 | This is anessay 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 ofWikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not beenthoroughly 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. Manytalk pages are filled with conflict and evenpersonal 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 iswhat editors get out of working on the encyclopedia—nothing, besides the personal satisfaction. Editors are supposed toenjoy 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 toWikipedians 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.