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| :''This page discusses personal attacks made against other editors. For attacks against living people who are the subjects of articles, see ].'' | |||
| ⚫ | '''Do not make personal attacks anywhere in Misplaced Pages.''' Comment on '''content''', not on the '''contributor'''. Personal attacks will not help you make a point; they hurt the Misplaced Pages community and deter users from helping create a good encyclopedia. | ||
| ⚫ | '''Do not make personal attacks anywhere in Misplaced Pages.''' Comment on '''content''', not on the '''contributor'''. Personal attacks will not help you make a point; they hurt the Misplaced Pages community and deter users from helping create a good encyclopedia. Equally, accusing someone of making a personal attack is not something that should be done lightly, especially if you are involved in a dispute. It is best for an uninvolved observer to politely point out that someone has made a personal attack, and for the discussion to return to considering the content, not the person. | ||
| == Don't do it == | |||
| ==What is considered a personal attack?== | |||
| There is no excuse for personal attacks on other contributors. Please do '''not''' make them. | |||
| ⚫ | Debate is an essential part of the culture of Misplaced Pages. Different contributors often do not agree on some of the content within an article. Contributors often are members of opposing communities who wish to have their viewpoints included in articles. Synthesising these views into a single article creates a better, more ] article for everyone. Every person who edits an article is part of the same larger community - we are all ]. | ||
| Editors should be ] and adhere to good ] when stating disagreements. Comments should not be personalized and should be directed at content and actions rather than people. However, when there are disagreements about ''content'', referring to other editors is not always a personal attack. A posting that says "Your statement about ''X'' is wrong because of information at ''Y''", or "The paragraph you inserted into the article looks like ]", is ''not'' a personal attack. Even some comments that might appear to be a personal attack, such as labelling an edit that removes a substantial amount of text as "vandalism", may be ]. The appropriate response to such statements is to address the issues of content rather than to accuse the other person of violating this policy. | |||
| == Consequences == | |||
| There is no ] about what constitutes a personal attack as opposed to constructive discussion, but some types of comments are ''never'' acceptable: | |||
| Remember that disputes on talk pages are accessible to everyone on the Internet. The way in which you conduct yourself on Misplaced Pages reflects on Misplaced Pages and on you. | |||
| ⚫ | *Racial, sexual, homophobic, ageist, religious, political, or ethnic epithets directed against another contributor. Disagreement over what constitutes a religion, race, sexual preference, or ethnicity is not a legitimate excuse. | ||
| ⚫ | *Using someone's affiliations as a means of dismissing or discrediting their views — regardless of whether said affiliations are mainstream or extreme. | ||
| ⚫ | *] | ||
| ⚫ | *Threats of violence, particularly death threats. | ||
| ⚫ | *Threats of ] to userpages or talk pages. | ||
| ⚫ | *Threats or actions which expose other Misplaced Pages editors to political, religious or other persecution by government, their employer or any others. Violations of this sort may result in a block for an extended period of time which may be applied immediately by any administrator upon discovery. Admins applying such sanctions should confidentially notify the members of the ] and ] of what they have done and why. | ||
| ⚫ | *Posting a link to an external source that fits the commonly accepted threshold for a personal attack, in a manner that incorporates the substance of that attack into Misplaced Pages discussion, including the suggestion that such a link applies to another editor, or that another editor needs to visit the external source containing the substance of the attack. | ||
| Additionally, editors are strongly discouraged from using profanity in comments to other contributors. ], but that policy is focused on the content of articles, not on the interaction of users via talk pages and edit summaries. These examples are not inclusive. Insulting or disparaging an editor is a personal attack regardless of the manner in which it is done. When in doubt, comment on the article's content without referring to its contributor at all. | |||
| Many Wikipedians ] on third parties on sight, and although this isn't policy it's often seen as an appropriate reaction to extreme personal abuse. Users have been ] for repeatedly engaging in personal attacks. Abusive edit summaries are particularly ill-regarded. | |||
