| Revision as of 05:57, 1 November 2006 view sourceGTBacchus (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, File movers, Rollbackers60,420 edits recasting paragraph to reduce imperative language; no real change in meaning← Previous edit | Revision as of 17:51, 3 November 2006 view source FeloniousMonk (talk | contribs)18,409 edits back to the long standing phrasing. the recent changes were not an improvement, made the unless presence of evidence to the contrary provision unclear and obscureNext edit → | ||
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| '''Assuming good faith is about intentions, not actions.''' Well-meaning people make mistakes, and other well-meaning people correct them when they do. There is no need to treat others' mistakes as deliberate; one may correct without scolding. There will be people on Misplaced Pages with whom you disagree. Even if they're wrong, that doesn't mean they're trying to wreck the project. There will be some people with whom you find it hard to work. Even if they're jerks, that doesn't mean they're trying to wreck the project either. It is never necessary that we attribute an editor's actions to bad faith, even if bad faith seems obvious, as all our countermeasures (i.e. reverting, blocking) can be performed on the basis of behavior rather than intent. | '''Assuming good faith is about intentions, not actions.''' Well-meaning people make mistakes, and other well-meaning people correct them when they do. There is no need to treat others' mistakes as deliberate; one may correct without scolding. There will be people on Misplaced Pages with whom you disagree. Even if they're wrong, that doesn't mean they're trying to wreck the project. There will be some people with whom you find it hard to work. Even if they're jerks, that doesn't mean they're trying to wreck the project either. It is never necessary that we attribute an editor's actions to bad faith, even if bad faith seems obvious, as all our countermeasures (i.e. reverting, blocking) can be performed on the basis of behavior rather than intent. | ||
| ⚫ | '''This policy does not require that editors continue to assume good faith in the presence of evidence to the contrary.''' Actions inconsistent with good faith include vandalism, confirmed malicious ], and lying. Assuming good faith also does not mean that no action by editors should be criticized, but instead that criticism should not be attributed to malice unless there is specific evidence of malice. Accusing the other side in a conflict of not assuming good faith, without showing reasonable supporting evidence, is another form of failing to assume good faith. | ||
| Some Wikipedians attempt to assume good faith in all circumstances, noting that harm-reduction measures can be taken without reference to any editor's intentions. Many Wikipedians will assume good faith only until they see behaviors such as vandalism, confirmed abusive sockpuppetry, or lying, which are taken to be evidence of bad faith. Editors are cautioned not to jump to a conclusion of another's bad faith without compelling evidence. | |||
| ⚫ | Assuming good faith does not mean that no action by editors should be criticized, but instead that criticism should not be attributed to malice unless there is specific evidence of malice. Accusing the other side in a conflict of not assuming good faith, without showing reasonable supporting evidence, is another form of failing to assume good faith. | ||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Revision as of 17:51, 3 November 2006
 | 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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To assume good faith is a fundamental principle on Misplaced Pages. In allowing anyone to edit, we must assume that most people who work on the project are trying to help it, not hurt it. If this weren't true, a project like Misplaced Pages would be doomed from the beginning. When you can reasonably assume that a mistake someone made was a well-intentioned attempt to further the goals of the project, correct it without criticizing. When you disagree with someone, remember that they probably believe that they are helping the project. Consider using talk pages to explain yourself, and give others the opportunity to do the same. This can avoid misunderstandings and prevent problems from escalating.
Be patient with newcomers. Newcomers unaware of Misplaced Pages's unique culture and the mechanics of Misplaced Pages editing often make mistakes or fail to respect community norms. It is not uncommon for a newcomer to believe that an unfamiliar policy should be changed to match their experience elsewhere. Similarly, many newcomers bring with them experience or expertise for which they expect immediate respect. Behaviors arising from these perspectives are not malicious.
Assuming good faith is about intentions, not actions. Well-meaning people make mistakes, and other well-meaning people correct them when they do. There is no need to treat others' mistakes as deliberate; one may correct without scolding. There will be people on Misplaced Pages with whom you disagree. Even if they're wrong, that doesn't mean they're trying to wreck the project. There will be some people with whom you find it hard to work. Even if they're jerks, that doesn't mean they're trying to wreck the project either. It is never necessary that we attribute an editor's actions to bad faith, even if bad faith seems obvious, as all our countermeasures (i.e. reverting, blocking) can be performed on the basis of behavior rather than intent.
This policy does not require that editors continue to assume good faith in the presence of evidence to the contrary. Actions inconsistent with good faith include vandalism, confirmed malicious sockpuppetry, and lying. Assuming good faith also does not mean that no action by editors should be criticized, but instead that criticism should not be attributed to malice unless there is specific evidence of malice. Accusing the other side in a conflict of not assuming good faith, without showing reasonable supporting evidence, is another form of failing to assume good faith.
See also
Listen to this page(2 parts, 6 minutes)
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Essays
- Misplaced Pages:Assume the assumption of good faith
- Misplaced Pages:No angry mastodons
- Misplaced Pages:On assuming good faith
- Misplaced Pages:Assume bad faith
- Misplaced Pages policy should follow the spirit of ahimsa (from meta)
- MeatBall:AssumeGoodFaith (from MeatballWiki)