Wikipedia:United States Education Program/Courses/Wiki-Project Management (Jonathan Obar)/Group 4 Sandbox/getting started

First steps to adminship

 GETTING STARTED RFA PROCESS RESOURCES FOR EFFECTIVE ADMINSHIP INTERVIEW/EXTRA RESOURCES 

What is an administrator?

Administrators, commonly known as admins or sysops (system operators), are Wikipedia editors trusted with access to restricted technical features (WP:ADMINTOOLS). For example, administrators can protect, delete and restore pages, move pages over redirects, hide and delete page revisions, edit protected pages, and block other editors. They take care of all the maintenance aspects of the Encyclopedia. See WP:ADMINTOOLS for more information.

Administrators assume these responsibilities as volunteers; they are not acting as employees of the Wikimedia Foundation. They are never required to use their tools and must never use them to gain an advantage in a dispute in which they are involved. Administrators should not be confused with Wikimedia system administrators (Sysops). For more information, visit: Administrators

An admin wielding the mop, a common symbol of administrators

What an administrator is not

Admins do not have "command authority" in the sense that some imagine. They can draw a line based on policies, norms and judgement, and enforce that line with the tools. They often have good insight and suggestions to users, and they should be good at gaining others' co-operation and working with people. But they do not, ever, act as "managers" to people in the business sense. They implement policies which the community in broad has agreed upon. For more information pertaining to what an administrator is not, visit: What adminship is not.

For a look at current administrators, check the current list of administrators.