Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/Avant Guard


 * ''The following discussion is preserved as an archive of a request for adminship that did not succeed. Please do not modify it.

Avant Guard
Final: (0/4/2); Ended 20:20, 27 September 2007 (UTC)

- I started editing Wikipedia about two years ago. During that time, I have made strong contributions to the site, mainly in the form of vandalism reversion and the cleanup of pages. One important thing that I must mention with great embarrassment, though, is that about one year ago I was blocked for a week after it was discovered that I had been creating user accounts with inappropriate names and then reporting them myself to administrators. I suffer from multiple mental problems, and they contributed to my having done this, but I know that I can't use this as a cop-out. I accept blame for what I did. Since I have returned to Wikipedia after about a one-year hiatus, I have resumed vandal-fighting, and would like access to admin tools to aid in this. I know I have made mistakes in the past, but I believe that my good contributions speak for me, and I would like to prove myself as a capable administrator.Avant Guard 17:19, 27 September 2007 (UTC)


 * Candidate, please indicate acceptance of the nomination here:
 * Self-nom

Questions for the candidate
Dear candidate, thank you for offering to serve Wikipedia as an administrator. It is recommended that you answer these optional questions to provide guidance for participants:
 * 1. What admin work do you intend to take part in?
 * A: I will mainly use my admin tools in vandal-fighting (e.g. blocking vandals), and also in newpage patroling. I will also be happy to offer assistance during issues that require administrator attention.


 * 2. What are your best contributions to Wikipedia, and why?
 * A: My best contributions have been in the form of vandal-fighting and cleaning up pages. I am happy to help revert vandalism, and I have an eye for detail that helps me to spot small errors in articles that may easily be missed.


 * 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: When other users have stress me out, my philosophy is to simply respond objectively and not to let my emotions get in the way. I certainly have not always followed this, and at times have got into arguments with others, but I will do my best to improve and stay true to my philosophy of objectivity.

 Optional  question from Melsaran
 * 4. You have only recently returned from a one-year Wikibreak. Do you feel you currently have sufficient experience to apply for adminship? For example, do you think you know enough about policy (and the changes over the past year) to be able to correctly close deletion debates?  Melsaran  (talk) 17:32, 27 September 2007 (UTC)
 * I'm been familiar with Wikipedia's policy. ll do my best to review it and ask any questions about parts that I'm unsure of before acting.--Avant Guard 17:36, 27 September 2007 (UTC)

Optional question from Iridescent (truly optional; if you don't want to reply, feel free to blank it)
 * 5. You have gone through at least three usernames that I can see (User:Avant Guard, User:Conrad Devonshire and User:Edmonde Dantes), and aside from the sockpuppetry block you mention above, I can also see a block for 3RR violation in the history of one of them. Have any of your other accounts been blocked recently (in the last few months) and for what reason, and do you have any sockpuppet accounts still operating? (Note: if you do, it won't count against you unless you're using them abusively; plenty of people including me operate multiple accounts legitimately.) —  iride scent   (talk to me!)  18:12, 27 September 2007 (UTC)

General comments

 * See Avant Guard's edit summary usage with mathbot's tool. For the edit count, see the talk page.


 * Links for Avant Guard:

''Please keep criticism constructive and polite. Remain civil at all times. If you are unfamiliar with the nominee, please thoroughly review Special:Contributions/Avant Guard before commenting.''

Discussion


Support

Oppose Neutral
 * 1) Oppose less than 300 edits after 12 months of inactivity. Mabey in a few more months. -Icewedge 18:21, 27 September 2007 (UTC)
 * 2) Oppose You have not made a talk post for over a year and only three Wikipedia talk posts in the last year. Most admin work (especially the anti-vandal work you say you want to get involved in) boils down to engaging in discussion with people who don't always want to be reasonable, and I've no way of judging whether or not I trust you with this. —  iride scent   (talk to me!)  18:25, 27 September 2007 (UTC)
 * 3) Oppose. Given the troubled history, I'd like to see a little more evidence of corrective action before I can support. Also, the WP community is in no position to evaluate mental health and its possible impact on you as an admin - all we can go by is your history here. I'm not sure why you would choose to volunteer that information. Ronnotel 18:37, 27 September 2007 (UTC)
 * 4) Oppose I appreciate your honesty with regard to your mental health issues but the actions they resulted in concern me, and hence the possibility of repetition in the future, and with administrator tools. I echo Ronnotel in being at a loss as to why you would give this information on such a public website but sincerely wish you the best. Your candid disclosure is very much a credit to yourself. Pedro :  Chat  19:17, 27 September 2007 (UTC)
 * 1) Neutral. Your nomination statement disturbs me. Were you using those multiple accounts as sockpuppets? Otherwise, I think you should have a few more months of clean editing before you are ready for the tools. J- ſtan TalkContribs 17:58, 27 September 2007 (UTC)
 * I believe the user is saying that inappropriate accounts were purposely created so as to take credit for them being reported and banned. Sort of like creating a vandalsock that you can go after for the 'glory' of it all! the_undertow talk  18:59, 27 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Because real vandal accounts are so hard to find... —  iride scent   (talk to me!)  19:09, 27 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Yes, that was basically it. I didn't edit with the accounts.--Avant Guard 19:12, 27 September 2007 (UTC)
 * 1) Neutral I think that more edits just to get you up to speed again before being granted the tools would be a good idea. Or taking it very slow after being granted the mop. Tiddly - Tom  18:13, 27 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Resign - It seems I'm not going to pass the nom this time, so I withdraw my nom. Maybe I'll try later after if I become more active.--Avant Guard 19:54, 27 September 2007 (UTC)


 * The above adminship discussion is preserved as an archive of the discussion. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the talk page of either this nomination or the nominated user). No further edits should be made to this page.