wikidoc:Etiquette

Etiquette

• Assume good faith. Wiki Doc has worked remarkably well so far based on a policy of nearly complete freedom to edit. People come here to collaborate and submit helpful medical information.
• Treat others as you would have them treat you.
• Be polite, please!
  • Irony isn't always obvious - text comes without facial expressions, vocal inflection or body language. Be careful of the words you choose — what you intended might not be what others perceive, and what you read might not be what the author intended.
• Please register yourself and sign and date your posts to talk pages (not articles!), unless you have some excellent reasons not to do so.
• Work toward agreement.
• Argue facts, not personalities.
• Don't ignore questions.
  • If another disagrees with your edit, provide good reasons why you think it's appropriate.
• Concede a point, when you have no response to it; or admit when you disagree based on intuition or taste.
• Be civil.
• Although it's understandably difficult in a heated argument, if the other party is not as civil as you'd like them to be, make sure to be more civil than him or her, not less.
  • That way at least you're not spiralling down to open conflict and name-calling by your own accord, you're actively doing something about it: taking a hit and refraining from hitting back - everybody appreciates that (or at least they should).
  • However, don't hesitate to let the other party know that you're not comfortable with their tone in a neutral way -- otherwise they might think you're too dense to understand their "subtlety", and you'll involuntarily encourage them (e.g. "I know you've been sarcastic above, but I don't think that's helping us resolve the issue. However, I don't think your argument stands because...").
• Be prepared to apologize.
  • In animated discussions, we often say things we later wish we hadn't. Say so.
• Forgive and forget.
• Recognize your own biases and keep them in check.
• Give praise when due. Everybody likes to feel appreciated, especially in an environment that often requires compromise. Drop a friendly note on users' talk pages.
• Remove or summarize resolved disputes that you initiated.
• Help mediate disagreements between others.
• If you're arguing, take a break; if you're mediating, recommend a break.
  • Take it slow. If you're angry, take time out instead of posting or editing. Come back in a day or a week. You might find that someone else has made the change or comment you wanted for you. If no one is mediating, and you think mediation is needed, enlist someone.
  • Walk away or find another Wiki doc article to distract yourself there are a number of articles on Wikidoc!
• Remember the things that Wiki Doc is not.
• Review the list of faux pas.
• Avoid reverts and deletions whenever possible, and stay within the three revert rule, except in cases of clear vandalism. Explain reversions in the edit summary box.
  • Amend, edit, discuss.
• Remind yourself that these are people you're dealing with. They are individuals with feelings and probably have other people in the world who love them. Try to allow dignity to others.

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