Wikipedia:Gray Area

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.

The Gray Area

Between ideal compliance with The Five Pillars and jerk vandals lies a vast region of gray area. The goal when encountering a gray area situation should be to minimize escalation. Start with the most appropriate and least punitive Dispute Resolution process. On the one hand look to the community for support. On the other avoid demanding specific sanctions; rather, let the community process work. Try to be patient.
A lack of fellow editors advocating sanctions is not endorsement of another's behavior; rather it is an opinion that the observed behavior, while suboptimal, is not sufficiently egregious to warrant preventative sanctions right now.