Wikipedia:Be Afraid
 | This page is intended as humor. It is not, has never been, nor will ever be, a Wikipedia policy or guideline. Rather, it illustrates standards or conduct that are generally not accepted by the Wikipedia community. |
 | This page in a nutshell: If it's broken, 80% of the time you're probably the worst person to fix it. Put ideas through the committee first. If it's worth doing, it's worth letting someone else do it. |
| “ | Never suspect a conspiracy when incompetence will do. | ” |
Be AFRAID! edit
The Wikipedia community actively discourages you from Being Bold!TM. Don't believe it? Just do any (or all) of the following:
- Be Bold!TM and update or create a badly needed category
- Be Bold!TM and update or create a new template
- Be Bold!TM and rename a misnamed article
- Be Bold!TM and create a new project without permission
- Be Bold!TM and create a task force for an existing project without asking
- Be Bold!TM and submit an article about something other than a state flag as a featured article
- Be Bold!TM and add a spoiler tag to your favorite fiction series
- Be Bold!TM and update a somewhat controversial article[1]
You need to learn Wikipedia's underlying Bureaucracy before attempting anything so reckless as creating a new category, stub, template, or editing an existing one. Though these items are worded only as mere recommendations, it is best to think of Wikipedia recommendations as stronger than a mere suggestion, but still slightly less serious than a threat from Tony Soprano.
You should also learn that Wikipedia users often display ownership of articles they've edited, and jealously guard the fiefdoms and cliques they've developed or have been recruited into. Should you step on a Wiktator's toes, you can expect to see something like the following on your talk page, post-haste:
| “ | I see you have recently created a new xyz. As it states at xyz and in many other places on Wikipedia, it is recommended that new xyz are proposed prior to creation... And please, in future, consider proposing new xyz first! | ” |
Thus indicating that a Wikipedia recommendation is slightly stronger than a normal recommendation, in much the same way that hydrogen is slightly more flammable than concrete. If your first thought at reading the above quote is "WTF do I care about all that crap?" then you'd better think again, my friend.
As shown at the Be Bold!TM official Wikipedia guideline, what you shouldn't do far outstrips what you should do by about 4 to 1 on Wikipedia.[2] Welcome to the Free Encyclopedia that anyone can edit (just follow the guidelines below).
Some Edits Are OK edit
So long as you don't violate the recommendations listed above, it is considered acceptable to update articles, so long as you follow each and every single rule and don't upset anyone. In fact, apart from the projects, task forces, templates, stubs, categories, renaming articles, performing original research, avoiding information that is not attributable to reliable sources, not showing any bias, maintaining a Neutral Point of View, complying with the three-revert rule, following all naming conventions and not making anyone mad, feel free to Be Bold!TM
In all other cases, Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.
If you do happen to be a subject matter expert, feel free to Be Bold!TM—correct all the spelling and punctuation errors you like! They might not even be rolled back. However, if you lack the intimate knowledge of Wikipedia bureaucracy and all of the projects and people that need to bless your actions, it is probably in your best interest not to take the initiative and step on anyone's toes by going above and beyond.
Want to create a category and help organize articles in your area of expertise? Not so fast... read the entire Manual of Style first. See something wrong with an article on a slightly controversial topic? Careful... do not upset the fragile consensus around it. Want to create a project to attract attention to the neglected nether-regions of Wikipedia? Hold up... Not until the committee approves your changes. After all, a camel is nothing but a "horse designed by committee".[3]