Wikipedia:Bureaucrats' noticeboard

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The Bureaucrats' noticeboard is a place where items related to the Bureaucrats can be discussed and coordinated. Any user is welcome to leave a message or join the discussion here. Please start a new section for each topic.

This is not a forum for grievances. It is a specific noticeboard addressing Bureaucrat-related issues. If you want to know more about an action by a particular bureaucrat, you should first raise the matter with them on their talk page. Please stay on topic, remain civil, and remember to assume good faith. Take extraneous comments or threads to relevant talk pages.

If you are here to report that an RFA or an RFB is "overdue" or "expired", please wait at least 12 hours from the scheduled end time before making a post here about it. There are a fair number of active bureaucrats; and an eye is being kept on the time remaining on these discussions. Thank you for your patience.

To request that your administrator status be removed, initiate a new section below.

Crat tasks
RfAs	1
RfBs	0
Overdue RfBs	0
Overdue RfAs	0
BRFAs	15
Approved BRFAs	0

Requests for adminship and bureaucratship update

RfA candidate	S	O	N	S %	Status	Ending (UTC)	Time left	Dups?	Report
Hog Farm	47	0	4	100	Open	02:47, 22 December 2024	6 days, 13 hours	no	report

It is 13:10:25 on December 15, 2024, according to the server's time and date.

I don't understand why the 'crats appear to be letting non-crats (and non-admins) make decisions about closing the RfA. The latest thing is it's now supposedly closed by a non-crat and another editor blanked the entire RfA as a "courtesy". Courtesy to whom? As far as I can tell, the candidate has never withdrawn; indeed, they haven't edited in over 24 hours. And even if they had withdrawn, say e-mail a 'crat to express their view, why wouldn't a 'crat then close it as withdrawn? And since when do we blank RfAs? I know 'crats often take a hands-off approach to "regulating" RfAs, but this goes way beyond that.--Bbb23 (talk) 23:02, 30 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I reverted per above, and to put my onetime bureaucrat hat on, I see no reason to blank it. People are having panic attacks over how mean it is, but actually reading through it, if anything it was pretty tame with a lot of encouragement passed on to the user. It won't be the last one like this with the new rfa reform proposals in place either. Wizardman 23:37, 30 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Undoing a courtesy blanking, crat or not, even if you don't think it was needed, is seldom helpful. Floquenbeam (talk) 14:13, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Speaking as the "another editor" who blanked the RFA after it was closed, I will agree on one point: crats really need to step in here. Suffusion of Yellow (talk) 23:38, 30 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

• Crats: you need to nip this in the bud with a polite but clear statement that non-Crats should never be doing this. If not, this will happen again, and frankly, this isn't fair to the candidate, who might have logged in only to see it "closed" when it wasn't closed. This is clearly disruptive and needs addressing, for the sake of the candidates. This is WP:RFA, not WP:ANI, the margin of error is a bigger deal. Dennis Brown - 2¢ 05:36, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
• What are you guys talking about? You don't need a crat to close an RfA early and it's usually not crats that do it. Just like AfDs only need admins when the outcome could plausibly be deletion, RfAs only need crats when the outcome could plausibly be successful. Otherwise it's just a discussion like any other and you don't need a special hat to see which way the wind is blowing. – Joe (talk) 06:59, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Ok, so personally I'd rather all RfAs were closed either by the user who initiated them or by a crat. However, our exact wording says that any user in good standing can close these discussions.

I think any RfA that is closed by a non-crat without a withdrawal will always be contentious, so perhaps it is worth changing that to avoid these sorts of conversations in future (as well as the closure revertions and associated drama). Nothing untoward has happened here, but we do have enough crats to be able to monitor and close SNOW/NOTNOW RfAs.

