Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/Sam Blacketer

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The following discussion is preserved as an archive of a successful request for adminship. Please do not modify it.

Sam Blacketer

Final: (57/5/3) Ended 20:20, 28 April 2007 (UTC)

Sam Blacketer (talk · contribs) - Hi! I'm Sam Blacketer and I'm here to write an encyclopaedia. This is a self-nomination for admin tools to help. I have over 9,500 edits now, and although that total is exaggerated by many of them being categorisation or AWB-assisted maintenance (disambiguation and category work), I have been a contributor of original content. My main interest is supporting the building of a prosopography of the British House of Commons and I have been adding biographical articles of many MPs which were previously red-linked. The better of these have been submitted to Do you know? and I have had 23 entries on the main page.

In addition to maintenance and content writing I have been active in supporting administrative work which has included intervening against vandalism and trying to persuade vandal accounts to desist; where that was unsuccessful I have reported them to Administrator intervention against vandalism. I have tagged inappropriate pages for speedy deletion and also detected some copyright violations. In addition I have monitored new usernames for offensiveness and offered opinions on questioned user names at Wikipedia:Requests for comment/User names. I have also debated some policy and stylistic issues both on the site and on the wikien-l mailing list to which I am a subscriber. I have also written two articles which have been published in the Wikipedia Signpost. (I have a commission for a third this weekend)

I am aware that with four and a half months participation this request may seem somewhat early. However, I hope that I have demonstrated that I have the best interests of the project support at heart, having spent a great deal of time working on it. I also think I can demonstrate familiarity with Wikipedia policy and processes. I will add some links and differences showing how I followed policies in an intelligent way to the talk page of this RfA. (I was also recently described as a "seasoned editor" by another editor who has been here for two years, so I clearly give the impression I know my stuff. Either that or he knows just how old I actually am.) I intend, if promoted, to add myself to Category:Administrators open to recall to remind me to continue to act in the best interests of the project. Sam Blacketer 09:48, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Questions for the candidate

Dear candidate, thank you for offering to serve Wikipedia as an administrator. You may wish to answer the following optional questions to provide guidance for participants:

1. What admin work, if any, do you intend to take part in?
A: Recently I have been using AWB to carry out category for discussion-agreed renamings and emptyings for deletion, and I will use the deletion ability to complete the task without having to ask another admin. I hope then to move into closing CfD discussions myself. I will continue to check user names, and block immediately the blatantly unsuccessful ones while politely explaining (if appropriate) why they cannot use them. I will also check the Category of speedy deletion candidates and where the pages meet the criteria, delete them (I know from personal experience that not everything nominated will meet the criteria - see answer to question three). I will also visit Administrator action against vandalism to take action against genuine vandal reports. I would also like to move into enforcement of three revert rule violations, which I have noticed is done by few admins; there have been times when large backlogs have built up on that page for many days. Also, I know this will take more time but I am interesting in giving support to the project through it, I would like to volunteer for OTRS handling.
2. What are your best contributions to Wikipedia, and why?
A: As I discover more useful sources, some of my more recent new articles are becoming long and detailed. In particular Donald McIntosh Johnson, Sir James Henderson-Stewart, 1st Baronet and Norman Hulbert, in the sequence of previously unwritten and now largely forgotten British MPs who were once quite prominent, now have informative and thoroughly well-referenced articles describing them in all their aspects, which I wrote. If it wasn't a sin I would feel proud of them. However, I would also put forward as an example of collaborative editing my work on Killing of David Wilkie which may not be the longest but is a nicely-referenced rounded and neutral article about a highly contentious subject (at the time, at least). I have also contributed to David Cameron a good deal to expand and improve that article which was already quite long. I hope to see it through to featured article status soon. However, the articles which pleased me most to write was where I found a fascinating story hidden behind what appeared a bland entry in a directory: David Colville Anderson and Anthony Courtney's involvement in espionage dirty tricks.
