Wikipedia:Assume good wraith
This page contains material that is kept because it is considered humorous. Such material is not meant to be taken seriously. |
This page in a nutshell: Not all ghosts are evil, despite stereotype. |
As we are all aware, Wikipedians must always
Assume good wraith
Assuming good wraith (AGW) means assuming that ghosts, phantoms, and otherwise spooky spirits are not necessarily malicious, even when their actions are harmful. Most wraiths are well-meaning, and pose no threat to Wikipedia or its contributors. If this were untrue, a project like Wikipedia would be doomed from the beginning.
There is a common phantasmophobic stereotype perpetuated by
This guideline does not require that editors continue to assume good wraith in the presence of obvious evidence to the contrary (eg. possession). Nor does it imply that benevolent spirits may haunt articles without facing criticism, as friendly ghosts may often require assistance to avoid horrific consequences. Rather, editors should not attribute the actions being criticized to Malice unless there is specific evidence of such.
No, not even if it's fun
Yes, I know what you're thinking. Mortal beings often find happiness in the suffering of others, and as such attempt to justify this instinctive response to themselves by assuming that this suffering must be "deserved" in some way.
However,
Dealing with bad wraith
First, consider the possibility that the entity you've encountered may not be a wraith at all. Ghoulish behavior is statistically more likely to have been the result of a demon, gnome, or some sort of Dracula.
Nonetheless, even in the rare event that a bad wraith is evident, do not retaliate by acting spookily in return, as this will only provoke the poltergeist further. It is ultimately much easier for others to resolve a dispute and see who is breaching policies if the party representing the living remains alive throughout.
Wikipedia administrators and other experienced editors will usually be glad to help, provided that they are given a fair warning about the specific state of the article or talk page.
Hey wait, isn't this just AGF with some different wording?
Of course not! There's jokes in here too.
See also
- WP:AGF)
- WP:AAGF)
- WP:ABF)
- WP:BITE)
- Wikipedia:Please bite the newbies
- Wikipedia:Newcomers are delicious, so go ahead and bite them
- WP:YLT)
- Ghostbusters (On second thought, don't ever see this)
- Anthropogenic global warming— the real definition of AGW.