WP:NPA
Do not make personal attacks anywhere in Wikipedia. Comment on content, not on the contributor. Personal attacks will not help you make a point; they hurt the Wikipedia community and deter users from helping to create a good encyclopedia.

# What is considered a personal attack?
Debate is an essential part of the culture of Wikipedia.  Different contributors often do not agree on some of the content within an article.  Contributors often are members of opposing communities who wish to have their viewpoints included in articles. Synthesizing these views into a single article creates a better, more NPOV article for everyone.  Every person who edits an article is part of the same larger community - we are all Wikipedians.
Accusing someone without justification of making personal attacks is also considered a form of personal attack.
There is no bright-line rule about what constitutes a personal attack as opposed to constructive discussion, but some types of comments are never acceptable:
- Racial, sexual, homophobic, ageist, religious, political, ethnic, or other epithets (such as against disabled people) directed against another contributor. Disagreement over what constitutes a religion, race, sexual preference, or ethnicity is not a legitimate excuse.
- Using someone's affiliations as a means of dismissing or discrediting their views -- regardless of whether said affiliations are mainstream or extreme.
- Threats of legal action.
- Threats of violence, particularly death threats.
- Threats of vandalism to userpages or talk pages.
- Threats or actions which expose other Wikipedia editors to political, religious or other persecution by government, their employer or any others. Violations of this sort may result in a block for an extended period of time, which may be applied immediately by any administrator upon discovery. Admins applying such sanctions should confidentially notify the members of the Arbitration Committee of what they have done and why.
These examples are not exclusive.  Insulting or disparaging an editor is a personal attack regardless of the manner in which it is done.  When in doubt, comment on the article's content without referring to its contributor at all.
The prohibition against personal attacks applies equally to all Wikipedians.  It is as unacceptable to attack a user with a history of foolish or boorish behavior, or even one who has been subject to disciplinary action by the Arbitration Committee, as it is to attack any other user.  Wikipedia encourages a positive online community: people make mistakes, but they are encouraged to learn from them and change their ways.  Personal attacks are contrary to this spirit and damaging to the work of building an encyclopedia.

# Responding to personal attacks

## Initial options
Frequently, the best way to respond to an isolated personal attack is not to respond at all.  Wikipedia and its debates can become stressful for some editors, who may occasionally overreact.  Additionally, Wikipedia discussions are in a text-only medium that conveys nuances and emotions poorly; this can easily lead to misunderstanding.  While personal attacks are not excused because of these factors, editors are encouraged to disregard angry and ill-mannered postings of others when it is reasonable to do so, and to continue to focus their efforts on improving and developing the encyclopedia.
If you feel that a response is necessary and desirable, you should leave a polite message on the other user's talk page.  Do not respond on a talk page of an article; this tends to escalate matters. Likewise, it is important to avoid becoming hostile and confrontational yourself, even in the face of abuse.  Although templates have been used at times for this purpose, a customized message relating to the specific situation is often better received.  When possible, try to find compromise or common ground regarding the underlying issues of content, rather than argue about behavior.
Personal attacks do not include civil language used to describe an editor's actions, and when made without involving their personal character, should not be construed as personal attacks, for instance, stating "Your statement is a personal attack..." is not itself a personal attack.
Attacks that are particularly offensive or disruptive (such as physical or legal threats) should not be ignored.  Extraordinary situations that require immediate intervention are rare, but may be reported on the administrators' noticeboard.

## Recurring attacks
Recurring, non-disruptive personal attacks that do not stop after reasoned requests to cease should be resolved through the dispute resolution process.  Especially when personal attacks arise as the result of heated debate over article content, informal mediation and third-party opinions are often the best ways to resolve the conflict.  Similarly, Wikiquette alerts offers a "streamlined" source of outside opinion.  In most circumstances, problems with personal attacks can be resolved if editors work together and focus on content, and immediate administrator action is not required.

## Removal of text
There is no official policy regarding when or whether most personal attacks should be removed, although it has been a topic of substantial debate. Removing unquestionable personal attacks from your own user talk page is rarely a matter of concern.  On other talk pages, especially where such text is directed against you, removal should typically be limited.
Nevertheless, unusual circumstances do exist.  The most serious types of personal attacks, such as efforts to reveal nonpublic personal information about Wikipedia editors, go beyond the level of mere invective, and so can and should be excised for the benefit of the community and the project.  In certain cases involving sensitive information, a request for oversight may also be appropriate.

## Off-wiki personal attacks
Wikipedia cannot regulate behavior in media not under the control of the Wikimedia Foundation, but personal attacks made elsewhere create doubt as to whether an editor's on-wiki actions are conducted in good faith. Posting personal attacks or defamation off-Wikipedia is harmful to the community and to an editor's relationship with it, especially when such attacks take the form of violating an editor's privacy. Such attacks can be regarded as aggravating factors by administrators and are admissible evidence in the dispute-resolution process, including Arbitration cases.  In some cases, the evidence will be submitted by private email.