History Administrivia / TVTropesCustoms

# '''Don't be a dick.''' We can't stress this enough. We expect editors to treat each other politely, even when they disagree. This includes forum posts, edit reasons, discussion pages, and contributor pages. Our culture strives to be civil, even when we would rather not be.

# We aim for "family-friendly" -- our mantra is Administrivia/NoLewdnessNoPrudishness. We're perfectly willing to discuss all the {{sex|Tropes}}, {{violence|Tropes}}, and [[TheseTropesShouldWatchTheirLanguage naughty language]] that are prevalent in media, but we ask for [[Franchise/{{Dragnet}} just the facts, ma'am]]. In particular, this is not a place for you to creepily gush about how you, the editor, finds someone (or something) attractive or sexy.

[[quoteright:350: [[Webcomic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dontbeadick.png]]]]

Here at Wiki/TVTropes, we're not very big on official rules. Rules lead to people [[LoopholeAbuse looking for loopholes]]. We prefer general guidelines and rely on people's good sense, or [[Administrivia/KnowTheStaff our staff]] (if people are short of good sense), to determine when someone has crossed the line. These guidelines are the '''TV Tropes Customs'''.

# For potentially NotSafeForWork stuff, see Administrivia/NoLewdnessNoPrudishness. Short version: Sex is a part of fiction, so you can talk ''about'' (most of) that stuff, as long as you don't turn the page itself into an ''example'' of it. There are some things that are forbidden to ensure the site's very survival, though: See Administrivia/TheContentPolicyt.

# For potentially NotSafeForWork stuff, see Administrivia/NoLewdnessNoPrudishness. Short version: Sex is a part of fiction, so you can talk ''about'' (most of) that stuff, as long as you don't turn the page itself into an ''example'' of it. There are some things that are forbidden to ensure the site's very survival, though: See Administrivia/TheContentPolicyAndThe5PCircuit.

# Administrivia/WorkPagesAreAFreeLaunch. If you know a work that doesn't have a page, just add it yourself! (Unless it violates our [[Administrivia/TheContentPolicyAndThe5PCircuit Content Policy]].) However, if you don't ''want'' to do it on your own, you're more than welcome to go to the TropeLaunchPad and ask for the community's help with it (just let them know that this is what you're doing -- otherwise they'll just tell you that you don't need a TLP for a work page).

# Administrivia/WorksPagesAreAFreeLaunch. If you know a work that doesn't have a page, just add it yourself! (Unless it violates our [[Administrivia/TheContentPolicyAndThe5PCircuit Content Policy]].) However, if you don't ''want'' to do it on your own, you're more than welcome to go to the TropeLaunchPad and ask for the community's help with it (just let them know that this is what you're doing -- otherwise they'll just tell you that you don't need a TLP for a work page).

# We aim for "family-friendly" -- our mantra is Administrivia/NoLewdnessNoPrudishness. We're perfectly willing to discuss all the {{sex|tropes}}, {{violence|tropes}}, and [[TheseTropesShouldWatchTheirLanguage naughty language]] that are prevalent in media, but we ask for [[Franchise/{{Dragnet}} just the facts, ma'am]]. In particular, this is not a place for you to creepily gush about how you, the editor, finds someone (or something) attractive or sexy.

# It's considered rude to launch a TLP that someone else started. However, the main exception is if it's Administrivia/UpForGrabs -- that's a notification from the Troper who started it that anyone else can launch it if it's ready. You can also launch it if the sponsor hasn't edited the draft for at least two months. If you ''mislaunch'' a trope like this, you court the fiery wrath of the other [=TLPers=].

# We will not solicit users trying to pay other users to make or curate pages, or perform any other functions of the site. If you want a page or thread made, do it yourself if you can. If you find another user soliciting in this manner, alert the staff immediately; don't take the offer as there's risk of scams.

# We will not solicit users trying to pay other users to make or curate pages, or perform any other functions of the site. If you want a page or thread made, do it yourself. If you find another user soliciting in this manner, alert the staff immediately; don't take the offer as there's risk of scams.

