WikiIndex:Policies and Guidelines: Difference between revisions

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'''{{tag|WikiIndex}}''' is in the (slow) process of developing a set of explicit '''policies''' and '''{{tag|guidelines}}'''.  Until then, our [[Sysop|admin team]] will monitor the [[wiki]], and use their '''common sense''' to resolve issues.  Where there is a dispute, it will be resolved between a number of the active admins on this site.  (Or alternatively a vote amongst the active users.)


I ([[User:Lumenos|Lumenos]]) searched for some policy pages and found only [[WikiIndex:Editing_etiquette]]. A block policy doesn't exist (aside from "[[Spam_Control_Policy|spam]]") and is being discussed on [[WikiIndex_talk:Blocking_Policy]]. This seemed to be a source of confusion and conflict so I made this article to sort through a number of these specific issues. Please add your suggestions or questions here or on the [[WikiIndex_talk:Policies_and_Guidelines|talk page]]. (You can create user name links easily with <nowiki>"~~~"</nowiki> or <nowiki>"~~~~"</nowiki>.)
At this moment, we only have a couple of rules, which have arisen from and evolved by direct experience:


== Enforcement policies ==
===[[WikiIndex:Spam control policy|Spam control policy]]===
Actual commercial [[spam]] will be mercilessly deleted, without prior discussion.  However, irrelevant content should be instead marked for deletion, using <tt>{{template|delete}}</tt>, to allow a review first.  One person's 'irrelevant' can be another's 'interesting'.


All policies should (eventually) include what type of "enforcement" is appropriate for the "violation". Block policy is being discussed [[WikiIndex_talk:Blocking_Policy|here]]. I ([[User:Lumenos|Lumenos]]) suggest we clearly separate the [[Editing etiquette|etiquette policy]] from the [[WikiIndex_talk:Blocking_Policy|enforcement policy]], because "enforcing politeness" isn't always polite nor is is always practical at archiving its ends.
Please note that WikiIndex ''does'' allow external links which would be prohibited on the [[English Wikipedia]], provided they are strictly relevant to the actual wiki site; for example, social media sites for a wiki, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.  We also provide links to 'chat' services for a wiki site, such as IRC and Discord.


===Enforcement against editors===
===[[Edit war]]s will NOT be tolerated===
Here are some suggested enforcement categories against editor's "violations" of policy:
If you find yourself repeatedly [[Revert|restoring]] content somebody else keeps deleting (or vice versa): '''stop''' – and seek arbitration; ideally initially from our [[WikiIndex talk:Community portal|community]], and if that fails, from a [[sysop]] and/or [[staff]] member. Alternatively, take a 'wiki holiday' for a period of time!
*(Editor's powers):
**'''Etiquette:''' Guide to help polite people to be polite. Does not imply any enforcement. (You may edit this page.)
** '''Tag:''' Placing "warning tags" on info that is dubious, impolite, etc. What categories of info warrants this? You could alternatively change the information (without deleting or reverting).
** '''Eventual deletion:''' What categories of info should be deleted eventually, if the warning tags are ignored?
** '''Request or alert:''' Tell the violator of the policy about your perception and reasoning. This could be done on their talk page or on the talk page of articles.
** '''Speedy deletion'''
*(Administrative powers):
** '''Oversite:''' A term that means the information will be completely vaporized! Well almost.
** '''Block editor:''' See [[WikiIndex_talk:Blocking_Policy]].


===Enforcement against administrators===
===[[WikiIndex:Blocking and banning policy|Blocking and banning policy]]===
:''Needs expanding''


("Administrators" are [http://wikiindex.org/Special:Listusers?username=&limit=50&group=sysop sysops] or [http://wikiindex.org/Special:Listusers?username=&limit=50&group=bureaucrat bureaucrats])
For a few more simple guidelines, see: [[WikiIndex:Editing etiquette]] and / or [[WikiIndex:Guidelines]]. For all other guidelines, see: [[:category:Guidelines]].


I ([[User:Lumenos|Lumenos]]) suggest editors are welcome to enforce policy that may be in conflict with administrators actions. See "Editors power's" above for things you can do without administrative assistance.  
A discussion of possible policies follows on this articles' [[talk page]].  See also [[WikiIndex talk:Policies and Guidelines]].  For a more personal and well-thought viewpoint, try [[user:Lumenos/WikiIndex (unwritten) policies]].