3. Have you been in any conflicts over editing in the past or have other users caused you stress? How have you dealt with it and how will you deal with it in the future?
A: I have on occasion been involved in conflicts which were heated, although I was not myself stressed because I could see where both sides were coming from. Perhaps two good examples of that were my messages to Vintagekits over the notability of a Scottish peer (see User talk:Vintagekits#Barons in the House of Lords which defused a dispute which had seen him blocked. (I had previously come across him in debates over Sir Norman Stronge, 8th Baronet (edit | talk | history | protect | delete | links | watch | logs | views)). I was also drawn into a debate with Andries over the correct interpretation of an Arbitration Committee ruling on sources: see User talk:Sam Blacketer/Archive 1-50#Sathya Sai Baba and the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
There are two incidents which did cause me particular stress. The first was when Patricknoddy tagged for speedy deletion ({{db-bio}}) a thoroughly referenced article of a manifestly notable person which I had just written. My first thought was that it was a clear mistake and I removed the tag, explaining to him why the subject of the article was notable. He then added the tag back, saying "This is NOT a mistake". I then tried to explain why the subject was certainly notable, removed the tag again (this was a mistake), and encouraged him to nominate the article for deletion if he thought it non-notable. Finally the only thing to do was to raise the matter at the Administrators' noticeboard; he also raised my removal of speedy deletion templates. To cut a long story short, Patricknoddy was blocked indefinitely, removed from the NPWatcher list and then allowed back. I later learned how old he was and regretted having been abrupt with him. I think if I had restrained my frustration at his nomination of an article I had written, it might have been possible to explain to him why he should stop in a more constructive way.
The more recent and longrunning issue has been with Dsmith1usa (talk · contribs) who wrote the biography of his local MP in a way which included 'original research'. I copyedited to remove it. He has been in dispute with several editors on the talk page and I have been patient with him over two months in trying to explain why the way he wants to write the article is inappropriate, sticking to the issues of the article. By contrast, Dsmith1usa tends to wander off the subject and had included several borderline personal attacks and hinted-at profanity before he clearly overstepped the line here and I left him a {{uw-npa2}} warning. He did not take this too well, although he had already declared his intention to leave. However, in this case I doubt there is anything that could have been done. (Warning, reading through the talk pages in this dispute can be difficult because Dsmith1usa likes to interleave his reply with the person he is replying to; checking the page history and diffs may make it clearer).
A question from bainer (talk)
4. Under what circumstances should one ignore a rule?
A: The key point is to look beyond the letter of the rule to the purpose for which it was written. So, for instance, a candidate for speedy deletion which claimed notability of a sort which was obviously fictional (eg claiming to be Prime Minister of America) is not claiming real notability and would be deleted. Having looked at examples where people have invoked WP:IAR, I find that ignoring a rule rarely succeeds in forcing discussion in the way intended, and never succeeds in overturning a community consensus. Sam Blacketer 13:43, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Optional question from coelacan
5. Can you give an example of an XfD that you think was closed wrongly, and explain why it should have been closed differently? — coelacan — 19:42, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
A: One example might be Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Librarians in popular culture (second nomination). I would have closed as a delete, because I find the arguments for deletion (that it was a trivial list of coincidences, is unsourced, and unmaintainable) were neither countered not outweighed by the arguments for keeping it. No disrespect intended to librarians. Sam Blacketer 20:54, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
General comments

Please keep criticism constructive and polite. If you are unfamiliar with the nominee, please thoroughly review Special:Contributions/Sam Blacketer before commenting.

