Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 22:56, 2 April 2019

RexxS

Voice your opinion on this candidate (talk page) (58/39/9); Scheduled to end 17:07, 8 April 2019 (UTC)

Nomination

RexxS (talk · contribs) – Pleased to nominate young User:RexxS, also known as T-Rexx or Dino, for adminship. None too soon! The little user extremely clever, has been on Wikimedia board, and done... mmm... stuff in the important field of accessibility. Runs little socks User:Famously Mild and User:Famously Sharp, inspire confidence. Technical skills matchless! Is one of masterminds behind fabulous Insultspout! (Together with Shakespeare.) Also, hmm... mature in years, no feckless teenager. Not as mature as BIshzilla, but that not to be expected. bishzilla _ROARR!! pocket 16:05, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

Candidate, please indicate acceptance of the nomination here: I am humbled by the trust the mighty 'Zilla has shown in this poor little user, and I am honoured to accept her nomination. --RexxS (talk) 16:56, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

Questions for the candidate

Dear candidate, thank you for offering to serve Misplaced Pages as an administrator. Please answer these questions to provide guidance for participants:

1. What administrative work do you intend to take part in?

A: Maintaining and improving fully protected (and cascade-protected) modules and templates would be my most likely use of the tools. I'd apply for interface admin as well to help out in that area. In addition, I'd like to help at Arbitration Enforcement, as I feel that area really needs more active admins. Beyond that, I'd consider helping with any backlogs, although I fully aware of the need to ease into new areas gently, by researching beforehand and steering clear of controversial decisions until I gained experience.

2. What are your best contributions to Misplaced Pages, and why?

A: Probably Oxygen toxicity, an article I steered through GA and FA. I'm also quite proud of the work I did at Featured Lists, in preparing templates and workflow for when FL first gained a regular spot on Main Page. I was honoured to have the FL that I wrote, List of signs and symptoms of diving disorders chosen as the first list to be featured when it went live. I also work to improve accessibility on Misplaced Pages – for example, creating the hlist class and giving advice on making content accessible to assistive technology. On the technical front, I've created around 100 Lua modules/documentations, in particular Module:Wikidata and Module:WikidataIB, which read information from Wikidata into infoboxes and similar templates on Misplaced Pages. Indirectly, I contribute as a trustee of Wikimedia UK (on whose behalf I've trained hundreds of new editors), and as secretary of meta:WikiProject Med Foundation, which aims to improve the development and distribution of health care content on Wikimedia projects.

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: Yes, I've been in hundreds of conflicts over the years, but fortunately I don't get stressed, and I believe that in 90% of the cases I've remained on good terms with those that I've disagreed with. I deal with conflicts by seeking reasoned discussion on talk pages to start with (I try to stick to 1RR, wherever possible). If necessary, I have escalated to other forms of dispute resolution, either for content or behaviour, but I find that most disagreements can be resolved amicably by looking for common ground.

On the other hand, I know that I don't suffer fools gladly and I realise I can be acerbic at times. Looking forward, I accept that administrators have to be held to higher standards of behaviour, so I would be obliged to more passive in my responses if acting in any admin capacity. --RexxS (talk) 16:54, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

You may ask optional questions below. There is a limit of two questions per editor. Multi-part questions disguised as one question, with the intention of evading the limit, are disallowed. Follow-up questions relevant to questions you have already asked are allowed.

Additional question from Barkeep49

4 & 5. You mention that "I don't suffer fools gladly and I realise I can be acerbic at times". This has also been brought up by some editors as a concern below. You acknowledge the higher standards for sysop and say "I would be obliged to more passive in my responses if acting in any admin capacity". Two related questions: To what extent do you think that higher standard applies to sysops when they're not acting in an administrative capacity? What would "passive" in an administrative role look like (if you have an example of past actions that would be fantastic, otherwise an explanation for context would be appreciated)? Thanks and Best, Barkeep49 (talk) 20:26, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

A: @Barkeep49: The truth is that if adminship is not a big deal, then we ought to be holding every experienced editor to the highest standards. I acknowledge that I sometimes find myself falling below the standards that I want to see upheld. I keep trying to do better.

The other part of that is that admins have a built-in advantage in disagreements. Some editors, especially newer ones, regard admins as having a higher status than them, so I believe it's vital that admins should not abuse that trust even when not acting in an administrative capacity. Acting as a good role model is actually one of the few occasions where I concede that adminship has to be a big deal.

I recently took part in multiple debates over the articles Rapid onset gender dysphoria, Lisa Littman and PLOS One (see the talk pages for the gory details). There are two distinct points of view, and I've tried hard to find common ground and move the debate along to find a conclusion impartially. That requires trying to stay with policy and precedent rather than offering one's own opinions. Those are what I think of as passive responses – they don't inflame debate, and don't make one side feel they are being treated less fairly. Now, I don't always manage to pull that off, but it's a good goal to aim for, whether you're an admin or not. --RexxS (talk) 21:49, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

Additional question from Amorymeltzer

6. WP:IAR is something often brought up at RfA, in both questions and answers, but I'd like to ask about a specific implementation, namely that Misplaced Pages is not a bureaucracy. When is it a good idea to skip something typically expected and what are the criteria you currently use as an editor to determine when you might feel justified in doing so? How how might that answer differ as a sysop? I'm after your philosophy and thought process, so concrete examples, whether by you or someone else, are not what I'm asking for (but would of course be welcome). ~ Amory (u • t • c) 20:42, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

A: @Amorymeltzer: WP:BURO is the application of IAR to our policies and guidelines (PAG). I find myself arguing at times that policies and guidelines are descriptive, not prescriptive, that is, they document our accepted best practices, rather than representing a set of rules that set boundaries for editing. PAG are acknowledged to have occasional exceptions; and it is the correct application of IAR that provides those rare exceptions. We would be justified in skipping what's expected when we sincerely believe that doing so would improve the encyclopedia, and that the community would undoubtedly agree with us. The rider is important, because when we invoke IAR, we have to be ready to defend our action to the community. It's not just that we think the action is right; it's that we honestly believe that most others would think the same. I believe that exactly the constraints must apply to admin actions as to the actions of other editors. --RexxS (talk) 22:07, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

Additional question from Ritchie333

7. As you can see, I have supported, but hopefully this question will sway some of those who are as yet undecided. Below, there is some concern about a dispute you had with Pppery over a Lua module. My understanding is that modules require careful testing and good programming knowledge, and the actions here are simply a concern that changing code without a full and thorough understanding and test strategy has the potential to cause widespread disruption on the encyclopedia, and claims of ownership are wide of the mark. Is this a reasonable assessment of the situation? If not, would you be able to clarify your thoughts further?

A: Thank you for your support, Ritchie333, and for offering me the opportunity to elaborate. First of all, you're right about how we need to handle modules, but Pppery is a good programmer and I don't have a concern with their abilities on that front; it's much more nuanced than that. My concern lies with what I perceive as their need to have everything tidy, according to their own internal scheme of how things should be organised – a sort of "feng shui" programming. They have given me the impression that they are more concerned with reducing the number of modules than with having the best functionality possible. That particular interaction is the latest of several we've had, and it revolves around Pppery's attempt to get rid of a module I was helping another editor develop because they believed it was redundant to an existing module. The existing module could be used to reproduce most of the functionality of the module under development, but not all of it.

