Wikiversity:Interface administrators

The page documents an official English Wikiversity policy with wide acceptance by participants as a standard you should follow. Please propose and discuss changes to ensure your revisions reflect consensus.

A Wikiversity interface administrator is a trusted user who has the technical ability to edit the JavaScript and CSS of all users.

What can interface administrators do? edit

Interface administrators may use their rights as described below:[n 1]

Right Description Can be used for
editusercss Edit other users' CSS files

1) To perform uncontroversial maintenance
2) To edit user scripts that are used by others, if the owner is inactive and unresponsive[n 2]

edituserjs Edit other users' JavaScript files
editsitecss Edit sitewide CSS

1) To perform uncontroversial maintenance
2) To edit sitewide gadgets, following consensus[n 3] regarding the edits

editsitejs Edit sitewide JavaScript
edituserjson Edit other users' JSON files These rights are already granted to custodians, and may be used in line with custodian guidelines
editsitejson Edit sitewide JSON
editinterface Edit the user interface[n 4]
oathauth-enable Enable two-factor authentication All interface administrators are required to enable two-factor authentication[n 5]
  1. Interface administrators may never wheel war or edit war using their rights, even if they are editing according to policy. Doing so is grounds for immediate removal of access. Instead, open a discussion.
  2. Interface administrators are not permitted to edit a user's pages against the wishes of the user in question
  3. Or, in lower-stakes cases, no objections
  4. Specifically, this grants the ability to edit normal pages in the MediaWiki: namespace.
  5. Custodians also have the oathauth-enable right, and should activate two-factor authentication before requesting interface administrator rights.

Access edit

How does one become an interface administrator?

Bureaucrats have the technical ability to grant interface administrator access, but should do so only in the manner described here.

  • For now, Wikiversity does not have a need for permanent or long term interface administrators. Accordingly, interface administratorship may only be granted temporarily by bureaucrats (not to exceed 2 weeks without discussion)
  • To provide a second set of eyes, bureaucrats may not grant themselves interface adminship - it must be granted by a different bureaucrat
    • Exception: If no other bureaucrats are available within a reasonable amount of time, and other uninvolved support staff agree that the request is reasonable, a bureaucrat may grant themselves the rights
  • Interface adminship should not be granted to non-support staff (non-custodian, non-curator) without prior discussion
  • Users seeking interface adminship must enable two-factor authentication.
Losing access

Bureaucrats have the technical ability to remove interface administrator access. The should do so in the manner described here, but in an emergency are empowered to act with discretion.

  • A bureaucrat may, without prior discussion, revoke interface adminship if it is being used to edit against the community's wishes, or otherwise being used improperly. The bureaucrat must then open a discussion.
  • A bureaucrat may, after prior discussion, revoke interface adminship if there is consensus among support staff that it should be revoked.
  • A bureaucrat may, at the request of any interface administrator, revoke their interface adminship
  • Interface administrators may revoke their own interface adminship
Discussions
  • Requests for interface adminship, and discussions regarding revoking such rights, should be made publicly in well-watched areas, such as at Wikiversity:Notices for custodians or Wikiversity:Request custodian action
  • If a bureaucrat removes interface administrator rights without discussion in an emergency, they must promptly initiate a discussion for the community to review their actions
    • The bureaucrat must leave a note with the user in question, alerting them to the removal of access and the discussion
    • The bureaucrat must explain why they have removed access
    • While a discussion is open, another bureaucrat may not restore the rights

See also edit