WickedGov:User groups

This policy page documents the rights of various user groups on WickedGov. A detailed technical list of rights is available at Special:ListGroupRights.

Automatically granted groups

Registered users

Registered users enjoy a variety of additional privileges, such as creating a watchlist, marking edits as minor, and the possibility to gain further permissions. While it is not mandatory, registration is encouraged for all regular contributors. Use of a real-life name is not required, and users do not have to specify any personal information.

Autoconfirmed users

Autoconfirmation (autoconfirmed) is granted to any registered user who registered at least three days ago and has made at least five edits.

Autoconfirmed users can edit semi-protected pages and are exempt from certain rate limits imposed by the wiki software.

Confirmed users

Trusted users can be manually confirmed by any administrator or account creator prior to reaching the usual requirement. These users are part of the confirmed group.

Manual confirmation is generally only granted to authorized alternative accounts of autoconfirmed users, and users that are under in-person supervision and instruction (e.g. at edit-a-thons).

Once confirmed users are also autoconfirmed (3 days, 5 edits), they can remove the confirmed group from their own account at Special:UserRights. Administrators may also remove the group in this situation, or if the access is misused or was inappropriately granted.

Extended confirmed users

Users become extended confirmed (extendedconfirmed) with at least 100 edits and at least a 14-day-old registered account. This group can also be manually granted, although rarely.

Extended confirmed users' sole additional privilege is editing extended-protected pages.

Users should not make many useless edits to reach the 100-edit mark; this is considered gaming the system and will result in revocation of the permission by an administrator. (In almost all other cases, including inactive users, the extended confirmed group should not be revoked.)

Administrators have all extended-confirmed rights and need not be part of the group.

Specialized permissions

These groups are granted to experienced, knowledgeable users who need the permission, if applicable.

Account creators

Account creators (accountcreator) are exempt from rate limits imposed by the MediaWiki software. This permits them to create a large number of accounts from a single IP address, which may be useful for in-person outreach events.

Account creators are also permitted to add the confirmed user group to users who participate in events.

This group can be granted and removed by bureaucrats. Requests should be made at the bureaucrats' noticeboard. Access may be granted temporarily to less experienced users or indefinitely to more experienced users.

Administrators have all account creator rights as part of the sysop toolset.

Autopatrolled users

Autopatrolled users (autopatrolled) are exempt from recent changes patrolling. Administrators grant autopatrolled access to trusted, active users with some degree of experience.

Being a part of this group does not make editing easier in any way. It is not a status symbol. It is simply a tool to decrease the size of the recent changes patrolling backlog.

IP block exemptions

Normally, blocks against IP addresses do not affect logged-in users from that IP address. However, on some IP addresses, such as open proxies and other addresses that are persistently abused, logged-in editing is also disabled. Also, logged-in editing is automatically disabled on IP addresses recently used by blocked accounts.

Users in the IP block exemptions group (ipb-exemption) are immune to these blocks.

IP block exemptions should be granted only with demonstrated need, and should be granted for not longer than 2 years (with possibility of renewal if necessary).

Exemptions should not be used for other purposes than the purpose for which they were granted.

In addition to manually placed IP blocks, IP block exemption access also gives the ability to bypass Tor blocks, which are automatically imposed by the software.

Administrators and bureaucrats have all IP block exemption rights as part of the sysop and bureaucrat toolsets.

IP block exemption access can be granted and revoked by administrators and bureaucrats.

Uploaders

Extended uploaders (uploader) are trusted users with the right to upload files directly to WicledGov (normally, files are instead uploaded to WickedGov Commons). Administrators may grant and revoke uploader permissions.

Uploader permissions may be requested at the administrators' noticeboard.

Administrators have all uploader rights as part of the sysop toolset.

Transwiki importers

Transwiki importers (transwiki) have the technical ability to import pages from other wikis. This access may be granted and removed by bureaucrats and should be requested at the bureaucrats' noticeboard. Administrators and XML importers have transwiki import access as part of the sysop and importupload toolsets.

XML importers

XML importers (importupload) have the ability to import pages not only from other wikis, but also from arbitrary XML file uploads.

Due to the sensitive and niche nature of this group, only Stewards can grant and remove access. Requests should be made on the bureaucrats'noticeboard, and a bureaucrat will transfer the request to the Stewards request page if successful.

Revocation of specialized permissions

The accountcreator, autopatrolled, ipb-exemption, and uploader groups should be removed by a bureaucrat or administrator (or, in the case of XML import, a Steward):

• Upon self-request.
• Immediately and without discussion when:
  • It is clear that the tools are being used for vandalism or blatant disruptive editing (including edit warring).
  • It is clear that the account is compromised.
  • It is clear that the tools are being used in violation of relevant policies or guidelines (in this case, the removing administrator/bureaucrat should promptly seek review at a noticeboard).
• Upon consensus at a high-profile location.
• When the user is indefinitely banned.
• When the user becomes part of another group (such as sysop or bureaucrat) that makes the specialized permissions redundant.
• When the account has made no edits or logged actions for 2 years for autopatrolled and ipb-exemption or for 1 year for accountcreator, uploader, transwiki, and importupload.

When specialized permissions are revoked for any reason, they may be regained through the regular avenue (the bureaucrats'/administrators' noticeboard or informal request as the case may be).

Administrators

Administrators (sysop) are trusted, experienced users with the technical ability to perform certain maintenance actions. These actions include, but are not limited to:

• Blocking and unblocking other users from editing
• Deleting and undeleting pages
• Configuring protection settings

Administrators have no additional social status compared to other editors and have no formal mediation authority.

Users interested in becoming an administrator may make a request at the bureaucrats' noticeboard.

Requests for adminship should be publicized on high-profile noticeboards such as the town common. They should stay open for at least 7 days, except as outlined below, or when a request obviously has no chance of succeeding.

Administrator conduct

• Administrators are expected to remain civil at all times and are held to high standards of conduct.
• Administrators must follow all policies and guidelines, especially when using the administrator tools.
• If questioned, administrators must explain the justification for their actions.

Revocation of administrator permissions

The sysop group should be removed by a bureaucrat:

• Upon self-request at the bureaucrats' noticeboard.
• Immediately and without discussion when:
  • It is clear that the tools are being used for vandalism or blatant disruptive editing (including edit warring), or
  • It is clear that the account is compromised.
• Upon consensus at the bureaucrats' noticeboard.
• When the user is indefinitely banned.
• When the account has made no edits or logged actions for 1 year.

When administrative permissions are revoked for any reason, they may be regained through the regular avenue (the bureaucrats' noticeboard). However, in cases of resignation in uncontroversial circumstances, access may be restored upon request and without discussion, unless the resignation occurred over 1 year before the request for restoration.

Advanced permissions

Interface administrators

Interface administrators (interface-admin, formerly known as "interface editors") are experienced administrators with the technical ability to edit sitewide and user JavaScript and CSS pages, such as MediaWiki:Common.css. Editing of these pages is restricted because of the potential to insert malicious code which can affect many users.

Due to the highly sensitive nature of sitewide CSS/JS editing, granting and removal of interface administrator access is restricted to Stewards.

Administrators may request interface administrator access at the bureaucrats' noticeboard. A bureaucrat will close the local discussion and, if the discussion is successful, request that a Steward grant access.

Interface administrator access may be granted temporarily to carry out a specific task, or indefinitely to administrators who show a long-term need for the tool.

Addition of JavaScript and CSS resources is governed by the Privacy Policy.

Permissions related to this group are disabled for users who do not use multi-factor authentication.

Checkusers

Checkusers (checkuser) are experienced administrators with the technical ability to check users' IP addresses and related information. This is done to prevent sockpuppetry and other abuse. Use of the CheckUser tool is governed by the CheckUser policy.

Due to the highly sensitive nature of CheckUser, granting and removal of access is restricted to Stewards.

Administrators may request CheckUser access at the bureaucrats' noticeboard. A bureaucrat will close the local discussion and, if the discussion is successful, request that a Steward grant access.

Permissions related to this group are disabled for users who do not use multi-factor authentication.

Suppressors

Suppressors (suppress) are experienced administrators with the technical ability to hide revisions and log entries from view, even by administrators. Use of the suppression tool is governed by the suppression policy.

Due to the highly sensitive nature of suppression, granting and removal of access is restricted to Stewards.

Administrators may request suppressor access at the bureaucrats' noticeboard. A bureaucrat will close the local discussion and, if the discussion is successful, request that a Steward grant access.

Permissions related to this group are disabled for users who do not use multi-factor authentication.

Revocation of advanced permissions

The suppress, checkuser and interface-admin groups should be removed by a Steward:

• Upon self-request at SRP.
• Immediately and without discussion when:
  • A bureaucrat or Steward reasonably suspects that the tools have been abused or seriously misused, including any violation of the Privacy Policy, or
  • A bureaucrat or Steward reasonably suspects that the account is compromised.
• Upon consensus at the bureaucrats' noticeboard only.
• When the user is indefinitely banned.
• When the account has made no edits or logged actions for 1 year.
• Whenever administrator permissions are revoked for any valid reason.

When advanced permissions are revoked for any reason, they may be regained only through the bureaucrats' noticeboard. However, in cases of resignation in uncontroversial circumstances, access may be restored upon request and without discussion, unless the resignation occurred over 1 year before the request for restoration.

Bureaucrats

Bureaucrats (bureaucrat) are users with the technical ability to:

• Add and remove users from the administrator, account creator, transwiki importer, and extended uploader groups
• Grant and remove bot flags
• Add users to the bureaucrat group
• Deleting tags

Administrators interested in becoming a bureaucrat may make a request at the bureaucrats' noticeboard.

Requests for bureaucratship should be publicized on high-profile noticeboards such as the town common. They should stay open for at least 7 days, except as outlined below, or when a request obviously has no chance of succeeding.

Revocation of bureaucrat permissions

The bureaucrat group should be removed by a Steward:

• Upon self-request at the bureaucrats' noticeboard.
• Immediately and without discussion when:
  • A Steward reasonably suspects that the tools are being used for vandalism or disruptive editing (including edit warring), or
  • A Steward reasonably suspects that the account is compromised.
  • Note that in the case of a compromised or rogue bureaucrat account, the other bureaucrats may be unable to restore order. In this case, a Steward will intervene to remove access.
• Upon consensus at the bureaucrats' noticeboard only.
• When the user is indefinitely banned.
• When the account has made no edits or logged actions for 1 year.
• Whenever administrator permissions are revoked for any valid reason.

To ensure maximum transparency, bureaucrats should not remove permissions from themselves.

When bureaucrat permissions are revoked for any reason, they may be regained only through the bureaucrats' noticeboard. However, in cases of resignation in uncontroversial circumstances, access may be restored upon request and without discussion, unless the resignation occurred over 1 year before the request for restoration.

Staff

Accounts in the staff (officestaff) group were used to perform office actions and other official actions. This group has been retired and is no longer in use.

Bots

Bots (bot) are automated accounts used to perform repetitive or tedious tasks that are uncontroversial or that have been approved by the community. Edits by these accounts are hidden from Special:RecentChanges by default.