User blog comment:Brandon Rhea/Tips for becoming an admin/@comment-168424-20121218010231

I agree with most of this except for the part about admins not being different from non-admins. It is only true in that admins should not be given special treatment over non-admins. If admins were the same as non-admins, we wouldn't call them admins and they wouldn't have special abilities on a wiki. Maybe you just need a better way of explaining it.

Anyway, I also believe admins are different from non-admins in that admins can do much more harm when they go wrong and can also do much more good when they are doing the right things. An admin needs to set a good example, otherwise they are not living up to the responsibility of being an admin. Admin power (and it is a sort of power) is like all power in that it comes with responsibility.

Lastly, as an admin, sometimes you do need to throw your weight around, otherwise disruptive users can become a problem. I say this from recent experience. You can't be weak, but you need to be constructive and fair. Being an admin isn't for everybody.