Help:Wiki University Guiding Principles

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Why We Need Guiding Principles
Since the Wiki is open to anyone who wants to use it and edit it, it needs to be as universally useful as possible and needs to be free of offensive material. In addition, published standards are important so that contributors have guidelines for whether their material fits into the Wiki and how it should be formatted.

To accomplish this objective, a number of important reference materials have been developed. These are the Guiding Principles and Policies and the Manual of Style. As you are working in the Wiki and want to confirm or research one of them, you can access them through your right side bar under Volunteer and Helper.

The Guiding Principles and Policies

Sources of Information

 * Please cite your sources of information when possible.

Limitations in the Wiki

 * No discussions of religion, politics, ethnicity and culture. See Neutral Point of View.
 * Copies of records are limited to examples for illustration purposes.
 * Details of ancestors will only be allowed to illustrate a research principle. See Sources and Delimiters.

Spam

 * No linking to commercial sites.
 * Links only to sites that offer genealogical information.
 * Try to limit links to genealogical sites that charge a fee if a free site is available.
 * See Spam-Free.

Etiquette Guidelines

 * Respect all contributors and be civil to each other.
 * Avoid conflict between contributors.
 * Assume all contributors are genuine and are contributing in good faith until proven otherwise.
 * Etiquette Guidelines.

Take Initiative

 * If you see a need, fill it.
 * If you see an error, correct it.
 * If you see a mistake in sources or logic, correct it.
 * If you see grammar or spelling errors, fix them.
 * Just because you see something in the Wiki, it does not forbid you to make corrections or add material.
 * Be Bold

Try these out


 Exercises
 * Please read and be very familiar with Guiding Principles. FamilySearch Wiki:Guiding Principles

Check your answers

 Quick Quiz
 * If you see something wrong, you need to ask permission of the author before correcting it.
 * True
 * False


 * Do not assume everyone who contributes to the Wiki is acting in good faith.
 * True
 * False


 * The Wiki allows advertisers to place ads.
 * True
 * False


 * We as contributors are allowed to state our point of view on religion.
 * True
 * False


 * The purpose of the Wiki is to teach people where the records they can use are located and how to access them.
 * True
 * False


 * We are free to be critical of any culture or individual in history.
 * True
 * False


 * A neutral point of view is for wimps.
 * True
 * False

Check your answers