User:Andrewa/gentle editor
 | This is an essay on civility. 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. |
 | This page in a nutshell: This user chooses unilaterally to abide by wp:NPA, whether others do or not |
In that all pages belong to the whole project, any user may edit this one. But it's generally more helpful (and polite) to discuss the proposed change on its talk page first.
| GE | This Wikipedian is a gentle editor and respects both the letter and spirit of NPA. |
Users who display Template:Gentle editor on their user pages believe that no personal attacks is a fundamental principle on which the success of Wikipedia depends.
Some have described the policy as aspirational. We respect that belief but do not share it. To the contrary, we think it would improve Wikipedia if every editor were to make a serious effort to obey both the spirit and the letter of NPA.
Every time a personal attack is made, it lessens Wikipedia however slightly.
- It makes it impossible to tell whether consensus has really been achieved, or whether it's just that some of the more sensitive contributors have decided to go away quietly rather than risk being abused. We are all volunteers here, after all.
- It encourages both the perpetrator and others to make further, and perhaps bolder, personal attacks.
There's really nothing to be said for personal attacks however mild. Which is what the policy says too, and quite explicitly.
This is not about sanctions. We are all human, and sanctions should not be necessary, and don't seem to have worked anyway. This is about supporting those who do commit to supporting the policy of no personal attacks.