Here at Wiki/TVTropes we're not very big on official rules. Rules lead to people [[LoopholeAbuse looking for loopholes]]. We prefer general guidelines and rely on people's good sense, or,in the event that people are short of good sense,[[Administrivia/KnowTheStaff our staff]], to determine when someone has crossed the line.

We have a lot of customs here that we don't even think about, but may seem completely foreign to someone who is new to the wiki, or a subculture within the wiki such as TropeLaunchPad or the Administrivia/TropeRepairShop. so here is a list of customs you should know about in our unique and totally not scary culture:

# '''Don't be a dick.''' We can't stress this enough. We expect editors to treat each other politely, even when they disagree. This includes forum posts, edit reasons, discussion pages, and contributor pages. Our culture strives to be civil even when we would rather not be.

# We'd like to walk the line between prudery, being family-friendly, and creepily gushing about attractiveness and/or sexuality. When it comes to sex and gore, [[Franchise/{{Dragnet}} just the facts, ma'am]]. When it comes to how attractive you, the editor, finds a character or actor, take it somewhere else. See Administrivia/NoLewdnessNoPrudishness for more information.

# If you do happen to get a suspension from editing, it's probably not a permanent ban. It's usually a way for our staff to get your attention before you can do any more damage and determine whether you can demonstrate you can learn from your mistakesand become a more valuable contributor. Head over to the [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=5cma6iojg5o27puhulc24sje&page=1 Edit Banned thread]] and ask what you did wrong. We're not looking for groveling, just politeness and a good reason to believe you won't do it again (or to see if it resulted from a misunderstanding, since that happens, too).

# Our primary purpose here is to catalog tropes. We earnestly wish to have fun while doing so, and encourage breezy, colloquial language and wittiness whenever possible. We're also okay with things existing JustForFun... right up until the point it starts conflicting with our Prime Directive. Keep the fun where it belongs and everything will operate smoothly.

# On the other hand, if your idea of "fun" is bashing works, creators, or life in general, this probably isn't the wiki for you. We're here to ''celebrate'' fiction, not bash it. At the same time, it should be noted that gushing over your favourite thing isn't the point of the main pages either, even though it isn't as disruptive.

# Administrivia/{{Edit War}}s aren't allowed either, even if you ''know'' you're right. Try working things out on the discussion page, via PM, or, if that doesn't work, bring the issue to AskTheTropers.

# Administrivia/{{Edit Reasons|AndWhyYouShouldUseThem}} are ''strongly'' encouraged. We're not psychic, and what's obvious to you may not be obvious to everyone. Please let us know what you're doing.

# If you're deleting anything, leave an edit reason. Leaving an edit reason is always a good idea, but it's particularly important if you're removing content. Also, never ever remove all the content from a page; that's called page blanking and is nearly guaranteed to be a one-way ticket to a suspension. If an entire page needs to go, use the CutList.

# Administrivia/TheFicMayBeYoursButTheTropePageIsOurs. As long as it's within the content guidelines, no one can tell us what we can or can't trope. If you're the author of a work we have a page on, you do not have the right to blank the page. If you feel the page is misleading, negative, or has other problems, you do have the right to fix or discuss them, but be aware that your strong feelings may indicate that you are biased on this issue and should probably seek a second opinion.

# When it comes to American vs. British spelling, whichever one gets there first wins. That's why we have ColourCodedForYourConvenience and ColorCodedElements on Main, while the other spelling gets redirect status. Please don't "correct" American or British spelling on any page you see.

# Don't forget to double check a trope before you add it to a page. It might not be what it sounds like, or the definition may have shifted since the last time you read it.

# We encourage people to fix minor problems they see themselves. If you see a bad example, bad formatting, an index a trope really should be on, a sister trope that isn't mentioned, or some other small problem with any page, please feel free to fix it. And by fix it, we mean fix it directly, not [[Administrivia/RepairDontRespond add a sub-bullet correcting it]].

