Volunteer Response Team/Volunteering

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OTRS Volunteers are always welcome, but there is a fairly selective application process, given the nature of the work. Generally, OTRS administrators must be familiar with you and your work on Wikimedia projects before accepting you as a volunteer and issuing you an account. It may take some time before you receive a response in regards to your request, so please be patient.

If you are truly interested in helping out with OTRS and have not yet received a response as to that status of your application, please feel free to join the IRC channel and introduce yourself to some of our members. You still may be able to help out without an OTRS account (for more information, check out OTRS/IRC channel).

Before applying to volunteer, please read OTRS/info-en recruiting and make sure that the following statements accurately describe you:

• you're willing to work on difficult, sensitive, and at times hostile messages;
• you're courteous, skilled at resolving disputes, friendly even in the face of hostility, sensitive to the needs of those outside Wikipedia, and have exemplary discretion;
• you're willing to provide identification to the Wikimedia Foundation (please see Access to nonpublic data policy for why we ask for this).

Please note that there is a firm recommendation of 16 as a minimum age for participation in the OTRS system, to ensure people have adequate real life and Wikimedia experience before taking on what is a considerable and important responsibility for the Foundation and the projects.

====[[User:Example|]]====

*'''languages you can reply in:''' Zulu, English-3, Inuktitut-3, and Sinhala-2
*'''most active user talk pages:''' [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Example]
*'''Email sent''': Yes

I'd like to help out on OTRS because . ~~~~

Feel free to specify if you are entrusted with any special tools on wikis (sysop, bureaucrat, checkuser, etc.). You may also add to your application links to archives of help desk posts, or identification on active mailing lists if you think they are relevant.

Please also send an email to volunteers-otrs AT wikimedia D0T org linking to your application on this page and giving your age, each time you apply. Thanks.

Note: Additional language skills are a plus. Currently, additional help is needed in: German, Hebrew, Arabic, Finnish and Italian queues (in order of backlog). Please make sure you mention any language skills you have.

Rifleman_82

• languages you can reply in: en
• most active user talk pages: [1]
• Email sent: Yes (immediately after this edit)

I'd like to help out on OTRS because I have the interest in this project, I have the time, and I believe I have the temperament required for the job. I am an admin at en, I have an account I use to upload images on commons. Rifleman 82 05:32, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Oscar / Usuario:Oscar

• languages: Spanish-n, English-1
• history of most active user talk page: link
• rfxs: rfa,
• Email sent: Yes

This is my second request for being a volunteer of OTRS, I believe that the attention diminishes to a very few people with concerned to my language. Though I can go unnoticed in other projects, in w:es I have an irreproachable path as collaborator for more than 2 years and I have been an administrator for more than one year, so I can help with any doubt with regard to Wikipedia, and to his functioning in general.--Oscar_. (talk) ^{Wikipedia en Español} 01:40, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

Yes. --Anonymous Dissident^Talk 06:32, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

¡Sí! Alex Pereira ^falaê 01:44, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

Endorse. Daniel 13:20, 16 March 2008 (UTC)

GTBacchus

• languages you can reply in: English
• most active user talk pages: [2]
• Email sent: Yes

I'd like to help out on OTRS because I understand help is needed here, and I believe that I have the communication and dispute resolution skills that are required. I have been an administrator on en since December 2005, and I have been involved in dispute resolution on numerous articles and policies. I am polite, friendly, and knowledgeable about Wikipedia. Thanks for your consideration. GTBacchus 06:34, 13 March 2008 (UTC)

• Has near-infinite patience and has clue. Recommended. FCYTravis 18:58, 13 March 2008 (UTC)

Cometstyles

• languages you can reply in: English, Hindi (typing is a problem since i don't own a hindi keyboard but can manage)
• most active user talk pages: [3]
• Email sent: Yes (right after this)

