> Date: Wed, 26 May 2010 20:04:43 -0400 > From: Gwern Branwen <gwe...@gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [WikiEN-l] declining numbers of EN wiki admins > To: English Wikipedia <wikien-l@lists.wikimedia.org> > Message-ID: > <aanlktilwklp_wogqqaw9dzzdqgukswbcut-rtzvbv...@mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > On Wed, May 26, 2010 at 7:34 PM, David Goodman <dgoodma...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > Are you saying that a _declining_ number of administrators means a > > _growth_ in bureaucracy? ?It would normally mean the opposite, either > > a loss of control, or that the ordinary members were taking the > > function upon themselves. ?What I see is a greater degree of control > > and uniformity, not driven by those in formal positions of authority. > > If you assume that administrators are identical to the bureaucracy or > some non-shrinking proportion thereof, then that does look like a > falsehood. > > If you assume that administrators reflect rather the number of > committed long-term contributors, and their numbers wax and wane > pretty independently of the need for administrators, then that makes > sense. Little kills enthusiasm and participation as surely as > bureaucracy. Why are so few even trying for adminship? >
My guess is that it's because the bureaucracy has become too intimidating. I suspect many editors do not want to commit the time and effort to learning it all. _______________________________________________ WikiEN-l mailing list WikiEN-l@lists.wikimedia.org To unsubscribe from this mailing list, visit: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l
