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This is an essay on the "Wikipedia is not a battleground" and "Civility" policies, as well as the "Staying cool when the editing gets hot" essay.
It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
 | This page in a nutshell: Editing should be enjoyable. Never let Wikipedia become a chore. |
Wikipedia can be stressful. Requests for arbitration are made and accepted every week. Many talk pages are filled with conflict and even personal attacks. Some editors spend most of their time trying to prevent and cool down conflict.
However, Wikipedia is not supposed to be about conflict. It should be about building an encyclopedia. And that can be stressful too! But the key issue here is what editors get out of working on the encyclopedia—nothing, besides the personal satisfaction. Editors are supposed to enjoy themselves on Wikipedia. This is all too often forgotten. Most Wikipedians enjoy writing for the encyclopedia, but problems arise when they don't enjoy themselves. All editors should remember this at all times. Enjoying yourself is the key to Wikipedians remaining active on the project. If you are ever not enjoying yourself, you need to step back and consider what you are doing. Remember how to remain calm when editing becomes stressful. But never let Wikipedia become a chore. Never feel like you have to keep editing and discussing for Wikipedia's sake, because you don't.