The rest of this section is about how you may enforce policy against administrators, if you convince other administrators that they have violated policy.
===Personal article policy===
[[:Category:Wiki people|Wiki people]] articles should be a biography of the person's <u>wiki experience</u> '''only''', and as such, personal information (i.e., birthdays, phone numbers, real names, residence, workplace, etc.) should be excluded – '''unless''' said information is already in the [[:Category:Public domain|public domain]].


====Communicating during blocks====
===See also===
*[[:Category:WikiIndex draft policies and guidelines]]
*[[WikiIndex:Manual of Style]]
*[[WikiIndex:Privacy policy]]


Before attempting to enforce policy against an administrator, you may want to get other administrator's or editors email addresses, or find other websites where they can be contacted, so that you will be able to communicate with them, if you get blocked.
[[Category:Admin]]
 
====Suggested requests====
 
What you may request of other administrators if you have evidence that an administrator is in violation of policy:
 
* '''Undoing the block or protection'''
* '''Dispute resolution''' (Ask another sysop)
* '''Demotion of the administrator''' (temporarily or permanently)
 
====Bring this evidence====
 
Don't waste their time, bring your evidence and be concise. For example, if you believe a sysop has blocked a user or protected a page without good reason. Do the following:
*Copy their stated reason for the blocks, protection, or deletion. (This should be in the [http://wikiindex.org/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=block&user=&page= block log], [http://wikiindex.org/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=protect&user=&page= protection log], or [http://wikiindex.org/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=delete&user=&page= deletion log]. If they did not leave a reason, state that they left no reason.)
*Copy the date of the block, so the block can be found easily in the log.
*A link to the diff showing the "offenses" which were their stated reason for the block.
*State your request (see "Suggested requests", above)
*Explain which policy you believe they have violated.
*Sometimes the evidence is in the user contributions of a blocked user but other times a good administrator deletes edits that merit a block but are unsuitable to be in a page history, gorssly insulting, obscene etc.  Then others ask, "Why did you block that user?  I can't see any bad edits." [[User:Proxima Centauri|Proxima Centauri]] 10:42, 30 August 2009 (EDT)
::Examples? [[User:Phantom Hoover|Phantom Hoover]] 10:59, 30 August 2009 (EDT)
 
==Biographical info==
 
Before biographical information should be posted about anyone (or their pseudonym), '''both''' of the following criteria should be met:
#The person meets [[WikiIndex:Notability|WikiIndex's notability requirement]].
#The information was obtained "legitimately": This may be defined by their level of consent, or at least it would probably have to be within legal requirements or WikiIndex may be subject to a lawsuit.
 
Who is "[[WikiIndex:Notability|notable]]" enough to warrant biographical info be posted about them?
----
 
'''Biographical information should not be included if it does not meet the following standard:'''
 
For now [[User:Lumenos|Lumenos]] suggests the standard be defined by "local" laws and [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Wikipedia:Biographies_of_living_persons Wikipedia's policy on biographical info] until a standard more specific to WikiIndex can be established.
 
Since this is WikiIndex, I'd stick to people who are important in the world of Wikis, such as creators of established engines and people like Jimmy Wales. For guidelines on ''how''  to write the biographies, Wikipedia does look like a good model to follow. [[Felix Pleşoianu]] | <small>[[User talk:Felix|talk]]</small> 12:07, 29 August 2009 (EDT)
 
I'd really like to eventually allow editors to post some reviews of the administration of wikis, but that gets into the shady area of libel and it seems like we may just be better off with excluding all of it, if people are just gonna war about it all the time. It is fairly notable information, but I suppose the talk pages are serving that purpose alright for now. [[User:Lumenos|Lumenos]] 17:07, 29 August 2009 (EDT)
:Libel's not really your problem; the problem is the quality being compromised by people with unjustified vendettas putting silly claims there. [[User:Phantom Hoover|Phantom Hoover]] 17:12, 29 August 2009 (EDT)
::True, libel is not presently the problem. I'm glad you clarified that if that may be confusing to anyone. I'm speaking in terms of the future and establishing general principles. Perhaps in doing it this way I making it more complex than people would care to deal with right now. I'm thinking maybe I will just write a policy "proposal", which will be here, and we can see if anyone wants to express agreement or disagreement or rewrite any part of it, using the consensus and collaborative approach that we are all familiar with, being wiki editors. [[User:Lumenos|Lumenos]] 00:34, 30 August 2009 (EDT)
 
