Sonic News Network:Administrators

Different users have access to different functions of the site. While anyone can do most things on the site, including reading and editing, administrators can access a few additional functions like these:


 * Deleting and undeleting pages and page histories. Administrators can also delete uploaded files, but cannot undelete them.
 * Locking (protecting) a page so it can not be edited or renamed by users without admin rights.
 * Blocking IP addresses or user names from editing; and very quick "rollback" of undesirable edits.
 * Editing the interface by changing system messages and skins.

A bureaucrat can make other users into bureaucrats or administrators on the wiki or remove administrator rights from users. They are not able to remove bureaucrat access from any user. Only Wikia Staff can remove bureaucrat status from a user.

Who are this wiki's administrators?
Users who are trusted by the community and have made a substantial number of edits over a period of time may be granted the position of an administrator. Below is a list of our currently active administrators; a full list of all administrators can be seen at Special:Listadmins.

If you need guidance, please contact one of the below users and they will get back to you as soon as possible.

Chat Moderators
These users, along with the administrators listed above, can use the chat moderator feature, which allows them to kick and ban users off of chat. Kicking a user removes a user from chat, and they can rejoin the chat immediately. Banning a user bans them from chat for a selected amount of time. Chat moderators are here to ensure that the chat policy is being followed. To see a list of all chat moderators, including inactive ones, see Special:Listusers/chatmoderator.

Rollbacks
These users, along with the administrators listed above, can use the rollback ability, which allows them to instantly revert multiple edits made by the same user. To see a list of all rollbacks, including inactive ones, see Special:Listusers/rollback.

How do I use administrator powers?
See the administrators' how-to guide for a guide on using administrator functions.

What can administrators not do?
Administrators should not use their administrator powers to settle editing disputes; for example, to lock a page on a version he or she prefers in an editing dispute that isn't vandalism. Administrator powers should be used to help keep the wiki clear of vandalism, spam and users who make malicious edits, but not for simple disagreements between users acting in good faith. Ideally an admin shouldn't be considered "in charge." The ideal admin is just someone who is trusted to have a few extra buttons and to use them for the benefit of the Wikia community.

All admin decisions are done in good faith. It is not uncommon for users, or the community, to disagree with them. The community and users have the right to ask why a decision was done and, if it is agreed upon, to undo it. This does not include bans; only the users involved and admins (and chat mods, if it is a chat ban), have the right to discuss it openly. Respect the wiki's Administrators! They are nominated for their positions and are respected members of the community. If you find an admin's actions questionable, it is best to contact another admin.

Gaining user rights
If you have been editing this wiki for some time and have gained the trust of the community here, you may nominate yourself or someone else for user rights at Sonic News Network:Requests for User Rights. Other users can comment on whether or not they approve your request. After two weeks, you should inform the current bureaucrats so they can assess the comments and decide whether or not to give you the rights you desire.

Removal of user rights
User rights of a contributor may be removed without discussion only for vandalism, harassment, spam, sexual conduct, excessive harsh language, excessively violent content, or violations of the Wikia Terms of Use. Otherwise, user rights may be removed only after discussion on the Requests for User Rights project page if they are unwilling to cooperate with the wiki community.

Lapsing rights
User rights of a contributor may lapse and be removed if the contributor in question has not made a substantial amount of edits in a four month interval of time. Users will be notified of their pending demotion two weeks in advance. If the user fails to respond within the aforementioned timeframe, they will be relieved of their user rights. If a user returns to activity and desires to have their user rights restored, they should notify an active bureaucrat and their user rights may be restored (this depends on the user's recent activity). As a rule of thumb, a significant amount of contributions should have been made over a reasonable amount of time since the user's homecoming before their user rights are restored. The bureaucrat will assess the demoted administrator's recent contributions and decide whether or not to reinstate the user.