 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
Choosing to devote time to fighting vandalism, or doing Recent Changes patrol, is more than just hitting the "revert" button. To be effective, and accurate, one must have a firm background in the policies and guidelines of Wikipedia. This essay will attempt to guide, and teach those who may not be experienced, and explain the processes and steps involved in reverting inappropriate changes to Wikipedia's pages.
Standard template messages can be both a blessing, and a curse. There are a wide variety of pre-formatted, standardized template messages available to anyone who wishes to assist with vandalism or warnings of editors on Wikipedia, as well as useful notifications. Many of these are extremely helpful, especially when dealing with obvious, malicious vandals. Administrators base their decisions for blocks on the extent of damage, the intent, how many warnings someone has been given, and the user's history. However, their use should be used with a dash of caution, a heaping teaspoon of reason, and a big cup of good faith.