Wikipedia:Don't cite essays or proposals as if they were policy
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This essay contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. Essays may represent widespread norms or minority viewpoints. Consider these views with discretion. It is not a Wikipedia policy. |
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This page in a nutshell: Don’t use essays, guidelines or policy as clubs. |
In heated debates, users often cite essays, guidelines or policies as defense of their own actions, or make an accusation of wrongdoing against another editor.
Generally, it is not a good idea to quote essays—including this one—as though they are Wikipedia approved policy. Essays can be written without much—if any—debate, as opposed to Wikipedia policy that has been thoroughly vetted. Giving a link to an essay without explanation risks misrepresenting it as more than it is—the opinion of one or more editors.
This is often inappropriate and can lead to the escalation of a conflict. Non-policy pages in the project namespace should only be used as advice, not admonishment. They should not be used as an end-run around common sense and consensus
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[edit] Make a good effort to resolve conflicts without resorting to slogans
Discuss the issue, don't instantly resort to peppering the discussion with short cuts to pages in the project namespace. If you do find yourself wanting to throw three letter acronyms at someone, you may be getting overheated, and would do well with backing off to cool down a bit.
A lot of the time project namespace pages are used in ways contrary to what the essay actually calls for. WP:KETTLE is not an excuse to accuse people of being 'just as bad' in a disruptive way. It's a guideline for your own actions, not a brickbat to throw at others. WP:POINT, a very specific guideline, is particularly badly misunderstood by people to mean ...well... just about anything.
The editor might be new, and unfamiliar with how wikipedia works. Making a pointed direction to the project namespace may confuse them, and potentially annoy or upset them. Many new editors may assume implicitly that all advisory pages in the Wikipedia namespace are "Official Policy". And finally there is also the possibility that they disagree with the page in question, in which case you should attempt to argue on points, not on a slogan. In fact, always argue on points. When doing so, you can use project namespace pages to jog your memory and learn from the mistakes of others.
[edit] If you must cite...
If you simply must cite an essay or proposal, then do so in a way that won't cause problems. Avoid using scary all caps WORDS, like WP:NOTPOLICY which can seem a little like shouting. Instead use link text to refer to the essay.
[edit] How to cite essays (as well as guidelines and proposals)
As an example, when the topic is too difficult to discuss in a short talk page message, cite an essay in a way that clearly says it's an essay. Make sure the cite is given as advice not admonishment.
For example, say "I really think you might want to cut down on the essays. The example essay describes well why I feel you're going a little overboard."
[edit] See also
- Wikipedia:Policies and guidelines
- Wikipedia:Assume good faith
- Wikipedia:ARGH!
- Wikipedia:Per
- Wikipedia:Essays are not policy
- Wikipedia:Levels of competence for more information on (not) citing policies, guidelines and essays.
- Wikipedia:The difference between policies, guidelines and essays
