HRFWiki2:Talk page etiquette

Purpose of the talk page

Editors at the Homestar Runner Fanstuff Wiki 2 communicate with each other on talk pages concerning fanstuff, helping users, and a wealth of other topics. These guidelines are meant to indicate which kinds of talk page edits are the most helpful, and which are seen as undesirable for a variety of reasons.

Main namespace talk

The talk page for a main namespace article is for discussing the page.

User talk

User talk pages are used to communicate with the user. If it does not involve the user, do not post it on their talk page. In particular, if the discussion is between you and another user, and the talk page you are using is neither yours nor the other user's, move the conversation elsewhere.

Also note that posting the same message to multiple users' talk pages may be considered spamming (unless you are informing various users about a wiki policy, for instance) and should be avoided.

IP user talk

Users who are not logged in appear as an IP address. The wiki allows these users to receive messages and reply on their IP talk pages. You should not create talk pages for trolls and vandals, as they only tend to encourage them.

General

In general, any user may post on any talk page, provided the post is on topic. If a discussion evolves to outgrow the scope of the talk page, it should be continued in a more appropriate location, such as another article's talk page.

Editing the talk posts of others is generally frowned upon. It's more respectful in most cases to leave a followup post with corrections. In general, allow posters' words to stand unless there are compelling reasons to alter or remove them.

You may wish to archive older threads when you have amassed a large number of threads on your user talk page. The usual way to do this is:

1. Create a subpage in your userspace called "Talk Archive" or similar.
2. Copy the oldest threads from your talk page to this archive page.
   • Do not archive any active threads.
   • Leave all threads entirely intact in the archive. Do not omit any material.
3. Include a link to the archive on your talk page so these threads are still accessible.

Completely deleting posts is allowed, but it is usually frowned upon when these posts are critical of your actions. Your removing these posts may be seen as an effort to hide your mistakes. A better solution is to reply to these criticisms with an appropriate response and let them stand, whether on your talk page or in an archive.

There are times when talk page posts can be removed, such as off-topic posts, vandalism, spam, or insults. Also, feel free to remove any posts from their original page when they have been moved.

How to format talk posts

When you are beginning a new thread of discussion on a talk page, you should use the "+" tab on the top of the page to start a new thread. Enter the thread title in the small box and your post in the large box. Sign your talk post with a signature and timestamp.

When you are replying to a post, do not start a new thread. Use the edit link to the right of the thread title (or, if it is not under a thread title, use the edit tab at the top of the page). Under the post, type a colon (:) and your reply. The colon indents the post, which makes it easier to follow the conversation. Again, conclude your post with your signature.

Example:

== Misspelling ==
I think you misspelled the name of this fanstuff. User 03:00, 1 January 2007 (UTC)
:I agree. User2 03:05, 1 January 2007 (UTC)
::I fixed it. User3 03:08 1 January 2007 (UTC)

If you are replying under a comment with one colon, use two colons for yours. Add a colon for each subsequent comment. If the thread is extremely long, a user may reset the indenting by using no colons.

Talk post content

It is important to remember that your post is going to be read by many people. If your post is not clear, each of these people might interpret it in a different way. Here are some guidelines to help you to be understood clearly.

• Always reply to a post on the same page the post is on. In some online communities like Wikipedia or MySpace, users reply by posting to other users' pages. This is not necessary here. In cases where you wish to move the conversation elsewhere, leave a post to indicate where you are moving discussion.
• Never attribute to malice what can be attributed to stupidity or ignorance. This means that when someone says something that upsets you, you should assume they did not mean it intentionally and respond as if they were not aware they could have upset you, which is usually the truth.
• No obscenity of any kind is permitted on talk pages. We have many, many users under the age of 18.
• Personal attacks of any kind or severity are forbidden. Each user shall be treated with dignity and respect at all times, with no exceptions. Even if a user has vandalized the wiki with the most vile content, that person shall be dealt with based on the facts of their actions and never with personal opinions or insults.
• All talk page posts should be on topic. If you think the post (or part of a post) might be better suited for the forum or IRC, you're probably right. Also, if you think it might not need to be said, don't say it.
• Replying to dead conversations is generally futile. Many talk pages are quite old, and you will find conversations from years past. If you feel a very old topic should be revisited, normally you should start a new thread and begin it there, saying something along the lines of "Bringing up an old discussion...". There are times, however, when there may be a legitimate reason to post within an old thread (where a consensus was sought on a topic but never reached, for example); use your discretion.
• You should never reply to items on an archived page. However, if a revisiting of the topic is warranted, create a new thread on the active talk page, quote the relevant text in a <blockquote>, and reply following.
• Do not remove posts from a talk page unless it is your user talk page (but see above) or there is a clear, compelling reason the post must be removed. Changing or deleting the words of others is opposite to the purpose of talk pages, not to mention that it's rude.