LGBTQIA+ Wiki:Assume Good Faith

Assuming good faith is a fundamental principle and a core policy in every community. It is the belief that all contributions made by a user — be it an edit, a comment, or a Discussion post — are made with good intentions. This does not mean that users need to ignore obvious evidence to the contrary (clear vandalism and spam) or that discussion and constructive criticism cannot take place. Assuming good faith means users should not label any actions as malicious unless there is specific evidence of malice. Everyone, but especially new users, should be given the benefit of the doubt.

Demonstrate Good Faith
In addition to assuming good faith, lead by example. When you can reasonably assume that something is a mistake, correct it without just reverting it or labeling it as vandalism. When you disagree with someone, remember that they probably believe that they are helping the project. Consider using talk pages to explain yourself, and give others the opportunity to do the same. This can avoid misunderstandings and prevent problems from escalating. Remember that users from all over the world frequent, and some things may quite literally get lost in translation.

Assuming good faith is about intentions, not actions. Well-meaning people make mistakes, and you should correct them when they do. What you should not do is act like their mistake was deliberate. Correct, but don't scold. There will be people on the wiki you disagree with. Even if they're wrong, that doesn't mean they're trying to wreck the wiki.

Be sure to treat others how you would want to be treated yourself. We are all real people here, so treat them as you would someone in person.

Newcomers
Be patient with new users. Fandom has over hundreds of thousand of wikis, and a lot of them with their own set of rules and customs. While new users are encouraged to immediately familiarize them with policies and customs, it may take them a while to truly grasp the wiki's culture and rules. Unless obvious evidence stating otherwise, a new user misbehaving should be attributed to unawareness or misunderstanding of culture rather than a conscious decision to not adhere to local policies. Everyone has the potential to grow into a valuable contributor. Take the time to guide and help them, rather than condemn and oust them on first mistakes.

Keep an open mind. It is also not uncommon for a new user to question a particular wiki practice they may not be familiar with. In order for a wiki to keep growing, it is important to keep an open mind to these suggestions, as sometimes a pair of fresh eyes may be able to immediately spot a flaw in the system that more seasoned users have glossed over due to being accustomed to it. Do not feel attacked or act like it is not their place to bring an issue up.

Likewise, new users needs to be open to advice of more veteran users of the community. When an edit has been undone, assume that it was for a good reason rather than a personal attack or dismissal of your desire to help. When in doubt, reach out to the person in question and ask for clarification in a calm and polite manner. Misunderstandings happen. Communication is key.

Content
Good faith does also affect the content on. This community is about sensitive and highly personal topics. As the content is developed collaboratively by a community of users, with anyone being allowed to add and edit content, mistakes happen. When they do, do not take this personal. Assume that the mistake was just that, a mistake, an oversight, an unfortunate wording rather than a deliberate attempt to exclude anyone or make anyone feel invalided or otherwise personally offended. The same goes for when content is (still) missing from the wiki. It is not a deliberate attempt to erase anyone. The lack of a standalone page does not make an identity not valid, nor does it mean nobody identifies with that term. It simply means it is not within the scope of this wiki and our structure. Assume good faith and remember that a wiki is never finished. Content will always be added, rewritten, and corrected, and anyone can help with that.