Lim Zhi Hao:Bureaucrats

Bureaucrats are Wikipedia users, usually administrators, with the technical ability to perform the following actions:
 * Add the administrator, bureaucrat, interface administrator, account creator, pending changes reviewer, or bot user group to an account.
 * Remove the administrator, interface administrator, account creator, IP block exemption, pending changes reviewer, or bot user group from an account.

They are bound by policy and consensus only to grant administrator or bureaucrat access when doing so reflects the wishes of the community, usually after a successful request at Requests for adminship. In the same fashion, they are expected to exercise judgement in granting or removing bot flags with the advice of the Bot Approvals Group. They are expected to be capable judges of consensus, and are expected to explain the reasoning for their actions on request and in a civil manner. Actions by bureaucrats are also bound by the policy on use of administrative rights.

Bureaucrats have been authorized by the community to remove administrator permissions in certain situations outlined below. Bureaucrats do not have the technical ability to remove bureaucrat rights from users or to grant or remove certain levels of access such as oversight or checkuser rights. These actions are performed by stewards, a multilingual group of individuals who serve all Wikimedia projects and are elected and reconfirmed annually by their users. Changes in user rights by stewards are recorded at meta:Special:Log/rights; for more information see Steward requests/Permissions.

Users are granted bureaucrat status by community consensus. The process is similar to the process of granting administrator status, but the expectations for potential bureaucrats are higher and community consensus must be clearer. See Requests for bureaucratship.

On the English Wikipedia, there are currently Special:ListUsers/bureaucrat bureaucrats.

Current bureaucrats

 * See also: Special:ListUsers/bureaucrat

Former bureaucrats

 * , resigned 10 June 2018
 * , removed per activity requirements 1 June 2018
 * , removed per activity requirements 1 June 2016
 * , removed per activity requirements 31 December 2015
 * , removed per activity requirements 31 December 2015
 * , removed per activity requirements 31 December 2015
 * , removed per activity requirements 31 December 2015
 * , removed per activity requirements 31 December 2015
 * , removed per activity requirements 31 December 2015
 * , removed per activity requirements 31 December 2015
 * , removed per activity requirements 31 December 2015
 * , removed per activity requirements 31 December 2015
 * , resigned 19 August 2015
 * , removed for inactivity 14 December 2014
 * , resigned 10 September 2014
 * , removed for inactivity 7 April 2014
 * , removed for inactivity 2 December 2013
 * , resigned 2 September 2013
 * , resigned 1 September 2013
 * , removed for inactivity 1 April 2013
 * , resigned 12 March 2013
 * , removed for inactivity 9 August 2011
 * , removed for inactivity 9 August 2011
 * , resigned 2 March 2011
 * , resigned 31 October 2010
 * , resigned 29 July 2010
 * , removed by 13 June 2009
 * , resigned 21 March 2007
 * , 21 March 2007
 * , resigned 4 March 2007
 * , resigned 29 March 2006
 * , removed 9 February 2006 ( resigned 6 March 2004)
 * , resigned 12 September 2005
 * , resigned 26 May 2005
 * , resigned 12 October 2004

Procedures
These are instructions and procedures concerning bureaucratic actions and processes.

Promotions and RfX closures

 * Note: Similar to non-administrators closing deletion discussions, Requests for adminship can be closed by non-bureaucrats in certain cases; for example if the user has withdrawn the request or the outcome is very unlikely to be positive (see WP:NOTNOW). Non-bureaucrats should be very careful in the latter case and only close RfAs when they are not in doubt. In such cases the requesting user should always be asked to consider withdrawal first.


 * Wait at least seven days after the listing was made on Requests for adminship or Wikipedia talk:Bot Approvals Group
 * Check the history for the transcluded page to be reasonably sure that the comments are genuine
 * Determine whether there is a consensus that the person should be promoted using the traditional rules of thumb and your best judgement
 * Edit the nomination. Add the relevant header and footer to the discussion page, remembering to substitute:


 * For requests for adminship or bureaucratship
 * Remove the "Voice your opinion" and talk page link (example)
 * Replace the rfatally template with, fill in the appropriate fields, make sure the final tally is accurate, and include any additional comments
 * If there is a consensus, promote to admin or bureaucrat using Special:Userrights. If present, remove userrights made redundant by the sysop flag. Refer to Special:ListGroupRights for details on which other rights are included with the new user rights level. Please reference the RfA (or RfB) when making the promotion
 * Remove the request from requests for adminship
 * For successful nominations, add a summary of the outcome to successful requests for adminship or successful bureaucratship candidacies and update the relevant counts.
 * For unsuccessful nominations, add the summary to Unsuccessful adminship candidacies (Chronological) and Wikipedia:Unsuccessful adminship candidacies (Alphabetical), or Unsuccessful bureaucratship candidacies and update the relevant counts


 * For requests for membership in the Bot Approvals Group
 * Add the user to Bot Approvals Group
 * Add a summary of the outcome to successful or unsuccessful Bot Approvals Group candidacies


 * Inform the user of the result, whether it is successful or unsuccessful (perhaps using one of the optional templates)

Removal of permissions
Bureaucrats may remove the "administrator" user right from an account in some situations :
 * If self-requested by the administrator
 * By official request of the Arbitration Committee
 * If the administrator is deemed inactive per Administrators
 * If the account belongs to an editor who has been verified as deceased (in which case, all user rights should be removed). See also WP:DWG.

