RationalWiki:Techs

Techs on RationalWiki are appointed to do&mdash;as the title suggests&mdash;technical work.

Technical role
Techs have the technical ability to use every function of the MediaWiki interface. Techs can for example:


 * create and alter edit filters with the edit filter interface. Although the edit filter is very powerful and can be used to do anything from disabling account creation, to automatically banning and removing user rights from anyone that edits; the techs are only permitted to add limited and non intrusive functions. These include filters which affect how RW handles spammers, repetitive trolls, advertising, and blatant vandalism. The filters may warn users, prohibit actions, and block spam and obvious nuisance accounts for 3.6 days. By convention sysops should always be exempt from edit filter restrictions.


 * add/remove all user rights as techs have full access to the user rights interface equivalent to a 'crat in mediawiki default configuration. Techs are not permitted to use this technical ability to add or remove some user rights without authorisation. Specifically adding or removing sysoprevoke is prohibited without permission by a Moderator or to enact a mobocracy vote. Techs are also prohibited from removing the Moderator or tech user rights from other users except in cases of emergency, elections, or to facilitate user requests to resign user rights.


 * rename users. Techs should follow RW mob consensus when renaming users. Techs should not rename users except for privacy/impersonation reasons, technical username conflict, to facilitate a user request to change their own username, or for obvious troll usernames.


 * add to, remove from and edit pages with moderator-level protection. While technically possible, techs shouldn't do this.


 * alter MediaWiki: space pages, which are mostly user interface items like MediaWiki:Sitenotice (the donation notice) and MediaWiki:Sidebar (the main site sidebar on your left).


 * edit the site-wide JavaScript and CSS pages which can be used to change site appearance (Techs must add themselves to the interface administrators group to do this, remember to remove yourself once finished). Significant changes to system functionality or appearance should be done after gaining mob agreement.


 * suppress revisions (even from sysops). This should only be done for privacy reasons. Suppression may be done by the RW foundation for legal reasons using the tech user right.


 * edit and add gadgets, including scripts and tools.


 * modify Interwiki data (links to other sites hardcoded as shortcuts).

However, techs have no community authority and cannot police other users, unlike moderators. The tech role gives no authority and its intended use is solely for tasks that relate to ongoing maintenance of the site.

Request rights
You can request to be appointed a tech at RationalWiki:Requests for user rights.

In order to be appointed a tech, per the Community Standards, once you request the right there's a period of 2 weeks where people can vote either for or against the candidate as a tech. You must have a majority vote in favor, as well as a vouch from one of the techs, a moderator, the Foundation's Operations Manager or one of the sysadmins in RationalWiki.

Requirements

 * some coding or sysadmin type experience
 * basic javascript or PHP knowledge
 * rudimentary understanding of how MediaWiki works
 * basic understanding of edit filter syntax
 * ability to google and find relevant documentation

Current techs
There are currently. • 2