From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Essay on editing Wikipedia
On Wikipedia, as in life,
most ideas are bad
? and that's just counting the original ones. Of course, there are many good ideas too, but they are dwarfed by the sheer quantity of bad ones. People often become famous for having just
one
really good idea, among a lifetime of bad ones.
That's not all bad news, but it means we have to be aware of how to handle bad ideas when they arise. If a bad idea is handled well, it can become a useful thing for all involved. If a bad idea is handled badly, it can result in frustration and conflict.
Identifying where an idea went wrong can be the first step in turning it into a good idea. On Wikipedia, an idea can be bad for many reasons:
- It relies on a misunderstanding of current practice.
- It is technically unfeasible.
There are limits to what can be done with the
MediaWiki software and its locally-enabled extensions
. Technical changes can be proposed at the
Village pump
or
Phabricator
, but getting them implemented requires developer buy-in (and a lot of patience).
- It contradicts a well-established consensus.
Consensus
is the central decision-making process on Wikipedia. Consensus can change, but the firmer the established consensus is, the higher the bar is for overturning it.
- It lacks details necessary for implementation.
This doesn't mean an idea is fundamentally flawed, but its proposal doesn't address questions that must be answered before it can be properly evaluated.
- It creates more problems than it solves.
- It doesn't fix the targeted problem.
- The targeted problem isn't really a problem.
- Etc.
- Be
civil
.
You won't get anywhere by insulting your critics or acting like the Savior of the Wiki. Make your argument coolly and rationally, without
ad hominem
attacks, and you're more likely to get cool, rational feedback. A few nice words ("Thanks for your feedback") can go a long way.
- Look for ways to revise.
Many bad ideas aren't
100%
bad. Maybe your idea addresses a real problem, but it's not quite the right approach; maybe your idea is almost there, and just needs a little tweaking. Look at ways you could revise your idea to address criticisms, and don't be afraid to ask for help.
- Learn something new.
Wikipedia is a complicated beast, and there's always more to learn about it, even for veteran editors. If your critics link to policies, guidelines, essays, or other material, give them a look, even if you have before; you might just pick up something valuable.
- Don't get discouraged.
Most ideas, even those of veteran editors, don't get very far. If your idea gets rejected, don't take it as a personal insult, and don't give up on contributing to Wikipedia ? your next idea could be a gem!
- Be civil.
Even if an idea is utterly worthless, and even if the person putting forth the idea is being rude about it, you have nothing to lose by being nice. Argue against the idea, not the person. Remember, you've had plenty of bad ideas yourself.
- Give reasons.
Explain
why
the idea is bad. Refer to policies, guidelines, essays, other discussions, etc., but give context ? don't just throw acronyms out there (especially
WP:MIAB
).
- Suggest changes.
Many bad ideas aren't
100%
bad. Maybe the idea addresses a real problem, but it's not quite the right approach; maybe the idea is almost there, and just needs a little tweaking. Look at ways the idea could be revised to address the problems, and don't be afraid to offer help.
- Keep an open mind.
Although most ideas are bad, some are good ? and we don't want to
throw out the baby with the bath water
. Make sure you've really considered the implications of an idea before you reject it. Original ideas are sometimes mistaken at first glance for old ideas that have been rejected before. Some good ideas also get rejected for bad reasons, like institutional momentum (a fancy term for fear of change).
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- Adminitis
- Akin's Laws of Article Writing
- Alternatives to edit warring
- ANI flu
- Anti-Wikipedian
- Anti-Wikipedianism
- Articlecountitis
- Asshole John rule
- Assume bad faith
- Assume faith
- Assume good wraith
- Assume stupidity
- Assume that everyone's assuming good faith, assuming that you are assuming good faith
- Avoid using preview button
- Avoid using wikilinks
- Bad Jokes and Other Deleted Nonsense
- Barnstaritis
- Before they were notable
- BOLD, revert, revert, revert
- Boston Tea Party
- Butterfly effect
- CaPiTaLiZaTiOn MuCh?
- Complete bollocks
- Counting forks
- Counting juntas
- Crap
- Don't stuff beans up your nose
- Don't-give-a-fuckism
- Don't abbreviate "Wikipedia" as "Wiki"!
- Don't delete the main page
- Editcountitis
- Edits Per Day
- Editsummarisis
- Editing Under the Influence
- Embrace Stop Signs
- Emerson
- Fart
- Five Fs of Wikipedia
- Seven Ages of Editor, by Will E. Spear-Shake
- Go ahead, vandalize
- How many Wikipedians does it take to change a lightbulb?
- How to get away with UPE
- How to put up a straight pole by pushing it at an angle
- How to vandalize correctly
- How to win a citation war
- Ignore all essays
- Ignore every single rule
- Is that even an essay?
- Mess with the templates
- My local pond
- Newcomers are delicious, so go ahead and bite them
- Legal vandalism
- List of jokes about Wikipedia
- LTTAUTMAOK
- No climbing the Reichstag dressed as Spider-Man
- No one cares about your garage band
- No one really cares
- No, really
- No sorcery threats
- Notability is not eternal
- Oops Defense
- Play the game
- Please be a giant dick, so we can ban you
- Please bite the newbies
- Please do not murder the newcomers
- Pledge of Tranquility
- R-e-s-p-e-c-t
- Requests for medication
- Requirements for adminship
- Rouge admin
- Rouge editor
- Sarcasm is really helpful
- Sausages for tasting
- The Night Before Wikimas
- The first rule of Wikipedia
- The Five Pillars of Untruth
- Things that should not be surprising
- The WikiBible
- Watchlistitis
- Wikipedia is an MMORPG
- WTF? OMG! TMD TLA. ARG!
- What Wikipedia is not/Outtakes
- Why not create an account?
- Yes legal threats
- You don't have to be mad to work here, but
- You should not write meaningless lists
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About essays
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Policies and guidelines
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