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Revision as of 15:21, 11 October 2007 editWAS 4.250 (talk | contribs)Pending changes reviewers18,993 edits →Key policy points: if it is just an example of meeting V, that's not needed. but Will makes a good point that I'm trying to add here.← Previous edit Latest revision as of 22:32, 3 March 2024 edit undoSamf4u (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers70,123 editsm Reverted edits by 2A01:B747:131:344:542:4194:906A:47AF (talk) (HG) (3.4.12)Tags: Huggle Rollback 
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{{subcat guideline|behavioral guideline||WP:PROBLEMLINKS|WP:LINKLOVE}}
{{Notice|The ] has proposed that ]. It is intended that this proposal will become that policy. If you can help, please do.}}
{{Nutshell|Links that contain privacy violations or malicious harassment should be avoided. Links in articles are a matter for sound editorial judgement.}}
] and ] apply to any kind of attack or harassment in any context, so linking to external attacks, privacy violations and other content ''that harasses'' any individual should be avoided. Misplaced Pages is a project to build an encyclopedia; and therefore we often provide references (links and otherwise) in talk space to discuss article changes, as supplemental material in the article itself for readers wishing to further educate themselves on a subject, and most importantly as sources for the claims in the article to provide the credibility needed to distinguish this as an encyclopedia from something else. Where this goal appears to conflict with our ] policy, sound editorial judgement should be applied to determine whether links are encyclopedic, and whether they're being included for encyclopedic reasons. Links that are included for unencyclopedic purposes should be removed.


==In articles==
{{shortcut|WP:BADLINKS}}
{{proposed}}


On occasion, sites which are not normally given to attacks and harassment may, through lapse of judgement or an isolated dispute, publish problematic material. It is rarely necessary to remove such links, although deep links direct to the problematic material may well be refactored. Privacy violations are especially harmful.
{{Nutshell| We must balance compassion for those who feel a link is a thorn in their side with Misplaced Pages's need for open discussion, neutral content, and accurate archives.}}


Where an especially problematic link is encyclopedic content (''e.g.'' in an article on someone whose notability includes harassing others), putting the link in plain text, e.g. <tt><nowiki><nowiki>http://www.unpleasant.example/&lt;/nowiki&gt;</nowiki></tt>, (rather than as a live link), or even just the domain name, e.g. <tt>unpleasant.example</tt>, is sometimes used as a workable compromise.
{{tocright}}


Discuss on the talk page; avoid edit-warring. Note removal of links on the talk page. Others will likely be working with the site to resolve issues. Always check discussion pages before adding or removing a potentially problematic link.
All Misplaced Pages editors deserve a healthy working environment, free from intimidation, aggression and harassment. However, due to Misplaced Pages's high profile, web sites occasionally post information that is contrary to our policies and guidelines. Suppression of information is undesirable, but sensitive and careful handling of such information is vital to the well-being of the encyclopedia. This policy is intended to help editors strike the correct balance.


This can arguably be seen as problematic for ], so must be approached with care as a temporary measure. However, temporary absence of a link is ] and ] is ]. If a link is removed in good faith, the first step should be a calm and reasoned discussion on the relevant discussion page. The presence or absence of links in articles should be a matter of considered editorial judgement. It is important to ] on all sides.
===Scope===
This policy applies only to web pages that engage in privacy violations, call for the harassment of editors, or clearly try to insult, demean or embarrass editors, not to material that simply offers criticism of Misplaced Pages, or reveals editorial ].


==In debate==
=== Key policy points ===
*'''No encyclopedic value''' - Links to an external web page of no encyclopedic value that reveals the personal identifying information of a Misplaced Pages editor who chooses to edit anonymously and has not been in violation of ] and whose real-life identity is not generally known, or which expressly or implicitly calls for any editor to be harassed in real life or otherwise, are strictly prohibited. Deliberate addition of such links is grounds for ], and removal of such links is not subject to the ].


Misplaced Pages is a social space and works only because people from diverse backgrounds make a conscious effort to shelve their differences and work together. The ], ] and ] are an ''essential'' component of the functioning of the project. The fundamental rule in any social space is: '']'', and fundamental to that guideline is that it applies to you more than to supposed behaviours by others.
*'''Routinely harass''' - Misplaced Pages discourages links to web sites that routinely harass. Generally, a site that engages in these practices is unlikely to qualify as a ].


