Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2005-06-27/Features and admins

New nomination rules for featured pictures took effect this week, encouraging users to comment on fixable image problems before voting. Controversy over requests for adminship also sparked discussion of possible modifications to that process, but had not produced any changes yet. There were 8 new admins, 8 new featured articles, 3 new featured lists, and 1 new featured picture this week.

New featured picture rules
Only one featured picture candidate was promoted this week, while numerous other nominations failed. A change spearheaded by brian0918 took effect, resulting in new nomination instructions. Now, all nominations will pass through a two day period in which users will suggest image improvements, like cropping, contrast, or coloring. During that time users will not vote, instead waiting until the two day period has expired. Then, the nomination will remain on the candidates page for an additional 12 days to round out the required 14-day candidacy period.

Adminship process under discussion
Eight requests for adminship were approved this week: Grm wnr (nom), Schissel (nom), Guettarda (nom), Grue (nom), TheoClarke (nom), TenOfAllTrades (nom), JoJan (nom), Sn0wflake (nom). However, some more controversial requests provoked an extended discussion of how the process was being managed. Among the issues being considered were the propriety of extending the process in close cases, and whether the bureaucrats were handling adminship promotion appropriately.

The debate prompted administrator Seth Ilys to "re-nominate" himself for adminship, resurrecting an idea previously floated by Danny that admin status could be reviewed periodically. When the purpose of this move was questioned, Ilys clarified that he was in fact willing to step down if the community did not support him continuing as an administrator. The concept has some resemblance to how adminship is handled on the Meta-wiki, where admins are reviewed on an annual basis.

Featured content
The featured article candidates page continued to produce new featured articles this week, with eight successful nominations. They were Restoration literature (the first in a series on English literature), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Commodore 64, Convention on Psychotropic Substances, Panavision, Australia, The Ashes, Architecture of Btrieve (complementing the already featured article Btrieve), and Democratic Labour Party (Trinidad and Tobago).

List of Ohio county name etymologies, Timeline of discovery of Solar System planets and their natural satellites, and Australian national cricket captains were the three featured list candidates that were promoted this week. Australian national cricket captains kicked off a wave of cricket related nominations, many of which appear to be on their way to featured status in the weeks to come.