How does everyone feel about having separate pages for criticism in the same way that Wikinfo does? [[User:Lumenos|Lumenos]] 00:39, 30 August 2009 (EDT)
 
The following is up for review: please add your suggestions, comments, and questions:
 
===Youth===
 
Separate standards should be established based on age (note these would be in addition to local legal standards that already exist, someone might provide some links to those):
 
*Privacy of "children" (under 14 years of age)
*Privacy of "adolescents" (14 to 18 years of age)
*Privacy of "adults" (18 or older)
 
There is of course, a little difficulty, at least in distinguishing adolescents from adults and distinguishing children from adolescents when we are dealing with only text.
 
===Legitimate acquisition of biographical info about "adults"===
 
How the information was obtained:
*When the "victim" puts information about themselves, in a place on the Internet, that they know is visible to anyone who finds it (without any "hacking"):
*"Private" online conversations.
*Someone reveals a secret about someone they know from real life:
**When the person is basically open about their "secret" but doesn't want it completely public or connected with certain online identities.
**Info gained from eavesdropping when a reasonable expectation of privacy would be expected.
*Photos taken of someone, their residence, automobile (license #), etc.
*Photos from outside, into someone's home or backyard.
*Hacking or wiretapping.
*(Any other ideas for the geek paparazzi?)
 
===Where should this information be forbidden?===
 
*Should this information be deleted from articles on WikiIndex?
**Sympathetic main article?
**Critical articles? (See section "How sympathetic or critical?")
*How about talk pages or edit histories:
**When it is for the apparent administrative purpose of "analyzing" the claims to determine enforcement or advice?
**When the apparent purpose of posting the "private" info is to "punish" or "protest" by means of exposing this "private" info?
 
===Implementation or enforcement===
 
After we reach some consensus standard, '''as to what is polite or legitimate''', the second question is, what is the polite or legitimate way to implement or enforce these guidelines? Will censoring actually work or will it result in the [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Streisand_effect Streisand effect]? If you have even one determined "protester", privacy is quite difficult to protect once the "info genie" is out of the bottle. Especially when there are edit histories, and talk pages where most any info is generally allowed, forums where only administrators can remove info from posts, etc. No one is reading only this one site. The block, delete, and oversite policies must take into account the logistic/practical question of whether these measures will have the intended result. This has to be balanced according to <del>geek mob rule</del> [[WikiIndex:Policies_and_Guidelines#Community_consensus|community consensus]]. [[User:Lumenos|Lumenos]]
 
==Notablity==
 
Notablity: A notability guide concerning linking ("spamming"), in other wikis articles:
 
How large or active does a wiki need to be to be included in another wikis article? What is the minimum number of regular editors, if this is important?
 
Should the quality of the wikis content also be considered? If so, who is to make this evaluation?
 
How close to the subject matter do they have to be, to have a link on that wikis page? Most importantly, who decides this?
 
This wiki obviously can't use [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Wikipedia:Note Wikipedia's notability policy] or it will end up with a tiny list like [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/List_of_wikis this].
 
==How sympathetic or critical? (Who decides?)==
 
Are the articles on wikis to be sympathetic, critical, both, or "neutral"?
:[https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view Wikipedia supposedly uses the "neutral" approach].
::This offers much opportunity for censorship and edit waring. [[User:Lumenos|Lumenos]]
:[http://www.wikinfo.org/index.php/Main_Page Wikinfo] deals with edit wars by making the [http://www.wikinfo.org/index.php/Wikinfo:Sympathetic_point_of_view main article sympathetic], and posting a link at the top of that article, to an article devoted solely to criticism.
::This sort of policy sounds like it might work here, if y'all agree. [[User:Lumenos|Lumenos]]
:::It's cumbersome at [[Wikinfo]] but it's better than not allowing criticism at all.[[User:Proxima Centauri|Proxima Centauri]] 01:34, 30 August 2009 (EDT)
::::To me it seems organized rather than cumbersome. This would be just a test to see if it causes too much animosity and edit waring. Make policy changes accordingly. And not block people for deleting info posting what looks like biased or inaccurate information. Instead try to rewrite their edits. Give people warnings and tell them they can come here and express their policy ideals rather than fighting over it. [[User:Lumenos|Lumenos]]
:::It sounds like we have got one sysop on board with this. I might suggest we start with creating a [[Criticism of WikiIndex]] and [[Criticism of Liberpedia]], because if we start with certain other wikis, people will cry foul. Unless regular editors of those other wikis want to create criticism pages of their wikis. I could write a pretty long criticism page for my wiki, that no one would read. :)  [[User:Lumenos|Lumenos]] 03:42, 30 August 2009 (EDT)
 