Discussion

  • I'm supporting this candidate for the time being, despite worries that have been raised here about his involvement in our Username policy, the wide misapplication of which I think worries a lot of other editors besides myself. --Tony Sidaway 19:52, 24 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Support

  1. Support good hard-working editor who would not abuse the tools, they're no big deal after all. Good luck! The Rambling Man 10:56, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  2. Support I thought you were one! Amazing. Majorly (hot!) 11:01, 21 April 2007 (UTC)s[reply]
  3. Looks good to go.--Docg 11:10, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  4. Strong Support - A very good Editor with vast amounts of experience..Good Luck..--Cometstyles 11:48, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  5. Support — in my book, the length of time you've been here doesn't come anywhere close to being as important as the quality of your edits, and the notability of your contributions; in that area, your box is a big tick and a whole-hearted support. anthony[review] 12:05, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  6. Support Now, this is definately an editor who has the need to user the tools and the ability to use them. Captain panda 12:06, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Support A mature and intelligent editor who has contributed a lot of high quality work to wikipedia already and who will clearly use the tools wisely.124.183.228.151 12:29, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Sorry, anonymous IP's are not allowed to vote, but are highly encouraged to add a comment. Evilclown93 13:10, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  7. Support The anonymous IP was me, sorry, I'd forgotten I wasn't signed in. Nick mallory 14:56, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  8. Support per sufficient experience - 7000 main space edits is usually considered enough. Addhoc 12:49, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  9. Support A good user with enough experience and deserving and needing of the tools. Evilclown93 13:10, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  10. Support User acts in good faith, responds well to criticism, and has lots of experiance. Monty845 14:32, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  11. Support. Excellent editor and we could always use more admins interested in helping with categorisation. the wub "?!" 15:03, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  12. Support - a very competent and highly active editor who, in addition to his excellent encyclopaedic contributions, has played a constructive role in several discussions involving sharp disagreements. Warofdreams talk 16:17, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  13. Support per answers, comments, and overall record. I have considered the opposers' concerns and find them unpersuasive. Newyorkbrad 17:24, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Support this fellow seems to be dedicated to advancing Wikipedia and as an Admin would be better able to. User:Tomuk1 20:40 GMT, 21 April 2007 -- This is the user's only contribution. Real96 23:22, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  14. Support Good editor who understands process. Can be trusted with the mop. -- Jreferee 19:43, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  15. Support This user seems like he will be a great admin. I can't see any reasons not to trust him with the abilities of an administrator. Funpika 20:22, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  16. Support. I agre with Newyorkbrad in that the oppose reasons are not persuasive. However, I would recommend that you be very careful in that area should you receive the twiddled bit. As far as usernames go, I think it's better to err on the side of caution and WP:AGF than to shoot wildly. ···日本穣? · Talk to Nihonjoe 21:40, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  17. Support - Gets my vote, good luck! --spebi 22:21, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  18. Support - from my interaction with this user at WP:RFCN, they will made a fine administrator (to be honest, I was considering nomming you!) Ryan Postlethwaite 23:12, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  19. Support: Don't see any reason why this user should not be an administrator. Has the experience. Does not look like he will abuse the tools.  Orfen User Talk | Contribs 23:26, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  20. Support John254 23:32, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  21. Support Excellent editor. --BoricuaeddieTalk • Contribs • Spread the love! 23:44, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  22. Support I'll cite the "I thought he already was one" cliche. Based on the answers, I trust Sam's good judgment, and I know he won't act too hastily in a confrontational situation that may arise. YechielMan 03:25, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  23. Support Answers and edit history generally indicate level-headedness and quality contributions. Oppose vote has identified a few cases where candidate may have deviated somewhat from policy, but these don't appear to be major and I believe candidate can be trusted to learn from this feedback. --Shirahadasha 04:45, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  24. Has done