Linking to external harassment, attacks, or to sites which routinely engage in such attacks is usually inappropriate, and should be done only after careful thought has been given to the likely effect on the victim.
*'''Do not routinely harass''' - Otherwise appropriate links to web sites that do not routinely harass should generally not be removed if the website becomes engaged in an isolated or specific dispute with a Misplaced Pages editor, except in circumstances of extreme harassment or violation of privacy.


Misplaced Pages allows for concerns to be raised in good faith. If you have a concern, see if it can be stated without the need to link to external harassment. Evidence in the form of ] is likely to be much more compelling. Be careful not to give the impression of furthering or enabling an external campaign of harassment. If you are unsure, ask ''first'' about the likely reception of the link you have in mind.
*'''Sourcing policy''' - If a link to a page meets Misplaced Pages's article content sourcing policy (], ], ]) as a source for a claim on a Misplaced Pages article then even if that page also discusses Misplaced Pages or its editors or includes statements or quotations that are hurtful or that violate the personal privacy of Misplaced Pages editors, then that page is considered at most criticism and not harassment; unless it is part of an extended campaign to affect Misplaced Pages content, in which case see the next key policy point.


In serious cases, ''e.g.'' of suspected administrator abuse, email the ] directly ({{Nospam|arbcom-en|wikimedia.org}}) rather than risk unproductive drama on the admin noticeboards.
*'''Misplaced Pages is not a battleground''' - Do what minimizes turning Misplaced Pages into a battleground. Ignore external harassment at first. Use email where possible to deal with it. But in cases of an extended campaign to affect Misplaced Pages content (that includes harassment techniques against Misplaced Pages editors): then any link to that site must be seriously reconsidered with respect to its overall possible detrimental effect on NPOV both in terms of the articles/policies attempting to be influenced but also on Misplaced Pages as a whole if such behavior becomes widely perceived as a successful tactic in influencing Misplaced Pages content. This does not apply to a site whose only harassing content consists of providing evidence of a conflict of interest in a good faith attempt to improve Misplaced Pages.


Advocacy by ] in offsite forums is almost always unwelcome. If you consider a banned user has reformed, or is making sound points and should be allowed to resume contributing to Misplaced Pages debate, please contact ] for details on how to appeal the ban.
*'''Bad-faith''' - Linking to external harassment for the purposes of attacking or harassing other editors is unacceptable and forbidden. Engaging in personal attacks or harassment can be grounds for blocking.


Links added by ban or block evading ] or through anonymous open proxies such as ] are liable to be removed and should not be reinstated. If you consider them of genuine encyclopedic value to article space, you are welcome to present the argument yourself, with support from reliable independent sources. It is wise to achieve consensus on the discussion page beforehand.
*'''Good-faith''' - Politely raising good-faith concerns based on information found within external harassment is not harassment. Deleting good-faith-concern links so soon (rule of thumb - don't delete in the first 24 hours) that the discussion is handicapped by its lack is prohibited.


==Harassment on external websites==
⚫ == Example ==
The best thing to do with harassment found on external websites is to ignore it. These kinds of behaviour are aimed at gathering attention, and when controversy, edit warring and interpersonal conflict erupts on Misplaced Pages as a result, the harassers often feel triumphant and motivated to continue. This can be understandably difficult if they try to troll people on the site with it.
If a news magazine publishes an article on an encyclopedic subject stating the full identity of a previously anonymous editor, then linking to, quoting, and discussing that article is permitted in articles and on talk pages. <!-- see ] for a real example --> If you are in doubt about whether a link is considered acceptable, you may ask on the relevant policy talk pages. Spreading gossip from any source may still violate ] and ] policies.