| The prohibition against personal attacks applies to equally to all Wikipedians. It is as unacceptable to attack a user with a history of foolish or boorish behavior, or even one who has been subject to disciplinary action by the Arbitration Committee, as it is to attack any other user. Misplaced Pages encourages a positive online community: people make mistakes, but they are encouraged to learn from them and change their ways. Personal attacks are contrary to this spirit and damaging to the work of building an encyclopedia. | |||
| Extreme attacks, in particular legal threats and death threats, can be dealt with by blocking the offending user without warning. | |||
| ⚫ | ==Responding to personal attacks== | ||
| == Being reasonable == | |||
| === Initial options === | |||
| ⚫ | Different contributors |
||
| Frequently, the best way to respond to an isolated personal attack is not to respond at all. Misplaced Pages and its debates can become ] for some editors, who may occasionally overreact. Additionally, Misplaced Pages discussions are in a text-only medium that conveys nuances and emotions poorly; this can easily lead to misunderstanding. While personal attacks ''are not excused'' because of these factors, editors are encouraged to disregard angry and ill-mannered postings of others when it is reasonable to do so, and to continue to focus their efforts on improving and developing the encyclopedia. | |||
| If you feel that a response is necessary and desireable, you should leave a polite message on the other user's talk page. Do not respond on a ''talk page of an article''; this tends to escalate matters. Likewise, it is important to avoid becoming hostile and confrontational yourself, ]. Although templates have been used at times for this purpose, a customized message relating to the specific situation is often better received. When possible, try to find compromise or common ground regarding the underlying issues of content, rather than argue about behavior. | |||
| == Examples == | |||
| ===Examples of personal attacks === | |||
| Specific examples of personal attacks include but are not limited to: | |||
| Attacks which are particularly offensive or disruptive (such as physical or legal threats) should not be ignored. Extraordinary situations that require immediate intervention are rare, but may be reported on the ]. | |||
| * Accusatory comments such as "George is a troll", or "Laura is a bad editor" can be considered personal attacks if said repeatedly, in bad faith, or with sufficient venom. | |||
| * Negative personal comments and "I'm better than you" attacks, such as "You have no life." | |||
| ⚫ | * |
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| ⚫ | * |
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| * Profanity directed against another contributor. | |||
| ⚫ | * |
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| ⚫ | * |
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| ⚫ | * |
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| ⚫ | * |
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| ⚫ | * |
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| === |
=== Recurring attacks === | ||
| Recurring, non-disruptive personal attacks that do not stop after reasoned requests to cease should be resolved through the ] process. Especially when personal attacks arise as the result of heated debate over article content, ] and ] are often the best ways to resolve the conflict. Similarly, ] offers a "streamlined" source of outside opinion. In most circumstances, problems with personal attacks can be resolved if editors work together and focus on content, and immediate administrator action is not required. | |||
| === Removal of text === | |||
| Debate is an essential part of the culture of Misplaced Pages. Be ] and adhere to good ] when stating disagreements to avoid personalizing them and try to minimize unnecessarily antagonistic comments. Disagreements with other editors can be discussed without resorting to personal attacks. It is important not to personalize comments that are directed at content and actions, but it is equally important not to interpret impersonal comments as personal attacks. Examples of comments that are not personal attacks include: | |||
| The community has not reached a consensus about whether personal attacks should be removed, although it has been a topic of substantial debate, and an ] about ] has been written on it. To cite the Arbitration Committee: | |||
| ⚫ | :''The remove personal attacks guideline (and the application thereof) is controversial. It has often been abused by malefactors, and may not have community consensus. It should, at most, be interpreted strictly and used sparingly.'' | ||
| Removing unquestionable personal attacks from your own user talk page is much less a concern than removing comments elsewhere in Misplaced Pages. For text that is elsewhere, where such text ''is directed against yourself'', removal should be limited, except in unusual circumstances, to comments that are listed above as clear violations of this policy. | |||
| * Disagreements about content such as "Your statement about ''X'' is wrong" or "Your statement is a point of view, not fact" are not personal attacks. | |||