good work, why the hell not? Ral315 » 05:15, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  25. Support looks like a good candidate and I love your IAR answer. --Selket Talk 08:45, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  26. Support - Would make a good administrator, has enough experience and is able to handle disputes well. I also think the answering of the questions was impressive. Camaron1 | Chris 09:42, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  27. Support Familiar with the candidates excellent work on MP's, clearly very trustworthy and another hand at DYK/CSD/RFCU can only be a good thing. RHB Talk - Edits 13:22, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  28. Support. PeaceNT 16:09, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  29. Support walks the walk and talks it too. --Infrangible 16:16, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  30. Strong support -- FayssalF - Wiki me up ® 16:58, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  31. Support we could use more admins involved at the perpetually backlogged CfD. From his participation there, should be a responsible admin. Pascal.Tesson 19:59, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  32. Support. I'm surprised I hadn't already ... -- Black Falcon (Talk) 20:11, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  33. Support. Appears to be a strong candidate with a wide range of experience. JavaTenor 21:35, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  34. Support. Incredibly patient with Vintagekits. - Kittybrewster (talk) 21:39, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  35. Support. No good reason I can see not to. *** Crotalus *** 00:18, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  36. Support seeks like a strong candidate.-- danntm T C 02:07, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  37. Support has the experience and everything else it takes to wield the mop. --Valley2city₪‽ 06:08, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  38. Support per lack of reason to Oppose! Kntrabssi 07:21, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  39. Support trust-worthy and more than qualified. —Anas talk? 12:00, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  40. Support. Good contributions as an editor, should make a good admin as well. I trust his judgment. Coemgenus 12:45, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  41. Support Good candidate, good answer to question 4(most get that one wrong). I have faith this person will benefit the community with the tools. HighInBC(Need help? Ask me) 14:07, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  42. Support. Axl 18:03, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  43. Strong support per the reasons of Warofdreams, Newyorkbrad, and Ryan Postlethwaite. Even though I was going to support anyway, their support is more than convincing enough for me to strongly support this user. Acalamari 18:30, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  44. Strong support I really liked how he handled himself with regards to Patricknoddy. --Alabamaboy 01:26, 24 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  45. Support. Pretty good track record and conduct. Seems to have a feel for the project, and adapts quickly. I think we can expect the same from this user with the admin tools. The Transhumanist 06:43, 24 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  46. Support Good enough to get the job done, that's what it takes. -Will Beback · † · 10:05, 24 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  47. Support. From what I've seen of Sam's work in the past, he seems like he would use the tools responsibly. -Hit bull, win steak(Moo!) 11:50, 24 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  48. Support. My interactions with Sam have been positive and he has plenty of relevant experience. WjBscribe 14:53, 25 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  49. Support. RyanGerbil10(Don't ask 'bout Camden) 06:40, 26 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  50. Support Believe he will make a good admin. Davewild 18:01, 26 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  51. Support. Sam listed stuff to be deleted at WP:CFD/W, and I wondered why he didn't delete the damn things himself. Then I realised this RFA was still running, and he couldn't, yet. Well, he should have his own mop and bucket, and the sooner the better. He's an experienced, level-headed editor who would do good work. I agree with the concerns about the username stuff in general, but it doesn't detract from my overall confidence in Sam's judgement. Nobody's perfect. Angus McLellan (Talk) 23:38, 26 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  52. Support Will make a nice addition.