It's worth noting that we have asked the editor if they wished to withdraw, which would have been my primary reason not to let the RfA run it's course. Personally, if I ran for RfA in good faith, I wouldn't want someone closing it. Lee Vilenski ^{(talk • contribs)} 08:35, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, lots of SNOW/NOTNOW RfAs have been closed by non-crats without any issues. If crats want to close these discussions, they can certainly do so, but I would oppose any "you have to wait for a crat" rule as a prescriptive measure, given how common it is that the non-bureaucrat closes work perfectly fine. If crats become more active in this regard over the next couple of years and it turns out that 99% of the time, crats are closing these discussions, we can go and descriptively write that into the policy, but that isn't what current practice looks like. —Kusma (talk) 10:55, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Can you point to an example of a contentious early close before this one? – Joe (talk) 12:42, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Lee Vilenski Of the 7 unsuccessful RfAs last year, only 2 were closed by crats. In 2022 there were 6 unsuccessful RfAs and none were closed by crats. We have to go back to the 4 unsuccessful runs in 2021 to find a majority of failed RfAs closed by crats. I think any RfA that is closed by a non-crat without a withdrawal will always be contentious, What are you talking about? we do have enough crats to be able to monitor and close SNOW/NOTNOW RfAs. Then why has it been years since any of you have routinely done it? I've come to expect that crats won't step in when NPA and CIV are violated, but now we can't even trust the corps to not get into revert wars when the community does something it always has and is explicitly allowed by the policy you all claim to follow to the letter? The solution you propose is perhaps it is worth changing that to avoid these sorts of conversations in future, but why should we trust in the corps enough to give you more control over the RfA process? Unless the policy change you intend is to remove crats from closing unsuccessful RfAs, given the track record regarding enforcing NPA and CIV (examples from just this year: 1, 2, 3), I don't see why the community should trust the crats with more authority on deciding when an RfA has moved from helpful feedback to demoralizing pile-on. — Wug·a·po·des 19:31, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Well, as the rules are that anyone CAN close RfAs, then inevitably they will be closed by them. There are a lot more editors who feel that they would be suitable to close the RfA than crats, but I don't think we have too few to be able to handle closing them, if there was a feeling that crats should do the job (as some of the comments here were).

As a community we either agree that as it is written, it's as it should be and not reopen the discussion as done here. The other option is that we reserve such discussions to be closed by either crats or the nominee. The issue here is people suggesting crats should intervene but in this case it could be closed by any user in good standing per policy. Lee Vilenski ^{(talk • contribs)} 19:48, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I think there is a difference between closing an RFA and courtesy blanking it. Of course, as this was the first RFA under a new system the action is entirely arguably unprecedented (because there can be no precedent for a first example) so that may make a difference too.

I'm not sure where is best to discuss it, but coming to some sort of consensus about when RFAs may be snow closed and by who, and the same questions for courtesy blanking would be useful going forwards. Personally I think courtesy blanking should be exclusively for cases where the subject has asked for it, but I have no way of knowing at present how this view aligns or does not align with community consensus - and that's the problem. Thryduulf (talk) 20:02, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

You (collectively) were elected to close RfAs if there was a feeling that crats should do the job (as some of the comments here were) of course there is it's pretty much the only thing in your job description. in this case it could be closed by any user in good standing per policy you are "any user". Every crat falls under any user, and more importantly you (collectively) are the only members of that set who have an actual assigned duty to do so. Allowing others to do it is a safety valve, a way to handle situations that move too quickly for crats to be expected to handle. This went on for hours and included a statement from the candidate that made me genuinely concerned for their mental health. The crat response was "is this a withdraw?" Come on. The problem isn't "who is allowed to close SNOW/NOTNOW RFAs". I'd believe that if the most recent archive didn't have examples of crats defending potential religious discrimination in an interview context, being slow to respond to someone allegations that were legitimately considered for OS (might have been I haven't checked), and letting lesser unsupported allegations of inappropriate conduct sit there. The problem here isn't the policy. If crats were proactive in handling this situation (or the prior) we wouldn't be discussing the propriety of non-crat closures. The controversy happened because after waiting around for any of you to do something, someone finally decided that our human sacrifice to the RfA reform god needed to end. And that's how it goes nearly every time, and it's how it will keep going if you all continue to sit on your hands and pretend the problem is everyone else who hasn't been elected to manage the RfA process. The conflict arises because you (collectively) let it, not because of a lack of clarity in the policy of who can do NOTNOW/SNOW closes. — Wug·a·po·des 20:16, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Seeing as I participated in the RfA, I was never going to take part in its closure. As such, I'd prefer for other bureaucrats to speak up but none have yet. But speaking in a general sense: As Joe Roe says, the process allows for non-bureaucrats to close obvious SNOW failures. While ToadetteEdit said they weren't withdrawing yet, the outcome of the RfA was not in doubt given the feedback presented and RfAs have been closed early in the past even when the candidate hasn't yet wanted to withdraw. Eventually, people start opposing because the candidate hasn't yet withdrawn.

Once this particular RfA had been closed, there was no need to re-open. The reopen, plus the addition and subsequent revert of the courtesy blank without consulting ToadetteEdit either way, was inappropriate and unnecessary. Why everyone skipped the discussion phase before reverting each other is beyond me. ProcrastinatingReader wrote this kind message after closing the RfA, whereas everyone else reverted or added to the RfA post-revert without discussing anything. Acalamari 07:25, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

• I have seen non-Crats do SNOW closes (not optimal but acceptable), but this was something different, particularly given the new rules on when voting would start. It seemed everyone was clustering to handle it, except the Crats. RFA is the domain of Crats, after all, and recent RFCs have indicated that the community wants Crats to be a little more proactive in clerking in general. Dennis Brown - 2¢ 08:12, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
• Of potential note, Wikipedia:Requests_for_adminship/2024_review/Phase_I#Proposal_17:_Have_named_Admins/crats_to_monitor_infractions will be seeking additional feedback in Phase II of that RFC. — xaosflux ^Talk 10:07, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
• It is probably worth asking the question in the context of the RFA reform phase 2 of whether early closes (either of the SNOW or the NOTYET kind) are appropriate in the 2-3 day question/discussion only period. Izno (talk) 21:57, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