# If you come across a Administrivia/ZeroContextExample, the best thing to do is expand it. If you're not familiar enough with the source material, the preferred method of dealing with it is to change it to a comment (add "[=%%=]" to the beginning of the line). This will make it invisible to the casual reader, while inviting other editors to expand it and put it back on the page as a proper example. Of course, if you are familiar with it, and the [=ZCE=] is also ''wrong'', by all means, delete it and leave an edit reason. See the [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13226024250A77804400 Fixing Zero-Context Examples thread]] for more information.

# Major changes, such as redefining a trope, renaming it, removing all or most of the examples, cutting it, merging it with another trope, or splitting it into multiple tropes needs a general consensus to go forward. Please take issues of that nature to [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/conversations.php?topic=renames the Trope Repair Shop]] rather than attempting the fix yourself.

# Crowners are our voting system. The name is an ArtifactTitle from when they were used to determine a [="Crowning Moment Of Awesome"=](the concept has been renamed to SugarWiki.MomentOfAwesome) but they never really took off for that purpose. We use them any time we need to get a consensus, usually for picking an image or deciding how to fix a trope that seems broken. Please see the Administrivia/HowCrownersWork page for more information on this process.

# Speaking of images, you can pick an image for an image-less page so long as it doesn't violate any of our policies about images, or you can take the page to [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/conversations.php?topic=images Image Pickin']]. However, if a page already has an image and you don't think it works, please change it in Image Pickin' only. Don't change or remove any image that's been tagged as coming from Image Pickin' without first going through there.

# Administrivia/WorksPagesAreAFreeLaunch. Know a work that doesn't have a page? Please add it (unless it violates our [[Administrivia/TheContentPolicyAndThe5PCircuit Content Policy]], that is)! However, you ''can'' use TropeLaunchPad if you want assistance fleshing it out with tropes first. If you do so, it's a good idea to specifically mention that this is what you're doing, otherwise you'll get a series of replies saying you don't need a TLP.

# On the other hand, new tropes and new indexes - indeed all pages in the Main/ namespace - need to go through TropeLaunchPad.

# All the same rules about editing wiki pages apply to TLP drafts - it's okay to add examples and do ''minor'' fixes to the description, but anything major (or if you're just not sure) should be discussed first.

# You are free to launch someone's TLP only if there's an Administrivia/UpForGrabs notification or the sponsor hasn't edited the draft or posted for two months or more. Otherwise, it's rude, you know.

# Before you try to launch a trope, [[Administrivia/AGuideToEasyLaunchingOfYourTLP learn how to do it properly]]. If you don't, you'll launch an empty red link instead of your trope. If you ninja-mislaunch someone else's trope, you are courting the fiery wrath of the other [=TLPers=].

# In TLP, don't ignore suggestions or launch a trope that has objections to one or more aspects until those have been resolved. If in doubt, ask for help in the [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/addpost.php?discussion=mrrv0lfphb29fvme6ofumrj0 TropeLaunchPad Workstation Thread]].

Here at Wiki/TVTropes we're not very big on official rules. Rules lead to people [[LoopholeAbuse looking for loopholes]]. We prefer general guidelines and rely on people's good sense, or [[Administrivia/KnowTheStaff our staff]], in the event that people have run out of good sense, to determine when someone has crossed the line.

We have a lot of customs here that we don't even think about, but may seem completely foreign to someone who is new to the wiki, or new to a subculture within the wiki such as TropeLaunchPad or the Administrivia/TropeRepairShop.

So, here is a list of customs you should know about in our unique and totally not scary culture:

# We'd like to walk the line between prudery, being family friendly, and creepily gushing about attractiveness and/or sexuality. When it comes to sex and gore, [[Franchise/{{Dragnet}} just the facts, ma'am]]. When it comes to how attractive you, the editor, finds a character or actor, take it somewhere else. See Administrivia/NoLewdnessNoPrudishness for more information.

# If you do happen to get a suspension from editing, it's probably not a permanent ban. It's usually a way for our staff to talk to you before you can do any more damage and determine if you're capable of learning from your mistakes and becoming a valued contributor. Head over to the [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=5cma6iojg5o27puhulc24sje&page=1 Edit Banned thread]] and ask what you did wrong. We're not looking for groveling, just politeness and a good reason to believe you won't do it again (or to find out it was a misunderstanding, since that happens, too).

# Our primary purpose here is to catalog tropes. We earnestly wish to have fun while doing so, and encourage breezy, colloquial language and wittiness whenever possible. We're also okay with things existing JustForFun... right up until the point it starts conflicting with our Prime Directive. Keep the fun where it belongs and everything will coexist nicely.

# On the other hand, if your idea of "fun" is bashing works, creators, or people in general, this probably isn't the wiki for you. We're here to ''celebrate'' fiction, not bash it. At the same time, it should be noted that gushing over your favourite thing isn't the point of the main pages either, though it's less disruptive.

# Administrivia/{{Edit War}}s aren't allowed either, even if you ''know'' you're right. Try working things out on the discussion page, via PM, or, failing that, bring the issue to AskTheTropers.

# If you're deleting anything, leave an edit reason. Leaving an edit reason is always a good idea, but it's particularly important if you're removing content. And never ever remove all the content from a page; that's called page blanking and is nearly guaranteed to be a one-way ticket to a suspension. If an entire page needs to go, use the CutList.

# Administrivia/TheFicMayBeYoursButTheTropePageIsOurs. As long as it's within the content guidelines, no one can tell us what we can or can't trope. If you're the author of a work we have a page on, you do not have the right to blank the page. If you feel the page is misleading, negative, or has other problems, you do have the right to fix or discuss them, but beware that you are very biased on this issue and should probably seek a second opinion.

# Crowners are our voting system. The name is an ArtifactTitle from when they were used to determine a [="Crowning Moment Of Awesome"=]( which has been renamed to SugarWiki.MomentOfAwesome) but they never really took off for that purpose. We use them any time we need to get a consensus, usually for picking an image or deciding how to fix a trope that seems broken. Please see the Administrivia/HowCrownersWork page for more information on this process.

# Administrivia/WorksPagesAreAFreeLaunch. Know a work that doesn't have a page? Please add it (unless it violates our [[Administrivia/TheContentPolicyAndThe5PCircuit Content Policy]], that is)! However, you ''can'' use TropeLaunchPad if you want assistance fleshing it out with tropes first. If you do so, it's a good idea to specifically mention that this is what you're doing, otherwise you'll get a series of replies telling you you don't need a TLP.

# You are free to launch someone's TLP only if there's an Administrivia/UpForGrabs notification or the sponsor hasn't edited the draft or posted for two months or more. Otherwise, it's kinda rude, you know.

We have a lot of customs here that we don't even think about, but may seem completely foreign to someone who is new to the wiki, or new to a subculture within the wiki such as YKTTW or the Administrivia/TropeRepairShop.

!Creating Pages and YKTTW

# Administrivia/WorksPagesAreAFreeLaunch. Know a work that doesn't have a page? Please add it (unless it violates our [[Administrivia/TheContentPolicyAndThe5PCircuit Content Policy]], that is)! However, you ''can'' use YKTTW if you want assistance fleshing it out with tropes first. If you do so, it's a good idea to specifically mention that this is what you're doing, otherwise you'll get a series of replies telling you you don't need a YKTTW.

# On the other hand, new tropes and new indexes - indeed all pages in the Main/ namespace - need to go through YKTTW.

# All the same rules about editing wiki pages apply to YKTTW drafts - it's okay to add examples and do ''minor'' fixes to the description, but anything major (or if you're just not sure) should be discussed first.

# You are free to launch someone's YKTTW only if there's an Administrivia/UpForGrabs notification or the sponsor hasn't edited the draft or posted for two months or more. Otherwise, it's kinda rude, you know.

# Before you try to launch a trope, [[Administrivia/AGuideToEasyLaunchingOfYourTLP learn how to do it properly]]. If you don't, you'll launch an empty red link instead of your trope. If you ninja-mislaunch someone else's trope, you are courting the fiery wrath of the other [=YKTTWers=].

# In YKTTW, don't ignore suggestions or launch a trope that has objections to one or more aspects until those have been resolved. If in doubt, ask for help in the [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/addpost.php?discussion=mrrv0lfphb29fvme6ofumrj0 YKTTW Workstation Thread]].

# Crowners are our voting system. The name is an ArtifactTitle from when they were used to determine a CrowningMomentOfAwesome, but they never really took off for that purpose. We use them any time we need to get a consensus, usually for picking an image or deciding how to fix a trope that seems broken. Please see the Administrivia/HowCrownersWork page for more information on this process.

# EditReasons are ''strongly'' encouraged. We're not psychic, and what's obvious to you may not be obvious to everyone. Please let us know what you're doing.

# Before you try to launch a trope, [[Administrivia/AGuideToEasyLaunchingOfYourYKTTW learn how to do it properly]]. If you don't, you'll launch an empty red link instead of your trope. If you ninja-mislaunch someone else's trope, you are courting the fiery wrath of the other [=YKTTWers=].

Here at TVTropes we're not very big on official rules. Rules lead to people [[LoopholeAbuse looking for loopholes]]. We prefer general guidelines and rely on people's good sense, or [[Administrivia/KnowTheStaff our staff]], in the event that people have run out of good sense, to determine when someone has crossed the line.

# If you do happen to get a suspension from editing, it's probably not a permanent ban. It's usually a way for our staff to talk to you before you can do any more damage and determine if you're capable of learning from your mistakes and becoming a valued contributor. Head over to the [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/addpost.php?discussion=5cma6iojg5o27puhulc24sje Edit Banned thread]] and ask what you did wrong. We're not looking for groveling, just politeness and a good reason to believe you won't do it again (or to find out it was a misunderstanding, since that happens, too).

# If you come across a ZeroContextExample, the best thing to do is expand it. If you're not familiar enough with the source material, the preferred method of dealing with it is to change it to a comment (add "[=%%=]" to the beginning of the line). This will make it invisible to the casual reader, while inviting other editors to expand it and put it back on the page as a proper example. Of course, if you are familiar with it, and the [=ZCE=] is also ''wrong'', by all means, delete it and leave an edit reason. See the [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13226024250A77804400 Fixing Zero-Context Examples thread]] for more information.

# Administrivia/WorksPagesAreAFreeLaunch. Know a work that doesn't have a page? Please add it (unless it violates our [[Administrivia/TheContentPolicyAndThe5PCircuit Content Policy]], that is)! However, you ''can'' use YKTTW if you want assistance fleshing it out with tropes first. If you do so, it's good idea to specifically mention that this is what you're doing, otherwise you'll get a series of replies telling you you don't need a YKTTW.

# If you do happen to get a suspension from editing, it's probably not a permanent ban. It's usually a way for our staff to talk to you before you can do any more damage and determine if you're capable of learning from your mistakes and becoming a valued contributor. Head over to the [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=5cma6iojg5o27puhulc24sje&page=1 Edit Banned thread]] and ask what you did wrong. We're not looking for groveling, just politeness and a good reason to believe you won't do it again (or to find out it was a misunderstanding, since that happens, too).

# On the other hand, we like new tropes to go through YKTTW. Indices we're less worried about, although it's still a good idea to make sure it's not a duplicate and it gets as many appropriate tropes on it as possible.

# In YKTTW, don't ignore suggestions or launch a trope that has objections to one or more aspects until those have been resolved. If in doubt, ask for help in the [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=mrrv0lfphb29fvme6ofumrj0&page=1 YKTTW Workstation Thread]].

# Don't forget to [[Administrivia/HowIndexingWorks index]] pages that you create. To do so, find the appropriate index and add a link to your article in the proper order. You must do this ''after'' you create the page for the indexing to work. If you need help finding an index, post [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=12934881600A56997400&page=39#967 here]].

# {{Edit War}}s aren't allowed either, even if you ''know'' you're right. Try working things out on the discussion page, via PM, or, failing that, bring the issue to AskTheTropers.