 | 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. |
 | This page in a nutshell: It's okay to be wrong sometimes. Do not listen to those who make you feel less than for being newer or less knowledgeable. Learn at your own pace, and you will fit right in. |
Wikipedia, the site to which we've all chosen to devote an inexplicable amount of our time, resources, and energy to improving for the betterment of civilization... is rather confusing. It contains mountains of policies and guidelines, in-jokes and other aspects of an in-culture, and–this cannot be stressed enough–a massive amount of policies and guidelines. Navigating the labyrinth that is the WP: namespace, not to mention the Help: namespace and the Manual of Style, can be an exhausting endeavor. There are plenty of tips to assist you in navigating the labyrinth–try to specialize in a specific area, instead of doing it all, and give it as much practice as you can. However, despite Wikipedia's warnings to itself not to bite the newcomers, "experienced" editors too often make others feel insignificant, small, insecure, unintelligent, or unworthy of the mantle that is the Wikipedia editor's toolbox. But instead of repeating the warnings to ourselves to little effect, I'd like to address those who still consider themselves some kind of newcomer–if you're trying to acquaint yourself with a new area of Wikipedia policy, or if you're completely new to Wikipedia and scratching your head. Know that it's okay to be wrong.