Useful observations about our community- Wikipedia:Please do not bite the newcomers means "Treat newcomers with kindness and patience". Many experienced editors use patience but omit the kindness. Wikipedia is a complex website with a steep learning curve. Someone vandalising or writing draft articles about their business is a potentially new editor entitled to the anti-biting policy's benefit. Kindness could require assuming that apparently disruptive edits are an effort to "see how this works". Even if the aggregate effect of this policy is the less efficient disposal of disruptive users, we pay this price for treating newcomers with kindness.
- "I know you may have been taught it's polite to use honorifics, but that isn't necessary on the English Wikipedia. No one will think you're rude if you don't call them sir/ma'am, and doing so risks calling women 'sir'."
–Valereee (talk ·contribs),15:23, 25 January 2025 (UTC) - "Egoboo is… the pleasure received frompublic recognition of voluntary work."
– From our article on the term, which I discovered fromNewyorkbrad (talk ·contribs),22:01, 6 February 2025 (UTC). - "When I am asked why I have volunteered my time for so long, my answer is simple: I believe in our project. I believe in our vision, that of a world in which every person has free access to the sum of all human knowledge. I believe that our work makes the world a better place every day, and as long as I believe that I will dedicate my time and energy to this project."
–L235 (talk ·contribs),03:40, 5 December 2023 (UTC) - [At the top of a retired user's talk page] "Please use the space below to tell me why you hate my redirects and templates."
–Gurch (talk ·contribs),2018 - "Wikipedia would grind to a halt in hours if every editor with a mental illness went on strike."
–Tamzin (talk ·contribs) atUser:Tamzin/On mental health. - "[Why do I…] keep leaving or retiring, then coming back? … After not editing Wikipedia for a while, I realized that my brain has not been as sharp. Apparently, taking the time to [propose] and make corrections to various aspects of Wikipedia has been stimulating my brain quite a bit. I found that over the past month…, I just have not been as motivated or encouraged to proactively engage in thoughtful conversation or research. …[I]t seems Wikipedia has been a glue… keeping my mind intact".
–Steel1943 (talk ·contribs),2025 - Wikipedians don't care if you withhold a donation, or say that you're going to do so. Assuming that they do indicates a fundamental misunderstanding of Wikipedia and itscommunity culture. See also:Wikipedia:Not gonna donate.
- The Wikipolitician is a type of senior Wikipedia volunteer, prone to describing themselves as having 'positions' on administrative matters. They'll refer to how they have "repeatedly" tried to signal something to the community. They'll refer to how they have been taking such positions "for a long time". This is inevitably a little self-indulgent, and a vast over-estimation of their true influence or power. Wikipedia is a community of volunteers. None of us are senior volunteers, but volunteers temporarily doing a specialised or senior duty. The rest of the community is not forming detailed impressions of your personal positions over time. It's difficult enough to remember your username and distinguish you from other volunteers. Discharge your decision-making duties fairly, dispassionately, and with the minimum possible fuss. Politicians are not needed on Wikipedia.
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