Wikipedia:Don't fight fire with fire
This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
This page in a nutshell: Stay civil , even under the most intense flames. |
Even if the Scissor Sisters or Metallica tell you to.
If everyone fought fire with fire, the entire world would go up in smoke.
As in real life, you may find yourself face-to-face with boorish editors who don't know (or don't believe) they're boors. These editors can be most maddening, especially with their tendency to fly into
So based on these instances, we can conclude that "
I'm being nice to them, but they still attack me
Sometimes, no matter how civil you are to another editor, they will regard you as an attacker. Even the kindest of criticisms are met with hostility. If the editor in question would rather cut off the hand of their rescuer than believe he needs rescuing, leave him be. There is no point in giving help to someone who doesn't want it.
The Three Users: A Parable
- The following story is based on an actual event.
Once upon a time on Wikipedia, there were three friends. One day, while discussing the actions of a certain editor, two of the friends encountered a terrifying
The two users finally had enough and confronted the orc in its lair. Unfortunately, they had brought torches and pitchforks with them and things got messy (i.e. the conversation became really ugly). So the users took it to the
The two friends returned to the orc's domain and confronted it angrily once more. The orc continued to be boorish and aggressive and refused to believe that it is at fault. Even when the editors told it that if it did not stop, the village leaders will send a
Meanwhile, the third friend was going for a stroll in the forest of articles when she decided to visit one of her friends. She arrived at his
But instead of thanking her and changing its ways, the orc angrily slapped her in the face and ordered her out of its cave. This caused the editor to lose whatever sympathy for the orc she had left. She got up and just before she left the cave, quietly warned it again of the danger of its behavior. The orc, more softly this time, simply told her to leave again. Silently, the three friends walked down the path, leaving the mob to go ever closer to the orc. All agreed that nothing they do or say will make the orc mend its ways.
As the sun set, and the mob neared the orc's lair, the orc reached for its torch and spiked club as it came out to meet the crowd.
See also
- Wikipedia:Edit war
- Wikipedia:Staying cool when the editing gets hot
- Wikipedia:Civility
- Wikipedia:Do not insult the vandals
- Wikipedia:Do not feed the trolls
- Wikipedia:Don't throw your toys out of the pram