User talk:Jbhunley/Archives/2018/September
Helping you understand your recent experience
[edit]I did not participate in your recent ordeal at Wikipedia's woodchipper, since I don't recall the last time I participated in one (and frankly don't believe I ever have) and lack much experience if any with you due to us tending to edit in different areas of the project. I did watch it, though, and I just came across a rather obscure page that reminded me of it. Perhaps it will help you better understand the experience you had. Hopefully it does. —Nøkkenbuer (talk • contribs) 08:18, 20 August 2018 (UTC)
- @Nøkkenbuer: LOL Thanks! Jbh Talk 11:44, 20 August 2018 (UTC)
- Just to add, I would really like to think that you would have another try, maybe in a year or so, when you've had a chance to get over the distress this has caused you. Believe me when I say that I completely understand your frustration and would like to do anything I can to help. Deb (talk) 15:01, 29 August 2018 (UTC)
- @Deb: Thank you. I may try again if the process can be improved a bit to allow the candidate more 'voice', maybe allowing them to ask their own questions or, better, splitting the first three questions into a Statements by candidate section and allowing the candidate to make additional statements in that section as the RfA progresses. Doing that would allow the candidate to address 'pile-on' issues where it is less likely to be lost as a threaded reply to individual votes. It might also reduce the pitfalls and poor perception of the candidate participating in threaded discussion in the voting section. There are things which I think I could contribute to help the editing environment here but that very desire is likely to be seen as disqualifying to many – maybe they are right in thinking that since I believe admins should be taking an active role managing the editing environment. I can still lobby for some of those things without the bit though with considerably less effectiveness – complaining rather than doing. I think I would be able to navigate disputes I am not involved in, avoid those where my emotions in the way and I know I would not abuse the actual technical abilities of +sysop. I just do not think that I can be only the non-controversial button pusher which a large portion of the community feels an admin should be. Admins stopped being janitors once the discretionary sanctions came into use because they give admins the ability, and responsibility, to directly effect the editing environment for better or worse. I also have no desire to replace my 'hobby' behavioral norms with my 'professional' attitudes. That would be unpleasant all around. I am though working to cut back a bit on vividly expressing my first, or even second, reactions to some things. It can sometimes be easy to forget a single event does not necessarily represent an individual when all there is to see is some text on a screen. Alternately I could go full masochist and just run for ArbCom
. Jbh Talk 16:13, 6 September 2018 (UTC)
- That certainly would not be a terrible idea. You might accidentally get in like I did and experience the surreal environment first hand. Alex Shih (talk) 16:19, 6 September 2018 (UTC)
- I'll ask you if you agree with Opabinia regalis, you say yes, and you really do (please, please), and all will be fine and easy. I asked the last candidates, and voted for those who said yes, and how many didn't vote with her? --Gerda Arendt (talk) 16:43, 6 September 2018 (UTC)
- Unfortunately, my experience is that using your own 'voice' can sometimes get you into greater difficulty than just keeping quiet. My only useful advice is to try to ignore all provocation. Deb (talk) 17:15, 6 September 2018 (UTC)
- That certainly would not be a terrible idea. You might accidentally get in like I did and experience the surreal environment first hand. Alex Shih (talk) 16:19, 6 September 2018 (UTC)
- @Deb: Thank you. I may try again if the process can be improved a bit to allow the candidate more 'voice', maybe allowing them to ask their own questions or, better, splitting the first three questions into a Statements by candidate section and allowing the candidate to make additional statements in that section as the RfA progresses. Doing that would allow the candidate to address 'pile-on' issues where it is less likely to be lost as a threaded reply to individual votes. It might also reduce the pitfalls and poor perception of the candidate participating in threaded discussion in the voting section. There are things which I think I could contribute to help the editing environment here but that very desire is likely to be seen as disqualifying to many – maybe they are right in thinking that since I believe admins should be taking an active role managing the editing environment. I can still lobby for some of those things without the bit though with considerably less effectiveness – complaining rather than doing. I think I would be able to navigate disputes I am not involved in, avoid those where my emotions in the way and I know I would not abuse the actual technical abilities of +sysop. I just do not think that I can be only the non-controversial button pusher which a large portion of the community feels an admin should be. Admins stopped being janitors once the discretionary sanctions came into use because they give admins the ability, and responsibility, to directly effect the editing environment for better or worse. I also have no desire to replace my 'hobby' behavioral norms with my 'professional' attitudes. That would be unpleasant all around. I am though working to cut back a bit on vividly expressing my first, or even second, reactions to some things. It can sometimes be easy to forget a single event does not necessarily represent an individual when all there is to see is some text on a screen. Alternately I could go full masochist and just run for ArbCom
- Just to add, I would really like to think that you would have another try, maybe in a year or so, when you've had a chance to get over the distress this has caused you. Believe me when I say that I completely understand your frustration and would like to do anything I can to help. Deb (talk) 15:01, 29 August 2018 (UTC)