| * Remarks describing an editor's actions and made without involving their personal character should not be construed as personal attacks. Stating "Your statement is a personal attack..." is not itself a personal attack — it is a statement regarding the actions of the user, not a statement about the user. (It can however be a ''harmful'' statement if it's untrue.) A comment such as "responding to accusation of bad faith by user ''X''" in an edit summary or on a talk page is not a personal attack against user ''X''. | |||
| * A comment in an edit history such as "reverting vandalism" is not a personal attack if it's concerned with clear vandalism, although otherwise it ''is''. "Vandalism" imputes bad intentions and bad motives to the person accused. If the edit that is being reverted could be interpreted as a good-faith edit, then don't label it as vandalism. See ] for what is and isn't vandalism. | |||
| == |
==Consequences of personal attacks== | ||
| Although editors are encouraged to ignore or respond politely to isolated personal attacks, that should not imply that they are acceptable or without consequences. A pattern of hostility reduces the likelihood of the community assuming good faith, and can be considered ]. Users who insist on a confrontational style marked by personal attacks are likely to be handled through the dispute resolution process, possibly including the serious consequences of ], and may become subject to a ]. | |||
| In extreme cases, even isolated personal attacks may lead to a ] for disruption. Legal threats, death threats, and issues of similar severity, in particular, may result in a block ''without warning''. However, administrators are cautioned that other resolutions are preferable to blocking for less severe situations when it is unclear if the "conduct severely disrupts the project". Recurring attacks are proportionally more likely to be considered "disruption". | |||
| This policy can be a prime candidate for ], which can be defined as ''asserting a technical interpretation of the policy to override the principle it expresses.'' This page is frequently edited and examples and remedies that do or do not appear here may have been edited to suit one editor's perspective, but not be generally agreed to by the community. In the end, common sense is more important than the exact wording in this and other policy articles, including the examples included above. | |||
| ⚫ | Misplaced Pages acknowledges that it cannot regulate behavior in media not under the control of the Wikimedia Foundation, but personal attacks elsewhere may create doubt as to whether an editor's on-wiki actions are being conducted in good faith. Posting personal attacks or defamation off-Misplaced Pages is harmful to the entire community, and to an editor's relationship with it. While an editor may not be directly penalised for off-wiki attacks, such attacks may be taken as aggravating factors when any on-wiki policy violations are being considered. For example, they can be used as evidence in the dispute-resolution process, including in Arbitration cases. | ||
| == Alternatives == | |||
| Instead: | |||
| * Discuss the facts and how to express them, not the attributes of the other party. This does ''not'' mean that you have to agree with the other person, but just ]. | |||
| * Never suggest a view is invalid simply because of who its proponent is. | |||
| * Explore issues in a less public forum like e-mail if a debate threatens to become personal. | |||
| * Read ]. | |||
| == Remedies == | |||
| If you are personally attacked, the first remedy should usually be to try to ignore it - if the attacks continue simply realise that it reflects badly on the attacker to continue in this vein. Where the attacks affect the editing of an article, be reaonable with the attacker and respond civilly to comments related to editing, while ignoring the attacks. | |||
| If this proves too difficult or becomes too much to bear, you should ] ask the attacker to stop and note this policy. If he or she continues, consider following the ] process. You might also consider removing particularly clear-cut personal attacks as discussed in the ''essay'' ]; however, you should be very careful not to define "personally attack" too broadly, or to do this too frequently. From an ] finding-of-fact: | |||
| ⚫ | : |
||
| If you find yourself using this remedy frequently, you should reconsider your definition of "personal attack." When in doubt, follow the dispute resolution process instead. | |||
| In extreme cases, an attacker may be ] under the "disruption" clause of the blocking policy, though the practice is almost always controversial. Please note however, that personal attacks do not excuse reciprocal behaviour, and so in such cases described by the short essay ], ] may be the best solution, else if one party pushes hard enough for intervention, it may well be found that such intervention is warranted on both sides of the dispute. | |||
| == A misguided notion: "Kicking them while they are down" == | |||
| '''Note:''' There are certain Misplaced Pages users who are unpopular, perhaps because of foolish or boorish behavior in the past. Such users may have been subject to disciplinary actions by the ]. It is only human to imagine that such users might be fair game for personal attacks. This notion is misguided; people make mistakes, often learn from them and change their ways. The NPA rule applies to all users irrespective of their past history or how others regard them. | |||
