Wikipedia:Don't delete the main page

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This is an essay; it contains the advice and/or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. It is not a policy or guideline, and editors are not obliged to follow it.
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WP:DDMP
This page in a nutshell: There are jokes, and then there are "oh fuck" situations.
Having a laugh is good, but it can have serious repercussions.
Having a laugh is good, but it can have serious repercussions.

One admin was discussing the deletion of the main page in IRC. Another admin mentioned to him that because the page had been edited over 5000 times, it couldn't be deleted. The first admin thought he'd try it. The main page got deleted.[1]

You might think you're having a laugh, but sometimes, the joke gets missed. If you find yourself having to say "sarcasm doesn't come across well here", you're best off avoiding sarcasm.

In other words, don't even joke about how to cause disruption. Someone may miss the joke.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "I deleted the Main Page", Administrator's Noticeboard, Incidents - Archive 363, 2008-02-03. 

[edit] See also