Essay:Cosmikdebris' editor's guide

Here are some loosely defined things to consider when considering whether or not to hit that "Save changes" button on RationalWiki:


 * Assume good will. Not everyone is a vandal or troll.
 * Don't make outrageous or controversial claims or statements in articles, unless you back them up with credible references.
 * When examining existing articles, or creating new ones, consult the manual of style. It's very good.
 * Remember to patrol spam pages before vaporizing or moving, so that they don't clog up the list of un-patrolled recent changes.
 * Just block the /64.
 * All kinds of boxes and widgets are found on the template list.
 * Subtle snark is good. Too much snark makes the article look stupid.
 * If referencing a book, include its in the reference. The wiki software automagically creates a nifty search link. This is broken since the last upgrade. As an alternative, use the isbn template.
 * Use the rp template in conjunction with a reference name to reference a specific page in a book.
 * Separate notes from references. There is also a nifty template that does this.
 * If a single reference applies to more than one part of an article, group them together.
 * If totally lost, look for all the pages in the Help namespace.
 * If an external link in an article has gone 404, check to see if it's been archived on archive.org or archive.is.
 * Fragile links are nicely encapsulated using the archive template.
 * When considering articles for deletion, always check to see what links to them to get an idea what the impact might be.
 * Don't vandal-bin nasty BONs, instead, apply the banhammer gracefully.
 * To archive YouTube videos directly on the Internet Archive, use
 * Censor content as appropriate.
 * Don't use the phrase "it should be noted that" or any of its variants.