Thelemapedia:What Thelemapedia is not
From Thelemapedia
Thelemapedia is an online encyclopedia and, as a means to that end, also an online community. Therefore, there are certain things that Thelemapedia is not.
What Thelemapedia is not
Thelemapedia is not a soapbox
Thelemapedia is not a soapbox, a chatroom, discussion forum, or vehicle for propaganda and advertising. Therefore, Thelemapedia articles are not:
- Personal essays that state your particular opinions about a topic. Thelemapedia is supposed to compile human knowledge. It is not a vehicle to make personal opinions become part of human knowledge. In the unusual situation where the opinions of a single individual are important enough to discuss, it is preferable to let other people write about them.
- Primary (original) research such as proposing theories and solutions, original ideas, defining terms, coining new words, etc. If you have done primary research on a topic, publish your results in other venues such as peer-reviewed journals, other printed forms, or respected online sites. Thelemapedia will report about your work once it becomes part of accepted human knowledge. Not all information added to Thelemapedia has to be from peer-reviewed journals; but strive to make that information no less reliable and verifiable. For example, citing book, print, or reliable web resources demonstrates that the material is verifiable and is not the editor's opinion.
- Propaganda or advocacy of any kind. Of course, an article can report objectively about such things, as long as an attempt is made to approach a neutral point of view (within a pro-Thelema frame). You might wish to go to Usenet or start a blog if you want to convince people of the merits of your favorite views.
- Discussion forums. You can chat with folks on their user talk pages, and should resolve problems with articles on the relevant talk pages, but please do not take discussion into articles.
- Critical reviews. Of course, critical analysis of art is welcome, if grounded in direct observations of outside parties.
- Self-promotion. While you are free to write about yourself or projects you have a strong personal involvement in, remember that the standards for encyclopedic articles apply to such pages just like any other.
Thelemapedia is not a dictionary
Thelemapedia is not a dictionary, or a usage or jargon guide.
- Dictionary definitions. Because Thelemapedia is not a dictionary, please do not create an entry merely to define a term. Sometimes an article can and should begin with a good definition; If you come across an article that is nothing more than a definition, see if there is information you can add that would be appropriate for an encyclopedia. An exception to this rule is for articles about the cultural meanings of individual numbers.
- Lists of such definitions. There are, however, disambiguation pages consisting of pointers to other pages; these are used to clarify differing meanings of a word. Thelemapedia also includes glossary pages (http://www.thelemapedia.org/index.php/Category:Glossaries) for various specialized fields.
Thelemapedia is not a mirror or a repository of links, images, or media files
Thelemapedia is neither a mirror nor a repository of links (other than our one Links page), images, or media files. By submitting any content, you agree to release it for free use under the GNU FDL. Thelemapedia articles are not:
- Mere collections of external links or Internet directories. There is nothing wrong with adding to an article a list of content-relevant links; however, excessive lists can dwarf articles and detract from the purpose of Thelemapedia.
- Mere collections of internal links, except for disambiguation pages when an article title is ambiguous, and for topical lists to assist with the organisation of articles.
- Mere collections of public domain or other source material such as entire books or source code, original historical documents, letters, laws, proclamations, and other source material that are only useful when presented with their original, un-modified wording.
- Collections of photographs or media files with no text to go with the articles. If you are interested in presenting a picture, please provide an encyclopedic context.
Thelemapedia is not censored for the protection of minors
Thelemapedia may contain content that some readers consider objectionable or offensive. Anyone reading Thelemapedia can edit an article and the changes are displayed instantaneously without any checking to ensure appropriateness, so Thelemapedia cannot guarantee that articles or images are appropriate for children or adhere to specific social norms.
What the Thelemapedia community is not
Thelemapedia is not an anarchy
Thelemapedia is free and open, but restricts both freedom and openness where they interfere with the purpose of creating an encyclopedia. Accordingly, Thelemapedia is not a forum for unregulated free speech. The fact that Thelemapedia is an open, self-governing project does not mean that any part of its purpose is to explore the viability of anarchistic communities. Our purpose is to build an encyclopedia, not to test the limits of anarchism. (See: Thelemapedia Power structure)
Thelemapedia is not a battleground
Every user is expected to interact with others civilly, calmly, and in a spirit of cooperation. Do not insult, harass or intimidate those with whom you have a disagreement. Rather, approach the matter in an intelligent manner, and engage in polite discussion. Do not create or modify articles just to prove a point. Do not make legal or other threats against Thelemapedia, Thelemapedians, Scarlet Woman Lodge, or Ordo Templi Orientis. Threats are not tolerated and may result in a ban. See also Dispute resolution.
Thelemapedia is not a democracy
Thelemapedia is not an experiment in democracy. Its primary method of finding consensus is discussion, not voting. That is, majority opinion does not necessarily rule in Thelemapedia.
Thelemapedia is not a bureaucracy
Disagreements should be resolved through consensual discussion, rather than through tightly sticking to rules and procedures. Follow the spirit, not the letter, of any rules, policies and guidelines.
Where to go next
- Where to start Read this if you are having trouble with getting started
- Really Simple Tutorial A friendly guide to all the basics
- Editorial Policy Basic policies regarding content and behavior on Thelemapedia
- How to Contribute A quick start primer for adding content to Thelemapedia
- Wiki Markup Full list of all the formatting code, including text, images, sections, and links
- Article Basics Find out how to write a great article
- Common Sources How to cite sources (including short libers), and a list of common books in reference format
- Projects Page List of needed articles organized by general topic
- What Thelemapedia is not
- Thelemapedia Power Structure Who's in charge
- Characters How to use Greek and Hebrew letters in your article
- Using Images How to upload and use images in your Thelemapedia articles
- Dispute Resolution What to do when the fighting breaks out
- List of boilerplate templates Automatic text messages, like the "stub" line
- Comprehensive Wikipedia Help Pages (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Contents) Everything there is to know about using a wiki
References
- Wikipedia. (2005). What Wikipedia is not (http://en.Thelemapedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:What_Wikipedia_is_not). Retrieved June 30, 2005.
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