Meta:What Meta is not
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 | The following page documents a Meta-Wiki guideline. It is a generally accepted standard that users should follow, though it should be treated with common sense and the occasional exception. When editing this page, please ensure that your revision reflects consensus. When in doubt, discuss on the talk page, Babel or at RfC. |
- For the policy, see Meta:Inclusion policy.
The Meta-Wiki is a central collaboration, discussion, and coordination wiki for the Wikimedia Foundation. This page attempts to clarify what types of pages are or are not acceptable on the Meta-Wiki.
Meta-Wiki is a wiki about Wikimedia and, as such, there are certain things that Meta is not.
What Meta is not
- Meta is not an encyclopedia, and does not collect encyclopedic information; it is about several wiki projects (one of which is an encyclopedia).
- Meta is not written from a neutral point of view. It concerns the entire Wikimedian community, and often contains the opinions of specific users.
- Meta is not entirely formal, and many of its pages are meant to be humorous.
- Meta is not a link repository.
- Meta is not a "mirror"—content added to Meta must be released under a license compatible with the CC-BY-SA 4.0 license with the understanding that it may be edited mercilessly.
- Meta is not a free wiki host. You may not host your own website or blog at Meta. However, the discussion of new projects using MediaWiki is encouraged here, and you may find help for installing wiki software on your own servers.
- Meta is not an experiment in anarchism.
- Meta is not a vanity press. However, relevant essays about Wikimedia projects are welcome here.
- Meta is not a big truck. It is not something you just dump something on.
- Meta is not a battleground. You are free to state your opinions, but do not threaten, harass or intimidate those with whom you have a disagreement. Rather, approach matters in an intelligent manner and engage in polite discussion. See the dispute resolution process.
- Meta is not a forum for continued attacks against other users. Do not report on other users' past misdeeds here. Remember that edit histories reflect all users' behavior impartially—including your own.
- Meta is not a storage room where you can bring and keep random things. The inclusion of content is governed by our inclusion policy. If a thing does not belong to one wiki it does not automatically belong to Meta because "it's Meta".
- Meta is not an appeals court. If a community decides something, don't come here to try to get the decision overruled.
Please feel free to continue adding to this list as we discover interesting new ways of not writing about the Wikimedia Foundation. When adding new options, please be as clear as possible and provide counter-examples of similar, but permitted, subjects.
What Meta entries are
- A center for discussion concerning Wikimedia projects and the MediaWiki software (see some current discussions).
- Documentation. Meta is intended to help users contribute and collaborate in other wiki projects.
- Multilingual cooperation of Wikimedia projects.
- Relevant essays or advocacy (see some essays).
- Primary research regarding the development of wiki projects.