In its encyclopedic function, Wikipedia contains millions of articles on a vast array of topics. A relatively small fraction of these topics are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental, and other filtering schemes.
- Some Wikipedia articles discuss words or language that are considered profane, vulgar, or offensive by some readers. See Wikipedia:Profanity for more information.
- Articles may contain audio, visual, or written representations of people or events which may be protected by some cultures.
- Wikipedia contains many different images and videos, some of which are considered objectionable or offensive by some readers. For example, some articles contain graphic depictions of violence, human anatomy, or sexual acts.
- Many articles contain frank discussion of controversial topics. Some subjects that are discussed have criminal applications in some jurisdictions. Others contain information on dangerous or otherwise risky activities (see Wikipedia:General disclaimer and Wikipedia:Risk disclaimer).
- Wikipedia contains spoilers.
- Wikipedia may contain triggers for people with post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Wikipedia may contain images and videos which can trigger epileptic seizures and other medical conditions.
- Since Wikipedia is open to contributions from the public, there may at any time be vandalism present on Wikipedia.
- There may be medical, legal, or other information that is normally also the subject of professional opinions; Wikipedia is not a substitute for seeking the help of a professional. Please note: Wikipedia does not give legal advice or medical advice.
Wikipedia's current policy is to include such content, provided it breaches neither any of our existing policies (especially Neutral point of view) nor the laws of the United States, where Wikipedia is hosted. See a list of controversial issues for some examples of articles that may contain such content. None of these articles contain warnings.
In any case, Wikipedia is a work in progress, and many articles contain errors, bias, or duplication, or may simply need tender loving care. We encourage readers to help us fix these problems. The great majority of articles are written primarily or solely by individuals who are not subject matter experts, and may lack academic or professional credentials in the area.
Wikipedia contains obscure information that would not be covered in a conventional encyclopedia. Wikipedia's coverage is based on the interests of its volunteer contributors. Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage in Wikipedia, nor assume that a topic is important merely because it is the subject of a Wikipedia article.
See also: Wikipedia:Verifiability.