5 ms·

What is a Wikipedia "admin"? Is this just a person that edits pages?

akolbe 4y ago
A Wikipedia admin is an unpaid volunteer (not a staffer) with access to extra functions of the MediaWiki software Wikipedia uses. They typically get these rights through a community vote like this one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Requests_for_adminship/Extraordinary_Writ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Requests_for_adminsh... "Administrators, commonly known as admins or sysops (system operators), are Wikipedia editors who have been granted the technical ability to perform certain special actions on the English Wikipedia. These include the ability to block and unblock user accounts, IP addresses, and IP ranges from editing, edit fully protected pages, protect and unprotect pages from editing, delete and undelete pages, rename pages without restriction, and use certain other tools." For more info see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Administrators https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Administrators
- codetrotter 4y ago
  > perform certain special actions on the English Wikipedia What about other languages? Aren’t there any admins for those too?
  - bpeebles 4y ago
    There are admins on all of the Wikipedias under the WMF umbrella--each one sets their own rules for how admins are picked and how long, if limited at all, their terms are. I do not know what the process is for the Arabic-language wiki in question.
    - akolbe 4y ago
      Also a community vote. (The above sysop logs state "according to vote result" and "successful nomination" for the entries logging admin rights being given.)
- formerly_proven 4y ago
  Note that this is still just a role within the Mediawiki software. They aren't actual sysops with e.g. access to the servers running the software. Only WMF has that.
  - 20after4 4y ago
    For the most part this is true but not entirely. Some volunteers have access to servers which isn't based on current employment with the foundation. For example, as a former-employee and current volunteer I retain some access to servers which relates to the work that I do on Phabricator, the bug tracking tool that Wikimedia teams use for collaboration on developing their software. This access is unrelated to MediaWiki itself and I have never been a Wiki admin or otherwise involved Wikipedia editing beyond a few tiny corrections of typos that I undertook on my personal account. It's also possible to apply for access as a volunteer with no history of being employed by the foundation. You would need to be doing some work that justified access, and have your application sponsored by a staff member in order to have said access granted.
akino_germany 4y ago
"Administrators, commonly known as admins or sysops (system operators), are Wikipedia editors who have been granted the technical ability to perform certain special actions on the English Wikipedia. These include the ability to block and unblock user accounts, IP addresses, and IP ranges from editing, edit fully protected pages, protect and unprotect pages from editing, delete and undelete pages, rename pages without restriction, and use certain other tools." from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Administrators https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Administrators
altilunium 4y ago
The "free" encyclopedia jargon is a myth. Right now, there's an implicit caste system that determine who actually controlled the whole page. Sorted by the lowest hiearchy : 1. IP edits 2. Registered new user 3. Registered old user, with a mobs of fellow old user, that could enforce anything in the name of "community consensus". 4. Administrator. An ascended registered old user with a mobs of fellow old user "supporter" who vote for them during the election session. They actually wield power to ban user, permanently delete someone contribution, and lock the pages. Abuse of power is rampant so far. There's no balance of power at all to fix this problem except hoping the majority of "good" administrator (and public outcry) finally oust a "bad" administrator. 5. A mobs of administrator. Any infightings inside the administrator circle could be overpowered by the majority mobs of administrator, all again in the name of "community consensus". Political battle inside Wikipedia is bloody and i've experienced it first hand. Oh, regarding the level 5 user (a mobs of administator), here's an interesting story : https://www.engadget.com/wikipedia-banned-seven-users-after-reported-infiltration-by-a-chinese-group-104143971.html https://www.engadget.com/wikipedia-banned-seven-users-after-... Why seven? Because you need to control a majority of administator to finally wield the ultimate political power across the whole wikipedia.

A Wikipedia admin is an unpaid volunteer (not a staffer) with access to extra functions of the MediaWiki software Wikipedia uses. They typically get these rights through a community vote like this one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Requests_for_adminship/Extraordinary_Writ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Requests_for_adminsh... "Administrators, commonly known as admins or sysops (system operators), are Wikipedia editors who have been granted the technical ability to perform certain special actions on the English Wikipedia. These include the ability to block and unblock user accounts, IP addresses, and IP ranges from editing, edit fully protected pages, protect and unprotect pages from editing, delete and undelete pages, rename pages without restriction, and use certain other tools." For more info see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Administrators https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Administrators

codetrotter 4y ago
> perform certain special actions on the English Wikipedia What about other languages? Aren’t there any admins for those too?
- bpeebles 4y ago
  There are admins on all of the Wikipedias under the WMF umbrella--each one sets their own rules for how admins are picked and how long, if limited at all, their terms are. I do not know what the process is for the Arabic-language wiki in question.
  - akolbe 4y ago
    Also a community vote. (The above sysop logs state "according to vote result" and "successful nomination" for the entries logging admin rights being given.)
formerly_proven 4y ago
Note that this is still just a role within the Mediawiki software. They aren't actual sysops with e.g. access to the servers running the software. Only WMF has that.
- 20after4 4y ago
  For the most part this is true but not entirely. Some volunteers have access to servers which isn't based on current employment with the foundation. For example, as a former-employee and current volunteer I retain some access to servers which relates to the work that I do on Phabricator, the bug tracking tool that Wikimedia teams use for collaboration on developing their software. This access is unrelated to MediaWiki itself and I have never been a Wiki admin or otherwise involved Wikipedia editing beyond a few tiny corrections of typos that I undertook on my personal account. It's also possible to apply for access as a volunteer with no history of being employed by the foundation. You would need to be doing some work that justified access, and have your application sponsored by a staff member in order to have said access granted.

akino_germany 4y ago

"Administrators, commonly known as admins or sysops (system operators), are Wikipedia editors who have been granted the technical ability to perform certain special actions on the English Wikipedia. These include the ability to block and unblock user accounts, IP addresses, and IP ranges from editing, edit fully protected pages, protect and unprotect pages from editing, delete and undelete pages, rename pages without restriction, and use certain other tools." from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Administrators https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Administrators

altilunium 4y ago

The "free" encyclopedia jargon is a myth. Right now, there's an implicit caste system that determine who actually controlled the whole page. Sorted by the lowest hiearchy : 1. IP edits 2. Registered new user 3. Registered old user, with a mobs of fellow old user, that could enforce anything in the name of "community consensus". 4. Administrator. An ascended registered old user with a mobs of fellow old user "supporter" who vote for them during the election session. They actually wield power to ban user, permanently delete someone contribution, and lock the pages. Abuse of power is rampant so far. There's no balance of power at all to fix this problem except hoping the majority of "good" administrator (and public outcry) finally oust a "bad" administrator. 5. A mobs of administrator. Any infightings inside the administrator circle could be overpowered by the majority mobs of administrator, all again in the name of "community consensus". Political battle inside Wikipedia is bloody and i've experienced it first hand. Oh, regarding the level 5 user (a mobs of administator), here's an interesting story : https://www.engadget.com/wikipedia-banned-seven-users-after-reported-infiltration-by-a-chinese-group-104143971.html https://www.engadget.com/wikipedia-banned-seven-users-after-... Why seven? Because you need to control a majority of administator to finally wield the ultimate political power across the whole wikipedia.