RationalWiki:Community Standards/Revamp 20090111

It has been suggested for various reasons, and discussed, that the "guidelines", a/k/a community standards, be updated. A new version was also proposed. (These two links are important, since much of what might happen here has been covered in that file and talk page.)

The main reasons, as I understand them, are that 1. some guidelines are obolete, 2. Some are ignored, and 3. Some are handled differently than the guidelines suggest. We would like them to be more useful to noobs and outsiders (and ourselves), by actually reflecting what we do here. As such, some will need to be modified to incorporate what has become the equivalent of "common law" here on RW.

I hereby present a format that I think is conducive to improvement and discussion.

All text in italics is from the current version. Users are invited to comment in the "add", "change", and "remove" sections. As any given section reaches consensus, perhaps we will actually change the main file. I have killed the bullet and numbered list formatting to make italicizing slightly simpler.

Each section of the original document is quoted here in full. They are then followed by "deletion", "addition", and "change" sections, which I trust we are all smart enough to understand. Each also has a fourth section, "talk", wherein we can present improved versions, vote, complain, etc.

Introduction

This is the list of guidelines defined by the RationalWiki community. These are not site rules but rather a list of standards we as a community want to live up to. Please do your best to live up to these standards.

Standards of Behavior

This is a mobocracy. The only way to describe how things are done around here is with the tautology that things are done around here the way they are done around here. We are ultimately an expression of the active editors on this project. What is written about, how it is discussed, parsed and organized is a reflection of the community makeup, and not a set of rules or policies.

Personal "attacks", however justified, are strongly frowned upon.

Personal information about other users that is not volunteered by that user should not be posted on this site. This includes IP addresses, and even where an IP address is volunteered, discussion of the user's geographical location, place of employment, or other private information (even if publicly available) is frowned upon.

An editor's User page space is inviolable; they are free to do with it what they want (common-sense-exceptions apply), and no one should edit it without permission. However, the user talk page space is public and does not belong to the user. No deletion of talk page material is permitted, but archiving may be done periodically.

Good wandals are respected at RationalWiki, a good wandal is someone that brings creativity and humor to bear on their attempt at disruption. These kinds of wandals will not only not be blocked but their efforts will be saved for posterity on Special Wandal Archives. However, unfunny wandalism, personal attacks, libel, and disruption for the sake of disruption can all merit a block and at the very least such edits will be wiped clean and forgotten about.

Please, don't be a dick. Even though we encourage those with alternative points of view to join this wiki and share their ideas with us, we ask and encourage you to consider how your actions look to other people. Hate speech or attempting to promote an agenda that offends the community and does not relate to RationalWiki's mission anywhere but on talk pages will almost certainly be removed or archived rapidly, and if you persist in recreating the content, you may be removed from this site for a period of time.

Standards of Style

Please do your best to watch for spelling and grammar mistakes. If you see some mispeelings, fix them!

When referencing material on another wiki (or any website) please try to use permanent links or diffs. Links to the more volatile "live" versions are likely to become outdated soon after linking.

Additions 3

Perhaps we would like to have an actual Manual of Style? ħuman 23:37, 11 January 2009 (EST)

Site structure and Organization Standards

This site uses several namespaces that are different from other wiki projects.

Main namespace - used for articles that are designed for collaboration. They can be about any topic which furthers our goals of: 1. Analyzing and refuting the anti-science movement, ideas and people. 2. Analyzing and refuting the full range of crank ideas. 3. Exploring authoritarianism and fundamentalism. These main space articles can be and will be edited by all other editors.

Essay namespace - used for original works by a particular editor. The article will be well marked as an original piece with the name of the submitting user and direct readers to the talk page for community reaction and discussion. The actual articles under Essay should only be edited by the original author.

Debate namespace - similar to a forum, where topic questions can be posted and editors can debate. There is also a discussion page attached to each debate which can address questions outside the immediate debate.

Conservapedia namespace-used for articles about Conservapedia, its users, and its management. The rules for editing these articles are the same as main space articles.

Recipe namespace - used for presenting your own concoctions, it is encouraged to have your recipes submitted to RWs self-appointed culinary expert for review.

Fun namespace - used for holding articles that are silly, pointless or just for fun. Random entries should be placed here and are likely to wind up moved here if not.

Blocking policy

Our blocking system is designed to be forgiving, predictable and as clear as possible. Our blocking scheme follows the Fibonacci sequence (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8...). The "unit" of the time will be up to the discretion of the blocking sysop who has the following units available:

Seconds-For fun blocks, harmless edits/warnings, random harassment of fellow sysops.

Minutes-For minor vandalism and disruption, questionable attacks on other users, inserting potentially libelous material in an article, and minor edits to other user pages when not requested.

Hours/Days-For more major vandalism and disruption that requires serious clean-up, serious attacks or threats against the site or other users. Repeated libel, vandalism and attacks.

Offenses from multiple IDs of the same user will all be assessed as a single user.

Other sysops are encouraged to unblock a user if they feel it is unjustified. Users who feel they have been unfairly blocked should e-mail any other sysops, users, or post on the forums. In all cases, discussion is encouraged, and blocks should always be explained on the user's talk page.

Deletions 5

Most of it, explain vandal bin. ħuman 23:37, 11 January 2009 (EST)

Extended information

For more expansive coverage of the topics described here please see the following pages:

Details on our blocking policy.

How to handle vandalism.

For details on linking offsite see Linking style.

Details on our namespaces can be found at namespace.

Tips on how to write good RationalWiki articles can be found at What is a RationalWiki article?

Complaints against sysops and other administrators can be made at Administrative Abuse

Deletions 6

Much obsolescence here ħuman 23:37, 11 January 2009 (EST)

Additions 6

MoS links, etc. ??? ħuman 23:37, 11 January 2009 (EST)

New sections

It seems some of us also think that some new sections are needed. Knock yourselves out.

See also

• Main Help page