The "ownership" issue needs further explanation. As a consequence of the relative lack of Lua programmers, most modules are not written collaboratively in the way that articles are. They are generally the work of one editor, sometimes two or three, but most of the large modules tend to have a single main maintainer. I hope that is actually WP:STEWARDSHIP, not ownership. The consequence of sometimes only a single editor being truly familiar with the workings of a module is that they can easily be seen as "owning" the module. The only way to alleviate that problem is to increase the number of Lua programmers editing Misplaced Pages, and I can at least claim to be doing my bit by mentoring young programmers in the Google Code-in programme for the last two years. --RexxS (talk) 22:54, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

Additional question from TheSandDoctor

8. I realize that this is probably going to be asked, so here it goes: Is this a legitimate nomination or an April fools joke?

A: @TheSandDoctor: Is it okay to repeat my reply from below? This was to fulfil a promise I made to Redrose64 at the Oxford wiki-meetup in January. My argument at that meetup was that adminship shouldn't be treated as a big deal, and that the key issue was whether the community trusts a user or not. So I agreed to test that premise on April Fool's Day, on the grounds that if it completely bombed I could always tell myself it was "just a joke". Now that the cat's out of the bag, I won't be able to salve my battered feelings when I get 50 opposes on the grounds of "no need for the tools".

Do you want me to elaborate any further on that? --RexxS (talk) 23:02, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

Additional question from Hurricane Noah

9. This is kind of expanding upon what has already been asked. As posted below, it has been shown you have had multiple disagreements with an editor within the past month. My question is, roughly how often do disagreements of this magnitude occur? Was this a one-time occurrence? Could you please elaborate? Noah 23:53, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

A: @Hurricane Noah: that was an interesting trip down memory lane. And somewhat disturbing. First I ought to make clear I've had the same disagreements with Pppery since at least last June, so it's probably a longer-term issue than you contemplated. Looking back over the 11+ years I've been editing, I found two instances of chronic multiple disagreements of that scale. Despite the length of time I've been editing, that's actually quite a lot. The infobox disputes were a source of considerable friction between many editors and I'm sad that we have more or less lost Cassianto, whom I valued as a hugely productive editor and as a wiki-friend, despite us being on opposite sides of the dispute. The other major long-term dispute I was involved in a couple of years ago was over the use of Wikidata in Misplaced Pages. As you may imagine, I'm strongly in favour of using a central database that smaller wikis can share – the module I wrote to do that, Module:WikidataIB is in use on around other wikis now – but I also am aware of the problems that can arise and do my best to mitigate them by building filters, for example, to keep out unsourced information. I hope Fram won't mind me mentioning them by name, as one of the principals that I had most disagreements with and they may choose to give their own assessment of our interactions. I don't expect them to arrive in the support column, so I guess that ping won't count as canvassing. --RexxS (talk) 22:40, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

Additional question from Pharaoh of the Wizards

10. As "required to disclose" can you please state whether you have ever edited for pay or any other form of compensation.

A: @Pharaoh of the Wizards: That's an easy one: I have never edited for pay or for any other form of compensation, and I have a profound distaste for the practice. For extra clarity, I'm happily and comfortably retired and I don't do anything for material compensation any more.

While I get the chance, let me add that I've never edited under any previous accounts, and I have two "working" alternate accounts that I use for training (as noted by my nom), plus a joke account (whose name escapes me) that I used for teasing Catherine de Burgh/Catherine Bonkbuster. I am also identified to the Foundation (not that that matters for RfA). --RexxS (talk) 01:23, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

Additional question from Izno

11. What should you do when you are at wits' end with another editor? What not? As an admin, rather than as an editor?

A: My advice to others in that situation has always been to walk away from it; and not to prolong the dispute. In particular, don't rehash arguments already made in an attempt to convince somebody who isn't going to be convinced. Either somebody else will come along and take the same stance as you did, or it will all fade into the past and be forgotten (well, at least until you start an RfA). That applies to admins exactly as it does to editors, for the same reasons I gave in answer to Q4. The difficulty with taking that advice is knowing when you're at your wits' end; and my advice in that case is to err on the side of walking away. --RexxS (talk) 01:35, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

Additional question from GoldenRing

12. Since you've said you'd like to help out at AE, can you explain when you think it is appropriate for one administrator to overturn the action of another administrator that is marked as an arbitration enforcement action?

A: @GoldenRing: I think we disagree on this point, and I'm grateful for the chance to discuss the issue in greater depth. Let's go back to basics: ArbCom serves at the pleasure of the community; it is not GovCom. ArbCom is the (effective) final arbiter of behavioural disputes. It has no remit to take action on content disputes, nor to make or amend policy by fiat. Arbitration enforcement actions were invented to address the problem of editors who were seen as "unblockable". These were hugely popular, prolific content contributors with even less tolerance for foolish behaviour than I have. If they were blocked for "civility" (often for rising to the bait when trolled), they would be quickly unblocked by another admin and per WP:WHEEL, that would more or less be the end of it – a classic example of "second mover advantage". So arbitration enforcement actions were created to remove second mover advantage for those intractable cases. By issuing the threat of de-sysoping if an arbitration enforcement action was undone merely on the second admin's judgement, it allowed blocks to stick. That was the raison d'être for AE actions, and you can't fault the intention, but please understand that I'm describing sanctions against individual editors that must not be reversed, not any other sort of admin action.

So, where would it appropriate for an admin, on their own judgement, to overturn an AE action? Well, I believe it would be appropriate in cases when the wrong person was blocked and the blocking admin was unavailable to correct their error. I know it's unlikely, but it is possible that an AE admin might mistakenly block User:Stemcell when they intended to block User:StemCell. Blocking established editors is not to be taken lightly, and doing so unfairly or mistakenly ought to be undone as rapidly as possible – we've lost great editors over less.

There's another category of AE actions where I believe it is appropriate for an uninvolved admin to to undo the action: when the enforcement of the AE action conflicts with the community's policies and guidelines. The example we're both familiar with is when an admin deletes a page as an "arbitration enforcement action". First, I don't accept the legitimacy of page deletion as a sanction against an individual editor. Pages are content and belong to Misplaced Pages, not to an individual editor. Next, if the page deletion is challenged at deletion review, per our deletion policy, we can't have the deleting admin saying that "you can't review my deletion action using the community's deletion process: you have to jump through the hoops at AE using a process that ArbCom created by fiat". An ArbCom procedure isn't even recognised as policy or guideline by the community; it can't deal with content matters (like deletion); and it can't subordinate community policy to its own mechanisms. Finally, if an uninvolved admin undeletes the page, as is expected at deletion review (so that non-admins can participate), it is antithetical to the way that Misplaced Pages has always worked to then threaten that admin with de-sysoping. In my view that would be policy-wonkery gone mad. Sorry it took so long, but there's a lot of my thinking that I needed to explain. --RexxS (talk) 18:34, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

Additional question from Dolotta

13. What area or areas of the English Misplaced Pages do you find yourself to be the weakest?

A: @Dolotta: Most of them, to be honest. When I first started editing, at least two-thirds of my edits were to articles; now it's down to more like one-third. I ought to review GAs and do accessibility reviews at FA, and I ought to do more new page patrol, and RCP, and so on. I know that's not quite what you asked, but I'm long enough in the tooth to be able to turn my hand to most things on-wiki. My real weaknesses are lack of application and giving in to the temptation to only do the jobs that I'm really interested in at that moment. Please follow up if you think I've misunderstood or side-stepped your question. --RexxS (talk) 22:08, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

Additional question from QEDK

14. Do you believe ...If I don't get assurances from you that this is the last time I have to complain about such actions on your part, I'll be taking steps to see you topic banned from the area of modules demonstrates the right temperament for a candidate for adminship? If so, why, or else, why not?