--MONGO 09:15, 27 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  53. Support. ElinorD (talk) 09:37, 27 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  54. Very strong support. I have encountered Sam's work many times in relation to articles on British MPs and related issues, and his edits are of a remarkably high quality, with a lot of well-sourced research. His contributions to CFDs and other discussions are thoughtful and even-handed (he changes his mind if appropriate), and I have never seen him be anything other than very courteous in his dealings with other editors: he seems to have a knack of avoiding conflicts without avoiding conflictual areas. I note some concerns about his actions in relation to WP:U (which is not an area I follow), but he seems ready to learn from his mistakes. Per Angusmclellan, nobody's perfect; but Sam's responses to the concerns illustrate his willingness to learn. I have no doubt he'll make a great admin. --BrownHairedGirl (talk) • (contribs) 10:34, 27 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  55. Support - A solid candidate, I hope Sam will take to heart what the opposers have outlined. James086Talk | Email 14:04, 27 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  56. Support Garion96 (talk) 22:16, 27 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  57. I trust you not to abuse the tools or twist an interpretation of consensus to your own ends. As to your answer to my question, I hope we'd agree that what seem like good arguments do not always triumph; there is also the matter of whether or not the arguments are convincing to the community. In this case, the numbers are close enough that both your and Majorly's closings are within reasonable discretion, so that works. ··coelacan 10:28, 28 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Oppose

  1. With respects to the candidate, I am not at all confident in Mr. Blacketer's handle on, or approach to WP:U, an area which he admittedly spends considerable time in (see his nomination statement at the top of the page). If asked to apply this policy to a discussion or similar venue, I feel as though there is an enormous potential for him to misapply it to the detriment of the community gaillimhConas tá tú? 13:17, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I entirely respect your opinion. Is there any particular concern you think I can reassure you about? Sam Blacketer 13:32, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Thanks for the offer of reassurance, but given my (admittedly limited) direct interaction with you on RFC/U and my external overview of your extensive participation there, I've seen a pattern of inconsistency in rationale and a misconstrued view of what WP:U is that is unlikely to be assuaged. Given my rather strong statements, I'd be more than happy to provide a more detailed explanation with diffs and such, at your request. gaillimhConas tá tú? 13:47, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    gaillimh, it would be useful if you could provide diffs here, not just for the candidate but for others who are considering this RfA. If you are familiar with the candidate's contributions and can quickly find diffs of concern it would help everyone if we could see and evaluate them. Thanks, Gwernol 14:54, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Agreed - please provide a collection of diff's; this seems like a concern to which I may have to revise my original opinion. anthony[review] 16:56, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Sure thing, I just didn't want to appear as if I was endeavouring to build a mounting campaign against Mr. Blacketer's request. Proffered simply in an attempt to substantiate my claims, and to help other would-be RfA participants view Mr. Blacketer's position towards WP:U more fully is the following:
    • As mentioned by the candidate in his reply to Grace Note, he did not realise how to properly engage an RFC/N until 2 March, or thereabouts. Given that it's been about six weeks, I feel as though if he took Proto's advice (as mentioned below, also in response to Grace Note) to heart and changed his approach, there would be little cause for concern, as it would have demonstrated an admirable ability to recognise one's weak points and an attempt to take measures to improve upon these aforementioned weaknesses. However, when looking at his contributions to areas where our username policy is applied, he's continued to falter.
    • A specific example of inconsistency can be found here, where he believes our username policy to be applied whereby citing its inappropriateness in that it is a racial slur in Britain. He felt similarly, and to his credit, actually correctly quoted the policy here, with regards to the username "ProudAryan." However, he is inconsistent in his application of WP:U here, largely (it appears) due to his own confusion as to what the name means (which would be better clarified by Mr. Blacketer himself, but his comment here alludes to more confusion, as he was unaware of the situation leading up to the RFC/N initiaton, despite the provided links). Given all of this uncertainty, he proceeded to participate in the discussion, stating that he didn't think anyone very much uses it in [inappropriate] terms now (full comment here. These three examples show a spotty record with regards to his (mis)application of WP:U, which states usernames that are defamatory or insulting to other people, groups, articles or processes. By advocating a "strong allowance" of such a clearly inappropriate username shows not only a willingness to comment in areas he knows little about, it also shows a propensity to either not read or skim over a discussion to the point where he's unaware of what has gone on, something quite concerning if we're going to entrust this user to derive consensus and policy applications from discussions (it should be mentioned, in fairness, that this particular discussion was particularly messy and a terrific example of the faults of RFC/N and it's propensity to value process over policy).
