The fundamental principles of Wikipedia may be summarized in five “pillars”:
Wikipedia is an encyclopedia
Simply put, an encyclopedia summarizes established knowledge from other sources—our aim is to be a high quality reference work. Every article in Wikipedia must therefore be based upon verifiable statements attributable to multiple third-party reliable sources. Our no original research policy means that Wikipedia articles shoud not advance any fact, idea, or interpretation not explicitly stated by the sources themselves. As a rule of thumb, content you woudn't find in an encyclopedia, an atlas or a gazetteer probably doesn't fit within our scope—see What Wikipedia is not.
Wikipedia is written from a neutral point of view
Every article must portray a neutral point of view. In other words, articles must not take sides, but instead should describe all the significant viewpoints on the topic, giving due weight with respect to their prominence. Promotion or advocacy do not belong. By the same token, conflict of interest should be avoided.
Wikipedia is free content
Our licences allow any person to edit and redistribute Wikipedia's content. No editor owns an article; you can't stop other editors from modifying your contributions. By the same token, you should respect copyright laws and give credit where it is due. Borrowing non-free media is sometimes allowed as fair use, but free alternatives are preferred.
Wikipedia's editors should treat each other with respect and civility
Be polite and respectful at all times, and assume good faith on the part of other editors. In case of disagreement, seek consensus on the appropriate talk pages and follow dispute resolution procedures. Do not engage in personal attacks, edit warring or any other disruptive behaviour.
Wikipedia has no firm rules
Wikipedia has policies and guidelines, but it's not necessary to know them all to participate—principles matter more than literal wording. Feel free to fix errors, add content, create new articles or make proposals. It might look daunting at first, but one learns by doing, and there will always be other Wikipedians happy to help. Be bold!

source: [1]


The fundamental principles of Wikipedia may be summarized in five “pillars”:
Wikipedia is an encyclopedia
Our aim is to provide the reader with articles that summarize accepted knowledge, written neutrally and sourced reliably. Information in Wikipedia needs to be verifiable, based on reliable published sources. You should include citations for the information you add to the encyclopedia, so that others can check it for themselves. We do not publish original research. Articles should only summarize what others have published in reliable sources about the topic, without making any new analysis or reaching conclusions not clearly stated by the sources themselves. Wikipedia is not a soapbox or an advertising platform.

table1

edit
Current Proposed Why
Wikipedia is an encyclopedia
It combines many features of general and specialized encyclopedias, almanacs, and gazetteers. Wikipedia is not a soapbox, an advertising platform, a vanity press, an experiment in anarchy or democracy, an indiscriminate collection of information, or a web directory. It is not a dictionary, a newspaper, or a collection of source documents, although some of its fellow Wikimedia projects are.
Wikipedia is an encyclopedia
Our aim is to provide the public with articles that summarize accepted knowledge, written neutrally and sourced reliably. We do not publish original research. Our content should be verifiable, based on previously published reliable sources rather than the ideas or experiences of our editors. Wikipedia is not a soapbox or an advertising platform.
  • Clear stating of Wikipedia's aim
  • Clear links to the fundamental policies and guidelines —NPOV, VER, RS, NOT— instead of a sea of blue links
  • Easier to read than an enumeration of things that Wikipedia is not.
Wikipedia is written from a neutral point of view
We strive for articles that document and explain major points of view, giving due weight with respect to their prominence in an impartial tone. We avoid advocacy and we characterize information and issues rather than debate them. In some areas there may be just one well-recognized point of view; in others, we describe multiple points of view, presenting each accurately and in context rather than as "the truth" or "the best view". All articles must strive for verifiable accuracy, citing reliable, authoritative sources, especially when the topic is controversial or is on living persons. Editors' personal experiences, interpretations, or opinions do not belong.
Wikipedia is written from a neutral point of view
Every article must portray a neutral point of view. In other words, articles must not take sides, but instead should describe in an impartial tone all the significant viewpoints on the topic, giving due weight with respect to their prominence. Advertising, promotion, or any kind of advocacy do not belong.
  • Clearer link to NPOV
  • It is just a definition of NPOV. The VER and NOR policies belong to the first pillar.

table2

edit
Current Proposed Why
Wikipedia is an encyclopedia
It combines many features of general and specialized encyclopedias, almanacs, and gazetteers. Wikipedia is not a soapbox, an advertising platform, a vanity press, an experiment in anarchy or democracy, an indiscriminate collection of information, or a web directory. It is not a dictionary, a newspaper, or a collection of source documents, although some of its fellow Wikimedia projects are.
Wikipedia is an encyclopedia
Our aim is to provide the public with articles that summarize accepted knowledge, written neutrally and sourced reliably. All content needs to be verifiable, with citations to reliable, authoritative sources, especially when the topic is controversial or is on living persons. Editors' personal experiences, interpretations, or opinions do not belong. Wikipedia has a broader scope than traditional paper encyclopedias, including elements of gazetteers and almanacs, but some content restrictions apply (see What Wikipedia is not).
  • Clear stating of Wikipedia's aim
  • Clear links to the fundamental policies and guidelines —NPOV, VER, RS, NOT— instead of a sea of blue links
  • Easier to read than an enumeration of things that Wikipedia is not.
Wikipedia is written from a neutral point of view
We strive for articles that document and explain major points of view, giving due weight with respect to their prominence in an impartial tone. We avoid advocacy and we characterize information and issues rather than debate them. In some areas there may be just one well-recognized point of view; in others, we describe multiple points of view, presenting each accurately and in context rather than as "the truth" or "the best view". All articles must strive for verifiable accuracy, citing reliable, authoritative sources, especially when the topic is controversial or is on living persons. Editors' personal experiences, interpretations, or opinions do not belong.
Wikipedia is written from a neutral point of view
All Wikipedia articles must be written from a neutral point of view. In other words, we strive for articles that document and explain major points of view, giving due weight with respect to their prominence in an impartial tone. We avoid advocacy and we characterize information and issues rather than debate them. In some areas there may be just one well-recognized point of view; in others, we describe multiple points of view, presenting each accurately and in context rather than as "the truth" or "the best view".
  • Clearer link to NPOV
  • It is just a definition of NPOV. The VER and NOR policies belong to the first pillar (as they were since 2006 up to 2010 (diff).
The fundamental principles of Wikipedia may be summarized in five “pillars”:
 
Wikipedia is an encyclopedia
Our aim is to provide the public with articles that summarize accepted knowledge, written neutrally and sourced reliably. All content needs to be verifiable, with citations to reliable, authoritative sources, especially when the topic is controversial or is on living persons. Editors' personal experiences, interpretations, or opinions do not belong. Wikipedia has a broader scope than traditional paper encyclopedias, including elements of gazetteers and almanacs, but some content restrictions apply (see What Wikipedia is not).
 
Wikipedia is written from a neutral point of view
All Wikipedia articles must be written from a neutral point of view. In other words, we strive for articles that document and explain major points of view, giving due weight with respect to their prominence in an impartial tone. We avoid advocacy and we characterize information and issues rather than debate them. In some areas there may be just one well-recognized point of view; in others, we describe multiple points of view, presenting each accurately and in context rather than as "the truth" or "the best view".