I'd like to help out on OTRS because I believe the OTRS team needs more good editors to help out with the recent surge in backlogs and to deal with it efficiently, I have been on enwiki since November 2006 and I have also been involved with other smaller projects since then, I'am also an admin on the non-language specific Simple Wikipedia, mediawiki and here on Meta and I believe I'm in a good-standing with other editors in all these projects, I have a good understanding of some languages and I may be able to help out in those areas if needed..Thanks. Cometstyles 11:13, 13 March 2008 (UTC)

What. A. Legend. I totally endorse this guy (i'm technically not supposed to be online right now, but it's Comets!) Majorly (talk) 00:22, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

endorse strongly. Alex Pereira ^falaê 01:43, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

Thirded. I totally trust this user. --Meno25 11:03, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

Fourth. OhanaUnited^{Talk page} 16:54, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

Yep. ----Anonymous Dissident^Talk 22:22, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

Endorse. Philippe 01:57, 16 March 2008 (UTC)

Strongly endorse. Daniel 13:19, 16 March 2008 (UTC)

Comet. has clue, is trustworthy, and is able to communicate well. He'd be well suited to OTRS work; I endorse. Anthøny 15:34, 16 March 2008 (UTC)

I don't know what it means but I endorse, too. ;) —DerHexer (Talk) 12:01, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Strongly endorse as a trustworthy and helpful person. KTC 04:28, 18 March 2008 (UTC)

A bit late, but hey, the more, the merrier. Endorse. :-) Arria Belli | parlami 12:18, 18 March 2008 (UTC)

Of course. Greeves ^{(talk • contribs)} 20:42, 18 March 2008 (UTC)

I have concerns that Comet's, shall I say, not-that-magnificnet handle of the English language could pose a problem in dealing with complex OTRS tickets. This, combined with his sometimes aggressive/combative/incivil attitude means I'm a bit concerned about this choice. Giggy\^Talk 10:02, 19 March 2008 (UTC) — Endorse. Giggy\^Talk 03:26, 22 March 2008 (UTC)

"Comet's" does not have a "not-that-magnificnet" handle of English. I talk to him often, and I barely notice it at all. He's one of the kindest users I know, do you have diffs to support your accusation? Majorly (talk) 16:41, 19 March 2008 (UTC)

Whilst I respect Giggy's views, I am inclined to, like Majorly, disagree: Anon. has never came across as anything but an eloquently-spoken editor. He has a great grasp of english, and I don't see this as any sort of "problem point". There are a few OTRS volunteers, I'm sure, who do not have english as their native language, and it's never been a problem. Anthøny 16:59, 20 March 2008 (UTC)

Absolutely! Snowolf ^{How can I help?} 17:32, 22 March 2008 (UTC)

Sir Lestaty de Lioncourt

• languages you can reply in: Portuguese
• most active user talk pages: [4]
• Email sent: Yes
• rfxs: rfa@pt.wn

I'd like to help out on OTRS because the wikipedia lusophone wiki is a very large and has few volunteers in an OTRS, I am committed to the small projects such as wikinews where I am a sysop, and wikipédia in Portuguese am an editor. Sir Lestaty de Lioncourt ✉ 03:08, 16 March 2008 (UTC)

Endorse. Alex Pereira ^falaê 02:44, 18 March 2008 (UTC)

Reduce that signature, please. Snowolf ^{How can I help?} 10:41, 23 March 2008 (UTC)

Done. Sir Lestaty ^discuţie 18:33, 24 March 2008 (UTC)

Ilya Voyager

• languages you can reply in: Russian, English.
• most active user talk pages: [5]
• Email sent: Yes (after this edit)

I'm temporary admin of ru.wikibooks.org. As part of my admin job I need to solve copyright issues. There's a lot of texts wich are derived (mostly translated) from other sources in wikibooks, and sometimes these sources are not free or GFDL-incompatible. So I need to contact the original authors and ask for permissions to distribute these derivatives under GFDL. Sometimes it is easier for the authors to send a letter to permissions@ than post some GFDL message on their site. So I'd like to get some access to permissions@ (and maybe permissions-commons@) address.

