User rights, as they appear in the log, do not denote a hierarchy of Wikipedians. Rollback, sysop, checkuser, oversight etc. are not special groups. While we call these privileges, they are not a measure of status.

This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints.

Shortcut WP:GOLDENTICKET

User rights are obtained by demonstrating knowledge and commitment to the project. Granting them is a show of trust that a user has a commitment and understanding to the particular access granted. The community may have or gain particular respect for an individual user and these rights may be a source of pride. At no point, though, does one or a particular cabal rise above the rest. Users have come and gone in a span of days to months to years. This is a volunteer-driven project, and there is no lack of contributors to fill shoes.

Though rights may grant certain technical privileges, there is no golden ticket that will grant any actual authority to an individual user.

• WP:Hat collecting
• WP:IPs are human too
• WP:Administration