A: I don't think that interaction would have been any different had I been an admin, nor do I believe that it should. I had a genuine disagreement about the other editor's conduct and how it affected me. It was not the first time that I had a grievance with that editor. I complained on their talk page and asked them to stop causing me those problems, as I was at that point getting ready to assemble a case for AN to ask for them to be topic banned from the area where I felt they were doing the damage. I thought it reasonable to make that clear to them. Although you characterise it as an issue of temperament, I felt at the time I was doing the right thing by making clear how serious I was about escalating my complaint. I always prefer to let other editors know when I have an issue with their behaviour first, to see if we can reach a compromise, rather than going straight off to ANI or AN. I don't think I am likely to change that approach. --RexxS (talk) 22:51, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

15. Given that this RfA is not a joke, and might as well not be successful at this point, what do you think that you should have done better, apart from doing it as a joke?

A:

Additional question from schetm

16. Will you make a promise here and now to refrain from use of any of the seven dirty words in your work as an admin? I understand that this has been an area of difficulty for you in the past, and as a rank and file editor, it's not a dealbreaker. But, as an admin - a person in a position of authority on Misplaced Pages, such language can be needlessly intimidating.

A:

Discussion

• Links for RexxS: RexxS (talk · contribs · deleted · count · AfD · logs · block log · lu · rfar · spi)
• Edit summary usage for RexxS can be found here.

Please keep discussion constructive and civil. If you are unfamiliar with the nominee, please thoroughly review his contributions before commenting.

Support

1. Real support Also unclear if it is real or a joke, but I support for real. Trusted user, won’t abuse the tools. TonyBallioni (talk) 17:13, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

   Support – excellent candidate. I hope this is not a joke. Bradv🍁 17:17, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

2. Support Good candidate. I hope this is not an April Fools' nomination. Jianhui67 17:22, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
3. Support The "real stats" seem reasonable enough, though I would like to see active BLP work. AfD vote stats seem better than many here. Joke or not - this vote is real. Collect (talk) 17:25, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
4. Support: RexxS does seem to have the correct temperament and the needed skillset to be a qualified sysop. Waggie (talk) 17:37, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
5. Real support One of our clearest thinkers and knows how to handle a dispute. I often turn to RexxS in some situations. --Redrose64 🌹 (talk) 17:58, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
6. Real Support Good candidate, meets my criteria. Vermont (talk) 18:00, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
7. Support. I first thought this was a joke, because I was certain RexxS was an admin already... well, time to change reality to fit my expectations :) —Kusma (t·c) 18:06, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
8. Support I have approached RexxS for questions about technical formatting of infoboxes and other templates, and he has always been helpful and polite. His experience and assistance at editathons and workshops has to be commended, his content work is easily beyond the level required for adminship, and he clearly understands policy. Give him the damn mop and bucket. Ritchie333 18:40, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
9. Oppose No joke, Rexxs is qualified to become an administrator. However, for daring to ruin our fools day with serious topics (we are serious cats) I oPpOsE. L3X1 ◊distænt write◊ 18:49, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
10. Real support a serious moment on a silly day.Worm(talk) 19:23, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
11. I disagree with RexxS more often than I agree with him but he's one of the few editors on Misplaced Pages whom I'd trust completely and without reservations, as someone who's willing to listen when others disagree with him. Frankly, I'd consider someone being willing to tell people who are fucking around with things they don't understand to stop fucking around with things they don't understand to be a positive not a drawback; nowhere in WP:Civility does it say we're obliged to accept disruption because it would upset the disruptor were we to point it out. ‑ Iridescent 19:26, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
12. Support - Throwing NOBIGDEAL in the community's face with a joke nom from Bishzilla on April Fools' Day and seeing if it sticks is one of the best things I've seen here, so successful or not, credit where it's due in that regard. That aside, RexxS is actually trustworthy and qualified enough to be an admin for real. IIRC, I've bitterly disagreed with him on more than one occasion (in fact, I'm not sure if we've ever interacted other than him harshly criticizing me), but rather than leaving a bitter taste, he's only ever left the opposite. RexxS has always proved to be a reasonable and amicable person with an even temper, even in heated circumstances. ~Swarm~ 🐝 {sting · hive} 19:32, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
13. Really and truly support. APRIL FOOLS (just kidding) Seriously, if the mopper's good enough for the rose, then the mopper's good enough for the tools... and for me! Paine Ellsworth, ed.    19:40, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
14. Support - I've seen more that makes this person trustworthy than what makes him not, especially with Tony and WTT's support. Kb03 (talk) 20:25, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
15. Support. I am disconcerted by the ambivalent reasoning behind the date of nomination. Nevertheless, RexxS is a good editor and will use the tools appropriately. (I worked with RexxS on the article "Oxygen toxicity".) Axl ¤ 20:55, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
16. Support - if this is not a "1st" (so to speak) and only if RexxS will have the time to continue helping editors (particularly me 😊) with templates & various other tech issues. _Talk 📧 21:04, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
17. Support - trustworthy editor. PhilKnight (talk) 21:34, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
18. Support (real) - trustworthy editor. --TheSandDoctor 21:38, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
19. Support: I have found RexxS to be helpful and level-headed even within one of the most heated debates that I have been involved in. Some concerns have been brought up about the mild edit-warring at the article on Fermat's Last Theorem (first re-revert & second re-revert) and the heat added at this discussion (in particular the collapsed box "Unnecessary discussion") – I agree that these were not ideal but I think that RexxS's judgment as a whole has been very reasonable. A great content contributor, a trustworthy editor with technical ability, and an experienced user with helpful WP domain knowledge. — MarkH21 (talk) 21:51, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
20. Real support, passes my criteria —Pythoncoder (talk | contribs) 21:59, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
21. YES! I don't care if this is an April Fool's nomination or a genuine one from RexxS as this is a candidacy that I have looked forward to for many, many, many years, regardless of format. I've had the benefit of meeting RexxS several times in person and I can say for certain that he is one of the kindest and most generous people I've ever met on here. Incredible knowledge of Misplaced Pages policies, pleasant temperament with new users and with people who ask for his help, "real deal" attitude, positive outlook and a zero percent chance of abusing or misusing the tools. I don't agree with any of the current opposition - even if he can be a tad gruff on occasions, we honestly have nothing to worry about with RexxS and have an amazing amount to gain. I am delighted to see this candidacy from him. :) Acalamari 22:01, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

