User:Dream out loud/Rules to live by

1. Your opinion is not the only one that matters.
You're right. You're always right. Wrong!

You could be 100% sure about something, but if other users disagree, a consensus must be made. In the mean time, that doesn't mean you should go ahead and revert your old edit. Believe it or not, that's called vandalism. So wait for a consensus. Make some valid points. This does not include calling other users bigots, fascists, Nazis, or any other negative political-related associations. Swearing doesn't help much either. Prove to us why you believe you are correct. And respect other people's opinions too. After all, you may be wrong. Just keep your cool, and don't be such an a**hole.

2. Don't take things so personally; you'll be told when you're wrong and be sure to know that you are.
We're all here to help each other. If you are new to the encyclopedia and you violate a policy, you will most likely be informed. It doesn't mean that we don't want you here. It just means that you did some thing wrong and we want to inform you about it. If you think your best friend Steve is the coolest guy in the world, and that he deserves an article here, please note that it will most likely be deleted immediately. (Unless your friend is Steve Jobs, or similar.) Or if you find a really cool photo of Jim Carrey doing something crazy, on TMZ.com, know that copyrighted photos of people currently alive are usually not allowed. So that shot of Ace Ventura making a silly face at the camera won't be there much longer.

Everyone has to follow the rules here, but its understandable if you don't know what the rules are. Whether you've been a user for five days or five years, there are always new policies popping up here and there. No one is expected to know every single one, so if you're unsure about something, then check first. If you get notified that you did something wrong, then please understand that there is a reason for that. Take what is said into consideration and if you don't understand, then ask questions. The help desk is open 7 days a week and during most holidays. Don't bad mouth the editor because you shouldn't have anything against them, since they have no reason to have anything against you. And don't threaten to quit because if you really decide to leave, it probably won't do much harm to the rest of us. So make sure you follow those rules. Don't re-create your buddy Steve-o's article, or re-upload the candid of Lloyd Christmas. Because the same thing will happen again. And if you don't follow the rules, it means you're probably gonna get blocked. Just try us.

Don't be afraid to admit you've made a mistake. Owning up to it is the best way to resolve that issue. You can stand by your word and be as stubborn as a mule, but that won't get you anywhere. Going out of your way to prove something or make a statement is another whole issue on its own. We all make misteaks.

3. Stay focused to the issue at hand.
Don't go off-topic, basically. Let's say a template needs to be updated. There's new content that needs to be added, or there's a new idea that can be proposed. Don't turn it into a conversation as to whether or not the template needs to be locked.

4. Don't argue with the facts.
If the local DOT says on their website that Highway 10 is is 30.72 miles long, don't remove the citation and state its 32.91 miles long. Don't remove verifiable sources if you disagree with them. Sometimes we may think we know things that we do, or sometimes we think we know things that we do. But if you do find something that is wrong, then don't cause an edit war, but start a discussion on the talk page.

5. Help the cause; don't hurt it.
Keep in mind that this is a collaborative place. No one owns any certain pages, so when a user is set out to finally get that article to featured status, then try and help them out. Sure, featured articles do have to be absolutely "perfect" in a way, but why not help perfect them instead of criticize why they're not perfect to begin with. While it's understandable if there are serious issues, such as poor grammar throughout or missing lots of citations, it can be easier at times just to fix little things, rather than to criticize them. If you notice a sentence has a word is mispelled, then go ahead and fix it. Or you could write an entire line stating the word, its correct spelling, the sentence in which the word is located, and the section in which the sentence is located.

Also, don't try to find little nitpicks to put the article down.
 * Oh, no! The footnote numbers are out of order!
 * Oh, no! The random free image of the celebrity at Comic-Con should be on the right side of the page, not the left!
 * Oh, no! The citation doesn't mention that The New York Times is published by The New York Times Company!  How will anyone ever know who publishes it?!
 * Oh, no! The title of the article was bolded   instead of  !

Additionally, don't shoot down the article at a whole. If it's already at GA status, don't try and prove that the article fails notability guidelines, and should therefore not become featured. Don't try and show off by trying to make a point. And most importantly, don't forget to show your Support. If any issues you had were taken care of, please go back and show that editor that you fully support the nomination. Anyone can criticize any article, but in reality that doesn't get it anywhere, unless you can support a consensus to help improve this encyclopedia.