  It's been long established that an editor doesn't have to be a bureaucrat to close an RFA per SNOW/NOTNOW. It's also quite clear that the general comments on the RFA in question did not leave passing looking promising. It does look kind of weird, having an early close with a tally of 0/0/0, but the RFC (at least in the closing comment) explicitly states that this trial is for the next five RFAs that aren't closed per SNOW/NOTNOW. Which means that early closures during the trial are acceptable. Useight (talk) 18:00, 2 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

  It doesn't follow that because early closures are acceptable that this early closure was acceptable. It may or may not have been, but it cannot be inferred. Thryduulf (talk) 18:36, 2 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

  Indeed. As far as I can tell, nothing was explicitly written regarding whether trial period RFAs are subject to the same or different yardstick for early closes. On one hand, the discussion was not favorable. On the other hand, nobody had opposed. Operating under the assumption that early closures exist, at least in part, as a measure to keep the candidate from getting discouraged, I would posit that that discouragement could come from the discussion section just as easily as it could from the oppose section. Useight (talk) 18:51, 2 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

  Hence my suggestion. Izno (talk) 20:38, 2 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The following inactive administrators are being desysoped due to inactivity. Thank you for your service.

Criteria 1 (total inactivity)

1. Deskana (talk · contribs · blocks · protections · deletions · page moves · rights · RfA)

   Last logged admin action: July 2020

Criteria 2 (100 edits/5-year rule)

1. Mets501 (talk · contribs · blocks · protections · deletions · page moves · rights · RfA)

   Last logged admin action: September 2017

• — xaosflux ^Talk 00:00, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Resolved

Deskana (t · th · c · del · cross-wiki · SUL · edit counter · pages created (xtools · sigma) · non-automated edits · BLP edits · undos · manual reverts · rollbacks · logs ^{(blocks · rights · moves)} · rfar · spi · cci) (assign permissions)^{(acc · ap · ev · fm · mms · npr · pm · pc · rb · te)}

For total inactivity in excess of one year the bureaucrat access for Deskana will be removed. Thank you for your lengthy service Deskana! Best regards, — xaosflux ^Talk 00:00, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

SRP filed. — xaosflux ^Talk 00:04, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I have removed the bureaucrat flag per request at SRP; thanks for their service throughout the years. EPIC (talk) 01:48, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I join in thanking Deskana for their many years of serving the Wikipedia community. BusterD (talk) 12:38, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Very respective, thank you for your service! - FlightTime (open channel) 00:32, 2 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

 Pending

• Is it possible for Wikipedia:Bureaucrat activity to be updated? Or is this tracked somewhere else? — Martin (MSGJ · talk) 11:03, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

  Split this to a new section so it can be tracked, don't think any are in need of removal there but it's been a while and a refresh is a good idea. — xaosflux ^Talk 14:03, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

  All but three of the current 'crats participated in Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/Pppery/Bureaucrat chat (Aug 2023). Xeno commented here earlier this year, Avraham is a global renamer and has renamed recently, and Biblimaniac15 desysopped WTT in February. I think we're good until August 2026. Feel free to copy my analysis over to the activity page if there's a concern. Primefac (talk) 14:18, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

  Thanks for notes, yup no rush at all - best case is a new published baseline of when not to bother checking again; I'll prob get around to it. — xaosflux ^Talk 14:33, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

  Had a minute, added it in. Primefac (talk) 19:06, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I never understand why we treat Meta renames as bureaucrat activity - they have nothing whatsoever to do with being a crat. Last time I brought this up I was a minority of one in holding that position, though. * Pppery * _{it has begun...} 19:17, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Likewise saying "intend to respond" and not doing so (as Cecropia and UninvitedCompany did in my cratchat) if anything reflects negatively on ones activity rather than positively and it makes no sense that doing so should keep one active. All of you are correct per the inactivity rules as currently interpreted bu the community, though. * Pppery * _{it has begun...} 19:19, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I suspect it's because 'crats used to do renames, and we just haven't gotten around to updating the associated pages to reflect that it's no longer the case. I am all for reevaluating our activity requirements as has been done a few times in the last few years. Primefac (talk) 19:25, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Even if we collectively decide not to change the criteria, revaluating them every so often is a good idea. Thryduulf (talk) 19:49, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

