Bahaikipedia:What Bahaikipedia is not
From Bahaikipedia
The purpose of Bahaikipedia is to provide a comprehensive, encyclopedic collection of all information related to the Bahá'í Faith. Therefore, there are certain things that Bahaikipedia is not.
| Bahaikipedia policy |
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Bahá'í point of view |
| Working with others |
[edit] What Bahaikipedia is not
[edit] Bahaikipedia is not a paper encyclopedia
There is no practical limit to the number of topics we can cover, or the total amount of content, other than verifiability and the other points presented on this page.
There is a feasible limit for individual article sizes that depends on page download size for our dial-up and microbrowser readers and readability considerations for everybody. After a point, splitting an article into separate articles and leaving adequate summaries is a natural part of growth for a topic.
This also means you don't have to redirect one topic to a partially equivalent topic that is of more common usage. A "See also" section stating that further information on the topic is available on the page of a closely related topic may be preferable.
[edit] Bahaikipedia is not a dictionary
Bahaikipedia is not a dictionary, usage or jargon guide. Bahaikipedia articles are not:
- Dictionary definitions. Because Bahaikipedia is not a dictionary, please do not create an entry merely to define a term, use the Glossary for that. An article should usually begin with a clear description that summarizes the subject as described in the rest of the article; if you come across an article that is nothing more than a definition, see if there is information you can add that would be appropriate for an encyclopedia.
- Lists of such definitions. There are, however, disambiguation pages consisting of pointers to other pages; these are used to clarify differing meanings of a word.
- Usage guides or slang and idiom guides. Bahaikipedia is not in the business of saying how words, idioms, etc. should be used. We aren't teaching people how to talk like a Cockney chimney-sweep, or a British gent. However, it may be important in the context of an encyclopedia article to describe just how a word is used to distinguish among similar, easily confused ideas, as in nation or freedom. In some special cases an article about an essential piece of slang may be appropriate.
[edit] Bahaikipedia is not a publisher of original thought
Bahaikipedia is not a place to publish your own thoughts and analyses or to publish new information not heretofore published. Please do not use Bahaikipedia for any of the following:
- Primary (original) research such as proposing theories and solutions, original ideas, defining terms, coining new words, etc. If you have done primary research on a topic, publish your results in other venues such as peer-reviewed journals, other printed forms, or respected online sites, and Bahaikipedia will report about your work once it becomes part of accepted knowledge. Not all information added to Bahaikipedia has to be from peer-reviewed journals, but please strive to make sure that information is reliable and verifiable. For example, citing book, print, or reliable web resources demonstrates that the material is verifiable and is not merely the editor's opinion.
- Personal essays that state your particular feelings about a topic (rather than the consensus of experts). Bahaikipedia is supposed to compile human knowledge. It is not a vehicle to make personal opinions become part of human knowledge. In the unusual situation where the opinions of a single individual are important enough to discuss, it is preferable to let other people write about them. Personal essays on topics relating to Bahaikipedia are welcome in your user namespace.
- Opinions on current affairs is a particular case of the previous item. Although current affairs may stir passions and tempt people to "climb soapboxes" (i.e. passionately advocate their pet point of view), Bahaikipedia is not the medium for this. Articles must be balanced so as to put entries for current affairs in a reasonable perspective. Furthermore, Bahaikipedia authors should strive to write articles that will not quickly become obsolete.
- Discussion forums. Please try to stay on the task of creating an encyclopedia. You can chat with folks about Bahaikipedia-related topics on their user talk pages, and should resolve problems with articles on the relevant talk pages, but please do not take discussion into articles. Also, bear in mind that talk pages exist for the purpose of discussing how to improve articles; they are not mere general discussion pages about the subject of the article. There are a number of early-stage projects that attempt to use a wiki for discussion and debate.
- Journalism. Bahaikipedia should not offer first-hand news reports on breaking stories. Bahaikipedia is not a primary source. Bahaikipedia does have many encyclopedia articles on topics of historical significance that are currently in the news, and can be updated with recent verified information.
[edit] Bahaikipedia is not a soapbox
Bahaikipedia is not a soapbox, a battleground, or a vehicle for propaganda and advertising. Therefore, Bahaikipedia articles are not:
- Propaganda or advocacy of any kind. Of course, an article can report objectively about such things, as long as an attempt is made to approach a Bahá'í point of view. You might wish to go to Usenet or start a blog if you want to convince people of the merits of your favorite views.
