The Last of Us Wiki:User treatment policy

This is the official page for the user treatment policy of The Last of Us Wiki. These policies detail proper user etiquette and how to properly treat other users of the wiki.

All policies are expected to be understood and adhered by all users on the wiki, regardless of status or position, generally before contributing to the wiki. Failure to comply with these policies may result in a warning, and if continued, a block from the wiki.

Certain policies are able to be changed or modified based on a general community consensus. Anyone who disagrees with a policy is welcome to suggest changes, which can be organized on Discussions or contacting an active administrator.

Assume good faith

Assume that when an editor makes an edit, it was to help the wiki, not to vandalize it. Since anyone can edit, we must assume that most people who work on the wiki are trying to help it, not hurt it.

When you see an unregistered user make an edit that you think may not be up to standards or is a stub, don't criticize them on it or delete what they put. You must assume that the edits were made in good faith. Think about what the editor's intentions were before judging them. Misspelled words or bad grammar are not to be considered vandalism; many editors are accustomed to writing short terms common on Internet chat pages and areas of a similar nature.

The good faith rule means that we do not assume they were trying to vandalize or create bad pages on purpose, but instead, they were attempting to contribute to the wiki and should be commended for the effort. They should instead receive help and advice and be reminded of the wiki's policies.

Be mature

Maintain a civil atmosphere towards fellow users at all times, including in edit summaries (i.e. do not write "removing crap", or "undoing pointless info" etc.). Assume good faith, and remember that we were all new here at one time.

When participating in community discussions or conversing with other users, never go out of your way to intentionally irritate or attack other users. Doing such can be considered a personal attack, depending on the circumstances. Purposefully inciting conflict is counterproductive and may result in being blocked from the wiki.

No personal attacks

Personal attacks are strictly prohibited here at The Last of Us Wiki. On the need to be respectful and avoiding harassment, it is highly stressed users do not engage in personal attacks on other editors. There is no excuse for insulting another user on a personal level in any circumstance.

Examples of personal attacks

Specific examples of personal attacks include, but not limited to:

• Racial, sexual, homophobic, transphobic, ageist, ableist, religious or ethnic epithets. Any disagreement over what constitutes a religion, race, gender, sexual preference, or ethnicity is not a legitimate excuse.
• Using someone's affiliations as a means of dismissing or discrediting their views—regardless of whether said affiliations are mainstream or extreme.
• Insulting or excessive profanity directed against another contributor.
• Threats of legal action.
• Threats of violence, including death threats.
• Threats of vandalism to user pages or talk pages.
• Posting a link to an external source that fits the commonly-accepted threshold for a personal attack. Suggesting a link applies to another editor, or that another editor needs to visit a certain link, that contains the substance of an attack.
• Accusatory comments towards editors that can be considered personal attacks if said repeatedly, in bad faith, or with sufficient venom.
• Negative personal comments and "I'm better than you" attacks, such as "You have no life."

What is not a personal attack

However, not everything a user says can be justified as a personal attack. Examples that are not personal attacks include:

• Users engaging in debates and disagreements, as long as one assumes good faith, acts in a civil manner, and adheres to good wiki etiquette. Disagreements with other editors can be discussed without resorting to personal attacks and unnecessarily antagonistic comments. It is important not to personalize comments that are directed at content and actions, but it is equally important not to interpret such comments as personal attacks. Specific examples of comments that are not personal attacks include, but are not limited to:
  • Disagreements about content such as "Your statement about X is wrong" or "Your statement is a point of view, not fact" are not personal attacks.
• Personal attacks do not include civil language used to describe an editor's actions, and when made without involving their personal character, should not be construed as personal attacks. Stating "Your statement is a personal attack..." is not itself a personal attack—it is a statement regarding the actions of the user, not a statement about the user.
• A comment in an edit history such as "reverting vandalism" is not a personal attack. However, it is important to assume good faith when making such a comment—if the edit that is being reverted could be interpreted as a good faith edit, then don't label it as vandalism.

Resolutions

If you are personally attacked, you should ask the attacker to kindly stop and note this policy. If they continue, avoid escalating the situation and contact an active administrator on their message wall. Be sure to clearly state the issue and provide credible proof. The administrator will evaluate the situation and attempt to mediate the issue.

In extreme cases, an attacker may be blocked, following an administrator's assessment.

"Don't feed the trolls"

An Internet troll is, according to Wikipedia's definition, "someone who posts controversial and usually irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, [...] with the intention of baiting other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion." The Last of Us Wiki has its fair share of "trolls" and vandals, just like other wiki communities.

It is understandable to not like editors who purposefully disrupt the wiki. However, from unregistered users to trusted bureaucrats, no one has the right to personally attack vandals or trolls. No matter how much damage the unconstructive edits or flame wars may have caused, all that is necessary is to block the user and move on. If necessary, discussing with them may be an option, as long as it is handled in a civil manner. Attacking such trolls or vandals is fruitless and counterproductive; doing so will usually encourage them to come back for more.

Equality

Here on The Last of Us Wiki, every user—even including administrators—are to be treated equally. Each and every user is to be respected by one another, no matter their position or status on the wiki. The wiki's blocking guidelines are evenly distributed to any user who commits the fitting offense.

There may be certain users who are unpopular, perhaps because of foolish or boorish behavior in the past. Such users may have been subject to disciplinary actions by the administrators. However, this is no excuse to engage in personal attacks against them.

Respect newcomers

Users new to or inexperienced at editing on The Last of Us Wiki or wikis in general are often unfamiliar with how policies, guidelines, and other important aspects of the wiki function. Regardless of the quality of the contributions, it is important to remember to assume good faith with new members. As Wikipedia says, "nothing scares potentially valuable contributors away faster than hostility."

In response, you should always respect newcomers and explain to the user what they did wrong in a civil manner and what they can do to correct it. Feel free to take steps in helping them achieve more on the wiki. Remember, at one point, we were all first-time editors.

Navigation