Wikipedia:New users and user pages

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Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

New users on Wikipedia usually are unfamiliar with the site's policies and

Wikipedia is not a social networking site and the user page project content guideline
creates limits on what can and cannot be place on user pages. Newcomers may not realize that this also applies to the user space.

Some issues

When a new editor creates a user page about himself on their user page that looks like an article, it usually has at least some aspect that will allow them to better participate in the community. However, when the page goes well beyond that to where the amount of personal information provided on the user page is excessive content not directly relevant to Wikipedia, that raises

WP:BITE
issues, particularly when the page is nominated five days or so from when the new editor creates their account. A similar problem occurs after an article space page about the user is moved to the user page rather than a user subpage.

Ways of responding to promotional articles

When encountering a page by a newcomer that is promotional and in violation of Wikipedia's policies, there are ways of approaching the problem before turning to the deletion process. Editors are encouraged to:

  • Explain to the user Wikipedia's policies on
    what Wikipedia is not
Encourage the use of the user's
sandbox page to draft new pages before taking the article directly to the article space. Sandbox pages, especially those by new users, may sound promotional in tone
.
Offer to help them develop their user page.
  • Direct the new user to the
    Wikipedia:Articles for Creation
    process.
Wait until the article has been rejected at
MfD
deletion process.
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