| == Community spirit == | |||
| It is your responsibility to foster and maintain a positive online community in Misplaced Pages. Personal attacks against ''any'' user - regardless of his/her past behavior - are contrary to this spirit. | |||
| ⚫ | == |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| While you may not be directly penalised for off-wiki attacks, they may be taken as aggravating factors when any on-wiki policy violations are being considered. For example, they can be used as evidence of bad faith in the dispute-resolution process, or as evidence in ArbCom cases. | |||
| == See also == | == See also == | ||
Revision as of 09:31, 11 January 2007
 | This page documents an English Misplaced Pages policy.It describes a widely accepted standard that editors should normally follow, though exceptions may apply. Changes made to it should reflect consensus. | Shortcut
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- This page discusses personal attacks made against other editors. For attacks against living people who are the subjects of articles, see Misplaced Pages:Biographies of living persons.
Do not make personal attacks anywhere in Misplaced Pages. Comment on content, not on the contributor. Personal attacks will not help you make a point; they hurt the Misplaced Pages community and deter users from helping create a good encyclopedia. Equally, accusing someone of making a personal attack is not something that should be done lightly, especially if you are involved in a dispute. It is best for an uninvolved observer to politely point out that someone has made a personal attack, and for the discussion to return to considering the content, not the person.
What is considered a personal attack?
Debate is an essential part of the culture of Misplaced Pages. Different contributors often do not agree on some of the content within an article. Contributors often are members of opposing communities who wish to have their viewpoints included in articles. Synthesising these views into a single article creates a better, more NPOV article for everyone. Every person who edits an article is part of the same larger community - we are all Wikipedians.
Editors should be civil and adhere to good wiki etiquette when stating disagreements. Comments should not be personalized and should be directed at content and actions rather than people. However, when there are disagreements about content, referring to other editors is not always a personal attack. A posting that says "Your statement about X is wrong because of information at Y", or "The paragraph you inserted into the article looks like original research", is not a personal attack. Even some comments that might appear to be a personal attack, such as labelling an edit that removes a substantial amount of text as "vandalism", may be well-intentioned. The appropriate response to such statements is to address the issues of content rather than to accuse the other person of violating this policy.
There is no bright-line rule about what constitutes a personal attack as opposed to constructive discussion, but some types of comments are never acceptable:
- Racial, sexual, homophobic, ageist, religious, political, or ethnic epithets directed against another contributor. Disagreement over what constitutes a religion, race, sexual preference, or ethnicity is not a legitimate excuse.
- Using someone's affiliations as a means of dismissing or discrediting their views — regardless of whether said affiliations are mainstream or extreme.
- Threats of legal action
- Threats of violence, particularly death threats.
- Threats of vandalism to userpages or talk pages.
- Threats or actions which expose other Misplaced Pages editors to political, religious or other persecution by government, their employer or any others. Violations of this sort may result in a block for an extended period of time which may be applied immediately by any administrator upon discovery. Admins applying such sanctions should confidentially notify the members of the Arbitration Committee and Jimbo Wales of what they have done and why.
- Posting a link to an external source that fits the commonly accepted threshold for a personal attack, in a manner that incorporates the substance of that attack into Misplaced Pages discussion, including the suggestion that such a link applies to another editor, or that another editor needs to visit the external source containing the substance of the attack.
Additionally, editors are strongly discouraged from using profanity in comments to other contributors. Misplaced Pages is not censored, but that policy is focused on the content of articles, not on the interaction of users via talk pages and edit summaries. These examples are not inclusive. Insulting or disparaging an editor is a personal attack regardless of the manner in which it is done. When in doubt, comment on the article's content without referring to its contributor at all.