    CRUNCH GRRRRRAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!. Obviously. Nothing about fierce dinos without fierce dinos. It's about time. Full confidence. - CorbieV ☼ 22:12, 1 April 2019 (UTC) On further thought, clarifying my translation to Violently Neutral - CorbieV ☼ 23:30, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

22. Support. Partly per Iri, partly per my experience that RexxS is generally clueful and helpful. That being said, should this nom succeed I'd urge you to take on board the points made by Yngvadottir and SchroCat. Nikkimaria (talk) 22:57, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
23. For reasons already stated above. I'm slightly hesitant, though, due to the questionable judgment of accepting a nomination on Let's All Be Vandals Too Day. We already have a handful of admins who passed contentious RFAs with some !votes explicitly labeled "moral support"; would you really want your adminship forever marred by passing thanks, in part, to a !vote like "Support, ha ha ha, funny nom"? —Cryptic 00:04, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
24. Now that all that April Fools nonsense is out of the way... Strong support. Clueful, helpful, long-tenured, deep experience in a wide variety of areas; frankly this RfA is years overdue. 28bytes (talk) 00:34, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
25. Support. Looks like a good candidate. TheEditster (talk) 01:35, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
26. Support. Gog the Mild (talk) 02:12, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
27. Support. SportingFlyer T·C 02:56, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
28. Support, has been incredibly helpful to me and other screen reader users re accessibility over many years. I'm surprised about the opposition, but it doesn't sway my opinion. Graham87 06:38, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
29. Support Seems good enough for me.--AldNon 06:39, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
30. Support precious passionate dedication + patience (explained better by Ritchie above), + Iridescent also said something much better than I could above, required reading, I'd say --Gerda Arendt (talk) 07:45, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
31. Support per NOBIGDEAL and Gerda; the opposes are not terribly convincing: as noted above, if one pisses in public, one should expect to get wet. ——SerialNumber54129 08:19, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
32. Support I see a number of editors I greatly respect in this column, and I don’t see a reason to oppose. Pawnkingthree (talk) 08:22, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
33. Support, absolutely. Can be a little bite-y but very competent overall and I see a net positive. Essentially per Acalamari. Cadillac000 (talk) 08:45, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
34. Support, despite issues raised below, I think the candidate will be a net positive Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 08:47, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
35. Support. A nice surprise to see this. RexxS is one of our best contributors, and a great hands-on educationalist. Is he a little forthright sometimes? Yes, but he does work in some areas that seem to attract controversy and he does often seem to encounter some of our stubbornest and not-listeningest editors. I'm sure he'd be sweetness and light as an admin. Boing! said Zebedee (talk) 09:19, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
36. Support Will make a good admin. ∰Bellezzasolo✡ Discuss 10:21, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
37. I've known RexxS for several years, we've talked in meetups, we've trained together, I have learned a lot from RexxS. I have seen them interact with others in and out of this community. To my knowledge they absolutely have the commitment to the project and the smarts. I have no hesitation in supporting RexxS for admin. ϢereSpielChequers 10:51, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
38. Support As far as I can tell using the mop requires a willingness to wade into the tedious and petty sides of Misplaced Pages - and having a record of doing that without being a blowhard is a virtue. Spacepine (talk) 10:53, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
39. Strong Support RexxS is exactly the kind of person we need at the centre of this project. Calm, resolute, loyal and empathetic to others. I can not recommend this guy too much. Victuallers (talk) 10:58, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
40. Real support. He does good work, not only with articles but with behind-the scenes stuff such as templates. He writes "fortunately I don't get stressed" – I think this is because he's concerned only with the subject of disputes, and does not take them personally. (He's the only experienced editor who has ever come to me with an unexpected and unsolicited apology, offered simply because he'd decided he was wrong about some minor matter.) Maproom (talk) 11:19, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
41. Support per NOBIGDEAL. And the fact that they meet my standards for adminship, which is that I see no evidence that suggests that they would misuse the tools. Guettarda (talk) 11:34, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
42. Support The date of the nomination (and the nominator neither) doesn't play any role at all. And to some of the opposers, in the still lingering spirit of April 1st, I say ma gavte la nata (and yes, that's meant to be humorous). Lectonar (talk) 12:06, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
43. Support ~SS49~ {talk} 13:11, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
44. Support One of the few editors on Misplaced Pages who can deal with all kinds of people. What I look for in an admin is the ability to judge more than the surface. I believe Rexx looks below the surface with people, can judge integrity and can see and understand more than surface level behaviors. There are too many who take for granted what someone else tells them, who can't think for themselves. I'd also mention that in a span of over ten years if an experienced editor appears to always be with out frustration then something is wrong. In my early days I did have a disagreement with Rexx, I've never felt he held that against me. He has a kind of deep seated honesty which Misplaced Pages needs more of. Littleolive oil (talk) 15:09, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
45. Support. I surely disagree with RexxS on some issues and their approach annoys me at times, but that doesn't mean they aren't a qualified candidate for admin or that they lack good judgment. I've gotten hot-headed at times over issues I'm passionate about and can't fault the candidate for the occasional lapse in appropriate rhetoric. --Laser brain (talk) 15:21, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
46. Support – Diffs can be deceiving. In the Wikidata diffs, Rexx was right and sticking up for accessibility, which I greatly appreciate in an editor and value in an admin. When editors want to do something that makes a page unreadable for non-sighted editors because it "looks better" for sighted editors, it's like taking food from the starving to feed the fat; very upsetting. In the DRV, Rexx was also right, and during the DRV, the closer changed the close from keep to no consensus, leading some DRV voters to think it was the no consensus that was being challenged. I thought Rexx showed calmness in that clusterfuck difficult situation. The Lua diffs are horrible (FFS Rexx, you should have been on your best behavior in March knowing this was coming). We really shouldn't be saying things to each other along the lines of (my own paraphrasing) "how dare you mess this thing up I worked really hard on" or "unless you sufficiently grovel, I will escalate". I recognize that everybody's human and snaps sometimes, and these diffs come at the end of a multi-year dispute so context matters, but still, not a good look. Outside of the oppose diffs, in my own experience with Rexx and seeing his contributions on various talk pages here and there (including in the rest of the conversations on the pages of those oppose diffs), generally Rexx strikes me as calm and helpful. Technical proficiency is another plus for me. Finally, I'm persuaded by the other editors supporting, many of whom I believe have excellent judgment. We need more admins and on balance, I think we'd be better off if Rexx had the tools. And I agree with Rexx that RfA is not a big deal: if he ends up being a tyrannosaurus-admin, we can take the bit away. Leviv ich 16:36, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
47. Like several people above, I sometimes disagree with RexxS, but always respect his judgement. I trust him not to do anything adminny in areas he's involved in editorially, and expect he'll recalibrate his patience meter some if he passes this. Fingers crossed this turns around. --Floquenbeam (talk) 17:05, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

    Floquenbeam I want this to be true. I want to support RexxS for all the reasons that you and others who I respect are saying. However, my personal experience matches what limited academic research I've seen (ex ) which suggests that on the whole user behavior does change after becoming sysop and not in a moderating way. Is there something particular to RexxS which suggests he would be an exception? Best, Barkeep49 (talk) 21:45, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

