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Help:Introduction to policies and guidelines/3

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Policies and guidelines   Content   Conduct   Summary    
Like these people walking across the grass instead of taking the concrete path, when it makes more sense - ignore all rules.

On Wikipedia you can contribute without needing to know every rule. In fact, Wikipedia not having firm rules is one of its fundamental principles: if there is a better way to do something, do it the better way and ignore the rule or argue for the rule to be modified. This fits right in with the guideline to be bold, which states that if you see something that can be improved, improve it, and do not be overly concerned with breaking anything. If the change is in the spirit of improvement and makes sense to others, the odds are good that everything will turn out alright and the change will be kept.

Being civil and assuming good faith is a mainstay on Wikipedia.

Editors typically reach consensus (policy) as a natural and inherent product of editing; generally someone makes a change or addition to a page, then everyone who reads it has an opportunity to leave the page as it is or change it. Being reverted may feel a bit deflating, but do not take offense, as it is a common step in finding consensus. If you have a disagreement or suggestion, express it on the talk page (guideline), and politely discuss the change until a consensus can be reached.

Being polite entails remaining civil (policy) and assuming good faith (guideline) when interacting with others. Being civil requires participating in a respectful and considerate way, without ignoring the positions and conclusions of others. Assuming good faith means that we assume that other people's intentions are to improve the project, even if their editing style is unusual, doesn't fit in with all the rules, or doesn't fit in with one's own views. If criticism or modification is needed, discuss editors' actions, but avoid accusing others of harmful motives without clear evidence. Some edits are obviously non-constructive and can be removed almost immediately, whilst maintaining civility.


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