User talk:Tiptoety/Checkuser clerks

Comments

On the need for clerks

Formally, I am against clerks, in general. Too much structure, bureaucracy, satrapy, etc. And yet, when they are needed, they are needed. I have clerked more than one recall... we have clerks that help with ArbCom. Other wikis have clerks (perhaps informally) that help with things. So when they are needed, they are. I think this is one of these cases, and I support the retention of clerks after the pages merge. ++Lar: t/c 00:07, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

• Yes, I concur with your sentiments here. Clerks are occasionally a necessary evil; Requests for checkuser—and indeed any derived process, such as the proposed SSP2—I am inclined to suggest, as you have, Lar, is one process which requires them. Anthøny ✉ 16:40, 9 October 2008 (UTC)

On the requirements for clerking

It seems that the CU pages are fairly complex. Having things structured well makes the work of CUs easier. But it can be offputting. Clerks are looked at to help steer, so there ought to be some sort of notion of what a good clerk is and isn't, and some sort of process of evaluation. Apprenticeships? Sure. If that is what the clerks want. As a CU I don't care so much how the clerks organise, just that they do the good work that they do. But do have at least some informal requirements. ++Lar: t/c 00:07, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

On eligibility for clerkship

I don't think that "any administrator" should be able to turn up and be a clerk on their say so. I am an administrator. Heck, I am a CU... and yet I am not competent to do what these clerks do (not lack of ability, but lack of study). ++Lar: t/c 00:07, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

The idea is, however, that any administrator may volunteer, but if he shows himself to be incompetent—even after attempts by the remainder of the clerk team to be lacking the competence required for effective WP:RFCU/Clerks contributions—then a gentle request to move along to another area and help out there would be issued. It's not so much that being an administrator is an automatic pass to "clerkship" (for want of a better phrase), but rather that administrators in particular are welcome to volunteer; after all, +sysop is a useful tool to have at one's disposal in the course of clerking. Anthøny ✉ 16:38, 9 October 2008 (UTC)