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Changes
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→Naming Names: word changes; added "of the Williams community"
'''THIS PAGE IS A DRAFT OF WIKI POLICY. It is a work in progress, and has no force until approved by the [[Willipedia board]], and cannot be edited by normal users.'''
This page contains an overview of the policies by which Willipedia is guided. These policies have evolved out of necessity, and are revised and administered by the [[Willipedia board]], which also arose out of necessity.
=== Advertising ===
'''Willipedia is not a billboard.''' We know how tempting it is to use space on the [http://wso.williams.edu WSO mainpage] for advertising and we know how important advertising is to life at Williams, but we have to keep it out of Willipedia. Advertising is a real and serious threat to the Willipedia project. Numerous times in WSO's past , services created for other purposes have completely fallen to hoards of advertisements.
''Do'' create and link to articles about the things you love -- teams, clubs, traditions -- and through that, spread awareness of them.
=== Criticism of Professors ===
This is a unique policy. Opinions Opinion on professors is very much of general interest, and is certainly a part of the Williams consciousnes. It is in all ways fair game for Willipedia, but for a few reasons we make a special exception.
[http://wso.williams.edu/factrak Factrak] is a WSO service that is specially dedicated to researching and reviewing professors. It is older than Willipedia, and has gone through a history of revisions to be useful to students, fair to professors, and allowed by the administration. We must ask that you comment there on Williams professors, and not on Willipedia -- though you may certainly write here about [[departments]] and [[classes]] at Williams.
=== Naming Names ===
If you think that someone involved in the topic you're writing about would prefer to go unnamed, grant them that [[common courtesy|courtesy]]. Mindfulness of others' identities is necessary for Willipedia to have a strong base of contributors, and we must respect this both in how we write and in what we choose to write about.
The vast majority of Willipedia topics are innocuous, and writers may cover these to the fullest extent of their knowledge. Other topics, that concern individuals of the Williams community who are likely not to want to be named in them (''eg.'' some [[Pranks]] and [[campus controversies|Campus Controversies]]), must either be written without naming the names or left to media other than Willipedia.
If you, with permission, include another person's name in a way that other editors may find questionable, note that you had the person's permission in your edit summary or on the talk page.
<!--
:''Topics whose Willipedia-worthiness depends on who is involved.''
::''Topics that are innocuous, so editors are reasonably certain they can name names inoffensively.''
:::Write a full article.
::''Topics that the concerned individuals may not want or have wanted their names associated with it.''
:::Do not write on this topic.
:''Topics whose Willipedia-worthiness does not depend on those involved.''
::''Topics that are innocuous, so editors are reasonably certain they can name names inoffensively.''
:::Write a full article
::''Topics that the concerned individuals may not want or have wanted their names associated with it.''
:::Focus your article on what besides the people involved made it of interest, and avoid naming the names.
!-->
=== Things That Will Get Us Sued or Shut Down ===
You might be surprised at the kind of attention that a humble site like Willipedia has managed to attract. Remember that all included on Willipedia is publicly accessible, included on web searches, and governed by applicable United States law. Willipedia articles, therefore, cannot include:
* [http://dictionary.law.com/default2.asp?selected=1153&bold=%7C%7C%7C%7C Libel]
* Copyrighted material
* Incitements to break the law or campus policy
