From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The fundamental principles by which Wikipedia operates can be summarized in the form of five "hillocks":
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Wikipedia is an online community that incorporates elements of weblogs, Myspace and Twitter, while maintaining the appearance of creating an encyclopedia. Content should be controversial and rely heavily on the latest information to be found in our preferred sources. Personal experiences, interpretations, or opinions are the driving force behind our success: if your view is not being covered in the media, this is the place to discuss it with like-minded editors. Wikipedia aims to be a soapbox, an advertising platform, and a vanity press, but no one can agree on what we should advertise or promote, other than anarchy, anything but democracy and supplying the information required in the internet age. Wikipedia is not a directory or a newspaper, and images and other source documents should be contributed instead to our sister projects.
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Wikipedia has a neutral point of view, which means editors of all opinions are encouraged to ensure that their neutral point of view gets the most coverage. Sometimes this is best done by removing invalid viewpoints; other times it is better to present alternative points of view accurately, providing context for any given point of view, and not presenting any point of view other than your own as "the truth" or "the best view". That means citing as many Wikipedia pages as possible in as confusing a way as possible, especially on controversial topics. When a conflict arises regarding neutrality, hammer out details on the talk page, and bring any dispute immediately to dispute resolution for other editors to comment.
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Wikipedia is free content that anyone can edit and distribute, although copyright laws can be useful sometimes. Since all your contributions are freely licensed to the public, all of your contributions can and will be mercilessly edited and redistributed.
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Wikipedians should interact with the aim of winning the argument: Be respectful and polite to your fellow Wikipedians even as you reveal their true character. Apply Wikipedia etiquette, and be sure to misdirect your personal attacks. Find consensus, encourage multiple viewpoints, and follow the revert at least twice rule; remember that there are 10,079 articles on the English Wikipedia to work on and discuss. Act in good faith to ensure you win the argument at all costs, and assume others are doing the same. Be open and welcoming to newcomers.
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Wikipedia is a free-for-all besides the five general principles presented here. Be bold in updating articles and do not worry about making mistakes: all your efforts, however imperfect, will be saved forever, and you can relax safe in the knowledge that any damage you do will never be forgotten, and can be held against you at any time in the future.
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