    @Barkeep49: The "not using the tools while involved" aspect is based on his being an honorable self-aware person; but I don't think you're disagreeing with that portion of my comment (right?). I assume you're talking about the "patience meter" aspect, what others are calling a "civility" problem. I can only say that this RFA itself is full of people RexxS respects saying he should probably dial back the aggression a little, and I have no reason (aside from your general academic research that I will just take your word on) to think he won't respect widespread feedback. It's probably a hunch. I've certainly gotten less patient over the years myself (likely due to age rather than adminship), but if I had 20 people I respected telling me "we love you, Floq, but Jesus just dial it down some", I'd listen. I assume RexxS would do the same. If your experience is different, I won't try to argue you out of it. --Floquenbeam (talk) 22:56, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

48. Support. RexxS has been around for a long time, has solved many a technical and other problem, has a great knowledge of policy and a sensible and patient way (for the most part) of explaining it. I trust him, and many others do as well (note the long list of longterm users and admins who are supporting here). I am an admin, and there are many, many ways in which Rexx is more qualified than me. I'd be honored if he got the tools, and I have no doubt that if there's any personal animosity between him and another editor he'd not use the tools, let alone abuse them. Drmies (talk) 17:13, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
49. Support - he'll be a net asset, and we need more admins. schetm (talk) 17:26, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
50. Support A likely net positive. SemiHypercube 18:04, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
51. Support RexxS is trustworthy. He's incredibly knowledgable and deeply committed to the project. We've often disagreed, but that's irrelevant, though Nikkimaria's advice would be worth taking. Victoriaearle (tk) 19:06, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
52. Support Personally, I would have picked any other day to do this, but he doesn't seem like he would abuse a mop/bucket —Amiodarone  19:56, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
53. Strongest possible support (and that's the first time I've used any qualifiers on my hundreds of RfA votes). One can't expect everyone voting down there in the dungeon and torture chamber to really know what they are talking about, especially when simply piling on. and they almost certainly do not know RexxS personally. I do. Or worked with him off Wiki. I have. One can't expect them to know either what a thoroughly nice and helpful person he is to newbies. I do. RexxS is one user, like me a retired educator in RL, who has often told me that he is Wikibusy enough without wanting to have the mop as well. What is needed however, is precisely admins with his no-nonsense approach, his excellent technical knowledge, and his vast experience and outreach work which most of those with higher edit counts can't/won't match. I join with with Ritchie333, Swarm, Boing, WereSpielChequers, Drmies, and particularly Acalamari who puts it more eloquently than I usually now bother at RfA. These are the people who know. Kudpung กุดผึ้ง (talk) 20:03, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
54. Support Adminship is no big deal. The candidate ain't gonna break the pedia.--MONGO (talk) 20:06, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
55. RexxS isn't a perfect candidate, but adminship does not require perfection. What it requires is the ability to use the tools productively in one or more areas, and the ability to admit and learn from mistakes. I've seen RexxS around enough to know that they possess both these qualities. I do wish they had not started this RFA on the first of April, and indeed if it doesn't succeed I think a second run fairly soon would be a good idea. I am likewise disappointed by some of the opposition: this may have been initiated on April 1st, but the candidate has clarified that it is a serious RFA, and opposing entirely on that basis isn't reasonable. Vanamonde (Talk) 20:44, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
56. Strongest possible support in fact, strongest possible support. If this longstanding user (who many of us thought should have become an admin 10 years ago) can't get the mop, the whole RfA system needs to be reworked. Montanabw 20:47, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
57. Strong Support - saw some chatter on various user talk pages - and followed it all here. I'm surprised. The timing left me scratching my head - but smiling. Still, all in all I've dealt with Rexx enough to know support is a must. — Ched :  ?  — 20:51, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
58. Support Definitely - RexxS has a solid understanding of policy, is a prolific contributor to article content, and is passionate about making this site better for all of us Zingarese talk · contribs 21:54, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

Oppose

1. the RfA nomintor is not an admin. So I cannot believe the candidate will become a good admin Hhkohh (talk) 17:16, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

   Discussion moved to the talk page. QEDK (後 ☕ 桜) 15:12, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

2. Oppose. I am not convinced that RexxS has a good-enough grasp on the deletion process, as evidenced by a series of events that culminated with Misplaced Pages:Deletion review/Log/2019 March 13. -- Tavix 18:11, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

   You're quite right, Tavix. I made a mistake in thinking it would be less bureaucratic to re-nominate rather than challenge your "keep" close that I disagreed strongly with. I won't make that mistake again. --RexxS (talk) 20:56, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

3. Oppose I don't think that a user who told me to stop fucking about with things don't understand is fit to be an admin. {{3x|p}}ery (talk) 19:14, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
4. Strong Oppose Per the above... Clearly lacks the temperament of an admin. Given the recency of the incident, I am inclined to oppose this nomination. Noah 19:35, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

   Discussion moved to the talk page. QEDK (後 ☕ 桜) 15:15, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

5. Oppose Sir Joseph 20:29, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

   Care to elaborate? —Pythoncoder (talk | contribs) 22:01, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

   Nope, do you ask the support votes that as well? I have my reasons and I don't want to get into it, and I don't want to turn this into a debate. Sir Joseph 00:47, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

   Historically, there has not been the same obligation on supporters to explain their reasons for supporting (assumed to be "per nom" or a confirmation that the candidate is regarded as fully qualified) as there has been on opposers.-- Pawnkingthree (talk) 17:06, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

   Could be, but I have valid reasons to oppose, but historically, oppose voters have been badgered. I'm not interested in that. Sir Joseph 18:31, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

6. Oppose Per Pppery and Hurricane Noah; also, I find the peremptory "I thought I told you" somewhat concerning. aboideau 20:52, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
7. Oppose. I've witnessed tempermant issues with this editor in the past. In addition, not knowing for certain if this RfA is real or an April Fool's joke (per the nomination style) doesn't instill confidence. Steel1943 (talk) 22:01, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

   See neutral #1. —Pythoncoder (talk | contribs) 22:05, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

8. Oppose as per recent behavior evidenced in the above votes. Lacks temperament to be an admin.--Rusf10 (talk) 22:06, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

   I would like to reassure you some here. I am confident that RexxS has been evolving in his interactions with editors, and is now way less prone to demolish entire cities and, hence, Wikipedians. I truly believe that now RexxS will only demolish vandals, tendentious editors, sockdrawers, and spammers. - CorbieV ☼ 22:25, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

   @CorbieVreccan: I hope you realize that outburst posted above was about a week ago. I have no clue how this applicant handled himself prior to that, but it appears he still needs improvement in the interaction category. Noah 22:59, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

   ....oops. Taking another look. - CorbieV ☼ 23:22, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

   @Hurricane Noah: There was similar behavior a month ago (as I pointed out to Amory above). {{3x|p}}ery (talk) 23:16, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

   Works for me :-) Ritchie333 22:27, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

9. Oppose. Don't like the guy. Softlavender (talk) 23:00, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

   Softlavender, come on. That's below your standards. Drmies (talk) 17:09, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

   Don't like Bishzilla either. Softlavender (talk) 17:35, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