== Have compassion == == Key guideline points ==
*'''No encyclopedic value''' – Do not add external links of no value to the encyclopedia.
Remember emotions can run high - have compassion. Deleting the link and forcing people to use history to find it are discouraged while the discussion is at its most active. Deleted good-faith-concern links should not be edit warred over ''after'' normal archiving or the discussion dies down. We must balance compassion for those who feel the link is a thorn in their side with Misplaced Pages's need for open discussion, neutral content, and accurate archives.
*'''Sites that routinely harass''' – Misplaced Pages strongly discourages any links to web sites that routinely harass, due to potential of the material on the site, taken as a whole, to cause distress.
*'''Sites not routinely harassing''' – Web sites that do not routinely harass have in the past become engaged in an isolated or specific dispute with a Misplaced Pages editor. It is not normally necessary to remove such links. Removing links to the official website of an article subject due to side-effects of a single dispute is rarely necessary and may be unwise. Consider whether removal may draw ''more'' attention than calm discussion.
*'''Sourcing policy''' – Sourcing is important. If you feel the need to unlink a web page ], try first of all to find a better source for the content, or to cite it directly from an original print publication. Note that ] websites and blogs are generally not considered reliable sources other than for uncontentious facts directly about the subject, or for their own existence. Since sites which routinely engage in harassment typically fall under that category, we would rarely consider them to be ] anyway.
*'''Misplaced Pages is not a battleground''' – Do not engage in ]. If someone is repeatedly removing or adding a link, follow the steps provided in ] Further options are detailed below.
*'''Good faith''' – Try not to fight over links added or removed in ], especially if such links do not directly contain malicious harassment or privacy violations. Raising good faith concerns based on information found within an external link is not harassment. Pressing the point in the face of repeated requests to stop may be interpreted as ].
*'''Err on the side of caution''' – If a link could violate this guideline, consider not adding it, or seek the advice of your peers on the talk page of the relevant article. Reflect on the value to an encyclopedia of any link.

== Management of problem links ==
The usual model for addition of content is ]. The last is particularly important. While discussion about a link or its contents is still active, continuing to add or remove the link may be considered ]. Allow sufficient time for consensus to become evident, remembering differences in time zones.


== Link assessment table == == Link assessment table ==

The following table should assist you in assessing the suitability of any link: The following table may help in determining the suitability of external links in general:


<center> <center>
Line 46: Line 55:
| width=14% | '''Frequency''' | width=14% | '''Frequency'''
| width=14% | '''Intention''' | width=14% | '''Intention'''
|-
| Relative importance
| colspan="2" | ← Increasing importance
|
| colspan="2" | Decreasing importance →
|- |-
| style="background:#efe;" | '''Links to include''' | style="background:#efe;" | '''Links to include'''
Line 57: Line 61:
| style="background:#efe;" | Completely respectful of privacy | style="background:#efe;" | Completely respectful of privacy
| style="background:#efe;" | Isolated event | style="background:#efe;" | Isolated event
| style="background:#efe;" | Good-faith criticism | style="background:#efe;" | Good-faith critique
|- |-
| style="background:#ffe;" | | style="background:#ffe;" |
Line 70: Line 74:
| style="background:#fee;" | Non-notable | style="background:#fee;" | Non-notable
| style="background:#fee;" | Extreme privacy violation | style="background:#fee;" | Extreme privacy violation
| style="background:#fee;" | Systemic campaign | style="background:#fee;" | Systematic campaign
| style="background:#fee;" | Intentional harassment | style="background:#fee;" | Deliberate harassment
|- |-
| Relevant authorities | Relevant authorities
Line 81: Line 85:
|}</center> |}</center>


This table is not intended as a "point system", its aim is to act as a guide to your decision making in posting, or removing a link. In general, reliable sources should always be linked when needed for use as a source in an article. Websites maintained by notable people or groups should be linked in their article, per ], though linking to them from other articles may not be appropriate. If a website is ''in itself'' notable enough to have its own article, it should be linked from that article.
== If you are harassed ==


==If you feel you are being harassed==
If feel you are being harassed, the first step ''may'' be to try to talk about the issues involved with your attacker. Some good advice for such circumstances is in "]." In many cases it is be unhelpful, unwise, or simply impossible to discuss things with your attacker.
Misplaced Pages cannot regulate behavior in media not under its control, however if an external link which contains information violating your privacy or which calls for your malicious harassment is added to Misplaced Pages, you should bring this to the attention of Misplaced Pages administrators as soon as possible.


* The quickest way to do so is by explaining your situation at ]; however, this is a highly public forum and you could inadvertently bring unwanted attention to the link by reporting your concern publicly on Misplaced Pages.
Even when ] are being made against you, it is very important to ] with everyone. Staying civil may be very difficult, but your negotiations and requests are far more likely to be successful if they are calm, clear, and polite rather than abusive, frantic, terse, or sarcastic.


* A better option may be to directly email an ] you trust, via the link on their user page. This ensures greater discretion. A list of administrators can be found ].
If you are being harassed ''outside'' Misplaced Pages, ''you could inadvertently bring more unwanted attention to the harassment if you report it,'' and Misplaced Pages administrators will probably not be able to do anything about it.


