A wiki is an environment where every user has an equal amount of power and responsibility. However, there are one or two functions of the wiki system that are reserved.
From our Project FAQ:
- What do admins do?
- As little as possible. The only things admins can do that you can't are:
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- Rename pages – anyone can port content to a new page and put a redirect on the old one, but this function renames all the links throughout the site too.
- Delete pages – same again: anyone can blank a page. See the Category:Legacy Delete Me tag.
- Ban IPs – fairly pointless, as it's easy for someone intent on causing damage to change their IP, but sometimes it helps to inhibit ongoing spamming.
- Lock (and unlock) individual pages – we hardly ever do this. Pages that are Epic tutorials just have a warning saying don't change the text, and that's worked fine so far, plus it lets people correct typos and make links. The other page that's locked is the Home Page. Admins should look out for edits to Home Page/Changes and then update the Home Page.
- Lock (and unlock) the entire site – see Wiki Protection.
These functions are accessed through an extra line of links in the page footer.
Other than that, there is no real status involved in being an admin. It's more like being someone who has to clean up a mess from time to time. "Wiki Janitor" might be a better term ;)
When it comes to dealing with problem users or conflict, a wiki is totally unlike a forum. Any member of the community may step in and demand better behaviour, not just admins.
The secret of being a good wiki admin is to do as little as possible with your admin powers. Let the community revert damage rather than ban IPs, ask for suggestions when a page needs a new name, and so on.
Overall, the more members of the community are involved in reverting damage, refactoring discussion, creating links, following up WikiTags and generally keeping the place tidy – the healthier the wiki.
Current admins for this wiki are:
- EntropicLqd
- Graphik
- Mychaeel
- tarquin
- Wormbo