ConRunnerAdmin at 00:27, 7 July 2005

2005-07-07T00:27:26Z

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{{policy}}

Wikipedia is a collaborative project and its founders and contributors have a common goal:

:''Our goal with Wikipedia is to create a reliable and free encyclopedia—indeed, the largest encyclopedia in history, in both breadth and depth.''

Wikipedia has some '''policies and guidelines''' that help us to work toward that common goal. Some of these policies are still evolving, while others are long settled and largely uncontroversial.

While our policies continue to evolve, many [[Wikipedia:Wikipedians|Wikipedians]] feel that written rules are inherently inadequate to cover every possible variation of disruptive or malevolent behavior. For example, a user who acts against the spirit of our written policies might be reprimanded even if the letter of the rules has not been violated. Those who edit in [[Wikipedia:Assume good faith|good faith]], show [[Wikipedia:Civility|civility]], seek [[Wikipedia:Consensus|consensus]], and work towards the goal of creating an [[WP:NPOV|impartial]] [[encyclopedia]], should find a [[Wikipedia:Wikiquette|welcoming environment]].

{{Shortcut|[[WP:RULES]]<br>[[WP:POL]]}}

== Key policies ==
You don't need to read every Wikipedia policy before you contribute! However, the following policies are key to a productive Wikipedia experience, and the sooner you get to grips with them, the better.

# '''Wikipedia is an encyclopedia.''' Its goals go no further. See [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not|What Wikipedia is not]] for more info.
# '''Avoid bias.''' Articles should be written from a [[Wikipedia:neutral point of view|neutral point of view]], representing differing views on a subject fairly and sympathetically.
# '''Don't infringe copyrights.''' Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia licensed under the terms of the [[GNU Free Documentation License]]. Submitting work which [[Copyright infringement|infringes copyright]]s threatens our objective to build a truly free encyclopedia that anyone can redistribute, and could lead to legal problems. See [[wikipedia:copyrights|Wikipedia copyrights]] for more information.
# '''Respect other contributors.''' Wikipedia contributors come from many different countries and cultures, and have widely different views. Treating others with respect is key to collaborating effectively in building an encyclopedia. For some guidelines, see [[Wikipedia:Wikiquette|Wikipedia etiquette]], [[Wikipedia:Writers rules of engagement]], [[Wikipedia:Civility]], [[Wikipedia:Dispute resolution|Dispute resolution]].

==Other policies and guidelines==
Links to various policies can be found in the following [[Wikipedia:Category|categories]]:
* [[:Category:Wikipedia official policy]] - policies that are widely accepted and that everyone generally follows
* [[:Category:Wikipedia guidelines]] - informal rules of thumb that are generally accepted by consensus to apply in many cases
=== Conventions ===
By following these we are able to produce a more consistent and more usable encyclopedia:
* [[wikipedia:Editing policy|Editing policy]] (How to edit articles)
* [[wikipedia:Naming conventions|Naming conventions]] (How to title articles)
* [[wikipedia:Disambiguation|Disambiguation]] (How to resolve title conflicts)
* [[wikipedia:Image use policy|Image use policy]] (Handling uploads)
* [[Wikipedia:Deletion policy|Deletion policy]] (how to nominate pages for deletion and, (restricted) how to perform the deletion)

==Procedural questions==
=== How are policies decided? ===
Most Wikipedia policy was formulated in the early days of the project, generally prior to the end of 2002. Changes and additions are made by [[Wikipedia:Consensus|consensus]], though in practice consensus on policy changes is extremely difficult to achieve. In many cases policy has developed informally; written policies usually codify longstanding tradition.

Proposed and rejected policies are in these categories:
* [[:Category:Wikipedia proposals]] - ideas being proposed as possible new policies
* [[:Category:Wikipedia rejected policies]] - policy ideas that have been rejected or abandoned

See also [[Wikipedia:How to create policy]].

===How are policies enforced? ===
'''''You''''' are a [[Wikipedia:About|Wikipedia]] editor. Wikipedia lacks an editor-in-chief or a central, top-down mechanism whereby the day-to-day progress on the encyclopedia is monitored and approved. Instead, active participants make [[Copy editing |copyedits]] and corrections to the content and format problems they see. So [[Wikipedia:Wikipedians|the participants]] are both writers ''and'' editors.

Most policies and guidelines are thus enforced by individual users editing pages, and discussing matters with each other. Some policies are also enforced by temporary blocks (notably as a mechanism for [[Wikipedia:dealing with vandalism|dealing with vandalism]]) by admins. In extreme cases the [[Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee|Arbitration Committee]] may make a ruling to deal with highly disruptive situations, as part of the general [[Wikipedia:Dispute resolution|dispute resolution]] procedure.