* A further option is to directly email the ] members at ] who can remove the links so they will not still appear in a page history.
If harassment against you or your personal information is included, discussed, or linked ''in'' Misplaced Pages, or your private personal information appears anywhere in Misplaced Pages against your wishes, then you can bring that to the attention of Misplaced Pages administrators as soon as possible in one of the following ways;
* Direct email to an admininstrator you trust, via their user page - greater discretion
* ] - also offers greater discretion than 'on-wiki' reporting
* ] (]) - A highly public forum where the concern is likely to gain much attention


A ] exists both for Misplaced Pages and for all projects hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. Blacklisting is normally only considered for sites which are being ], but in some cases the blacklist has been used to prevent serial abuse.
You may, of course, simply begin editing under a ] to regain your anonymity.


⚫ == See also ==
Administrators may be able to ]. In some cases, administrators may ] on Misplaced Pages; however, the use of the blacklist on web pages other than those blatantly spammed on wikipedia pages is controversial and done only under extraordinary circumstances.


If derogatory or defamatory statements about you appear anywhere in Misplaced Pages without a reliable source, please report those issues on the ]. If private personal information about you has been included in Misplaced Pages against your wishes, you should report it to the Administrators' noticeboard instead.

== See also ==
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ]
* ]

]

Latest revision as of 22:32, 3 March 2024

Blue tickThis page documents an English Misplaced Pages behavioral guideline.
Editors should generally follow it, though exceptions may apply. Substantive edits to this page should reflect consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on this guideline's talk page.		Shortcuts
This page in a nutshell: Links that contain privacy violations or malicious harassment should be avoided. Links in articles are a matter for sound editorial judgement.

Misplaced Pages:No Personal Attacks and Misplaced Pages:Harassment apply to any kind of attack or harassment in any context, so linking to external attacks, privacy violations and other content that harasses any individual should be avoided. Misplaced Pages is a project to build an encyclopedia; and therefore we often provide references (links and otherwise) in talk space to discuss article changes, as supplemental material in the article itself for readers wishing to further educate themselves on a subject, and most importantly as sources for the claims in the article to provide the credibility needed to distinguish this as an encyclopedia from something else. Where this goal appears to conflict with our No Personal Attacks policy, sound editorial judgement should be applied to determine whether links are encyclopedic, and whether they're being included for encyclopedic reasons. Links that are included for unencyclopedic purposes should be removed.

In articles

On occasion, sites which are not normally given to attacks and harassment may, through lapse of judgement or an isolated dispute, publish problematic material. It is rarely necessary to remove such links, although deep links direct to the problematic material may well be refactored. Privacy violations are especially harmful.

Where an especially problematic link is encyclopedic content (e.g. in an article on someone whose notability includes harassing others), putting the link in plain text, e.g. <nowiki>http://www.unpleasant.example/</nowiki>, (rather than as a live link), or even just the domain name, e.g. unpleasant.example, is sometimes used as a workable compromise.

Discuss on the talk page; avoid edit-warring. Note removal of links on the talk page. Others will likely be working with the site to resolve issues. Always check discussion pages before adding or removing a potentially problematic link.

This can arguably be seen as problematic for Neutral point of view, so must be approached with care as a temporary measure. However, temporary absence of a link is rarely of paramount importance and edit warring is considered harmful. If a link is removed in good faith, the first step should be a calm and reasoned discussion on the relevant discussion page. The presence or absence of links in articles should be a matter of considered editorial judgement. It is important to assume good faith on all sides.

In debate

Misplaced Pages is a social space and works only because people from diverse backgrounds make a conscious effort to shelve their differences and work together. The assumption of good faith, no personal attacks and no harassment are an essential component of the functioning of the project. The fundamental rule in any social space is: don't be a jerk, and fundamental to that guideline is that it applies to you more than to supposed behaviours by others.

Linking to external harassment, attacks, or to sites which routinely engage in such attacks is usually inappropriate, and should be done only after careful thought has been given to the likely effect on the victim.

Misplaced Pages allows for concerns to be raised in good faith. If you have a concern, see if it can be stated without the need to link to external harassment. Evidence in the form of diffs is likely to be much more compelling. Be careful not to give the impression of furthering or enabling an external campaign of harassment. If you are unsure, ask first about the likely reception of the link you have in mind.

In serious cases, e.g. of suspected administrator abuse, email the Arbitration Committee directly (arbcom-en@wikimedia.org) rather than risk unproductive drama on the admin noticeboards.

