Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, is the largest and most successful wiki. The Apple Wiki adopts some of the general guidelines that have helped make Wikipedia a success:
What to do
- BE BOLD! in updating pages. Go ahead, it's a wiki!
Encourage others, including those who disagree with you, likewise to BE BOLD! - Be civil to other users at all times.
- Ignore all rules. If the rules discourage you from improving or maintaining the wiki's quality, ignore them.
- When in doubt, start a discussion. We have all the time in the world. Mutual respect is the guiding behavioral principle of Wikia and, although everyone knows that their writing may be edited mercilessly, it is easier to accept changes if the reasons for them are understood. If you discuss changes in the article's comments section or another editor's wall before you make them, you should reach consensus faster and happier.
- Respect copyright. Fandom uses the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike 3.0 Unported License (CC-BY-SA). Everything you contribute must be compatible with that license. Remember, just because content is on Wikipedia or Wikimedia Commons, it does not mean that it is in the public domain.
- Decent edit summaries and clear and transparent explanations are universally appreciated. Other editors need to understand your process, and it also helps you yourself to understand what you did after a long leave of absence from an article. Please state what you changed and why. If the explanation is too long, add more on the discussion page.
- Assume good faith; in other words, try to consider that the person on the other end of the discussion is a thinking, rational being who is trying to positively contribute to the project — unless, and only unless, you have firm, solid, and objective proof to the contrary. Merely disagreeing with you is no such proof.
- Particularly, don't revert good faith edits. Reverting is too powerful sometimes. Don't succumb to the temptation, unless you're reverting very obvious vandalism (like "LALALALAL*&*@#@THIS_SUX0RZ", or someone changing "1+2=3" to "1+2=17"). If you really can't stand something, revert once, with an edit summary something like "(rv) I disagree strongly, I'll explain why in talk." and immediately discuss with the other editor(s).
- No personal attacks. Don't write that user such and so is an idiot, or insult him/her (even if (s)he is an idiot). Instead, explain what they did wrong, why it is wrong, and how to fix it. If possible, fix it yourself (but see above).
- Be graceful: Be liberal in what you accept, be conservative in what you do. Try to accommodate other people's quirks the best you can, but try to be as polite, solid, and straightforward as possible yourself.
- Use the preview button; it helps prevents edit conflicts and mistakes.
It's important to have fun... but try to make sure those around you have fun too!
Exceptions
- If it has anything to do with Apple, Wikipedia's WP:TOOMUCH policy does not apply here (within reason).
- We're also more lenient with use of primary sources related to Apple, its subsidiaries, or personnel, but proper sourcing and verifiability remain very important.
- Adding articles about something that you are connected to (yourself or a product that you worked on) is acceptable as long as such remains factual and verifiably connected to Apple. Outright attempts at astroturfing are subject to editing to reflect reliable sources and verifiability.
What not to do
- Attempts to knowingly add nonsense or false information to the Apple Wiki is not acceptable. If you want to fanon, there is another wiki for that.
- Vandalism or spam is not acceptable and will be blocked immediately.
- Multiple accounts are allowable if identified ahead of time by the user. Usage of multiple accounts for deception or sockpuppetry is not acceptable.
- Please do not add rumors or speculation that cannot be verified through reliable sources. Even if you want to believe something is true about Apple, if it cannot be verified, then it does not belong here. Repeated disruptive editing will lead to warning(s) and/or a block.