Wikipedia:Adopt-a-user/Adopter's Area/Experiences

Welcome to the Adopt-a-User program!

This is the page where our Adopters can relate their own experiences with the Adopt-a-user program (or Wikipedia in general) and how they may have dealt with any problems or issues. Of particular interest is how to work best with your adoptee and how to improve the program in general. Feel free to comment and ask questions on each one, but remember this is not a talk page, so keep to the point. Also this page will be organised in a subject order, and may be formatted from time to time to allow for ease of reading.

For immediate or urgent problems – please leave a message at Wikipedia Talk:Adopt-a-User.

Inactive Adoptees

I have two adoptees (friends in real life, actually) and I want to help them but there never on. Should I "drop" them? —¡Rand fan ! 00:45, 8 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think there is any hard and fast rules as yet. Personally if I had 2 relatively inactive users, I would keep them on as Adoptees, and adopt others if I wanted. I don't think it is about how many adoptions you have, but about being able to help out the adoptee out appropriately. So if you take on a high-maintenance Adoptee it would be irresponsible and unfair to take on another until that one finds it feet. If you have x mature Adoptee who only need occasional help you may feel you can take on another. Hope that helps Lethaniol 15:01, 8 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you've adopted users that are relatively inactive then there's nothing that should impair your 'adopting ability' (trying to think of a better term, hopefully you know what I mean) with more users. CattleGirl ^{talk | e@} 02:35, 8 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sockpuppetry

My first adoptee was blocked for being a sockpuppet of a user who was banned for issuing death threats , my third adoptee has recently been blocked for the same offence, but after a month of arguments that even went as far a Request for Comment. Dealing with such issues is not for the faint hearted and can require a lot of time - so beware.

From the beginning I knew there was a possibility that the adoptee was a sockpuppet of a banned user - but a CheckUser request was unfortunately not possible. So I had to take his word on the matter that he was not. Over the next month - arguments with other users got quite heated - leading to the Request for Comment and Admin involvement. Eventually concrete proof was found that the user was the the suspected sockpuppet and they were blocked..

Anyway, what I think people should take away from this, is that I approached it from a neutral standpoint, giving advice on how to act properly and in a civil manner to my adoptee without being biased. This meant that I had the respect of all users involved - and meant that the discussions were much less heated and uncivil than they could have been.

MY ADVICE - if you have an adoptee who is getting into "trouble", then advice them on the correct way to act, but do take their side in the argument. Better to have a balanced level head in the discussions, than another emotional one. Lethaniol 23:38, 21 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]