I've started to draft a page on What TV Tropes Is Not to help further clarify good style. I'm taking it here rather than YKTTW because it's administrivia, not a trope.

I'd like to hear feedback. Actually, I suspect I wouldn't, but I do urge people to edit and expand on the draft.

I'm not really going to push this if everyone thinks it's unnecessary, or strongly defend the implied claim that it is necessary.

I'd have phrased the second bullet as "the anti-wikipedia."

Otherwise, good start.

Would adding "If something is objectively horrible, even a neutral description will likely get that across" to the "not a hate site" bit be a good idea? I'm undecided on it, but thought I'd bring it up.

edited 13th Jan '12 1:03:05 PM by INUH

This is probably a good idea.

ninja'd by the person suggesting a change i just made! :o

edited 13th Jan '12 1:02:20 PM by billybobfred

I like it. I think that will help clarify some things for people.

Not a bad start, not bad at all. In the last bullet point, you might want to say something about Repair, Don't Respond as a tool to prevent Thread Mode on the pages due to natter and Justifying Edits.

edited 13th Jan '12 1:20:47 PM by Willbyr

I do not agree with the "not a fansite" because we are.This site is by fans of things, for fans of things.

edited 13th Jan '12 1:31:30 PM by Ultimatum

I think the general idea is good for that section, it just needs a better term than "fansite"

"A gushing site?"

How about just put "your pulpit"?

We have a problem with people thinking their opinions are facts.

Blixty: They have that with "personal blog" I thought.

Just realized that this "What TV Tropes is not" article is pointless because Welcome To Tv Tropes exists, it already explains what the site is not.

The Home Page also explains things as well.

edited 13th Jan '12 1:37:31 PM by Ultimatum

I think "Your pulpit" is the best. We really are about talking about media that we like. We're just not about your personal opinions.

I'd add "an essay host" to either the blog or wikipedia entries.

Actually I think a good rewording might be "A Free Hosted Fansite" because we are a fansite in the fact we are fans of media but we aren't a fansite in that you can customize it any way you want. Because that really is what the bullet point should be about, the "Personal Blog" bullet point pretty much covers the personal opinions caution about Complaining or Gushing.

Eh, I think any of the not a fansite are confusing. And Eddie has outright stated that gushing isn't the issue that bashing is. A few tropers just have single issue wonk about it.

Gushing isn't the issue that bashing is, that's true. It's still not allowed, though. It's just not actively sought out for deletion.

Not really pointless. It's a much more specialized page. Would be helpful if you want to tell somebody something very specific. Plus, wikipedia has a similar page. It's kind of redundant to all the other guideline and policy pages, but it's convenient sometimes.

The argument is not "Wikipedia has a similar page" but "it serves the same purpose for TV Tropes that the Wikipedia page serves there

Ahem. I don't mean to replace the welcome page etc., only to supplement them. And really, I want to provide a focal point for discussions of "the character of the wiki, " so instead of it coming up in every other Wiki Talk and TRS thread, it comes up for this page, and there's a document that can be referred to elsewhere.

That said, it would work almost as well as another folder on Welcome to TV Tropes as it does on its own.

edited 14th Jan '12 2:22:26 PM by HersheleOstropoler

I think we might want a "TV Tropes is not IMDB" about critical reviews and reception.

And not allowing trolling and flaming.

, Sounds like a good idea to me.

I support this wording.

edited 27th Feb '12 8:00:15 AM by ArcadesSabboth

"An Internet meme resource" may also want to be added to this box. The misconception that any meme can be given a page here has lead to such disasters as the entry pimping of things like Pretty Cool Guy (now cut) and Candle Jack. We only cover Internet memes if they actually cross over into media or become tropes, works, or media of their own. (e.g. lolcats, rickrolling) Also, Know Your Meme exists.

About complaining and gushing, "TV Tropes is not an opinion-sharing site?"

That falls somewhere under soapbox territory.

"TV Tropes is not opinionated - by which we mean that while some editors do have personal biases for or against certain subjects, we try to write articles from a neutral perspective, paying equal respect to both sides."