Jameson L. Tai ^{(sandbox 21)}

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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.

Right to call shenanigans

Wikipedians should, by all standards, be given the basic right to call shenanigans, that is, to declare that the abused has been cheated in some shape, way, or form. The accused may either accept the charge or deny with unbiased reason. This is in no way intended to assist trolling or any acts of vandalism on Wikipedia, but instead to serve notice to a particular editor that he/she has done wrong and shall explain such actions as well as be held accountable accordingly. Shenanigans should only be called when evidence in violation of WP:AGF has been violated.

Why call shenanigans?

There are several reasons why shenanigans should be called, especially during voting processes that are deemed one-sided, or borderline pointy or bitey. Pile-On opposes in an RfA instead of moving such concerns into the Neutral section is a classic example.

How to call shenanigans?

Notify the accused on their talk page. Remember, use kind words, be polite, and don't be stupid. Personal attacks will only get you blocked.
Post "I call Shenanigans on X on the respective process' talk page, if appropriate, the main page of the discussion also works.
Call shenanigans on your own talk page. Sometimes calling shenanigans on a group of users is necessary. Instead of copy and pasting the entire paragraph and have several discussions in several pages, a centralized discussion may be held on your talk page. It would be wise, however, to remember to send a post to the accused's respective talk pages, or else you might as well be yelling really loudly in the Grand Canyons at 3am.

How to deal with someone calling shenanigans on you

Well, to have someone call shenanigans on you, something must not be right. It's time to put down that shining armor and get down and dirty. Dig deep in your heart and please answer the abused's questions about your actions the best as you can. Shenanigans are taken seriously, so it should be one of the last attempts to achieve feedback. Clearly state your intentions and list the reasons why you did what you did.

Don't be shy about your answer, as an angry editor calling shenanigans would do in real life, a fist fight or a chair broken on top of your head may result. In the very least, you may be WikiTrouted publicly.

Why would you need to respond to someone calling shenanigans on you?

Because it's the right thing to do. It is a

Jameson L. Tai (sandbox 21)