10. Oppose In discussions I've seen here and on Wikidata I've noticed that they can be combative in heated discussions, which is not a good thing for an admin. I will pull some diffs should I get the time. --Rschen7754 00:21, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

    Note these comments on Wikidata; while RexxS may be correct on a technical level, these sorts of comments only serve to pour gasoline on the fire - and over such a minor issue as arguing about the indentation of comments on a discussion page. I see more of a tendency to go for being "correct" even at the expense of working with other editors. --Rschen7754 00:33, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

    That's rather disingenuous Rschen. I read the discussion, and it seems the key problem is RexxS repeatedly said the other editor's contributions caused problems with screenreaders, and politely stated (including an apology that it was necessary!) that the attitude of "I'm not interested in accessibility" was completely unhelpful. Just because your president thinks it's okay to rip disabled people a new one, doesn't make it okay. Ritchie333 07:43, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

    As I said, technically correct but quite abrasive - throwing out "I've been editing here longer than you have" and "You clearly know nothing about screen readers" is quite condescending. (FWIW I blocked that other editor on Wikidata multiple times, so that should speak about what I believe about that other editor's behavior). --Rschen7754 18:21, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

11. Strong Oppose. Absolutely not. User is rude, combative, arrogant, and has an unhealthy obsession with instigating drama/starting flame wars. Assuming this is a real RfA, I'll definitely spend some time later compiling diffs, but even as a joke this isn't particularly amusing. -FASTILY 00:56, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
12. From the examples both above and below (in the neutral section), I don't believe Rexx has the proper temperament for an administrator. I'm sure he is otherwise a good editor, but interacting with others is (supposedly) an important part of adminship, so I can't support. ansh666 00:57, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
13. Strong Oppose per the cited rude comments left to other editors very recently, this is not the level of civility I expect to see in admins. And it certainly doesn't help that this entire RfA seems to be a bit pointy. — xaosflux 01:29, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

    If there's a (non-disruptive) point being made, it's that WP:DEAL might still mean something around these parts :p ——SerialNumber54129 10:45, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

14. Procedural oppose and restart the RFA because many commentators thought this was a joke RFA due to the April 1st start and general tone. This oppose has nothing to do with the ridiculous opposition over the fact that the candidate has used a "colorful metaphor". I literally work in professional engineering environment and hear "fuck" at least 5 times a day. Obviously, if he said "John Doe is a fucking nitwit", that would be a problem, but the phrase "stop fucking with" a thing literally just means "stop playing around with " the thing. Reaper Eternal (talk) 01:39, 2 April 2019 (UTC)13:10, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

    Reaper Eternal, if you're oppose is simply based on the idea that it started on April 1st, I can confidently say that the crats have the ability to ignore the sillyness in making a final judgement. If they feel they need it, they can extend the RfA an additional day. RfA is a daunting prospect for many and if a fools rfa was the push RexxS needed, then I cannot see the problem. Worm(talk) 18:05, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

15. Oppose - Concerns with temperament and a POINTy rationale for standing. Adminship shouldn't be a big deal, but that doesn't mean that nominations should be a joke. -- Ajraddatz (talk) 02:01, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
16. Weak Oppose but only because I think (but I'm not 100% sure) that this might be an experimental RfA per nominee's response to Neutral #1. I look forward to supporting the candidate at a future time, though! Chetsford (talk) 05:32, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

    It isn't, he's already explained that in depth twice. Ritchie333 07:43, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

17. Weak oppose seems the candidate has a lot of concerns. --B dash (talk) 08:02, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
18. Oppose. WP:ADMINCOND states: "Administrators should strive to model appropriate standards of courtesy and civility to other editors." I think the recent interactions discussed here, especially Special:Diff/889484079 and Special:Diff/885587498, fall short of those standards. Although the candidate indicates a willingness to hold themselves to "higher standards of behaviour", I'd prefer to see these changes before the RfA. The candidate does have the opportunity to demonstrate these changes prior to a future RfA. The April Fools' Day flavor of the nomination is clever, but did not affect my opinion. — Newslinger talk 09:10, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
19. Oppose With all the evidence presented of unsuitability, I don't think it's right to support a request for adminship at this point in time. EggRoll97 09:40, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

    All the evidence? You're all !voting on two diffs, or the premise of the RfA being a joke (despite being told multiple times it isn't), or ultra-weak rationales like "I don't like him". As WP:RFAV puts it, "And that is the exact problem with having the wide open venue for questions – they promote drive-by voting rather than actual examination of the candidate.", "it's the people that pick one error in an otherwise qualified candidate and oppose over it that discourage potential candidates. More often than not, those ridiculous oppose !votes create a pile-on that ultimately fails the RfA" and "People at RfA love to load up on one particular flaw. It's one of the reasons hardly anyone goes for the mop anymore: they just load up on one thing, and hold it to be worth as much as everything else." I'm sure everyone opposing is doing so in good faith and with genuine conviction, it's just the tragedy of the commons. Ritchie333 10:37, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

20. Oppose. Concerns with temperament. -- Ssilvers (talk) 11:03, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

    Glad there isn't a concomitant concern with presenting diffs. ——SerialNumber54129 11:07, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

21. Oppose The editors attitude towards others seems be appalling. Not what I would expect to see in an admin. A caring dutiful aspect towards other editors is the first prerequisite for administration and it is lacking here. scope_creep 11:08, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
22. Oppose This editor has specifically stated that the primary purpose of this RfA is to test the process in a situation (April Fools Day) in which said process might be tested. This is not, in my view, a good enough reason to adduce in what should be a meaningful, important and serious process.----Anthony Bradbury 11:54, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
23. Oppose over credible concerns on abrasive behauvior. I could find two AN/I threads, 1, 2, that support this notion (nothing actionable, but generally just hostile interactions in disputes that lead to more problems - the complainants feel that RexxS held a grudge against them). Also, using April 1st humour as a pre-defence to "save their face" from actual criticism is silly. --Pudeo (talk) 12:10, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
24. Oppose I really admire RexxS's work, but I find the interactions pointed out above to be a bit appalling. I cannot support anyone who uses that kind of language toward others. As one of the fundamental pillars of Misplaced Pages, civility is paramount. If this were a long time ago I wouldn't pay it much mind, but we're talking about a week ago. This is unacceptable behaviour for anyone, much less an admin, who are supposed to lead by example. Sure, there's WP:NOBIGDEAL, but there's also WP:BIGDEAL. — MusikAnimal 12:44, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
25. Oppose per , , - candidate does not have the right temperament to be a respected administrator. O Still Small Voice of Clam 12:57, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
26. Oppose It is April 2nd and I have not been to the pub so I will treat this RFA with the same flippancy as the candidate. Leaky caldron (talk) 13:16, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
27. Oppose Concerns about civility, kindness. Necessary in an admin. Ganesha811 (talk) 13:59, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
28. Oppose I know that some editors whom I respect think well of this applicant, but my encounters with RexxS have left me in no rush to repeat the experience. The idea of RexxS as an administrator does not fill me with confidence. – Tim riley talk 14:05, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
29. Oppose with regret. This is an excellent and very productive editor. Unfortunately there are legitimate concerns about temperament. To be clear I am not looking for saints at RfA. Anyone can have a bad day and we all have moments when we are not at our best. However enough examples have been produced that I am satisfied they are not isolated instances of popping off. Also some of these are far too recent for my comfort level. Come back in a year, or better two, and if it looks like this problem has been checked I would likely support. -Ad Orientem (talk) 14:13, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
30. Oppose, and also oppose the silly conceit that adminship is always no big deal. Qwirkle (talk) 14:51, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
31. Oppose per SchroCat (yes, I understand, SchroCat is voting neutral) et al. --JBL (talk) 14:58, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
32. Oppose per variety of reasons listed above. I don't think adminship is right for this user.Glennfcowan (talk) 15:19, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
33. Oppose The candidate's tone is too abrasive for a good administrator. Further examples I don't think have yet been raised are in this comment from last month: I really don't think you have any comprehension of what you're talking about, or if you do, you fail to express yourself in a comprehensible way, compounded a few days later with the epithets "laughable", "incomprehensible" and "thoughtless obstructionism" and linking Competence is required to one of the most prolific long-standing contributors on the project: Bhunacat10 (talk), 15:54, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
34. Oppose based on civility concerns. GAB 19:08, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
35. Oppose; the examples of incivility are too many and too recent. Being right isn't an excuse. – Joe (talk) 20:35, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
36. Oppose as per the civility concerns listed above. Hchc2009 (talk) 20:39, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
37. Oppose as a waste of the community's time. Nihlus 21:34, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
38. Oppose Waayyy too quick to jump into a fray and start harassing those who are in conflict with his friends. I can't imagine what he would do as an admin. Lynn (SLW) (talk) 22:24, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
39. Oppose I sadly can not support a candidate who, by their own admission (Q13), considers themselves to be weak in most areas of our encyclopedia. -- Dolotta (talk) 22:26, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

