenty-three centuries in Test and seven in ODI cricket matches during his international career.
• List of international cricket centuries by Mohammad Azharuddin (nom) by Vensatry. Mohammad Azharuddin (born 1963) is a former cricketer and captain of the Indian cricket team. During his career he scored twenty-two centuries in Test and seven in ODI cricket matches organised by the ICC.
• List of Major League Baseball pitchers with 18 strikeouts in one game (nom) by Bloom6132. In baseball a strikeout occurs when a pitcher throws three strikes to a batter during his time at bat. Eighteen different pitchers have struck out at least 18 batters in a single nine-inning Major League Baseball game as of 2013, the most recent being Ben Sheets of the Milwaukee Brewers on May 16, 2004.
• Gotye discography (nom) by Holiday56. Belgian-Australian singer Gotye (born 1980) has released three studio albums, one remix album, seven singles and sixteen music videos throughout his career. His debut, Boardface, was released in 2003.
• Satyajit Ray filmography (nom) by Vivvt. Satyajit Ray (1921–1992) was an Indian film-maker who worked prominently in Bengali cinema. He has often been regarded as one of the great directors of world cinema. During his career he directed thirty-one films, and contributed to thirty-nine others.
• List of awards and nominations received by Fiona Apple (nom) by Another Believer. Fiona Apple (born 1977) is an American pop singer-songwriter. During her career she received twenty-three nominations and won six awards. In 1998 she won a Grammy Award for her song Criminal.
• South Africa national women's cricket team record by opponent (nom) by Harrias. The South Africa national women's cricket team has represented South Africa in international women's cricket since 1960. Since then the team has played eleven Test, 105 ODI and thirty T20I cricket matches.
• List of New Mexico hurricanes (nom) by Yellow Evan. The inland U.S. state of New Mexico has experienced impacts from 78 known tropical cyclones and their remnants. There have been 65 known tropical cyclones from the Eastern Pacific that affected the state, compared to only 13 such Atlantic hurricanes. The biggest threat from such storms in the state is their associated rainfall and flooding.
• List of current Indian chief ministers (nom) by Indopug. The Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a state of India, who holds the executive authority and is appointed by the governor of the state. The chief minister' term is usually for a maximum of five years, but there are no limits to the number of terms he can serve.
• List of roller coaster rankings (nom) by Astros4477. Roller coasters are amusement rides developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. The first roller coasters, where the train was attached to a wooden track, appeared in France in the early 1800s. Although wooden roller coasters are still being produced, steel roller coasters are more common and can be found on every continent except Antarctica.

Featured pictures

• Crucifixion and Last Judgement diptych (nom; related article), created by Jan van Eyck and nominated by Crisco 1492. The Crucifixion and Last Judgement diptych consists of two small painted panels attributed to the Early Netherlandish artist Jan van Eyck, with areas finished by unidentified followers or members of his workshop.
• $5 U.S. banknote of the Demand Notes depicting Alexander Hamilton (nom; related article), created by the American Banknote Company, scanned and nominated by Godot13 at the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution. A Demand Note is a type of United States paper money that was issued between August 1861 and April 1862 during the American Civil War in denominations of 5, 10, and 20 US$. The U.S. government placed the Demand Notes into circulation by using them to pay expenses incurred during the Civil War, including the salaries of its workers and military personnel. This image is part of a set of Demand Notes.
• $10 U.S. banknote of the Demand Notes depicting Abraham Lincoln (nom; related article), created by the American Banknote Company, scanned and nominated by Godot13 at the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution. This image is part of a set of Demand Notes.
• $20 U.S. banknote of the Demand Notes depicting the Liberty Vignette (nom; related article), created by the American Banknote Company, scanned and nominated by Godot13 at the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution. This image is part of a set of Demand Notes.
• Aurora Borealis (nom; related article), created by Frederic Edwin Church and nominated by Pine. Aurora Borealis is an 1865 painting by Frederic Edwin Church of the Aurora Borealis and the arctic expedition of Dr. Isaac Hayes. The painting measures 56 x 83 1/2 in. (142.3 x 212.2 cm) and is now owned by the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
• A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt. Rosalie (nom; related article), created by Albert Bierstadt and nominated by Keraunoscopia. A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt. Rosalie is an 1866 landscape oil painting by German-American painter Albert Bierstadt that was inspired by sketches created on an 1863 expedition.
• Yacht racing (nom; related article), created and nominated by WPPilot. Yacht racing is a form of sport reserved for sailing vessels of substantial size and weight. “Yacht” is referred to as deriving from either Norwegian ("jagt"), Middle Low German ("jaght") or from the Dutch word jacht, which means a swift light vessel of war, commerce or pleasure.

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