    • Mr. Blacketer's comments on RFC/N are sometimes that of a WP:ILIKEIT and WP:IDONTLIKEIT nature, which illustrates his lack of understanding that policy needs to be cited in these sorts of discussions - see here for an example. RFC/N, as it stands now, is in need of a shift from mob voting to responsible policy application, and I don't feel as though Mr. Blacketer would be willing to give the username policy the treatment it deserves in these sorts of situations. Having said all this, however, he does appear to be a good fellow, a terrific article writer, and this is my only significant concern with the candidate's oeuvre as a volunteer, but it's definitely worrisome that he plans on using his extra buttons in an area in which I've zero confidence in his aptitude. gaillimhConas tá tú? 20:24, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Thanks for those details - at the present, I still think the editor can assist the encyclopedia with access to the Janitor's Trolley (particularly where CfDs are concerned); I still acknowledge that the above is a cause for concern — anthony[review] 20:32, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Oppose per edit wars over a edit made by a simple Wikipedia tool. - PatricknoddyTALK (reply here)|HISTORY 20:06, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Patrick, I have referred to this in my answers to questions. I entirely dispute the term 'edit wars'. I have asked you politely why you used a tool, and then edited yourself, to tag a biography which was clearly notable for deletion for not asserting notability. I'm very sorry it ended in you getting blocked but I would say to you that it is a sign of maturity to admit your mistakes. Sam Blacketer 20:14, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    No offense Patrick but this oppose sounds very much like a personnal vendetta. It was perfectly reasonable on the part of Sam to insist on removing that tag since he had every right to believe it was just a silly mistake. RfA is not the right place for retaliation. Pascal.Tesson 20:24, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Not in my opinion. - PatricknoddyTALK (reply here)|HISTORY 20:30, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    In response to a comment on my talkpage by Pascal.Tesson, not retaliate, but in referrance to the comment by the nominee. - PatricknoddyTALK (reply here)|HISTORY 20:46, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Could a bureaucrat please strike out the above oppose? I mean, Patricknoddy is opposing Sam on the basis of a dispute in which he was clearly identified as having shown poor judgement (and blocked for it and asked to apologize). We don't need that kind of bad-faith junk on RfA. Pascal.Tesson 20:54, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I'm not a bureaucrat and I find it unlikely I'm ever going to be, but I've indented the oppose anyway. Patricknoddy tagged articles which asserted notability for no reason for whatsoever (an article of Sam's was one of them) and then revert warred over the tags. (The irony of his accusation towards Sam borders on the absurd; Sam behaved in an exemplary manner throughout the incident.) His taggings were reverted by multiple admins and the ensuing block was endorsed by many more. This retaliatory oppose is in nothing but bad faith, and as a member of Wikipedia who has even a slight bit of hope for the integirity of the RfA process, I've indented it. If anyone would like to unindent it (and leave the job to our scarce supply of bureaucrats), well, go ahead, but the burden of the oppose is on your back. So think about it before doing so. Picaroon 21:18, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Bonus points for boldness. :-) Pascal.Tesson 21:26, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  2. I'm going to have to oppose. You didn't actually answer the question I asked twice and I cannot support you for the reasons I outlined below. Grace Note 01:43, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  3. Weak oppose per my interactions with him at WP:MFD/WP:RFC/UN. He refers to "build[ing] up a corps of regular commentators" [1] as a good thing. More walled garden exclaves of wiki-process are the last thing we need. — CharlotteWebb 08:48, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    How would getting admin tools affect this? Mahalo. --Ali'i 15:28, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  4. Oppose. I am not comfortable with the candidate receiving the bit. Sam indicates below that he would block without a warning related to a dispute in which he was involved. To me, this demonstrates a clear failure to understand some of the fundamentals for admins. While I do not expect candidates to know the ins and outs before they get a chance at hands-on, I do expect that they should an understanding of the basic responsibilities and relevent guidelines. I simply cannot provide support at this time. Vassyana 12:22, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I can't agree with your description of Paki U Like. What happened was that that user's first edit amounted to trolling on my user talk page. Note the previous trollage there from Achtung Juden, another questionable