User:Doc glasgow/workshop
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A workable userbox/template/userspace policy
Note: This policy was originally developed by me, and posted to Wikipedia:Proposed policy on userboxes/Proposals as prompsal #13 on Jan 13th 2006 [1]. It was cut and paste into User:Pathoschild's userspace from this page with my permission. --Doc ask? 17:25, 21 February 2006 (UTC)
Principles:
A. Foundational to Wikipedia is WP:NPOV. Jimbo has said 'here we are Wikipedians, out there we are advocates'. Many wikipedians would wish to discourage all expressions of POV on userpages. However, others would suggest that bias is better declared. There is no consensus on the matter. That being the case, there should be no prohibition. (Prohibition is, in any case, unenforceable.) Users should be permitted relatively free expression on their userpage without censorship or other hindrance. They may, if they so desire, declare their point-of-view, and may arrange the space as they wish (including using the use of any userboxes). This should be limited only by policy on no personal attacks, civility, copyright, legal considerations, not bringing wikipedia into disrepute, no deliberate trolling, and the caveat that wikipedia is not a free web-host.
B. As Wikipedia is a neutral encyclopaedia, and not a vehicle for political advocacy, the main template space, and the server-straining ability to transcluse, should only be used to further the encyclopaedia. User templates should only exist in so far as they assist in that aim.
Userbox Policy:
- Userboxes should generally be permitted as free expression (subject to the caveats in A).
- Templates designed for use in userspace should only be permitted where they are of benefit to creating an encyclopaedia, and are general enough in scope that they are likely to be used by a reasonable number of editors. Userboxes existing in the template space should be those useful to declare a relevant skill, speciality, editing interest, or membership of a valid wiki-grouping. Advocacy or POV declaring are specifically excluded.
- This provision should be interpreted fairly liberally, and would certainly include templates for: languages, expertise, geographic or national focus, wiki-status (admin etc.), project membership, editing interests, wiki-tasking (RC patroller, mediator etc)....
- 'Editing interest' would allow templates, for example, 'user interested in US politics' but not 'user democrat'; 'user Christian theology' but not 'user Christian believer'; 'user abortion debates' but not 'pro-life'; 'scientology article editor' but not pro- or anti-.
- However, all POV, belief-orientated, extra-wiki affiliation, user-specific, or joke, userboxes, could all continue to exist in user pages, without hindrance (subject to the caveats of principle A).
- When templates are permitted, categories of wikipedians can also be created - otherwise not.
Implementation:
- Speedy deletions of userbox templates should cease, except for (obvious attacks on other users and) as below:
- Existing templates, which do not meet the above criteria, should not be immediately deleted. A caution template should be placed on them, inviting users to 'subs:' into userspace. Four weeks grace should be given before speedy deletion.
- Templates created after the policy comes into effect, which do not meet the criteria, may be speedily deleted. Any template that might debatably meet the criteria must be sent to TfD, where the sole criterion would be 'utility to the project'.
- Userboxes that don't comply with template requirements may be copied onto some special pages, from where they may be cut and paste (hard-coded) onto userpages as desired.
