Grand Theft Wiki:About Policy: Difference between revisions

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{{toc}}This is the official policy page of Grand Theft Wiki. Policy includes instructions on how to behave, what is or is not appropriate, and how decisions are made.  
'''Policy''' refers to the [[Grand Theft Wiki: rules| rules]], guidelines and working practices of Grand Theft Wiki.


==Rules and Guidelines==
For a full list of policies, see [[Policy]] and [[:Category:Policy]]. For help on other subjects, see [[Help]].
Policy on Grand Theft Wiki is split into two distinct groups: rules and guidelines.


[[Grand Theft Wiki:Rules|Rules]] are absolute restrictions on what cannot be done on Grand Theft Wiki.
The general aim of Policy is to help Grand Theft Wiki run smoothly. Without any guidelines or the ability to enforce rules, anybody could do anything they wanted on the site, and it would never have become a useful hub of information it has.


Most other policies are Official Guidelines - these are not the absolute rules, but methods of working on Grand Theft Wiki. Examples of Official Guidelines would be the deletion policy and selection of administrators.


There may be other guidelines and suggestions around Grand Theft Wiki that do not form part of official policy, such as how to do things. An example is the guidelines of how to use [[Help:Userboxes|userboxes]].
==Where policy comes from==
Policy is written by the [[Grand Theft Wiki:staff|staff]] of Grand Theft Wiki. Only staff can edit the policy pages. Policies, and changes to existing policies, can also be suggested by users on the talk page or directly to a staff member.


==The Aim of Policy==
It is the responsibility of the [[Grand Theft Wiki:Staff|Managers]] of the wiki to approve changes to policy.
The general aim of Policy is to help Grand Theft Wiki run smoothly. Without any policy, anybody could do anything they wanted on the site, and it would never have become a useful hub of information if that had been the case.  
 
Policy is created when there is a need for it, so there are many things where no specific policy or guidance exists. In these matters, common sense should prevail, but you can contact any staff member for guidance.


==Where Policy Comes From==
A lot of our policy is adopted from [[:wp:Wikipedia:List_of_policies|Wikipedia]], as they have established good methods of working on a wiki over years of discussion and development. None of our policies are copied word-for-word, but the spirit and purpose is the same. It should be noted that policy on Wikipedia is NOT necessarily policy on Grand Theft Wiki, but Wikipedia policy may be used for reference where there is none on Grand Theft Wiki.
A lot of our policy is adopted from [[:wp:Wikipedia:List_of_policies|Wikipedia]], as they have established good methods of working on a wiki over years of discussion and development. None of our policies are copied word-for-word, but the spirit and purpose is the same. It should be noted that policy on Wikipedia is NOT necessarily policy on Grand Theft Wiki, but Wikipedia policy may be used for reference where there is none on Grand Theft Wiki.


Most policies are suggested by the administrators, if not introduced directly by [[User:Gboyers]]. Policies can also be suggested by users. '''All users are invited to discuss alterations to policy''', for example to cover areas not already covered, or to reflect changes in Grand Theft Wiki since the policies were introduced.
One extra type of policy is decisions made by staff - essentially this is case law. If a staff member advises a user to do something in a particular instance, that decision should be taken into account, even if it is against the wording of a policy or covering something not covered by a written policy. Deliberately ignoring staff decisions may make you fall foul of our expectations or our [[Grand Theft Wiki|Enforcement Policy]].
 
 
==Common sense==
 
Not everything is black-and-white. There are always exceptions, and things do change.
 
Policies should not be taken as word-perfect - instead the spirit and purpose of the policy should be adhered to. For example, if a policy doesn't specifically forbid something, that doesn't mean we allow it - you should make a judgement in the best interests of this wiki and in the spirit of the policies that we do have. Likewise, if the wording a policy forbids something that it wasn't intended to, then the spirit/intention of the policy and the best interests of this wiki override it.
 
Policy changes over time - Grand Theft Wiki is larger and more complicated than when it first started in 2006, so policies may change. It may also be that a policy written for the wiki a long time ago is not entirely valid now. Again, common sense will prevail, but staff should provide guidance.
 
If you're ever in doubt - speak to a member of staff.
 
 
==Policy decisions==
[[Grand Theft Wiki:Staff|Administrators]] have the authority to enforce policy and the best interests of the wiki. See our [[Grand Theft Wiki|Enforcement Policy]] for fuller information.