I support Ilya. He has good knowledge about copyright, and may help in Russian Wikipedia too. ~ putnik 23:23, 26 March 2008 (UTC)

Witty lama

• languages you can reply in: English - native, French - competent
• most active user talk pages: [6]
• Email sent: Yes, once I save this edit :-)

I've become increasingly involved in WMF and specifically WP over the last couple of years and now, thanks to my experiences here: I am working in a professional digital encyclopedia organisation; I interview for and (sometimes) produce the only podcast for Wikimedians; and I am also writing a history honours thesis specifically relating to Wikipedia. Needless to say I live and breathe this project professionally and academically. OTRS is the next logical step in becoming more involved and being the active WMF-citizen that I try to be.

Best, Witty lama 13:37, 19 March 2008 (UTC)

Endorse. Witty has great communication skills, a creative mind and an understanding of Wikimedia and its goals (listen to an episode of WWeekly, and that much'll be evident), and is highly trusted on the english wikipedia. He'd be a great addition to the OTRS team. Anthøny 17:00, 20 March 2008 (UTC)

Endorse strongly. Highly adequate communication skills from what I have seen of him. ----Anonymous Dissident^Talk 22:04, 21 March 2008 (UTC)

Endorse. - A respected member of the Australian cabal Wikipedia community. John Vandenberg 11:17, 28 March 2008 (UTC)

Sarcasticidealist

• languages you can reply in: English
• most active user talk pages: [7]
• Email sent: Yes

I understand that you need more people, and I'm willing (and consider myself qualified) to be one. I spend quite a bit of time at English Wikipedia's media copyright questions page, and I've developed what I would consider to be a strong to very strong understanding of Wikipedia's licensing rules (although I'm no authority on what qualifies as public domain in different jurisdictions; I usually have to look that sort of thing up on a case by case basis). I'm a sysop at English Wikipedia, where I have been commended by a number of new users for my patience with them ([8], [9]). Sarcasticidealist 19:37, 21 March 2008 (UTC)

Endorse. I think Sarcasticidealist would be a great addition to the team. He isn't even really, when you get down to it, all that sarcastic (which is a bit of a personal let-down for me, and false advertising, but frankly probably a benefit for OTRS). Philippe 13:34, 22 March 2008 (UTC)

Flattered - as for the sarcastic thing, I am in real life, but I'm sort of the opposite of most people in that my online persona is much nicer than my real life one. Sarcasticidealist 08:53, 23 March 2008 (UTC)

Endorse. From what I have seen of SI's contributions on enwiki, he really knows his stuff, and undertakes his admin. duties in a sound way. I'm confident he'll be a good addition. Anthøny 18:18, 26 March 2008 (UTC)

DickClarkMises

• Languages: English, some basic French.
• Talk page history: WP:EN talk page

My desire to assist on OTRS is motivated by my feeling that images are essential in making an encyclopedia more attractive, useful, and comprehensive. I have a professional background in online customer service and I think my appreciation to parties releasing content will be apparent in my communications. My focus will be on facilitating the acquisition of permissions to newly released content that will improve the project. I've seen some OTRS replies, and I am afraid that many of them are too curt, and might turn off people who might otherwise be enthusiastic about providing valuable content under the GFDL (or, by acknowledging a release into the public domain). I've been an editor at WP:EN since March of 2005.

MK

• languages you can reply in: Arabic mainly (and English-3)
• most active user talk pages: [10]
• Email sent: Yes

I'd like to help out on OTRS because I'm confident that I can provide information and answer questions regarding most of the aspects of Wikipedia and the other projects. In addition, I feel that I have the potential to solve most problems that face new users, and because I'm generally active online, spending a few hours to monitor Wikipedia everyday. I have a bureaucrat status on Arabic Wikipedia, and a sysop status on Arabic Wiktionary. MK 04:24, 27 March 2008 (UTC)

MKay is a trusted member of the Arabic Wikipedia community. I have worked with him for more than a year and have found him always friendly and caring for the needs of other users. I have high respect for this user and I recommend approving his request. --Meno25 05:51, 28 March 2008 (UTC)