 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
Administrators should be dispassionate when using the bit
When possible, administrators should avoid taking actions if they have an emotional stake in the matter, even if they are technically uninvolved. Not only does this risk making a decision in error due to actual bias, it also risks giving the appearance of bias, which can lead to unnecessary wiki-drama.
If blocking that troll gives you a smug sense of satisfaction, or deleting that copyvio makes you all warm inside, be careful, your judgment just might be clouded.
Sure, the easy things like copyvios and trolls aren't affected by your bias, but if you read an XfD that's within the admin's discretion and you find yourself thinking "boy, I sure think this needs to go" or "what was the nominator thinking?" then you should participate in the XfD and let someone else close it. Likewise, skip closing CSDs that aren't obvious delete/reject if you are emotionally involved in the topic. Also, any but the most obvious blocks or block-request-declines should be undertaken only by dispassionate administrators who don't have an emotional stake in the outcome.
I realize there are many areas in Wikipedia where articles are on ARBCOM parole, and where subject-matter expertise is helpful or even necessary to properly administer the articles. In these cases it's very likely that the administrators will have an emotional stake in their decisions. They must make every human effort to check their emotions at the door before using the bit and make sure they use it fairly and professionally.