User blog comment:SilverPlays97/On the Recent Controversy of Admins/@comment-3416945-20150103082845

I apologize for the length of this comment. The topic of administrators and what they can and cannot do is something that I am very deeply involved in, and thus I feel the need to express my opinion on the role of the administrator in general.

I will begin by saying that the role of administrator is not as big of a deal as people make it out to be. This is perhaps the biggest misconception that all users have on all wikis about administrators. In a community such as this one, where we adhere to strict consensus to determine policies, administrators function as the support system for the wiki. Because the very nature of the tools administrators are given are easily abused, they are thus only handed out to trusted individuals--users who are experienced, trustworthy, and responsible.

Administrators maintain the wiki by cleaning it up in order to maintain a professional atmosphere. Administrators do not have any sort of 'power' or whatnot. They are the janitors of the wiki, and use their mop to rid the wiki of anything not suitable in our community.

Another misconception is that there can be 'too many' administrators. If administrators only act as janitors, is it not a good thing to have several administrators? They hold no power over anyone here, and they are subject to the same policies as every other user is. If a user is trustworthy, mature, responsible, and experienced, why not give them administrative capabilities to help out the wiki?

Administrators are promoted by the community for a reason. They are given the responsibility of a housekeeper. Administrators must exercise proper care and judgement, act civil and respectful in their conduct, and are often held accountable for things that go wrong on the wiki. Respect this wiki's administrators. As I said, they were chosen for a reason. Respect their judgement. If you find an administrator's behavior objectionable, report it to another administrator.

Ultimately, everything is decided by the community, but it needs to be understood that attempting to disrespect administrators and questioning their abilities is not something you should do. Always comment on the actions, not the user. Remember that the administrators carry out the decisions of the community by enforcing the policy. If you feel that an administrator is doing otherwise, then tell a different administrator and the situation will be handled.

Anyone who attacked Dude for his actions as an administrator ought to be ashamed of themselves for handling the situation so poorly. Dude is a longstanding member of the community of one of the most valuable contributors we have. Treat him, and the other administrators with respect. The community chose to give them their abilities, don't act against that.