Wikipedia:Don't edit for power: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:00, 22 August 2007

Latest revision as of 18:36, 8 August 2025

(45 intermediate revisions by 28 users not shown)

Line 1:

{{Essay|WP:POWER}}

{{nutshell|Don't edit Wikipedia just for power and to become an admin. Edit Wikipedia to build an encyclopedia!}}

{{Shortcut|[[WP:POWER]]}}

'''Wikipedia''' is an encyclopedia where we work together, and of course we need admins to [[WPWikipedia:BLOCKBlocking policy|block users]], [[WPWikipedia:PROTECT Protection policy|protect pages]], and [[WPWikipedia:DELETEDeletion policy|delete things]], — but totoo many users tenktend to think that adminship seems like a job where you are powerful, the boss, and in control, whilst also you are allowed to act in anywayany way you want, and everybody takes your opinion as right. Because of this, some users only edit Wikipedia in a nice manner just to become an admin, so they can supposedly gain the power they want, themselves forgetting what the encyclopedia itself is for.

:''This page provides a concept on Wikipedia Behaviour, which is that of only editing the website to become an [[WP:ADMIN|admin]]. Even though is acceptable, it describes that the failure to get power can cause trouble. The message is that don't edit wikipedia just for power and to become an admin. Edit Wikipedia to build an encyclopedia!''

==Users forWhat happens when they get power ==

Let's say these power -hunting users go up for [[WP:RFARfA|RFARfA]] and suceed,succeed. theyThey gain the supposed power that they have only edited wikipediaWikipedia for. These users will possibly now just scrap writing articles and improving them, also scrapping any other kind of encyclopedia -based work,. and obviously theyThey will use the tools and only the tools!

::Eventually, they will get bored of even being on wikipediaWikipedia, bearing in mind they weren't bored when they were busy writing articles and improving everything to get the admin job,. and mostMany of these kinds of users will just [[WP:Former administrators|abandon their admin account.]] Just— just for some [[WP:VAND|vandal]]hacker to compromise it 2 years5 months later and wreck[[WP:VAND|wreak havoc with these admin tools]]. Which is one reason you shouldn't just edit to look for power. However, under somemost cases thisthat doesn't happen, and this situation is a rare one.

'''Wikipedia''' is an encyclopedia where we work together, and of course we need admins to [[WP:BLOCK|block users]], [[WP:PROTECT|protect pages]] and [[WP:DELETE|delete things]], but to many users tenk to think that adminship seems like a job where you are powerful, the boss and in control, whilst also you are allowed to act in anyway you want, and everybody takes your opinion as right. Because of this, some users only edit Wikipedia in a nice manner just to become an admin, so they can supposedly gain the power they want, themselves forgetting what the encyclopedia itself is for.

==What happens when they get power==

Let's say these power hunting users go up for [[WP:RFA|RFA]] and suceed, they gain the supposed power that they have only edited wikipedia for. These users will possibly now just scrap writing articles and improving them also scrapping any other kind of encyclopedia based work, and obviously they will use the tools and only the tools!

::Eventually they will get bored of even being on wikipedia, bearing in mind they weren't bored when they were busy writing articles and improving everything to get the admin job, and most of these kinds of users will just abandon their admin account. Just for some [[WP:VAND|vandal]] to compromise it 2 years later and wreck havoc with these admin tools. Which is one reason you shouldn't just edit to look for power. However under some cases this doesn't happen, and this situation is a rare one.

==What happens when they don't get power...==

Let's say an average user who is hunting for power on wikipediaWikipedia goes up for [[WP:RFARfA|RFARfA]] and fails the process. Problems can then arise,. theseThese power -hunting users may get angry that they have failed the RFARfA process, (even though they may not at all be fit to be an admin). They may think wikipediaWikipedia has something against them. and theyThey may [[WP:COOL|Staystay cool]] — or athey higher possibility, literallymay explode on the users who have opposed them in the RFARfA. whichThis can lead to months and months of trouble, and resulting in them never ever beingbecoming an admin anyway. InThis whichwould isbe yet another reason why theyone shouldn't use wikipediaWikipedia to get power and attention.

==Are all admins looking for power then?==

No, not all admins on wikipediaWikipedia are power hunters, because you willcan see that many of them are dedicated contributors who stillcontinue to write and improve articles, and— they may have chose to go for adminship to help''build'' wikipediaWikipedia morerather than rather justto bask in their so -called power. After all, being an admin is more like being a cleaner than being an emperor. As a result, the symbol for admins is a mop and bucket, not a crown and scepter.

==See also==

* [[Wikipedia:Misuse of administrator tools]]

* [[Wikipedia:Disruptive sanctions]]

* [[Wikipedia:WikiBullying]]

* [[Wikipedia:Hat collecting]]

[[Category:Wikipedia essays explaining processes]]

[[Category:Wikipedia essays about adminship]]