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What Monstropedia is not

Revision as of 00:37, 20 December 2005 by Devious Viper (talk | contribs)

Monstropedia: What Monstropedia Is Not

Monstropedia is an online encyclopedia and, as a means to that end, also an online community. Therefore, there are certain things that Monstropedia is not.


What Monstropedia Is Not

Monstropedia is not a soapbox

Monstropedia is not a soapbox, a chatroom, discussion forum, or vehicle for propaganda. Therefore, Monstropedia articles are not:

  1. Personal essays that state your particular opinions about a topic. Monstropedia is supposed to compile human knowledge. It is not a vehicle to make personal opinions become part of human knowledge. In the unusual situation where the opinions of a single individual are important enough to discuss, it is preferable to let other people write about them.
  2. Primary (original) research such as proposing theories and solutions, original ideas, defining terms, coining new words, etc. If you have done primary research on a topic, publish your results in other venues such as peer-reviewed journals, other printed forms, or respected online sites. Monstropedia will report about your work once it becomes part of accepted human knowledge. Not all information added to Monstropedia has to be from peer-reviewed journals; but strive to make that information no less reliable and verifiable. For example, citing book, print, or reliable web resources demonstrates that the material is verifiable and is not the editor's opinion.
  3. Propaganda or advocacy of any kind. Of course, an article can report objectively about such things, as long as an attempt is made to approach a neutral point of view. You might wish to go to the Monstrous discussion forum to persuade other people about your views.
  4. Discussion forums. You can chat with folks on their user talk pages, and should resolve problems with articles on the relevant talk pages, but please do not take discussion into articles. Again, our dedicated forum is the place for this.
  5. Critical reviews. Of course, critical analysis of art is welcome, if grounded in direct observations of outside parties.
  6. Self-promotion. While you are free to write about yourself or projects you have a strong personal involvement in, remember that the standards for encyclopedic articles apply to such pages just like any other.

Monstropedia is not a dictionary

Monstropedia is not a dictionary, or a usage or jargon guide.

  1. Dictionary definitions. Because Monstropedia is not a dictionary, please do not create an entry merely to define a term. Sometimes an article can and should begin with a good definition; If you come across an article that is nothing more than a definition, see if there is information you can add that would be appropriate for an encyclopedia.
  2. Lists of such definitions. There are, however, disambiguation pages consisting of pointers to other pages; these are used to clarify differing meanings of a word. Monstropedia also includes glossary pages for various specialized fields.

Monstropedia is not a mirror or a repository of links, images, or media files

Monstropedia is neither a mirror nor a repository of links (other than our one Links page), images, or media files. By submitting any content, you agree to release it for free use under the GNU FDL. Monstropedia articles are not:

  1. Mere collections of external links or Internet directories. There is nothing wrong with adding to an article a list of content-relevant links; however, excessive lists can dwarf articles and detract from the purpose of Monstropedia.
  2. Mere collections of internal links, except for disambiguation pages when an article title is ambiguous, and for topical lists to assist with the organisation of articles.
  3. Mere collections of public domain or other source material such as entire books or source code, original historical documents, and other source material that are only useful when presented with their original, un-modified wording.
  4. Collections of photographs or media files with no text to go with the articles. If you are interested in presenting a picture, please provide an encyclopedic context.

Monstropedia is not censored for the protection of minors

Monstropedia may contain content that some readers consider objectionable or offensive. Anyone reading Monstropedia can edit an article and the changes are displayed instantaneously without any checking to ensure appropriateness, so Monstropedia cannot guarantee at any given time that articles or images are appropriate for children or adhere to specific social norms.


What the Monstropedia community is not

Monstropedia is not total anarchy

Monstropedia is free and open, but restricts both freedom and openness where they interfere with the purpose of creating an encyclopedia. Accordingly, Monstropedia is not a forum for unregulated free speech. The fact that Monstropedia is an open, self-governing project does not mean that any part of its purpose is to explore the viability of anarchistic communities. Our purpose is to build an encyclopedia, not to test the limits of anarchism.

Monstropedia is not a battleground

Every user is expected to interact with others civilly, calmly, and in a spirit of cooperation. Do not insult, harass or intimidate those with whom you have a disagreement. Rather, approach the matter in an intelligent manner, and engage in polite discussion. Do not create or modify articles just to prove a point. Do not make legal or other threats against Monstropedia or Monstropedians. Threats are not tolerated and may result in a ban. See also Dispute Resolution.

Monstropedia is not a democracy

Monstropedia is not an experiment in democracy. Its primary method of finding consensus is discussion, not voting. That is, majority opinion does not necessarily rule in Monstropedia.

Monstropedia is not a bureaucracy

Disagreements should be resolved through consensual discussion, rather than through tightly sticking to rules and procedures. Follow the spirit, not the letter, of any rules, policies and guidelines.