name. What appears to have happened is that I reverted a troll/vandal while doing recent changes patrol, and that troll/vandal noticed that I had been involved in reporting questionable user names to WP:RFCN. He then decided to have some fun by creating sockpuppets with questionable user names who would leave a message on my user talk page, knowing that I would probably report them. I do not think this is akin to an "editing dispute"; I would not use admin tools if I happened to be in an editing dispute, but if as a result of tackling vandalism I get targeted by vandals myself, then I do not see the need to wait for another admin to get involved. In any case, the name "Paki U Like" was swiftly agreed to be unacceptable. Sam Blacketer 13:26, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Regardless of the acceptability of the username, your response increases my concern. That a block would be issued over a mild cheeky comment about the Force seems extreme to me. I note that it was the only contribution, but that doesn't make for an instant block. I am left with strong concerns about your understanding and interpretation of Wikipedia rules about blocking, biting newcomers and sockpuppets. It may be perhaps a failure on my part in understanding, a failure on your part in communication or simply a disagreement of Wikiphilosophy. To act honestly, I must oppose your nomination based on these concerns. However, there are some questions I'd like to ask that may clear up my concerns. On what principle would you block such a user? How long would such a block last? How would you verify they are a troll instead of just someone making a cheeky comment? How would you verify they are a sockpuppet of a known vandal or disruptive editor? Under what circumstances would you indefinately block someone? What would make you more likely to block someone? Vassyana 14:32, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I fear you may have misunderstood. The reason for username blocking Paki U Like (talk · contribs) was that it contained a racist insult. Sam Blacketer 14:38, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I am specifically concerned with your comment below. ("Yes, I would have blocked Paki U Like, but that is not just because of racial offence but because of the context in which he left me a message which made it clear he was a troll and connected to some vandalism I had reverted to Jade Goody.") An immediate block, which you would have implemented, was rejected at AIV. You also provide additional reasons beyond racist naming. My questions are relevent and remain standing to be answered. Vassyana 14:56, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Hi Vassyana! We apparently share similar concerns with regards to Mr. Blacketer's approach towards WP:U. However, I'd just like to mention that simply because a report was made at AIV and rejected does not mean that the reporter was at fault. Quite to the contrary, it could very well be the fault of the administrator(s) who has removed the report without proper action. See here and here for blatant username violations that were originally removed by an administrator. To summarise, the lack of action on an AIV report could be the fault of either the reporter or the confused admin, and simply having a rejected report does not mean that it was a bad report, so to speak. Also, the following is directed at Mr. Blacketer as an aside (no pressure to answer, of course): in viewing the diffs provided above, what would you have done if you saw those reports on AIV? gaillimhConas tá tú? 20:39, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Hi Gaillimh! :P I do not disagree that it is quite possible it was rejected in error on AIV. I asked the questions above in earnest and answers could possibly alleviate my concern and result in a change of !vote. I'm open to discussion and glad to see Sam responding to questions and concerns. Vassyana 21:00, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  5. Per WP:U/WP:RFC/N concerns outlined by Gaillimh Naconkantari 23:30, 27 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Neutral

  1. Neutral Sorry, but I think a little more experience would be beneficial before becoming an admin. Jmlk17 10:57, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I'm not sure about the username thing. I'm going to check that out. Moved to oppose. I'm not at all keen on username vigilanteism or newbie biting, and don't want to empower someone who makes that his business. I have noticed a bit of bullying over that issue (not necessarily from Sam) and I want to be sure that I'm not empowering someone to block users who have in good faith chosen a name the admin doesn't personally feel is okay. Sam, can I ask you, do you favour an approach of requesting a new user to choose a new name if it is offensive, rather than blocking and asking questions afterwards? Grace Note 11:42, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Actually I changed my approach on that. At first I just nominated questionable usernames at WP:RFCN and left the user a note. However, I changed my approach after a friendly reminder from Proto I changed to raising concerns and asking users to explain and/or change their