Wikipedia:RfA reform 2011

Welcome! Some Wikipedians have formed a task force to better organize discussions and make viable proposals for RfA reform. This project contains their suggestions, resources, and things to discuss. If you would like to be of active help, please join the task force page. Many pages, proposals and discussions fall under the scope of this project, and all that information may seem overwhelming. Don't be intimidated! It's all neatly organized in the pink box above.


 * The project has two major goals:
 * Making RfA a more attractive proposition for experienced editors.
 * Reducing the number of unlikely successful requests for adminship.


 * Anyone can comment on any of these proposals.
 * Please post comments at the related sub pages; please consider suggesting any major changes to this main page on its talk page.
 * Please keep your participation on topic—side-tracking or irrelevant comments may be struck or archived at the discretion of the task force.
 * If you join the task force, it is hoped you will moderate, motivate, and stimulate. It may take up some of your time, and it is highly recommended that you are familiar with the RfA process and have a working knowledge of core Wikipedia functions and policies.
 * The task force aims to achieve their resolutions with a minimum of background noise in a reasonable time. They will make their suggestions from a synthesis of the ideas that are being submitted. These will lead to reforms that can be proposed to the community.

Objectives

 * Fairer questioning – eliminating patently irrelevant and trick questions.
 * Fairer voting – eliminating nonsense votes.
 * Fairer closing – easier for the 'crat to reach a decision.
 * More voter discipline – by calling on a more experienced electorate.
 * No more SNOW/NOTNOW applications.
 * Enables a possible lowering of the bar to 70–60% in place of the current 80–70%.

What this project is not about
These items are not within  the remit  of the current  project. They are, or have been, the subject of perennial discussions around Wikipedia, in particular at  WT:RfA. To learn more, follow the links above to  some of the more recent  discussions, or use keywords in  the WT:RfA archive search box.
 * Length of tenure of admins
 * Age limit: See: 12 years old
 * Unbundling of sysop tasks and tools: See Unbundling the tools, Unbundling makes sense, Unbundle the Block button, "Trusted and experienced editors.", A philosophical discussion, Senior Sysop
 * Probationary or trial adminship
 * Preparing future admins through mentoring or training
 * Desysopping: See Notes below at:
 * Bureaucrats and their tasks


 * Notes (desysopping)

RfA reform progress
For a more comprehensive list of ideas conceived by this reform, please visit the Possible proposals page

This section details the progress which has been made since RfA reform 2011 started.

Essential reading for task force members

 * User:WereSpielChequers/RFA reform – Takes the reform items one-by-one with critical comments. Essential.
 * Jimbo Wales – RfA is a horrible and broken process – Necessary reading
 * User:ErrantX/Essays/RFA Study – Survey on the RfA experience
 * Kudpung's RfA criteria – Also provides some analysis of RfA voting and questioning
 * Other users' RfA criteria & essays
 * User talk:Dank/RFA – Helping candidates when they first create their RFA page; making a clear statement that RFA doesn't give admins a license to delete specific pages or block specific users if there's been a serious effort by the community to consider the question, and consensus was not reached
 * User:Aaron Schulz/New RfA method – 2006 – but still relevant
 * User:NoSeptember/Adminship is a big deal – Short summary-style views of one user
 * The Wikipedia RfA talk page – General discussion on RfA matters