Bureaucrats should include a permanent link to the request or relevant policy when removing permissions. If necessary, the affected user should be immediately notified and given a reason for the removal along with advice on seeking the reinstatement of the permissions.

Should the  group have been removed from the account since becoming an administrator, it should be restored when removing administrator permissions.

The use of these procedures is not intended to constrain the authority of the Wikimedia Stewards to undertake emergency removal of permissions on their own discretion, or removal following a request from the Arbitration Committee, pursuant to the relevant policies governing Steward actions.

Deceased Wikipedians
If an editor is verified as having died, all permissions on the account should be removed. Unless the account is suspected of being compromised, it should not be blocked. For Checkuser, Oversight and Bureaucrat rights, which cannot be removed locally, a request to remove those should be posted on Steward requests/Permissions. See also WP:DWG.

Inactive bureaucrat accounts
There are two separate activity requirements applicable to bureaucrat accounts:
 * 1) Bureaucrat accounts which have been completely inactive for at least one calendar year (without any edits or other logged actions) may have their bureaucrat permissions removed. The bureaucrat must be contacted on their user talk page and via email one month before the removal of permissions and again several days before the request is made. Should the bureaucrat remain inactive, another bureaucrat may request the procedural removal of permissions. This is not to be considered a reflection on the user's use of, or rights to, the tools. If an inactive bureaucrat returns to Wikipedia, they may request restoration of the permissions at the bureaucrats' noticeboard provided they have not been inactive for three consecutive years.
 * 2) Bureaucrats are expected to exercise the duties granted by their role while remaining cognizant of relevant community standards concerning their tasks. If a bureaucrat does not participate in bureaucrat activity for over three years, their bureaucrat permissions may be removed. The user must be notified on their talk page and by email one month before the removal, and again a few days prior to the removal. If the user does not return to bureaucrat activity, another bureaucrat may request the removal of permissions at Steward requests/Permissions. Permissions removed for not meeting bureaucrat activity requirements may be re-obtained through a new request for bureaucratship.

Restoration of permissions
In the case that a former administrator or bureaucrat requests their permissions be restored via the bureaucrats' noticeboard:
 * 1) Check that the user in question is indeed a former administrator or bureaucrat (in particular, a bureaucrat restoring permissions should satisfy themselves that the account has not been compromised since the permissions were relinquished).
 * 2) Check their talk page history and any pertinent discussions or noticeboards for indications that they may have resigned (or become inactive) for the purpose, or with the effect, of evading scrutiny of their actions that could have led to sanctions.
 * 3) To allow time for requests to be checked thoroughly, it is required that a minimum of 24 hours elapse for multiple bureaucrats and other editors to comment on the request before restoring permissions. This time may be lengthened at a bureaucrat's discretion, if new information arises.
 * 4) If a former administrator ("lengthy inactivity") or bureaucrat ("inactive bureaucrat accounts") has been inactive (defined by zero edits or logged actions) for a period of three years or longer after the removal of permissions (or for three years from the last edit or log action in the case of permissions removed due to inactivity), they must be successful in a new request for adminship or bureaucratship to have the permission(s) restored.
 * 5) If a former administrator has been administratively inactive (defined by zero logged administrative actions) for a period of five years or longer at the time of their last administrative rights removal, and the removal was for inactivity, they should be successful in a new request for adminship to have the permission(s) restored.
 * 6) If the permission is restored, list the user at List of resysopped users.

Bot flags

 * 1) Bot flags may be granted or removed in accordance with the bot policy, often on the advice of the Bot Approvals Group.
 * 2) (On process page) Ensure that the request is compliant with relevant policies and guidelines and that a Bot Approvals Group member asked for the bot to be flagged.
 * Bot flags may also be granted or removed in other situations (such as requests to the bureaucrats' noticeboard or other noticeboard discussions).
 * 1) Use Special:UserRights to set or remove the flag, with a link to the approved BRFA or permanent link to the relevant discussion as the rationale.

Mailing list
A Bureaucrat mailing list was established in March 2009, but was retired following a discussion in 2017. It was intended as a convenient way to notify bureaucrats about urgent matters or, on rare occasions, to discuss private matters.

Any issue that is neither urgent nor necessarily private should instead be handled at the appropriate on-wiki venue, for instance at the bureaucrats' noticeboard. For sensitive matters you may contact an individual bureaucrat directly.