Wikipedia:Griefing

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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.

Griefing is the act of chronically causing grief to other members of an online community. The term Griefer originated in the online gaming world, and although Wikipedia is not commonly regarded as a game (see also Wikipedia:Wikipedia is an MMORPG), the concept also applies here. Griefers are very similar to trolls, with the main difference being that griefers will often act to deliberately antagonize other members of the community, whereas trolls will more often act by baiting other members in an attempt to disrupt, by causing other community members to waste time in dealing with the troll's actions. Both griefers and trolls are usually acting out in a desire for attention.

[edit] Identifying griefers

Griefers may lack social skills. They fail to adjust to social norms, and do not take criticism well. On Wikipedia a griefer could be a POV warrior, a vandal, someone engaging in personal attacks, or an editor who habitually lacks civility. However, not all griefers are rude, and some may be unfailingly polite, while at the same time they are making deliberate attempts to disrupt the community. They may game the rules, possibly following the letter but not the spirit, and they may repeatedly violate unwritten social standards.

[edit] Reasons for griefing

There are as many motivations for griefing as there are griefers, but common causes are:

• Emotional immaturity and/or instability
• Adolescent rebellion against authority. A desire to push the limits and attempt to disrupt
• Sociopathic behavior
• Boredom. Some griefers feel that they want something to do, and if they're not interested in participating in a constructive manner, they will generate their "fun" by antagonizing others

[edit] Responding to griefers

In terms of dealing with griefers, the community must eventually make a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether an editor's contributions justify the loss of morale they inflict on other users.

Dealing with a griefer is often dependent on the exact nature of their activities.

• Sometimes griefers should simply be ignored
• Sometimes, with effort on the part of other good members of the community, a griefer may be socialized if they can be given sufficient attention and brought back to a more cooperative standard of behavior. One way to handle suspected griefers is to politely ask about their concerns and explain constructive ways to raise those concerns in a socially acceptable manner.
• If positive engagement does not lead to improvement, habitual griefers should be politely, but firmly, asked to leave the community.