Wikipedia:Userbox War
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This is an essay. It is not a policy or guideline. Please update the page as needed, or discuss it on the talk page. |
This details the edit war over Userboxes on Wikipedia, and what we, as Wikipedians, need to do about it.
[edit] The War
There are 2 sides in this "war"; the Pro-Userbox faction, who think most or all userboxes need to be kept, and the Anti-userbox faction, who think that most or all userboxes need to be deleted. In general, Pro-Userbox users are newer users, who have only been around Wikipedia for several months. Anti-Userbox users are, in general, more experienced users, who have been around a year or two. Many are admins.
Pro-Userbox supporters managed to get enough of their supporters to 'vote' in debates to prevent a deletion consensus. Because of this, any attempts to mass delete userboxes at templates for deletion most often end with no consensus, or less often, Subst and Delete. However, the Anti-Userbox position has a significant enough following to stamp out any sort of plan preventing Userbox deletion (see, for example, the result of the May Userbox policy poll).
Userboxes were very disruptive , but in different ways. Anti-Userbox users sometimes mass nominate Userboxes at templates for deletion and then mass vote for deletion. Occasionally, they nominate Wikipedia:Userboxes/Funny at miscellany for deletion. Pro-Userbox users sometimes troll the talk pages of Anti-Userbox users and make personal attacks on them elsewhere on Wikipedia.
Tempers flared when several userboxed were speedy deleted restored, deleted again... resulting in alot of wheel warring from all sides. Lately the pace has slowed with normality returning, though the discussion if userboxes should be allowed to stay and if so, where, persists.
[edit] What we should do about it
If you are not already involved:
- Stay out of it! Joining will only add fuel to the fire, and that fire will burn Wikipedia to the ground if it gets any worse.
- Moderate Try and help resolve this war by talking to the users on both sides. Tell them about the effects of their actions. For Anti-Userboxers, tell them something like Are these actions you're taking really acceptable? or Are Userboxes so much of a problem you need stop making useful contributions and advocate their deletion? Pro-Userbox users should be told something like Are userboxes so important you spend all your time defending them? or Wikipedia does not revolve around Userboxes, it revolves around useful contributions.
- Seek help if it gets too much If the war gets really out of hand, take it to Wikipedia:Requests for arbitration. They will more likely listen to somebody who is not a partisan in the edit conflict.
If you are involved:
- Pull Out! This war is certainly not getting any better. Staying in will make it worse. If everyone simply pulled out, this would end very quickly.
- Take a WikiBreak It will help you cool down with respect to the edit war, making it easier to pull out.
- Get involved in WikiProjects, Portals, and editing articles Isn't that what we're here to do? Right? Not just that, it will help you stay out of the war.
