User:The Bushranger/Don't You Know Who I Am?

Sometimes at ANI, an editor will be brought up for behaviorial issues. Sometimes the charges (as they were) are so ridiculous that even a kangaroo would bounce them out of its court. But other times, they're real, the behavorial problems are serious, and sanctions begin to be discussed.

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This page in a nutshell: Appealing to your own authority probably won't work as well as you hope.

It is then that the editor brought to ANI may decide that a good defense isn't to cop to their faults and pledge to do better, or to refute the allegations with evidence, or even that the best defense is a good offence. Instead, they'll bring up their own, real-life credentials. They're not Randy from Boise after all - they're an expert! A laywer, a published author, a researcher. And/or maybe they've made contributions to the WMF! Clearly that excuses any conductorial peccadillos - or perhaps it even completely negates the accusation entirely. Who would dare to question someone of their accreditions, after all?

Unfortunately, this usually doesn't work out that well for them - in fact, often it can be seen as grasping at straws in an attempt to evade a sanction. In some instances, the claimed certifications seem a little too conveniently on-the-nose for the case at hand - of course they grew up with parents who worked in a field that used language of the sort the dispute is about and thus know first-hand that a certain phraseology will only get confused looks when uttered. In others, it's clear the person is, indeed, exactly as pedigreed as they claim to be - but most editors, even in the wreched hive of scum and villiany that is ANI, recognize that if one's conduct on Wikipedia is defensible one doesn't need to bring up external qualifications to defend it; and while experts are certainly welcomed with open arms, the rules of Wikipedia apply to everyone. Contrary to what some might claim, the encyclopedia will not collapse if an expert who can't follow the rules is shown the door.

So take heed: if you feel the need to say "I studied theoretical nuclear intergalactic business physics" as a retort to an accusation at the drama boards, it may be time to step back, take a deep breath, perhaps take a walk or have a nice cup of tea (or even have a nice cup of tea while taking a walk), and ask yourself if perhaps the accusation might have merit - and even if you still believe it doesn't, that there may be a better way to defend yourself from it than resorting to saying "don't you know who I am?"