Noticeboards onWikipedia are places where editors can ask questions and request assistance from people who are familiar with the policies and guidelines covered by each individual board. They are to be used for specific problems that editors encounter in writing and maintaining Wikipedia articles. Posting a message to a noticeboard can also be an appropriate early step inresolving disputes on Wikipedia. Noticeboards are best used for simple and urgent matters. If an editor needs a more complex response, and is willing to wait for it, theWP:Requests for comment process may be more suitable.
Noticeboards are not places to advocate for change to Wikipedia's existing policies. Instead, such suggestions should be taken directly to the talk page of the applicable policy or guideline. Noticeboards are also not good places to recruit more editors to work with you. If you want to edit collaboratively, try posting a message at a relevantWP:WikiProject instead.
If you need general help with creating and editing articles on Wikipedia, tryWikipedia:Questions. New editors may find theWikipedia:Contributing to Wikipedia page a valuable resource. If you want feedback on an article that you have planned, or that you have recently made major changes to, try theTeahouse orhelp desk.
If you have a question about an encyclopedic subject, leave a note for theWikipedia:Reference desk.
Posting a message at a noticeboard does not guarantee a response. Editors are more likely to respond to straightforward questions from friendly, productive editors. If you want to increase your odds of receiving a constructive response, try this:
Messages should be concise. Long diatribes or sprawling monologues are likely to be ignored or dismissed as"Too long, didn't read". Provide links to the relevant articles and diffs. Try to frame your issue as a specific, direct question: "Can this source be used to support this statement?" "Is this an acceptable external link for this article?" "Do you think this editor's account should be blocked for vandalism?" Some noticeboards have standardized formats for common requests; read and follow the directions to the best of your ability.
Be civil. Sarcasm, slurs, and snide remarks should be avoided at all costs. If you are dealing with a heated dispute or are very frustrated, make an effort to present your question with a calm, detached, professional demeanor. See Wikipedia's pages oncivility andpersonal attacks for additional advice. If the editors that respond to you disagree with you, don't argue with them — but do, if necessary, correct any factual misunderstandings or request further clarification.
Sign and date all contributions, by appending four tildes "~~~~" to the end of every message. This simplifies page administration by allowing automatic archiving of older messages.
Watch the page. Editors responding to your message are most likely to reply at the noticeboard.
Any editor familiar with the relevant policies, guidelines, or procedures is encouraged to respond to requests on noticeboards. Responses that are direct, informed, concrete, and specific are particularly appreciated by editors that post questions. Some questions benefit from responses by multiple editors. Replies are generally given at the noticeboard; if you respond on another page, it may be helpful to leave a link to your response for the convenience of other editors at the noticeboard.
Select the noticeboard most closely connected to the question you have. Avoid posting the same situation to more than one noticeboard at a time. If an issue crosses boundaries, such as aWP:BLP issue involvingvandalism, then choose one or the other, and if necessary, post a very brief message at the other board to point interested editors to the first noticeboard.
Wikipedia:Administrative action review: A noticeboard where administrative actions by administrators and the use of other advanced user rights can be discussed and reviewed by the community.
Wikipedia:VRT noticeboard: Wikimedia'svolunteer response team (VRT) handles copyright permissions, email inquiries from the public, reuse inquiries, article errors, and a wide range of non-public inquiries.
Wikipedia:Requests for comment/All: an informal process for requesting outside input concerning disputes, policies, guidelines, article content, or user conduct.
Wikipedia:Third opinion: Third opinion (3O) is a means to request an outside opinion in a content or sourcing disagreement between two editors.
Wikipedia talk:Manual of Style: for questions about Wikipedia writing style (tone, spelling, punctuation, abbreviations, layout, images, linking, etc.)
Wikipedia:Bot owners' noticeboard: a message board for coordinating and discussingbot-related issues on Wikipedia (also including other programs interacting with the MediaWiki software).
For a listing of current collaborations, tasks, and news, see theCommunity portal. For a listing of ongoing discussions and current requests, see theDashboard.