 You are invited to join the discussion at Wikipedia talk:Bureaucrats § De-crating. HouseBlaster (talk · he/him) 00:48, 3 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Staxringold (t · th · c · del · cross-wiki · SUL · edit counter · pages created (xtools · sigma) · non-automated edits · BLP edits · undos · manual reverts · rollbacks · logs ^{(blocks · rights · moves)} · rfar · spi · cci) (assign permissions)^{(acc · ap · ev · fm · mms · npr · pm · pc · rb · te)}

I truly love Wikipedia but, despite my best intentions, life has just clearly gotten in the way and I've not had time to re-engage as I thought I would. Per the Notice left on my talk page, I think voluntary resignation makes more sense than forcing you all to go through the automated process and added work. Maybe one day I'll be back editing more heavily, but I'm pretty clearly due for de-sysop'ing, given my current activity level. Staxringold _talk^contribs 12:52, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

 Done. Primefac (talk) 12:53, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Resolved

Warofdreams (t · th · c · del · cross-wiki · SUL · edit counter · pages created (xtools · sigma) · non-automated edits · BLP edits · undos · manual reverts · rollbacks · logs ^{(blocks · rights · moves)} · rfar · spi · cci) (assign permissions)^{(acc · ap · ev · fm · mms · npr · pm · pc · rb · te)}

I've been a bureaucrat for 20 years, which is more than long enough. I've not been very active in this role in recent years, so it is time to stand down. Thank you for tolerating me in post for all this time! I'd like to remain an administrator and will of course continue to edit. While I believe I could remove my own flag, for clarity, I'd prefer another bureaucrat to do so. Warofdreams talk 22:02, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the heads up, and for your long service. I believe you’ll have to make the request at meta, though, since ‘crats can’t de-crat. 28bytes (talk) 22:06, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you, and I'm pleased to see a request has now been made at meta. Warofdreams talk 20:48, 2 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

There are a couple of stewards who are also bureaucrats here – though they usually don't use steward powers in their home wikis, they can handle resignations. Sdrqaz (talk) 22:09, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Warofdreams, thank you for serving Wikipedia as a bureaucrat for 20 years. Two decades of service in the role is...honestly astounding! Hard to believe that when you first landed the position, Tony Blair was PM and George W. Bush was president...and you've outlasted them all and others since! Also well done for keeping active as you have done for so long, too.

Oh, and I'll never forget that you were the first bureaucrat I ever met, when you closed my first RfA from back in the day and commented on my talk page afterwards.

Thank you! Acalamari 22:13, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

And when I first landed the position, the president of Russia was... oh, Putin. Sadly I've not outlasted him! It's been a pleasure, thank you for the kind words. Warofdreams talk 20:48, 2 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you for your many years of dedicated service to the crat corps! — xaosflux ^Talk 00:00, 2 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

• SRP filed. There is a standard 24 hour hold to retract a resignation at SRP. — xaosflux ^Talk 23:59, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you, for the nice words and for the request at meta. It's been a pleasure! Warofdreams talk 20:48, 2 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Warofdreams17 years ago, you did this. I know adminship is supposed to be nobigdeal, but I think we all know that it really sort of is for most people, or at least for flawed people, which definitely includes me. Thank you for that, for 20 years of service, a surprisingly huge chunk of which we've been CrattyColleagues*, and a very collegiate CrattyColleague you have been. I've admired you, listened to you carefully and valued your time as a Bureaucrat. Glad you're not leaving altogether. --Dweller (talk) Old fashioned is the new thing! 18:02, 2 May 2024 (UTC) *I'm going to apply for the worldwide trademark for that[reply]

Thank you, it has been a pleasure working with you and I'm glad if I've made some useful contributions. I will definitely still be around as an editor, and if needed as an admin. Warofdreams talk 20:48, 2 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I have now removed your bureaucrat rights per request at SRP. Warofdreams, thank you for your 20 years of service as a bureaucrat and hope to continue to see you around as an administrator. EPIC (talk) 22:09, 2 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Graham Beards (t · th · c · del · cross-wiki · SUL · edit counter · pages created (xtools · sigma) · non-automated edits · BLP edits · undos · manual reverts · rollbacks · logs ^{(blocks · rights · moves)} · rfar · spi · cci) (assign permissions)^{(acc · ap · ev · fm · mms · npr · pm · pc · rb · te)}

As a virologist IRL, much of my time from 2020 to 2022 was given to combatting the covid pandemic and I relinquished the admin tools in 2022. But now having my free time restored and my full enthusiasm for WP back, I am finding my contributions are a little restricted by not having access to them. Although I made relatively light use of them as I work more on content. I don't want to face another RFA even though mine was quite encouraging. Best regards, Graham Beards (talk) 17:43, 2 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Graham Beards performed an administrative action in July 2022 and resigned in August 2022, both under two years ago. A standard twenty-four hour wait period is required. Useight (talk) 18:10, 2 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you. Graham Beards (talk) 19:13, 2 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]