 
But really the all important question is, 'When there is not consensus, should the wikis users primarily control their wikis article or should it be administrators here?'
 
==Claims and evidence==
 
([https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Wikipedia:VER Wikipedia's verifiability policy])
 
Should WikiIndex make claims, quote sources, or only make claims as to what sources claim?
:I prefer to quote sources, but this is not customary here. So sometimes I write like "Bob claims that...", but this comes across as suspicious and can be very repetitive when everything is a claim I heard somewhere. Wikipedia's policy is probably the best compromise I can think of at the moment. References can be simple web links in the body of articles since this wiki doesn't really look like it is made for paper. Note that since WikiIndex inclusion policy is broader than Wikipedia, many sources will be self-published sources (Wikipedia ordinary does not allow these) who are only considered "reliable" for info such as describing their own intentions for their wiki's, etc. ([[User:Lumenos|Lumenos]])
 
Should WikiIndex allow editors to be "eyewitnesses" or speak in the first person?
:I think so. I think we should allow putting the "signatures" into the articles (as Lumenos does here using this "<nowiki>~~~</nowiki>" wiki markup code) if there is no link or reference that can be easily provided or when there is a reference but it is too long for most to read to find the relevant information. Newbies may not understand what these names are but I value accuracy and I think it is not too difficult to understand or it least, it shouldn't be too distracting if they want to ignore it. What do you think? ([[User:Lumenos|Lumenos]])
::This may also help in evaluating an editors reputation, to establish whether they deserve more or less power. ([[User:Lumenos|Lumenos]])
 
==Community consensus==
To resolve or set boundaries on conflict, I ([[User:Lumenos|Lumenos]]) suggest we work with the community here to establish policies that attempt to reflect how they want this content filtered and organized. And that any policies be updatable (deletable) according to how the community changes. By definition, we can only reflect the will of editors (not those who only read without leaving feedback of some sort) but we may put up some messages welcoming suggestions or questions as to the policy, and leave these pages [[OpenEdit]] as long as possible.

Latest revision as of 17:59, 29 May 2024

WikiIndex is in the (slow) process of developing a set of explicit policies and guidelines. Until then, our admin team will monitor the wiki, and use their common sense to resolve issues. Where there is a dispute, it will be resolved between a number of the active admins on this site. (Or alternatively a vote amongst the active users.)

At this moment, we only have a couple of rules, which have arisen from and evolved by direct experience:

Spam control policy

Actual commercial spam will be mercilessly deleted, without prior discussion. However, irrelevant content should be instead marked for deletion, using {{delete}}, to allow a review first. One person's 'irrelevant' can be another's 'interesting'.

Please note that WikiIndex does allow external links which would be prohibited on the English Wikipedia, provided they are strictly relevant to the actual wiki site; for example, social media sites for a wiki, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. We also provide links to 'chat' services for a wiki site, such as IRC and Discord.

Edit wars will NOT be tolerated

If you find yourself repeatedly restoring content somebody else keeps deleting (or vice versa): stop – and seek arbitration; ideally initially from our community, and if that fails, from a sysop and/or staff member. Alternatively, take a 'wiki holiday' for a period of time!

Blocking and banning policy

Needs expanding

For a few more simple guidelines, see: WikiIndex:Editing etiquette and / or WikiIndex:Guidelines. For all other guidelines, see: category:Guidelines.

A discussion of possible policies follows on this articles' talk page. See also WikiIndex talk:Policies and Guidelines. For a more personal and well-thought viewpoint, try user:Lumenos/WikiIndex (unwritten) policies.

Personal article policy

Wiki people articles should be a biography of the person's wiki experience only, and as such, personal information (i.e., birthdays, phone numbers, real names, residence, workplace, etc.) should be excluded – unless said information is already in the public domain.

See also

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