=== Restricted features ===
Some features of the software which could potentially be misused, such as deleting pages and locking pages from editing, are restricted to [[wikipedia:Administrators|Administrators]], who are experienced and trusted members of the community. Policies particularly relevant to administrators include:
* [[Wikipedia:Protection policy|Protection policy]] (When and why to protect a page)
* [[Wikipedia:Blocking policy|Blocking policy]] (Blocking users to deal with vandalism or to enforce decisions of the arbitration committee)

== Types of guidelines ==
In addition to the generally accepted policies listed above, the following guidelines have been suggested by various participants:
=== General guidelines ===
* [[Wikipedia:Contribute what you know or are willing to learn about|Contribute what you know or are willing to learn about]]
* [[Wikipedia:Be bold in updating pages|Be bold in updating pages]]
* [[Wikipedia:Make omissions explicit|Make omissions explicit]]
* [[Wikipedia:Build the web|Build the web]]
* [[Wikipedia:Bots|Avoid using bots]]
* [[Edit summary|Provide an edit summary]]
For other useful tips, see [[Wikipedia:Avoiding common mistakes|avoiding common mistakes]].

=== Behavior guidelines ===
* [[Wikipedia:Sign your posts on talk pages|Sign your posts on talk pages]]
* [[Wikipedia:Profanity|Avoid profanity]]
* [[Wikipedia:No personal attacks|No personal attacks]] (and move personal debates to email)
* [[Wikipedia:No legal threats|No legal threats]]
* [[Wikipedia:Log in before making drastic changes|Log in before making drastic changes to existing articles]]
* [[Wikipedia:Username|No offensive usernames]]
* [[Wikipedia:Please do not bite the newcomers|Please do not bite the newcomers]]
* [[Wikipedia:Don't create articles about yourself|Don't create articles about yourself]]
* [[Wikipedia:Revert#Explain reverts|Always explain your reverts]]
* [[Wikipedia:Three revert rule|Three revert rule]] (Revert wars considered harmful)
* [[Wikipedia:Administrators|Dealing with administration issues]]
* [[Wikipedia:User page|Use your user pages appropriately]]

=== Content guidelines ===
* [[Wikipedia:Guide to writing better articles]]
* [[Wikipedia:Explain jargon|Explain jargon]]
* Deal appropriately with [[Wikipedia:patent nonsense|patent nonsense]]
* [[Wikipedia:State the obvious|State the obvious]]
* [[Wikipedia:Cite sources|Cite sources]]: point the reader to authoritative references (and list them properly)
* [[Wikipedia:Verifiability|Verifiability]]: ensure information cited is verifiable if needed (this does not mean it is "official", rather it refers to others' ability to confirm it exists and is as stated)
* [[Wikipedia:Avoid statements that will date quickly|Avoid statements that will date quickly]]
* [[Wikipedia:Stay on topic|Stay on topic]]
* [[Wikipedia:Warn readers about spoilers|Warn readers about spoilers]]
* [[Wikipedia:Make articles useful for readers|Make articles useful for readers]] (and consider the audience in writing)
* [[Wikipedia:Check your facts|Check your facts]]
* [[Wikipedia:Summarize discussion|Summarize discussion]] (after a while)
* [[Wikipedia:Avoid peacock terms|Avoid peacock terms]] (disputed)
* [[Wikipedia:Avoid weasel terms|Avoid weasel terms]] (disputed)
* [[Wikipedia:Avoid self-references|Avoid self-references]]
* [[Wikipedia:Words to avoid|Avoid POV phrases]]
* [[Wikipedia:Algorithms on Wikipedia|Algorithms on Wikipedia]]
* [[Wikipedia:Spoon feeding|Avoid "Spoon feeding"]]

=== Style guidelines ===
* [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style|Manual of style]]
* [[Wikipedia:Don't include copies of primary sources|Don't include copies of primary sources]]
* [[Wikipedia:Always fill summary field|Always fill summary field]]
* [[Wikipedia:Follow highlighting conventions|Follow highlighting conventions]]
* [[Wikipedia:Make only links relevant to the context|Consider the context when making links]]
* [[Wikipedia:Use subheads sparingly|Use subheads sparingly]]
* [[Wikipedia:Use short sentences and lists|Use short sentences and lists]]
* [[Wikipedia:Don't use line breaks|Don't use line breaks]]
* [[Wikipedia:One-sentence paragraphs|Avoid one-sentence paragraphs]]
* [[Wikipedia:Subpages|Do not use subpages]]

=== Guidelines regarding grouping techniques for articles ===
* Choosing appropriate grouping technique(s): [[Wikipedia:Categories, lists, and series boxes]]
* By ''grouping technique'':
** [[Wikipedia:list|lists]]
** [[Wikipedia:categorization|categories]], and other articles in [[:Category:Wikipedia categorization]]
** [[Wikipedia:Navigational templates|series boxes]] (or: ''navigational templates'')

== Other essays and discussions about Wikipedia ==
* The [http://meta.wikimedia.org/ Meta-Wikipedia] site contains many articles about Wikipedia and related topics in a more editorial style.
* Creating [[Wikipedia:How-to|how-to]] articles in Wikipedia.
*[[Wikipedia:Topical index]] lists many policy, editing, behavior, and other resources.
*[[Wikipedia:Votes_for_deletion/Policy_consensus]] has a number of discussions to establish consensus on whether some groups of articles should or should not be included in Wikipedia.

[[Category:Wikipedia policies and guidelines| ]]
[[Category:Wikipedia official policy|{{PAGENAME}}]]


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ConRunner:Policies and guidelines - Revision history

ConRunnerAdmin at 00:27, 7 July 2005