Wikipedia:Please do not bite the newcomers

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Tiger biting a ball in water
This ball does not mind being bitten, but newcomers do.

Wikipedia is improved through the work of both

gentle reminder
.

Not having a clue is a normal stage in the editor lifecycle. We want editors to survive this process: Communicating with newcomers patiently and thoroughly is integral to ensure they stay and continue contributing in an increasingly constructive manner. Therefore, treat newcomers with kindness and patience—nothing scares valuable contributors away faster than hostility.

Being open and welcoming to newcomers is a foundational principle of Wikipedia that forms a part of its

fourth pillar
. Newcomers are both necessary for and valuable to the community. By helping newcomers, we can increase the range of knowledge, perspectives, and ideas on Wikipedia, thereby preserving its neutrality and integrity. While this guideline includes various best practices and suggestions about how to perform adequately in this regard, having a willingness to do it is more than a suggestion—it is a requirement.

Understanding newcomers

Our motto and our invitation to the newcomer is to

benefit
from periodic re-examination and revision). Perhaps what the newcomer is doing "wrong" may ultimately improve Wikipedia. Before concluding they are simply "wrong", it is sometimes better to observe for a while and, if necessary, ask the newcomer what they are trying to achieve.

It is a given that newcomers make mistakes. A new editor engaging with content is a promise. A new editor engaging in communication is a treasure. Understand your responsibility as a more experienced editor. Don't squander the opportunity for Wikipedia to get a valuable contributor down the line by getting off to a bad start with the newcomer because of their "big mistake"; the opportunity is not yours to waste because you are exasperated by how people who have never written an encyclopedia before do not have encyclopedia-writing skills—the opportunity belongs to the entire community, so respect it. By doing so, you show respect to the community. By failing to do so you have maybe made yourself feel good for a second, but you have shown bits of hubris and carelessness that are a sign of disregard for the project's best interest. The newcomer's mistake that you've recognized does not have an impact in the scheme of things. They have to make the mistake. What really matters is that the editor is or becomes communicative, shows signs of getting it and gradually starts improving.

So teach by example and correct the mistake yourself. A note to the newcomer explaining what you have done and the relevant Wikipedia standard that they should follow in the future will prove more useful than slamming them. Communicate gently and respectfully to also immediately set an example for how to address other editors' mistakes and behave collegially. Tone down the rhetoric a few notches from the usual Wikipedia norm. Begin by introducing yourself with a greeting on the user's talk page to let them know that they are welcomed. Make the newcomer feel genuinely welcome, not as though they must win your approval in order to be granted membership into an exclusive club. If possible, point out something they've done correctly or especially well.

Unlike most online communities most people visit, Wikipedia is "mostly negative", because it is a collaborative working environment in which everyone's work overlaps with that of many other people, and good results are achieved by finding imperfections in what someone else did and incrementally improving on it. Expect that newcomers do not understand this and will receive much of the feedback as real negativity. It takes time to adjust to this unusual environment. Do not overwhelm them with too many instructions by sending out a flow of final statements; instead, enable them to engage in a fluid conversation. By creating an opening for them to respond, each point of criticism will come off more naturally.

You too were once a newcomer. Treat others as you were treated (or, probably, wish you had been treated) when you first arrived. Remember: "Do what's right; don't bite. Being a friend is all right!"

Common newcomer scenarios

Newcomers' ideas of how things should be handled within Wikipedia will largely be out of context. It's a jungle in Wikipedia, and it may take some time before a newcomer becomes accustomed to how things work here. Keeping that in mind may help you avoid becoming a "biter". To avoid being accused of biting, try to:

  1. Improve, don't remove. If something doesn't meet Wikipedia's standards, try to
    fix the problem
    rather than just remove what's broken. (Nothing stops new contributors and regulars from coming back like having all their hard work end up in the bit bucket.)
  2. Show civility and good etiquette by assuming a calm and measured manner, both on talk pages and in edit summaries. Avoid intensifiers (e.g. exclamation marks), disparaging words (terrible, dumb, stupid, bad, poor, toxic, etc.), and sarcasm.
  3. Always explain reverts in the edit summary, and use plain English rather than cryptic abbreviations.
  4. Be gracious.
  5. Acknowledge differing principles and be willing to reach a consensus.
  6. Take responsibility for resolving conflicts.
  7. Reciprocate where necessary
    .
  8. Listen actively.
  9. Avoid excessive
    wiki shorthand
    .
  10. Avoid deleting newly created articles, as inexperienced authors might still be working on them or trying to figure something out.
  11. Even the most well written and helpful deletion template message may seem frightening or unwelcoming to new users. Consider writing a personalised message.
  12. Don't fill the page with maintenance templates or join a pile of people pointing out problems. Having multiple people tell you that you did something wrong is unfriendly and off-putting, even when each individual comment is gently phrased and kindly intended.
  13. Avoid nominating user talk pages for deletion.
  14. Remember that it's okay to make mistakes—we're all only human.

Standard welcome or warning messages are both cordial and correcting. Consider using

here
for warning.

Strive to be a responsible Wikipedian. By fostering goodwill, you will neither provoke nor be provoked, and will allow new Wikipedians to devote their time and resources towards building a truly collaborative encyclopedia.

Ignorantia juris may excuse

The principle ignorantia juris non excusat (Latin for: "ignorance of the law does not excuse") is incompatible with the guidelines of "do not bite" and "assume good faith". In this case, ignorance of Wikipedia's guidelines can or may excuse the mistakes of a newcomer. Furthermore, you yourself violate Wikipedia's guidelines and policies when you attack a new user for ignorance of them.

Try instead to follow the points set forth in this article to relieve new editors of their ignorance. Keep in mind that this is not the way many other things work, and even seasoned editors fail to follow—or are simply unaware of—our guidelines from time to time.

To a newcomer, the large number of Wikipedia policies and guidelines can be overwhelming. Ignorance of the rules can often be expected, but willfully disregarding them and disrupting the editorial process of constructing our online encyclopedia is quite another. If you exclude editors without barnstars and the like from your circle you probably diminish the final product.

In all cases though, we ought to interact with our fellow editors with gentleness and respect. This is the most important thing to stress.

What to do if you feel you have "bitten" or have been bitten

If you have "bitten" someone, or feel that you have been bitten, you should consider the key principles to help ensure that it doesn't happen again as follows.

  1. Choose to learn from the incident.
  2. Apologize if you realize you have bitten another user.
  3. Consider alternatives to biting that could have achieved a better response. If you encounter a similar situation in the future, choose one of those alternatives instead of repeating history.
  4. Find something of value in the experience. Extract the wisdom that may have been unintentionally veiled.
  5. Be reasonable. Explain why you were offended, but learn to recognize when the message cannot be received. The recipient may be unable or unwilling to accept fault, and it may be better to move on to other things than to dwell on the bite.
  6. Move on from it!

Templates

See also

References