- Self-promotion. It can be tempting to write about yourself or projects you have a strong personal involvement in. However, do remember that the standards for encyclopedic articles apply to such pages just like any other, including the requirement to maintain a Bahá'í point of view, which is difficult when writing about yourself. Creating overly abundant links and references to autobiographical articles is unacceptable. See Bahaikipedia:Autobiography, Bahaikipedia:Notability and Bahaikipedia:Conflict of interest.
- Advertising. Articles about companies and products are acceptable if they are written in an objective and unbiased style. Furthermore, all article topics must be third-party verifiable, so articles about very small "garage" or local companies are not likely to be acceptable. External links to commercial organizations are acceptable if they can serve to identify major corporations associated with a topic. Please note Bahaikipedia does not endorse any businesses and it does not set up affiliate programs. See also Bahaikipedia:Notability (organizations and companies) for guidelines on corporate notability.
[edit] Bahaikipedia is not a mirror or a repository of links, images, or media files
Bahaikipedia is neither a mirror nor a repository of links, images, or media files. All content added to Bahaikipedia may have to be edited mercilessly to be included in the encyclopedia. By submitting any content, you agree to release it for free use under the GNU FDL.[1] Bahaikipedia articles are not:
- Mere collections of external links or Internet directories. There is nothing wrong with adding one or more useful content-relevant links to an article; however, excessive lists can dwarf articles and detract from the purpose of Bahaikipedia. See Bahaikipedia:External links for some guidelines.
- Mere collections of internal links, except for disambiguation pages when an article title is ambiguous, and for structured lists to assist with the organisation of articles.
- Mere collections of public domain or other source material such as entire books or source code, original historical documents, letters, laws, proclamations, and other source material that are only useful when presented with their original, un-modified wording. Complete copies of primary sources may go into Wikisource, but not on Bahaikipedia. There is nothing wrong with using public domain resources such as 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica to add content to an article.
- Mere collections of photographs or media files with no text to go with the articles. If you are interested in presenting a picture, please provide an encyclopedic context. If a picture comes from a public domain source on a website, then consider adding it to Bahaikipedia:Images with missing articles or Bahaikipedia:Public domain image resources.
[edit] Bahaikipedia is not a blog, webspace provider, or social networking site
Bahaikipedia is not MySpace. You may not host your own website, blog, or wiki at Bahaikipedia. Bahaikipedia pages are not:
- Personal web pages. Bahaikipedians have their own user pages, but they may be used only to present information relevant to working on the encyclopedia. If you are looking to make a personal webpage or blog, please make use of one of the many free providers on the Internet. The focus of user pages should not be social networking, but rather providing a foundation for effective collaboration.
- File storage areas. Please upload only files that are used (or will be used) in encyclopedia articles or project pages; anything else will be deleted.
- Dating services. Bahaikipedia is not an appropriate place to advertise your desire for relationships or sex. User pages which move beyond broad expressions of sexual preference are unacceptable. This is particularly true for practices which are illegal or unpopular with the general public such as sex with animals or minors.
If you are interested in using the wiki technology for a collaborative effort on something else, even if it is just a single page, there are many sites that provide wiki hosting (free or for money). You can also install wiki software on your server. See MediaWiki.
[edit] Bahaikipedia is not a directory
Bahaikipedia is not a directory of everything that exists or has existed. Bahaikipedia articles are not:
- Lists or repositories of loosely associated topics such as quotations, aphorisms, or persons (real or fictional). Of course, there is nothing wrong with having lists if their entries are famous because they are associated with or significantly contributed to the list topic. Bahaikipedia also includes reference tables and tabular information for quick reference. Merged groups of small articles based on a core topic are certainly permitted.
- Genealogical entries or phonebook entries. Biography articles should only be for people with some sort of fame, achievement, or perhaps notoriety. One measure of publicity is whether someone has been featured in several external sources (on or off-line). Less well-known people may be mentioned within other articles.
- Directories, directory entries, electronic program guide, or a resource for conducting business. For example, an article on a radio station generally should not list upcoming events, current promotions, phone numbers, current schedules, etc., although mention of major events, promotions or historically significant programme lists and schedules may be acceptable. Furthermore, the Talk pages associated with an article are for talking about the article, not for conducting the business of the topic of the article. Bahaikipedia is not the yellow pages.
- A sales catalogue, therefore prices of a product should not be quoted in an article unless there is a justified and sourced reason for mentioning the price. Examples of justified reasons include notable sales of rare collectors items, prices relating to discussion of a price war, and historical discussion of economic inflation. Everyday, street prices on the other hand are an example of ephemeral trivia that can vary widely from place to place and over time. In addition, Bahaikipedia is not a price guide to be used to compare the prices of competing products, or the prices of a single product across different countries or regions. Therefore lists of products currently on sale should not quote prices.