name. I certainly would not block immediately unless a name were obviously unacceptable. I think the only username I reported at WP:AIV which was refused was Paki U Like (talk · contribs) which is a racial insult in Britain. Sam Blacketer 11:54, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    The only note I could find (I'm not saying there aren't others) was to User:Canister of Death. You wrote that a concern had been raised. In fact, you raised the concern. If you have a problem with a username, why wouldn't you talk personally to the user in question? I'm concerned at the number of admins we have who throw their weight around and do not treat other users decently. I'm cautious about empowering more of the same. Can you show me diffs in which you've shown a friendly approach to new users with iffy names? Can you anser my original question, which was will you favour an approach of asking a user to change names or do you plan to block "Paki U Like" without discussion? This would be problematic for me, because, being English myself, I'm well aware that Pakistanis sometimes refer to themselves as "Pakis" and the user in question may not consider the name offensive if he uses it himself, and may not understand or appreciate your concerns. Furthermore, I'm concerned that there are editors who are making it their business to be offended by usernames, rather than acting when offence has been expressed. Grace Note 22:44, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Taking the last point first, I agree. I don't try to judge offence by reference to my own standards but by an assessment of whether it would cause offence generally. Yes, I would have blocked Paki U Like, but that is not just because of racial offence but because of the context in which he left me a message which made it clear he was a troll and connected to some vandalism I had reverted to Jade Goody. Other examples where I have raised concerns about usernames: Jimmothyjimbo, Mingebag66, Skynews, Freeleonardpeltier (changed his username), Abuse2007, OMFG12344321. Sam Blacketer 08:38, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  2. I see no obvious problems with this candidate; withholding support pending a WikiProject endorsement per my policy. Kelly Martin (talk) 15:42, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Hi Kelly. I continue to watch you use one RfA after another to solicit interest in Wikipedia adopting a new process that is outside of the RfA nominee's hands. Posting in successive RfAs that you will not support the RfA nominee until Wikipedia adopts a process by which WikiProject's endorse RfA nominees is a very clever way to generate awareness of your new idea. Wikipedia has other avenues dedicated to pursuing such proposed process, but they probably would not have sufficiently publicized your idea or reach the target audience that the RfA process provides. To me, it does not seem proper to use a successive series of RfA nominations to promote adoption of Wikipedia process and it is particularly unfair to the RfA nominee. Of course, proper use of the RfA process is relative and so long as the 'crats support using the RfA process as advertisement for new ideas that are out of the hands of the RfA nominee, there seems to be no reason why you should not continue and others should not join in with their own agendas. Your publicity technique has largely been successful as your proposed process now is being discussed in a variety of locations on Wikipedia. So congratulations you on a smart ad campaign. -- Jreferee 16:36, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    Endorsed by WikiProject Baronetcies. - Kittybrewster (talk) 08:22, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    FYI: See this diff of two edits to the Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Baronetcies page for more information. ++Lar: t/c 23:08, 24 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    But it's only one person. Great editor and all, but still just a single person endorsement on behalf of a tiny WikiProject :) --kingboyk 23:56, 26 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
    I was hoping that this would be an acceptable endorsement, but I don't see that much evidence that Sam Blacketer has participated all that much in Wikiproject Baronetcies, and the discussion on the project talk page is sadly lacking. I'm afraid I can't accept this endorsement. Kelly Martin (talk) 05:30, 27 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  3. Nuetral. Sam, you seem to be a great addition to the project, and a very prolific editor. I would simply give it a little longer - maybe one more month. Another issue for me -- although much less important than the time spent editing -- is that I would like to see more article talk page edits, evidence that you are spending time discussion the improvement of articles. -- Pastordavid 17:44, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
The above adminship discussion is preserved as an archive of the discussion. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the talk page of either this nomination or the nominated user). No further edits should be made to this page.
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