Please do not bite the newcomers

This page documents Bharatpedia behavioral guideline.

It is a generally accepted standard that editors should attempt to follow, though it is best treated with common sense, and occasional exceptions may apply. Any substantive edit to this page should reflect consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on the talk page.

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This page in a nutshell: Don’t be hostile toward fellow editors, newcomers in particular. Assume good faith and respond to problematic edits in a clear and polite manner.

A tiger biting a soccer ball. — This ball probably does not mind being bitten, but newcomers do.

Bharatpedia is improved through the work of both regular editors and newcomers. All of us were new editors once, and in some areas, the most experienced are still regarded as newcomers. Treat newcomers with kindness and patience—nothing scares valuable contributors away faster than hostility.

The first edits of many currently experienced editors were test edits, unsourced and/or unencyclopedic additions. As a result, it is unlikely for a new editor to be familiar with Bharatpedia's markup language and its policies, guidelines, and community standards. Not having a clue is a normal stage in the editor life cycle. We want editors to survive the process.

Initial interactions set the expectation for the entire community. A welcoming atmosphere invites new editors to mature, while a harsh one fosters an idea that Bharatpedia is unkind and rigid.

Next time you feel frustrated with a newcomer's mistake, take it as an opportunity to nurture potential contributors. Consider improving upon a newcomer's edit rather than reverting it. Bharatpedia needs a constant stream of new information, experience, and ideas.</ref>}} Guide newcomers patiently and thoroughly: kindness and patience is a necessity for Bharatpedia's survival.

Understanding newcomers[edit source]

Our motto and our invitation to a newcomer is to Template:Emphasis. We have a set of principles, best practices, and traditions, but they must not be applied in such a way as to thwart the efforts of newcomers who take that invitation at face value. A newcomer brings a wealth of ideas, creativity, and experience from other areas that, current rules aside, have the potential to better our community and Bharatpedia as a whole. Any new domain of concentrated, special-purpose human activity has its own specialized structures, which may take time to learn (and which benefits from periodic re-examination and revision). Perhaps the falsity the newcomer is committing ultimately improves Bharatpedia. Before concluding they are simply "wrong", it is sometimes better to observe for a while and, if necessary, ask the newcomer what they are trying to achieve.

It is widely assumed that most newcomers make mistakes. Though a new editor engaging with content is a promise. A new editor engaging in communication is a treasure. Thus, better understand your responsibility as a more experienced editor. Don't squander the opportunity for Bharatpedia to get a valuable contributor down the line by getting off to a bad start with the newcomer because of their "big mistake"; the opportunity is not yours to waste even if you are exasperated by those who have never written an encyclopedia and/or instilled encyclopedic skills—the opportunity belongs to the entire community, so respect it. By doing so, you show willingness to strengthen. Otherwise, you may have felt good for a second, after which you will show bits of hubris and carelessness, a sign of disregard for the project's best interest. The newcomer's mistake you've recognized does not have such a devastating impact in the scheme of things. They should be able to make the human error. Ultimately, what truly matters is that the editor communicates, shows signs of getting it and gradually starts improving.

An advised principle is to teach by example and correct the mistake yourself. Furthermore, leaving a note to a newcomer explaining what you have done and the relevant Bharatpedia standards to prospectively follow will prove more useful than slamming them. Approach gently and respectfully in addition to setting an example for how to address other editors' mistakes. Afterwards, experienced editors are expected to behave collegially and tone down the rhetoric a few notches from the usual Bharatpedia norm by introducing yourself with a greeting on the user's talk page to let them know they are embraced. Also, make the newcomer feel genuinely welcome, not as though they must win your approval in order to be granted membership into an exclusive club. If possible, point out something they have done correctly or especially well.

Unlike most online communities that people visit, Bharatpedia is somehow considered "negative". Because it is a collaborative working environment, everyone's work overlaps with that of other people. Hence, good results are only achieved by finding those imperfections in what someone else did and incrementally improving on it. Expect that newcomers do not understand this and will receive much of the feedback as real negativity. It takes time to adjust to unusual environment regardless. Do not overwhelm them with too many instructions, e.g., sending out an influx of demeaning statements; instead, enable them to engage in a fluid conversation. By creating an opening for them to respond, each point of criticism will come off more naturally.

You, as well, were once a newcomer. Let's treat others as you were treated (or, probably, wish you had been treated) when you first arrived. Remember: Template:Emphasis

How to avoid biting[edit source]

Larger Bharatpedia puzzle piece supporting a smaller one — Bharatpedia is collectively built by experienced editors supporting newcomers.

Improve, do not remove. If something does not meet Bharatpedia's standards, rather than immediately removing it, first try to fix the problem.
As always, assume good faith. You cannot blame someone for breaking a rule they were not aware of. We were all newcomers once.
Avoid intensifiers such as exclamation points (!!!!) and words such as Template:Emphasis etc.
Explain reverts via edit summary or on their user talk page.
Avoid excessive Bharatpedia jargon. When linking to policies or guidelines, do so in whole phrases, not wiki shorthand.
Templated messages may seem unwelcoming. Consider writing a personalised one.
Avoid filling a newly created page with maintenance templates or nominating it for deletion. Wait a few days to see how the page evolves first. If moving an article to draft "for improvement", do not do so without saying what improvements are needed.
Do not join a pile of people pointing out problems, even when each comment is kindly phrased.
Remind newcomers that everything is saved. When their pages or edits are deleted, they can request undeletion, or recover them from the page history.
Do not call newcomers disparaging names like "sockpuppet" or "meatpuppet". Point them towards relevant policies instead.

It is okay not to be aware of guidelines[edit source]

Shortcut

BP:IJME

Ignorance of guidelines Template:Emphasis excuse mistakes. To a newcomer, the large number of Bharatpedia policies and guidelines can be overwhelming. As all editors are encouraged to be bold, unfamiliarity with the rules is expected, though willfully disregarding them is not.

I have bitten someone — what do I do?[edit source]

If you believe that you have bitten someone, don't worry about it too much. Mistakes are human nature, and simple steps are available to correct them.

Apologize, explaining what motivated you to bite.
Guide the newcomer through Bharatpedia processes and reflect on what you could have done differently.
Find something of value in the experience, and move on. Extract the wisdom that may have been unintentionally veiled.

Templates[edit source]

Notes[edit source]

References[edit source]

Template:Useful links

Bharatpedia:Please do not bite the newcomers

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