The prohibition against personal attacks applies to equally to all Wikipedians. It is as unacceptable to attack a user with a history of foolish or boorish behavior, or even one who has been subject to disciplinary action by the Arbitration Committee, as it is to attack any other user. Misplaced Pages encourages a positive online community: people make mistakes, but they are encouraged to learn from them and change their ways. Personal attacks are contrary to this spirit and damaging to the work of building an encyclopedia.
Responding to personal attacks
Initial options
Frequently, the best way to respond to an isolated personal attack is not to respond at all. Misplaced Pages and its debates can become stressful for some editors, who may occasionally overreact. Additionally, Misplaced Pages discussions are in a text-only medium that conveys nuances and emotions poorly; this can easily lead to misunderstanding. While personal attacks are not excused because of these factors, editors are encouraged to disregard angry and ill-mannered postings of others when it is reasonable to do so, and to continue to focus their efforts on improving and developing the encyclopedia.
If you feel that a response is necessary and desireable, you should leave a polite message on the other user's talk page. Do not respond on a talk page of an article; this tends to escalate matters. Likewise, it is important to avoid becoming hostile and confrontational yourself, even in the face of abuse. Although templates have been used at times for this purpose, a customized message relating to the specific situation is often better received. When possible, try to find compromise or common ground regarding the underlying issues of content, rather than argue about behavior.
Attacks which are particularly offensive or disruptive (such as physical or legal threats) should not be ignored. Extraordinary situations that require immediate intervention are rare, but may be reported on the administrators' noticeboard.
Recurring attacks
Recurring, non-disruptive personal attacks that do not stop after reasoned requests to cease should be resolved through the dispute resolution process. Especially when personal attacks arise as the result of heated debate over article content, informal mediation and third-party opinions are often the best ways to resolve the conflict. Similarly, Wikiquette alerts offers a "streamlined" source of outside opinion. In most circumstances, problems with personal attacks can be resolved if editors work together and focus on content, and immediate administrator action is not required.
Removal of text
The community has not reached a consensus about whether personal attacks should be removed, although it has been a topic of substantial debate, and an essay about removing attacks has been written on it. To cite the Arbitration Committee:
- The remove personal attacks guideline (and the application thereof) is controversial. It has often been abused by malefactors, and may not have community consensus. It should, at most, be interpreted strictly and used sparingly.
Removing unquestionable personal attacks from your own user talk page is much less a concern than removing comments elsewhere in Misplaced Pages. For text that is elsewhere, where such text is directed against yourself, removal should be limited, except in unusual circumstances, to comments that are listed above as clear violations of this policy.
Consequences of personal attacks
Although editors are encouraged to ignore or respond politely to isolated personal attacks, that should not imply that they are acceptable or without consequences. A pattern of hostility reduces the likelihood of the community assuming good faith, and can be considered disruptive editing. Users who insist on a confrontational style marked by personal attacks are likely to be handled through the dispute resolution process, possibly including the serious consequences of arbitration, and may become subject to a community ban.
In extreme cases, even isolated personal attacks may lead to a block for disruption. Legal threats, death threats, and issues of similar severity, in particular, may result in a block without warning. However, administrators are cautioned that other resolutions are preferable to blocking for less severe situations when it is unclear if the "conduct severely disrupts the project". Recurring attacks are proportionally more likely to be considered "disruption".
Misplaced Pages acknowledges that it cannot regulate behavior in media not under the control of the Wikimedia Foundation, but personal attacks elsewhere may create doubt as to whether an editor's on-wiki actions are being conducted in good faith. Posting personal attacks or defamation off-Misplaced Pages is harmful to the entire community, and to an editor's relationship with it. While an editor may not be directly penalised for off-wiki attacks, such attacks may be taken as aggravating factors when any on-wiki policy violations are being considered. For example, they can be used as evidence in the dispute-resolution process, including in Arbitration cases.
See also
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