Wikipedia:Update/1/Content policy changes during April 2009


 * Biographies of living persons
 * Added to WP:BLP: "A statement of principles specifically related to such articles has been resolved by the Wikimedia Foundation Board. The full text can be found here."
 * In WP:BLP, added "and if that person otherwise remains, or is likely to remain, low profile" and removed "Cover the event, not the person."
 * In WP:BLP, changed "Individuals notable for well-documented historic events, for example John Hinckley, Jr., fit into this category. The historic significance of events should be indicated by the persistent coverage of the event in reliable secondary sources that devote significant attention to the individual's role. Transient press coverage of a story does not generally indicate an individual who would meet this exception, even if there are multiple independent and reliable secondary sources." to "Individuals notable for well-documented events, such as John Hinckley, Jr., fit into this category. The significance of an event or individual should be indicated by how persistent the coverage is in reliable secondary sources."
 * Added to WP:BLP: link to Wikimedia Foundation's resolution about biographies of living people


 * Naming conventions
 * In WP:NAME, changed "Except where other accepted Wikipedia naming conventions give a different indication, use the most common name of a person or thing that does not cause ambiguity with other people or things. Use the naming conflict guideline when there is disagreement ..." to "Except where other accepted Wikipedia naming conventions give a different indication, title an article using the most common name of the person or thing that is the subject of the article (making the title unique when necessary as described in the following section and in the disambiguation guideline). The naming conflict guideline may help resolve disagreements ..."
 * In WP:NAME, changed "Avoid giving an article an ambiguous title (unless it is unlikely that the other meanings deserve their own article). If all possible titles have multiple meanings, go with the rule of thumb of naming conventions and use common names of persons and things." to "Name an article as precisely as is necessary to indicate accurately its topical scope; avoid over-precision. If there are other articles with the same name, then the title should include a disambiguator in parentheses, unless the article concerns the primary topic for that name. If alternative common names exist for a topic, sometimes a less ambiguous option may be chosen in order to avoid the need for a disambiguator."


 * Neutral point of view
 * Added to the nutshell: "all [significant views] on each topic"
 * Removed from WP:NPOV: link to WP:POINT, and also, after "A matter that is both verifiable and supported by reliable sources might nonetheless be ...", removed: "marginalized or given undue standing; described in slanted terms which favor or weaken it ..."
 * Added to WP:NPOV: WP:COATRACK.


 * No original research
 * Added to lead section: "[... not the place to publish your own opinions, experiences, arguments,] or conclusions."
 * Added to WP:NOR: "Articles and posts on Wikipedia, or on websites that mirror its content, may not be used as sources, see Verifiability."


 * Non-free content criteria
 * In WP:NFCC, changed every occurrence of "image" to "file".
 * After "Image description page", changed "Attribution of the source of the material and, if different from the source, of the copyright holder." to "Identification of the source of the material, supplemented, where possible, with information about the artist, publisher and copyright holder; this is to help determine the material's potential market value."


 * Verifiability
 * Re-added to lead section: "and it has always been good practice, and expected behavior of Wikipedia editors (in line with our editing policy), to make reasonable efforts to find sources oneself that support such material, and cite them."
 * WP:V changed to WP:V, and contents of this section expanded to: "Wikipedia being an open wiki, is a self-published source, hence articles and posts on Wikipedia, or on websites that mirror its content, may not be used as sources; see WP:SPS. In addition, sources that present information known to originate from Wikipedia should not be used for that information, as doing so may create circular sourcing. When editing an article using a source that cites a different Wikipedia article, use the reliable sources contained in the cited article."


 * What Wikipedia is not
 * Added to WP:NOT: "Exceptions include terms with encyclopedic disputes connected with them, such as Macedonia (terminology): The use of "Macedonia" as the name of a country is disputed by Greece, which uses it as the name of a region, and the debate is well-covered in many reliable sources."
 * Added to WP:NOT: "Source texts generally belong on Wikisource. Excerpts of lyrics may be used within an article for the purpose of direct commentary upon them, or to illustrate some aspect of the style." Also changed "Wikipedia treats fiction in an encyclopedic manner, discussing the reception, impact, and significance of notable works. A concise plot summary is appropriate as part of the larger coverage of a fictional work." to "The coverage of a fictional work should not be a mere plot summary. A summary should facilitate substantial coverage of the work's real-world development, reception, and significance."