• @Dolotta:. To consider. Weak is relative and subjective. Rexx's weak is another editor's strong. Please review contributions and also what he does for Misplaced Pages outside of the encyclopedia. Its seems to me this was an honest and humble look at where one can improve rather than admitting to a lack of knowledge in any given area. And in no way can this "weak" be a synonym for incompetent. I've been aware of this editor for ten years. He is very competent at the very least, in many areas, and more competent than most in multiple areas of Misplaced Pages. (Littleolive oil (talk) 22:55, 2 April 2019 (UTC))

1. Oppose based on the issues raised by everybody above, which show a clear and less than encouraging pattern. Administrators don't need to be perfect, but they do need the ability to disagree with other users in friendly and constructive ways, and the self-awareness to step back instead of digging in their heels when they're faced with appropriate criticism. I don't think RexxS has those at this point; there's too many very recent diffs showing the opposite.
   

We have RexxS's adversarial tone on both Tavix's talk page and in the subsequent redirect deletion reviews (which should never have been needed), and his brushing aside of the objections raised by editors with more experience in redirect deletion. We have Pppery's diff, and the other diff from Pppery's talk page (which is also textbook WP:OWNERSHIP). We have Rschen's diffs from Wikidata; a bit more dated, but clearly in the same pattern.

1. Then there's this diff from last week, where RexxS turns an article into a redirect less than a day after the AfD on it closed as "no consensus" rather than "delete" or "redirect". (The close did tentatively support merging the page... with a different article, not the one RexxS redirected it to.) Combined with the RfDs Tavix noted, that's two examples from just the last month of RexxS doing weird things in a deletion context, which makes me a bit worried about how he'd handle the deletion process as a sysop. Sideways713 (talk) 22:49, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

2. Conditional Oppose - This is a messy RfA due to the fact that certain people were unaware that this wasn't a joke nomination. Regardless, both the nominator and nominatee don't make it exactly clear what they do, and what they will do as an admin. I might change my vote if either makes it more clear to me. Foxnpichu (talk) 22:50, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

Neutral

1. Is this real or an april fools joke? Natureium (talk) 17:10, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

   Ping RexxS. Best, Barkeep49 (talk) 17:12, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

   @Natureium and Barkeep49: Disclosure: this was to fulfil a promise I made to Redrose64 at the Oxford wiki-meetup in January. My argument was that adminship shouldn't be treated as a big deal, and that the key issue was whether the community trusts a user or not. So I agreed to test that premise on April Fool's Day, on the grounds that if it completely bombed I could always tell myself it was "just a joke". Now that the cat's out of the bag, I won't be able to salve my battered feelings when I get 50 opposes on the grounds of "no need for the tools". --RexxS (talk) 17:33, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

   "test that premise" I think I can come up one vote and forty seven reasons for you to withdraw from the nomination. cygnis insignis 19:48, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

2. Neutral. There's precedent for an April Fool's Day RfA nomination succeeding: mine (by a non-admin). And Bishzilla is an awe-inspiring nominator (and an admin, I believe). I also appreciate the candidate's vigilance with respect to accessibility. And take it from those who know that their technical competence is excellent and will be useful in an admin. However, four years ago their high-handedness led to my saying goodbye to Misplaced Pages. This was one such edit; I was also informed that by opposing the addition of an infobox to any given article I was repelling new users. Four years is a long time, and it is possible the candidate has modified their approach to editors with whom they disagree on article formatting, so I will not oppose, but cannot take the risk of supporting their candidacy. Yngvadottir (talk) 17:56, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

   Come sit in pocket, little Yngvadottir! As for admin, Zilla occasionally admin. Not at present. bishzilla _ROARR!! pocket 01:31, 2 April 2019 (UTC).

3. For the moment – I cannot bring myself to support. Although I do like Rex, I just have too many concerns about various IB discussions and edit wars (Talk:Fermat's Last Theorem, Talk:Requiem (Duruflé), etc). Admins need to be able to take the heat out of a situation, not add to it. I would also not actually trust that any closure of an IB discussion would be anything like fair. - SchroCat (talk) 20:23, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

   Thank you, SchroCat, for your honesty and fairness in layout out your concerns. Would scanning through User:RexxS/Infobox factors give you more confidence in my ability to see both sides? I absolutely agree with you about closures, and I wouldn't dream of closing an infobox RfC or discussion. Whether or not I actually could do it impartially, it's just as important that a close gives no cause for concern over the appearance of a lack of impartiality. Regards. --RexxS (talk) 20:48, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

   I don't think User:RexxS/Infobox factors does cover all sides: it covers your interpretation of other people's thoughts, and isn't impartial (that's not surprising or meant as criticism, as you are enthusiastic about their use more than I am, for example). I appreciate that you say you wouldn't close an IB debate, but admin rights are all bundled together and you could, a few seconds after being given the mop, close such a discussion - nothing could stop you from doing so, which is one of the main reasons I feel concerned. I haven't opposed (yet, and maybe I will not do so at all), as I need to think this request through more fully than I normally do. If it were not for the disruption around IBs, I'd support you without a second's thought: you are a good editor, obviously know not just content but much of the technical background too, are approachable and are prepared to ask awkward questions when you see something wrong or someone being mistreated. But since I posted here, I have received two emails from female editors who have now left, that say you were the reason they left, and it comes back to the fact that you have – both in the past, and presently (at Fermat's) – been a major cause of more heat than light around IBs, and I cannot support on that basis. - SchroCat (talk) 21:23, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

