 | This page in a nutshell: Assume good faith is a powerful behavior guideline for minimizing disruption. It is not a probability assessment of future behavior. |
When editors are engaging in gray area behavior, assume good faith is a powerful way of addressing their behavior while minimizing disruption and effort. Borderline misbehavior has two possible origins:
- Editor is new, misguided, uninformed, and/or misreading consensus. Addressing the content issues with succinctness and civility is the best response -- it educates the editor with a minimum of effort and encourages further editing.
- Editor is engaging in subtle trolling for their amusement and/or to make point. Addressing the content issues with succinctness and civility is the best response -- it denies them the satisfaction of wiki-drama.
The unfortunately common way of addressing borderline behavior -- good faith but long and unproductive discussions while we try to read the questionable editors mind is discouraging to the good faith editor who has simply erred, and rewards the subtle troll. It is therefore best avoided.
A fuse (provocateur) is harmless unless the dynamite (us) reacts. A fuse in still water (what we should be) simply fizzles out.
 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |