Policies and Guidelines

The following is a list of Policies that are meant to ensure everyone can enjoy this Wiki and the information/community it offers. By implementing these Policies and Guidelines, Administrators expect users to adhere to them, and all contributors will be held accountable by Administrators; if you have any questions, please ask them.

Administrators always try to "assume good faith." We do not want to block someone who made a mistake — only users who intend to harm the wiki. The administration page can be found here.

Current Administors

I-Caterpillar-I

Current Content Moderators

Current Discussion Moderators

## Behaviour Policies

Administrators/Moderators will delete or edit out content that violates these policies.

1. **Be inclusive and polite towards others.** We expect users to be respectful towards others at all times.
	* Do not bully or post other hurtful comments. These are not tolerated under any circumstances.
	* Do not ship/character bash. Please consider others' opinions and keep ship-related arguments civil.
	* If debating, arguments are expected to be made respectfully, without degrading others' opinions.
	* Do not direct any arguments towards users. You are arguing against the user's comment, not the users themselves. (For example, instead of saying "You're wrong. This ship is better because..." try saying, "I prefer this ship because...")
	* Homophobia, transphobia, racism, religious intolerance, and ableism will not be tolerated, regardless of circumstance.
2. **Ensure that all content is suitable for all readers.** Nothing inappropriate or mature is permitted on this website.
	* Potentially triggering content, such as violence, should have a warning with a non-graphic description of the content (tw: violence). Especially triggering or offensive material will be deleted, and the user will receive a warning or consequence depending on the severity.
	* A swear is to be fully censored out and it can only be said as a reference to The Illuminae Files. Swearing to other users (with the exception of Roleplays and Fanfictions) is not allowed. Profanity is not allowed.
3. **Give credit for work that is not your own.** Reposted work (including fanart, theories, fanfiction, and other fan-made content) created by another person must clearly give credit to the original creator.

## Commenting Policies

Comments that do not follow these policies will be deleted, and reminders/warnings may be issued. Blockings may follow if the offense is repeated.

1. **Make sure to post your comments on the pages they relate to.** Do not post comments unrelated to the topic of the page. Conversations unrelated to The Illuminae Files may be had on the forum and/or message walls.
2. **Do not spam,** whether it be on pages or threads. Useless comments will be deleted.

## Discussions Policies

The following set of guidelines can also be found on Discussions itself. Many of the following policies fall under the previous categories - violators of these guidelines will receive consequences. Be respectful and treat others kindly. Keep discussions civil and be open-minded about differing opinions. Do not get heated or start drama. It is better to say nothing than say something unkind.

1. Spamming, flooding, trolling, or vandalizing of any kind will be deleted and can lead to your account being banned.
2. Impersonation of other users or famous people will not be tolerated. If you have been banned and return on a new account, your posts will be deleted, and your new account(s) will be banned.
3. Threads and posts that solicit replies or upvotes will be deleted.
4. Check the wiki before asking questions; there's a good chance that whatever you're confused about is already explained in an article.
5. You will get a warning/block if you upvote spam (mass upvoting a user's replies/posts) or encourage it.
6. If you notice that anyone has broken the rules, report the post and leave it. There is no need to mini-mod and berate the other user. Staff will take care of it.
7. We do not tolerate sexual content, references to drug usage, or any other content that would not be acceptable in a middle-grade series. Keep things PG. Swearing should be completely censored (even when used in acronyms). Profanity is not allowed.
8. We strive to create a safe, accepting community for our users - We will not tolerate homophobia, racism, religious intolerance, ableism, or any other forms of discrimination. These comments will be removed immediately, and action will be taken on any users involved with these beliefs.
9. Potentially triggering content should be preceded by a warning at all times. If a post is especially triggering, it will be deleted.
10. Impersonation, fraud, and other forms of manipulation are not tolerated under any circumstances. If you are found to be guilty of any of these violations, your account will be banned immediately.
11. Any useless polls/discussion posts will be deleted.
12. Do not advertise posts that were just created on this forum. This is redundant and entirely unnecessary.
13. Do not use the forum for direct communication with a specific user. Instead, use the person's message wall.
14. Any “face-reveals” or posts that reveal too much personal information will be deleted immediately.

Violations of the following policies will not result in severe consequence, but they are important to maintain proper usage of the forum.

1. **Please make sure that all your posts are placed in the correct category.** Off-topic discussions will be moved to a different board. Please review Discussion Categories | The Illuminae Files Wiki | Fandom for a description of each category.
2. **Any useless polls/discussion posts will be deleted.** These include polls that don't have a definite purpose and posts that don't say anything. This includes spam.
3. **Do not advertise posts that were just created on this forum.** This is redundant and entirely unnecessary.
4. **Do not use the forum for direct communication with a specific user.** Instead, use the person's message wall.

## Editing Guidelines

Edits that do not follow these guidelines will be undone. Warnings and/or blockings may follow.

1. **All Wiki pages are to be factual and contain only information directly acquired from the books or reliable source(s).** Do not add any second-hand information. Do not edit pages to include opinions or theories. - These can be said on a blog post/discussion post.
2. **All edits to Wiki pages are expected to be helpful for growing the page.** Removing content, inserting false or unrelated content, and any other vandalizations are prohibited.
3. **Categories are to be necessary and helpful.** Ensure that pages added to a category are relevant. Do not create any extra or spam categories. Do not create a category if it is only used by one page. If you are unsure about adding a category, ask.
4. **Get administrative permission before using automated editing.** (Scripts, bots, etc.)
5. **Do not add any fanart to pages without permission.**
6. **Do not add useless trivia.** Example: AIDAN is an AI. These are considered unnecessary.
7. When editing, please describe what you have changed on a pop-up that will appear. This will help staff much more.

## Page Guidelines

Pages that do not follow these guidelines will most likely be deleted. Reminders/Warnings may be issued, and Blockings may follow for repeat offenses.

1. **Before creating a page, ensure that the page has not already been created.** Redundant pages will be deleted.
2. **Instead of making a non-factual page (as seen in "Editing Guidelines"), make a blog post or forum post.** Examples of non-factual pages are fanfiction, fanart, and pages unrelated to the series.
3. **Use articles for notable content only.** Do not make articles for unnamed people or locations unless they are especially relevant.