   I have to say that I have been on the opposing view of an infobox debate to RexxS more than a few times, and yet unlike many editors I felt I could easily approach him about genuine infobox questions such as getting the formatting right for Brighton Palace Pier and be confident he would not brush me off simply by often being on "the other side". Ritchie333 20:56, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

   I agree with that, Ritchie, but if you are in disagreement within an IB thread then it can be rather a different matter, as several discussions show. - SchroCat (talk) 21:23, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

4. GRRRAAAAWWWRRRRGGGHHH!!!!!!! (Violently Neutral). - CorbieV ☼ 23:30, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
5. Neutral. I have been one of the discussion participants at Misplaced Pages talk:Lua and have been negatively surprised by RexxS's comments. Because the issue has been so recent, I am avoiding support. On the other hand, I generally agree with the "should not be a big deal" philosophy expressed by this nomination. It is a big deal, but it shouldn't be. ~ ToBeFree (talk) 23:50, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
6. For now, frustrated neutral. I've been on the sidelines watching the RexxS-Pppery interactions deteriorate. While I tend toward RexxS's point-of-view in many of those discussions, the recent outbursts could certainly have framed more-positively, or if RexxS is at the end of his rope, being a senior editor, he could have or should have raised them elsewhere as a continuing issue with Pppery's behavior, or starting a more-general discussion on the worthiness of the changes. --Izno (talk) 00:14, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
7. Neutral User:RexxS clearly has positive qualities and contributions to the 'pedia. Some of his more contentious interactions with other editors, however, eerily parallel recent encounters I've had with editors, and not in a good way. For me, it's a temperament issue. Despite RexxS saying almost all the right things in the Q&A above and to Oppose comments so far, it's difficult for me to have full confidence in giving him the buttons. It's not enough for me to oppose him but certainly enough to not support him. Cheers, Mark Ironie (talk) 00:48, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
8. Neutral. I hate to be that person who nitpicks (I actually usually support most RfAs) and I don't care whether this started as a joke or not, but unfortunately, I do think civility is a concern. Diffs such as this and this, as pointed out by other users above, are rather uncivil and very recent. I can't decide whether this is enough to make me oppose or so minor that I should go ahead and support, thus I remain neutral. I will say that RexxS is a valuable contributor in many areas to Misplaced Pages and is clearly clueful, and I wish them the best of luck if this RfA does end up passing. :-)--SkyGazer 512 13:40, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
9. Neutral I don't mind April Fools jokes, but as you can see above, not everyone is going to agree with me. I'm not going to add my !vote at this time, but I'm pretty sure I already know which way I'm going to cast it. Judging by the responses by some users I've come to generally respect over the years, I humbly suggest you withdraw this nomination and try again 6-8 months down the line. Neovu79 (talk) 22:38, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

General comments

• I don't suppose you can do Misplaced Pages:Requests for adminship/Carrite 2 on your way out, can you, Bishzilla? Ritchie333 18:51, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

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• I think it's irrelevant if the RfA is a joke or not. While "testing the premise" might seem out of taste, I think it's important that we're letting a joke nomination hold higher precendence than the person being nominated at hand. Again, I don't intend to vote either way but kudos to RexxS for doing this in the first place. --QEDK (後 ☕ 桜) 20:06, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

  I'll second that! Risky to have a dinosaur nominate you on April 1st, but it's legit and there are six days after this one. This is probably doing more to further Misplaced Pages:NOBIGDEAL than anything else lately, and that is a Good Thing. ~ Amory (u • t • c) 21:04, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

  An important addendum: please do not see this as my support for the candidate, I think anyone who has read the veiled (?) threats can understand why admin accountabilility is important. --QEDK (後 ☕ 桜) 15:26, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

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  On civility : I have often thought that messages like this are more disruptive and bitey than "FFS will you stop?" - but I don't think that's a widely shared view Ritchie333 20:53, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
  • It seems to be derived from a template, so perhaps it can be changed to make it not as bitey? -- Lofty abyss 22:03, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
    • That's a tough one, especially for new editors when you don't want to bite them, but you do want to warn them about 3RR as they are probably not aware of it. There is an alternative to Template:Uw-3rr, unsurprisingly called Template:Uw-3rr-alt that's a bit more chatty and yet shorter. Maybe it needs to be better advertised? --RexxS (talk) 23:19, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
      • There's also {{uw-ew}} (which doesn't mention 3rr for some reason) and {{uw-ewsoft}} as well. ansh666 04:29, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

        I think that {{uw-ew}} not mentioning 3rr is intentional; this allows it to be used in cases where somebody who was blocked for repeated reversion has returned from the block and immediately made a single revert to one of the disputed articles, as here. Used in this sense, it doesn't imply that the user had the right to make a fresh set of three reverts with impunity - indeed, it states, in boldfaced text, "Edit warring is disruptive regardless of how many reverts you have made". --Redrose64 🌹 (talk) 06:19, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

      {{uw-ewsoft}} is wonderful. It starts with the main point, and has a paragraph break between the problem explanation and the consequences warning. The latter part directly starts with the most important information. The template does not use a big red stop sign in a heated situation; instead, it calmly explains something that is unlikely to be intuitive to new users. It explains Misplaced Pages's discussion process without drowning the user in details. I rarely ever use any other template to warn edit warriors. The only alternative I use, for experienced users, is a very short, neutral, manual message like "Hi, regarding Article, please keep WP:3RR in mind. Thanks ~~~~" ~ ToBeFree (talk) 11:08, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

• I've transcluded this discussion to Template talk:Uw-3rr. {{3x|p}}ery (talk) 23:20, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

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• Note: The number of times an editor becomes frustrated must be taken in relation to the number of years of consistent editing, the number of contentious situations an editor can find themselves in (and no these situations are not always chosen), the amount of time an editor spends on Misplaced Pages working, and should be considered along side the huge amount of good an editor does on this project. The ratio of frustrated comments to years of work is not equal to someone with much less experience and time and the same number of frustrated comments. Simple math. As well, someone in a situation that requires mediation or judgment is not to be compared to the same person drawn into a debate on a contentious topic. Mature adults can be both measured and must be allowed on occasion to feel frustration. I wonder sometimes if we come into RfA with some kind of unrealistic and idealized non-human version of what an admin is. Hard working, integrity, ability to judge should be the standard. Behavior that limits an editor's adminship should point to an inability over time to be consistent and fair with multiple diffs as examples. Littleolive oil (talk) 16:12, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

  What frustrates me is persistent disregard of accessibility issues. If you want a quick tutorial, RexxS may be recommended as one to give a clear explanation on these matters. --Redrose64 🌹 (talk) 19:22, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

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• Does "Real Suppor"t and "Strong Support" count more in support category and does "Strong Oppose" and "Weak Oppose" count less in the oppose category? Why not just Support, Oppose and Neutral? Eschoryii (talk) 20:18, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

  In regards to the pure percentages, no, they don't. If it comes down to a close call, though, closing bureaucrats may choose to give different weight to "strong" or "weak". ansh666 22:19, 2 April 2019 (UTC)