User:ThaddeusB/Admin coaching/MichaelQSchmidt/Assignment2

So that I may best judge where to focus my guidance, please answer standard RfA question #1:


 * 1. What administrative work do you intend to take part in?
 * A. If trusted with the mop, my initial admin participation will be slow and cautious, limited to learning, and contributing to the more mundane tasks associated with routine action lists, taking on routine administrative tasks and looking to assist in areas that tend to get backlogged.  I will continue and extend what has become the core of my activity over the last year or so... expanding and rescuing entertainment-related articles being considered for deletion, while addressing concerns with the battle mentality of AfD. In short, I have no agenda beyond being as helpful to the project as possible, as I don't plan to focus on any particular area, and will help out where ever I'm needed.

Newer response after time for reflection and experience:

 * If granted the tools, I will be working more efficiently in areas where I have familiarity, such as AFD, CSD and PROD, while expanding to assist in other areas. I'll always be available for userfication or history merges and the like as needed.


 * I am not going to suddenly jump into the area of dispute resolution, but will always be willing to act as a mediator between parties in seeking resoluton. I feel that an administrator has no larger role there than a non-admin, apart from when handing out sanctions, but helping maintain a peaceful environment always serves the project.


 * I've submitted enough articles to DYK to be aware of the need for assistance, ao I wish to dedicate time there to lightening the workload. Since DYK queues are protected, it requires an administrator to move updates from the prepration areas into them.


 * I have 1000s of pages on my watchlist which I monitor for POV or vandalism, But I wish to help out at administrator intervention against vandalism (AIV), beginning in tiny steps.


 * I've had situations when people came to me for small admin-type help requests and I've had to say politely, "I'm sorry, I can't help you. You need to find an admin."  The mop will help me say "Sure, lets see about helping you out".


 * I will be better able to respond to requested moves and appropriate requests for userfcation of deleted articles, and will always give decent rationales for AfD closures and will definitely and clearly explain any admin actions.


 * Additional goals are to be active in creating and maintaining a more newcomer-friendly environment so that novice contributors might have a better idea of how to create articles acceptable to the Wikipedia community, and being proactive in assisting new editors in understanding what Wikipedia is and how it works.


 * Now if I'm granted the tools, I won't just start clicking on the new links and buttons I have been given just to see what they do. And no, I won't go running off to look for users to block.  If do come accross someone crapping things up big time, I will follow all proper steps to first advise, caution, and warn, and only block if absolutely required.  And before using any of the new buttons, I will be visiting new admin school to read every possible thing carefully and patiently, and so only after I have a thourough understanding of the tools, will I start using them... wisely and carefully. And if I have questions, I'll be sure to ask another admin for advice and counsel rather than blindly jumping forward.