VRCWiki:Civility

Civility is part of VRChat Wiki's code of conduct. Stated simply, editors should always treat each other with consideration and respect. They should focus on improving the wiki while maintaining a pleasant editing environment by behaving politely, calmly, and reasonably, even during heated debates.

VRChat Wiki's civility expectations apply to all editors during all interactions on the wiki, including discussions at user and article talk pages, in edit summaries, and in any other discussion with or about fellow editors.

Cooperation and civility

Civil, respectful interactions are important.

Differences of opinion are inevitable in a collaborative project. When discussing these differences, some editors can seem unnecessarily harsh while simply trying to be forthright. Other editors may seem oversensitive when their views are challenged. Faceless written words on talk pages and in edit summaries do not fully transmit the nuances of verbal conversation, sometimes leading to misinterpretation of an editor's comments. An uncivil remark can escalate spirited discussion into a personal argument that no longer focuses objectively on the problem at hand. Such exchanges waste our efforts and undermine a positive, productive working environment. Resolve differences of opinion through civil discussion; disagree without being disagreeable. Discussion of other editors should be limited to polite discourse about their actions.

Editors are expected to be reasonably cooperative, to refrain from making personal attacks, to work within the scope of policies, and to be responsive to good-faith questions. Try to treat your fellow editors as respected colleagues with whom you are working on an important project. Be especially welcoming and patient towards new users who contribute constructively, but politely discourage non-constructive newcomers.

Assume good faith

The assume good faith guideline states that unless there is strong evidence to the contrary, editors should assume that others are trying to help, not hurt the project.

The guideline does not require that editors continue to assume good faith in the presence of obvious evidence of intentional wrongdoing. However, do not assume there is more misconduct than evidence supports. Given equally plausible interpretations of the evidence, choose the most positive one.

Apologizing: It's OK to say sorry

Disputes, and even misunderstandings, can lead to situations in which one party feels injured by the other. There's no loss of face in apologizing. We all make mistakes, we all say the odd hurtful thing, we all have bad days and bad moments. If you have a sneaky feeling you owe someone an apology, offer the apology. Apologizing does not hurt you.

Remember, though, that you cannot demand an apology from anyone else. It will only get their back up and make it either less likely to happen or to be totally insincere if you do get an apology. Never be too proud to make the first move when it comes to saying sorry. That kind of "pride" is destructive. An apology provides the opportunity for a fresh start and can clear the air when one person's perceived incivility has offended another.

Different places, different atmospheres

Article talk pages should be, on the whole, considered to be semi-professional workspaces. They are places to collaborate on how to improve the article and to discuss the article (though it's OK for conversations to wander into related areas, or go more in-depth than the article does, as that helps with research and gives ideas on improvement).

While an editor's talk page may have a more informal atmosphere than article talk pages, civility policy still applies everywhere, including there. Note that, in general, the editor may remove comments there at their discretion.

Edit summary dos and don'ts

Review your edit summaries before saving your edits. Remember you cannot go back and change them.

Here is a list of tips about edit summaries:

• Be clear about what you did, so that other editors can assess your changes accurately.
• Use neutral language.
• Remain calm.
• Don't make snide comments.
• Don't make personal remarks about editors.
• Don't be aggressive.