==Important Policies==
All users are entitled and encouraged to participate in discussions over policy, guidelines, working practices and to question anything we do here. However, there comes a point when a decision has to be made to allow the wiki to move on and for work to continue. In these instances, a [[Grand Theft Wiki:Staff|Manager]] can make a decision. In the event of continued disagreement, the founder - [[User:gboyers]] - can make a final decision. These decisions will be taken in the best interests of the wiki.
There are several policies integral to the smooth running of Grand Theft Wiki. These have not all been documented yet, but their effect  on Grand Theft Wiki is profound.


*'''Accuracy and Reliability''' - This policy is the cornerstone of all article editing on Grand Theft Wiki, where all editors should aim to write as accurately as they can, and to make their writing as good as possible. This also includes spelling and grammar.
If you have any questions - speak to a member of staf
*'''Perfection is not Required''' - To contrast with Accuracy and Reliability, Grand Theft Wiki does not aim to be a perfect source of information. That is not to mean that we should not try to get as close as possible, but mistakes will be made and we need to allow for that to happen.
*'''Consensus''' - This policy means that GTW is run as the users think it should be, and everybody is invited to help out and suggest edits to policies. This also applies to detail in articles, where extreme views are not supported by the rest of the community, and so are not kept in the article.
*'''Grand Theft Wiki is not a Democracy''' - This is the flipside to Consensus, meaning that some actions can be taken by the owners of Grand Theft Wiki without community discussion, and that some policies will stay in place even if the community disagrees. This is used mainly for security purposes, and currently only [[User:Xenon]] has this right.
*'''[[Grand Theft Wiki:Copyrights|Copyrights]]''' - Infringing copyright is stealing the work of others, and is counter-productive to Grand Theft Wiki if it has to be removed.




:''See [[:Category:Policy]] for an unofficial list of policies. See [[Grand Theft Wiki:List of Policies]] for an official list.''
==See also==
:''See also: [[Grand Theft Wiki:Rules]]''
*[[Policy]] - List of policies
*[[Grand Theft Wiki:Policy]] - Additional list of all policy pages
*[[Grand Theft Wiki: Rules]] - The fixed rules of Grand Theft Wiki
*[[Help]] - Help on other subjects

Latest revision as of 04:41, 3 August 2012


Policy refers to the rules, guidelines and working practices of Grand Theft Wiki.

For a full list of policies, see Policy and Category:Policy. For help on other subjects, see Help.

The general aim of Policy is to help Grand Theft Wiki run smoothly. Without any guidelines or the ability to enforce rules, anybody could do anything they wanted on the site, and it would never have become a useful hub of information it has.


Where policy comes from

Policy is written by the staff of Grand Theft Wiki. Only staff can edit the policy pages. Policies, and changes to existing policies, can also be suggested by users on the talk page or directly to a staff member.

It is the responsibility of the Managers of the wiki to approve changes to policy.

Policy is created when there is a need for it, so there are many things where no specific policy or guidance exists. In these matters, common sense should prevail, but you can contact any staff member for guidance.

A lot of our policy is adopted from Wikipedia, as they have established good methods of working on a wiki over years of discussion and development. None of our policies are copied word-for-word, but the spirit and purpose is the same. It should be noted that policy on Wikipedia is NOT necessarily policy on Grand Theft Wiki, but Wikipedia policy may be used for reference where there is none on Grand Theft Wiki.

One extra type of policy is decisions made by staff - essentially this is case law. If a staff member advises a user to do something in a particular instance, that decision should be taken into account, even if it is against the wording of a policy or covering something not covered by a written policy. Deliberately ignoring staff decisions may make you fall foul of our expectations or our Enforcement Policy.


Common sense

Not everything is black-and-white. There are always exceptions, and things do change.

Policies should not be taken as word-perfect - instead the spirit and purpose of the policy should be adhered to. For example, if a policy doesn't specifically forbid something, that doesn't mean we allow it - you should make a judgement in the best interests of this wiki and in the spirit of the policies that we do have. Likewise, if the wording a policy forbids something that it wasn't intended to, then the spirit/intention of the policy and the best interests of this wiki override it.

Policy changes over time - Grand Theft Wiki is larger and more complicated than when it first started in 2006, so policies may change. It may also be that a policy written for the wiki a long time ago is not entirely valid now. Again, common sense will prevail, but staff should provide guidance.

If you're ever in doubt - speak to a member of staff.


Policy decisions

Administrators have the authority to enforce policy and the best interests of the wiki. See our Enforcement Policy for fuller information.

All users are entitled and encouraged to participate in discussions over policy, guidelines, working practices and to question anything we do here. However, there comes a point when a decision has to be made to allow the wiki to move on and for work to continue. In these instances, a Manager can make a decision. In the event of continued disagreement, the founder - User:gboyers - can make a final decision. These decisions will be taken in the best interests of the wiki.

If you have any questions - speak to a member of staf


See also