| Revision as of 21:54, 6 April 2011 editVolunteer Marek (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers94,133 edits almost the same thing← Previous edit | Revision as of 12:17, 7 April 2011 edit undoΔ (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers35,263 editsm remove file per WP:NFCC#9 using AWB (7634)Next edit → | ||
| Line 4: | Line 4: | ||
| : ''"I would really really appreciate it if people actually bothered to read policy/guideline pages rather than just quoting them like some fighters in an old kung fu movie ("]" "]!" "]" "!" "]")"'' -- {{u|Volunteer Marek}}, | : ''"I would really really appreciate it if people actually bothered to read policy/guideline pages rather than just quoting them like some fighters in an old kung fu movie ("]" "]!" "]" "!" "]")"'' -- {{u|Volunteer Marek}}, | ||
| ] | |||
| A ] on Misplaced Pages is not a ] fight from an old ]. | A ] on Misplaced Pages is not a ] fight from an old ]. | ||
Revision as of 12:17, 7 April 2011
Essay on editing Misplaced Pages | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Misplaced Pages contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Misplaced Pages's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. | Shortcut |
 | This page in a nutshell: Don't mindlessly quote policy or guideline titles at other editors in arguments. It's obnoxious and counter productive. Explain thyself. |
- "I would really really appreciate it if people actually bothered to read policy/guideline pages rather than just quoting them like some fighters in an old kung fu movie ("WP:Drunken fists!" "WP:RETAIN!" "WP:Flying mongoose!" "WP:DIACRITICS!" "WP:Shadowless Fist of Death!")" -- Volunteer Marek, some time on 5 April 2011
A discussion or an argument on Misplaced Pages is not a martial arts fight from an old kung fu movie.
Misplaced Pages policy and guideline titles, for example WP:RS, WP:OR, WP:NPOV and many others, especially WP:SFoD, are NOT magical incantations to defeat your opponents with in arguments. Editors should not mindlessly invoke various Misplaced Pages guidelines and policies, or just their shortcut names, like some kind of magical mantras, without having bothered to read the actual guideline/policy, or adequately explaining how a particular policy/guideline actually applies in a particular case.
Because policy pages are in wiki format, anyone can change their content at any time -- and do. There are groups of Wikipedians who devote their time to debating what these policy pages should say. One is better off not invoking or quoting policy, but explaining oneself clearly and succinctly, & linking to policy pages only when it serves as a useful shortcut. More times than not, an average Wikipedian's understanding of policy is more accurate than what the relevant page actually states, and it may take an actual incident for the page to be updated.
Furthermore often invoking certain policies or essays can backfire. One common example is when an editor, who has been accused of WP:TE or having a WP:COI, immediately invokes WP:AGF. Unless the next several sentences are remarkably persuasive, everyone reading the thread for more than entertainment purposes will be busy studying that editor's contribution history very carefully, expecting to find further examples of misbehavior.