[edit] Bahaikipedia is not a crystal ball
Bahaikipedia is not a collection of unverifiable speculation. All articles about anticipated events must be verifiable, and the subject matter must be of sufficiently wide interest that it would merit an article if the event had already occurred. It is appropriate to report discussion and arguments about the prospects for success of future proposals and projects or whether some development will occur, provided that discussion is properly referenced. It is not appropriate for an editor to insert their own opinions or analysis. Forward-looking articles about unreleased products (e.g., movies, games, etc.) require special care to make sure that they are not advertising. In particular:
- Individual scheduled or expected future events should only be included if the event is notable and almost certain to take place. If preparation for the event isn't already in progress, speculation about it must be well documented, but a schedule of future events may also be appropriate.
- Similarly, individual items from a predetermined list or a systematic pattern of names, preassigned to future events or discoveries, are not suitable article topics, if only generic information is known about the item. Similarly, articles about words formed on a predictable numeric system (such as "septenquinquagintillion") are not encyclopedic unless they are defined on good authority, or genuinely in use.
- Articles that present extrapolation, speculation, and "future history" are original research and therefore inappropriate. Of course, we do and should have articles about notable artistic works, essays, or credible research that embody predictions.
[edit] Bahaikipedia is not censored
Bahaikipedia may contain content that some readers consider objectionable or offensive. Anyone reading Bahaikipedia can edit an article and the changes are displayed instantaneously without any checking to ensure appropriateness, so Bahaikipedia cannot guarantee that articles or images are tasteful to all users or adhere to specific norms or requirements. While obviously inappropriate content (such as an irrelevant link to a shock site) is usually removed immediately, or content that is judged to violate Bahaikipedia's Biographies of living persons policy can be removed, some articles may include objectionable text, images, or links if they are relevant to the content and do not violate any of our existing policies (especially Bahá'í point of view), nor the law of the United States.
[edit] Also, Bahaikipedia articles are not ...
Bahaikipedia is not just a collection of information; merely being true does not automatically make something suitable for inclusion in the encyclopedia. While there is a continuing debate about the encyclopedic merits of several classes of entries, current consensus is that Bahaikipedia articles are not simply:
- Lists of Frequently Asked Questions. Bahaikipedia articles should not list FAQs. Instead, format the information provided as neutral prose within the appropriate article(s).
- Travel guides. An article on Paris should mention the local Bahá'í community and how they can be reached. Not the telephone number or street address of your favorite hotel or the price of a café au lait on the Champs-Élysées.
- Memorials. Bahaikipedia is not the place to honor departed friends and relatives. Subjects of encyclopedia articles must be notable besides being fondly remembered.
- Instruction manuals. While Bahaikipedia has descriptions of people, places, and things, Bahaikipedia articles should not include instructions, advice (legal, medical, or otherwise) or suggestions, or contain "how-to"s. This includes tutorials, walk-throughs, instruction manuals, video game guides, and recipes. Note that this does not apply to the Bahaikipedia: namespace, where "how-to"s relevant to editing Bahaikipedia itself are appropriate.
- Internet guides. Bahaikipedia articles should not exist only to describe the nature, appearance or services a website offers, but should describe the site in an encyclopedic manner, offering detail on a website's achievements, impact or historical significance, which can be significantly more up-to-date than most reference sources since we can incorporate new developments and facts as they are made known.
- Textbooks and annotated texts. Bahaikipedia is an encyclopedic reference, not a textbook. The purpose of Bahaikipedia is to present facts, not to teach subject matter. It is not appropriate to create or edit articles which read as textbooks, with leading questions and step-by-step problem solutions as examples.
- Plot summaries. Bahaikipedia articles on published works should contain real-world context and sourced analysis, offering detail on a work's achievements, impact or historical significance, not solely a summary of that work's plot. A plot summary may be appropriate as an aspect of a larger topic.
- Lyrics databases. Most song lyrics are protected by copyright. Exceptions include traditional songs whose lyrics are in the public domain. However, even in this case the article may not consist solely of the lyrics, but has to primarily contain information about authorship, date of publication, social impact, etc.
- Statistics. Long and sprawling lists of statistics may be confusing to readers and reduce the readibility and neatness of our articles. In addition, articles should contain sufficient explanatory text to put statistics within the article in their proper context for a general reader.
