Wikipedia:Assume no clue

A clueless Wikipedia editor on day one, puzzled after his quotation from a blog post on "Extremist-web-rants.com" was reverted.

Assuming good faith is a fundamental principle on Wikipedia, but it generally isn't helpful when you get angry at someone who doesn't know how Wikipedia really works. Therefore, when an editor insists that what they're doing is an improvement when it isn't, assume no clue[1] before assuming bad faith.

Instead of assuming that fellow editors are out to harm the project and its ideals, assume that they don't know how they're contributing in a non-constructive way. Assuming no clue preserves sanity and helps communication: instead of accusing someone of harming the project, you can help them contribute constructively.

  1. ^ "No clue" means that the editor is clueless, i.e., they are lacking knowledge or understanding, or they are uninformed.