Wikipedia:Update/1/Conduct policy changes during August 2009

• Wikipedia:Civility
  • Several statements were softened without a significant change in meaning, for instance "always treat" became "always endeavor to treat" and "not in themselves a concern" became "not in themselves a major concern".
  • In WP:CIVIL#Engaging in incivility, added as examples: "excessive sarcasm", and "Use of condescending language towards other Users. (e.g. "You're just a newbie, you clearly don't understand how Wikipedia works, now try reading some policy pages before commenting again.") Wikipedia has no official rank structure and all Users should feel as though they are being treated as equals at all times."

• Wikipedia:Consensus
  • In the introduction, removed a pointer to the fourth pillar
  • Removed the WP:CON#Purpose section (July 31 version), and moved some of the content down to WP:CON#Exceptions and new section WP:CON#Policies and guidelines, with substantial changes: "Some content issues, such as copyright violations and biographies of living persons, are not normally subject to debate or consensus, primarily because of the risk of real harm inherent in them. ... Policies and guidelines reflect established consensus, and their stability and consistency are important if the community is to have confidence in them. Editors are therefore expected to discuss substantive changes on the talk page before making them."
  • In WP:CON#Exceptions, removed [Declarations] "from Jimmy Wales," [ the Wikimedia Foundation Board, or the Developers, particularly for copyright, legal issues, or server load, have policy status.], and removed link to Wikipedia:Policies and guidelines#Sources of Wikipedia policy. Added "It is very hard to change [the Wikimedia founding principles], because you need to convince such a large community. But they do change slowly over time."
  • In WP:CON#Consensus as a result of the editing process, added: "Someone makes a change to a page, then everyone who reads the page has an opportunity to leave it as it is, or change it. When two or more editors cannot reach an agreement by editing, consensus is sought on article talk pages."
  • In WP:CON#Consensus building in talk pages, removed link to bold, revert, discuss cycle
  • Changed WP:CON#Community discussions to WP:CON#Community discussions and polls, and removed: "New users who are not yet familiar with consensus should realize that polls (if held) are often more likely to be the start of a discussion rather than the end of one."
  • Changed WP:CON#Consensus is not in numbers to WP:CON#Canvassing

• Wikipedia:Dispute resolution
  • Added new subsection: WP:DR#Sensitive and privacy-related issues

• Wikipedia:Edit war
  • Changed WP:WAR#What is edit warring? to WP:WAR#What edit warring is, moved some material around, and added: [... stall a] "discussion, or coerce a given stance on a page without regard to collaborative approaches." Added "... exhaust other users into dropping the issue, rather than seeking constructive, encyclopedia-related consensus. Such behaviors are never acceptable." Added [Edit warring is different from bold, revert, discuss (BRD)] "which presumes even a major edit may be tried out, unless another editor objects to the point of reversion, at which point BRD is complete and editing transitions to discussion and consensus seeking."
  • Changed WP:WAR#What is not edit warring to WP:WAR#What edit warring is not.
  • In WP:WAR#Application of 3RR, changed "rectify a genuine mistake" to "genuinely trying to rectify their own mistake"
  • In WP:WAR#Exceptions to 3RR, added "(check the definition)"
  • WP:WAR#Administrator guidance, added [administrators should consider all sides,] "since perceived unfairness can fuel issues.", and added links: prevent, deter and encourage change in and tag team reverting

• Wikipedia:No legal threats
  • Added link, email, and added the {{NoSpamEmail}} template to protect the mailing list

• Wikipedia:No personal attacks
  • New section heading, but with no new material: WP:NPA#Avoiding personal attacks

• Wikipedia:Ownership of articles
  • In the introduction, moved part of the first sentence into a footnote
  • Removed a section, WP:OWN#'Ownership' examples (July 31 version)

• Wikipedia:Policies and guidelines
  • Substantial changes to the entire page from the July 31 version

• Wikipedia:Sock puppetry
  • Added to introduction: [If someone uses alternative accounts, it is] "strongly" [recommended that they provide links between the accounts in most cases ...]
  • Added to WP:SOCK#Alternative accounts:

It is unacceptable to use alternative accounts to disrupt Wikipedia or to misrepresent yourself or your contributions. For example:

• Posing as a neutral commentator, using one alt account, in a policy discussion about another account of the same person.
• !Voting more than once in polls, such as WP:Articles for discussion polls.
• Using multiple accounts to violate our rules about edit warring
• Creating an article with one account, and then marking it as patrolled with another.
• Use of a separate account for disruption or vandalism, in the hope that, when it is blocked, the main account can continue with blameless editing.
• Creating an article with one account and proposing it for deletion with another, a WP:POINT violation
• Creating a separate account to argue one side of an issue in a deliberately irrational or offensive fashion, to sway opinion to another side.

It is improper to use multiple accounts to do anything which cannot or should not be done with a single account.

• Wikipedia:Username policy
  • Added to WP:U#Choosing an appropriate username: [Promotional usernames are used to promote a group, company, product] "or website"; also added [Disruptive usernames include outright trolling or personal attacks,] "include profanities". Removed [your name should not end] "or begin" [with "bot"].
  • WP:U#Dealing with inappropriate usernames and WP:U#Seeking input on a username were both shortened.
  • In WP:U#Blocking guidelines for administrators, the guidelines were replaced by a link to the instructions at Wikipedia:Usernames for administrator attention/Listing instructions.