- News reports. Bahaikipedia properly considers the long-term historical notability of persons and events, keeping in mind the harm our work might cause. The fact that someone or something has been in the news for a brief period of time does not automatically justify an encyclopedia article. While Bahaikipedia strives to be comprehensive, the policies on biographies of living persons and Bahá'í point of view should lead us to appropriately contextualize events. The briefer the appearance of a subject in the news, the lower the likelihood of creating an acceptably comprehensive encyclopedic biography. In order to help keep articles concise, efficient, and on-topic (and to help reduce privacy concerns), editors are invited to consider whether, in a particular article, the names of specific individuals could be redacted without the loss of non-trivial information or necessary clarity. Even when news events themselves merit an encyclopedia article of their own, additional biographies of person(s) involved may not be necessary, for instance, where they largely duplicate relevant information. Additionally, extant articles should not carry daily reports of things such as game summaries of sporting events or musical performances by a band or group unless the events themselves are noteworthy.
[edit] What the Bahaikipedia community is not
The above guidelines apply to articles on Bahaikipedia. These guidelines apply to Bahaikipedia discussions.
[edit] Bahaikipedia is not a battleground
Bahaikipedia is not a place to hold grudges, import personal conflicts, or nurture hatred or fear. Making personal battles out of Bahaikipedia discussions goes directly against our policies and goals.
Every user is expected to interact with others civilly, calmly, and in a spirit of cooperation. Do not insult, harass, or intimidate those with whom you have a disagreement. Rather, approach the matter intelligently and engage in polite discussion. If a user acts uncivilly, uncalmly, uncooperatively, insultingly, harassingly, or intimidatingly toward you, this does not give you an excuse to do the same in retaliation. Either respond solely to the factual points brought forward and ignore its objectionable flavoring, or ignore the relevant message entirely. You could also remind the user in question of Bahaikipedia's policy of no personal attacks in such a situation. Bahaikipedia is not an anti-leech community. Users should not criticize others on not devoting time to edit.
When a conflict continues to bother you or others, adhere to the procedures of dispute resolution. There are always users willing to mediate and arbitrate disputes between others.
Also, do not create or modify articles just to prove a point. Do not use Bahaikipedia to make legal or other threats against Bahaikipedia, or Bahaikipedians, other means already exist to communicate legal problems.[2] Threats are not tolerated and may result in a ban.
[edit] Bahaikipedia is not an anarchy
Bahaikipedia is free and open, but restricts both freedom and openness where they interfere with creating an encyclopedia. Accordingly, Bahaikipedia is not a forum for unregulated free speech. The fact that Bahaikipedia is an open, self-governing project does not mean that any part of its purpose is to explore the viability of anarchic communities. Our purpose is to build an encyclopedia, not to test the limits of anarchism.
[edit] Bahaikipedia is not a democracy
Bahaikipedia is not an experiment in democracy or any other political system. Its primary method of determining consensus is discussion, not voting.
[edit] Bahaikipedia is not a bureaucracy
Bahaikipedia is not a moot court, and rules are not the purpose of the community. Instruction creep should be avoided. A perceived procedural error made in posting anything, such as an idea or nomination, is not grounds for invalidating that post. Follow the spirit, not the letter, of any rules, policies and guidelines if you feel they conflict. Disagreements should be resolved through consensus-based discussion, rather than through tightly sticking to rules and procedures.
[edit] When you wonder what to do
When you wonder what should or should not be in an article, ask yourself what a reader would expect to find under the same heading in an encyclopedia. Bahaikipedia:Articles for deletion/Precedents is not official policy, but can be referred to as a record of what has and hasn't been considered encyclopedic in the past.
When you wonder whether the rules given above are being violated, consider:
- Changing the content of an article (normal editing)
- Changing the page into a redirect, preserving the page history
- Nominating the page for deletion if it meets grounds for such action under the Deletion policy page. To develop an understanding of what kinds of contributions are in danger of being deleted you have to regularly follow discussions there.
- Changing the rules on this page after a consensus has been reached following appropriate discussion with other Bahaikipedians via the Talk page. When adding new options, please be as clear as possible and provide counter-examples of similar, but permitted, subjects.
[edit] What your user page is not
- Main article: Bahaikipedia:User page
Many of the policies listed here apply to your user page as well. Your user page is not a personal homepage, nor is it a blog. More importantly, your user page is not yours. It is a part of Bahaikipedia, and exists to make collaboration among Bahaikipedians easier, not for self-promotion. For the full details, see User page help.
[edit] Notes
- ↑ Note that Bahaikipedia incorporates many images and some text which are considered "fair use" into its GFDLed articles. (Other language Bahaikipedias often do not.) See also Bahaikipedia:Copyrights.
- ↑ If you believe that your legal rights are being violated, you may discuss this with other users involved, contact the Bahaikipedia, or in cases of copyright violations notify us at Bahaikipedia:Request for immediate removal of copyright violation.