Advocacy by banned users in offsite forums is almost always unwelcome. If you consider a banned user has reformed, or is making sound points and should be allowed to resume contributing to Misplaced Pages debate, please contact the Arbitration Committee for details on how to appeal the ban.

Links added by ban or block evading sockpuppets or through anonymous open proxies such as Tor are liable to be removed and should not be reinstated. If you consider them of genuine encyclopedic value to article space, you are welcome to present the argument yourself, with support from reliable independent sources. It is wise to achieve consensus on the discussion page beforehand.

Harassment on external websites

The best thing to do with harassment found on external websites is to ignore it. These kinds of behaviour are aimed at gathering attention, and when controversy, edit warring and interpersonal conflict erupts on Misplaced Pages as a result, the harassers often feel triumphant and motivated to continue. This can be understandably difficult if they try to troll people on the site with it.

Key guideline points

  • No encyclopedic value – Do not add external links of no value to the encyclopedia.
  • Sites that routinely harass – Misplaced Pages strongly discourages any links to web sites that routinely harass, due to potential of the material on the site, taken as a whole, to cause distress.
  • Sites not routinely harassing – Web sites that do not routinely harass have in the past become engaged in an isolated or specific dispute with a Misplaced Pages editor. It is not normally necessary to remove such links. Removing links to the official website of an article subject due to side-effects of a single dispute is rarely necessary and may be unwise. Consider whether removal may draw more attention than calm discussion.
  • Sourcing policy – Sourcing is important. If you feel the need to unlink a web page cited as a source, try first of all to find a better source for the content, or to cite it directly from an original print publication. Note that self-published websites and blogs are generally not considered reliable sources other than for uncontentious facts directly about the subject, or for their own existence. Since sites which routinely engage in harassment typically fall under that category, we would rarely consider them to be reliable anyway.
  • Misplaced Pages is not a battleground – Do not engage in edit wars. If someone is repeatedly removing or adding a link, follow the steps provided in Dispute Resolution. Further options are detailed below.
  • Good faith – Try not to fight over links added or removed in good faith, especially if such links do not directly contain malicious harassment or privacy violations. Raising good faith concerns based on information found within an external link is not harassment. Pressing the point in the face of repeated requests to stop may be interpreted as disruption.
  • Err on the side of caution – If a link could violate this guideline, consider not adding it, or seek the advice of your peers on the talk page of the relevant article. Reflect on the value to an encyclopedia of any link.

Management of problem links

The usual model for addition of content is bold, revert, discuss. The last is particularly important. While discussion about a link or its contents is still active, continuing to add or remove the link may be considered disruptive. Allow sufficient time for consensus to become evident, remembering differences in time zones.

Link assessment table

The following table may help in determining the suitability of external links in general:

Criteria Reliability Notability Violation of privacy Frequency Intention
Links to include Highly reliable Highly notable Completely respectful of privacy Isolated event Good-faith critique
↕ ↕ ↕ ↕ ↕
Links to exclude Unreliable Non-notable Extreme privacy violation Systematic campaign Deliberate harassment
Relevant authorities WP:RS and WP:SPS WP:NOTABILITY and WP:EL WP:BLP and WP:NPA WP:HARASS and WP:CIVIL WP:HARASS and WP:NPA

This table is not intended as a "point system", its aim is to act as a guide to your decision making in posting, or removing a link. In general, reliable sources should always be linked when needed for use as a source in an article. Websites maintained by notable people or groups should be linked in their article, per WP:EL, though linking to them from other articles may not be appropriate. If a website is in itself notable enough to have its own article, it should be linked from that article.

If you feel you are being harassed

Misplaced Pages cannot regulate behavior in media not under its control, however if an external link which contains information violating your privacy or which calls for your malicious harassment is added to Misplaced Pages, you should bring this to the attention of Misplaced Pages administrators as soon as possible.

  • The quickest way to do so is by explaining your situation at Misplaced Pages:Administrators' noticeboard/Incidents; however, this is a highly public forum and you could inadvertently bring unwanted attention to the link by reporting your concern publicly on Misplaced Pages.
  • A better option may be to directly email an administrator you trust, via the link on their user page. This ensures greater discretion. A list of administrators can be found here.
  • A further option is to directly email the oversight members at requests for oversight who can remove the links so they will not still appear in a page history.

A spam blacklist exists both for Misplaced Pages and for all projects hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. Blacklisting is normally only considered for sites which are being spammed, but in some cases the blacklist has been used to prevent serial abuse.

See also

Categories: