Bulbapedia:Code of conduct

	This is an official Bulbapedia policy. In a nutshell:
	Be nice.

Bulbapedia developed its code of conduct, affectionately referred to as Bulbaquette, which outlines acceptable behavior between users on Bulbapedia. Bulbaquette applies to all interactions between users across all of Bulbapedia, including the main space and user space. It incorporates Bulbagarden’s values into the rules of Bulbapedia.

Bulbaquette is not the not the manual of style, and does not provide guidance on editing.

Main space interaction

Given the hundreds of daily edits made on Bulbapedia, conflict about what is “correct” is inevitable. When addressing disagreements about edits, do try to talk it out politely on the talk pages. You can discuss why you think another user’s edit is incorrect, and if needed, contact a staff member to provide arbitration. You can also disagree about stylistic choices, including someone’s use of a template or picture which you feel does not capture the spirit of the article. Do not insult, demean, bash, or otherwise harass other users in order to prove your point. This goes against Bulbagarden’s value of providing a safe and inclusive community for Pokémon fans.

Be patient, understanding, and kind when dealing with another user. It may slow down the pace of change on the wiki, but the changes agreed upon will be more pleasant to everyone. Do not participate in edit wars, and do not edit other users out of spite.

Userspace and talkspace interaction

A five word guide to talkspace interaction

Be nice to each other.

What that means

Assume other users are acting in good faith when they ask questions or make edits. Be friendly when interacting with other users in talk pages, edit summaries, and in other discussion venues. Bulbapedia is open to everyone who registers with an email address and is willing to make contributions. Bulbapedia should be a welcoming and open environment.

Do not use insults, demanding language, or harassment to make a point or advance an argument. No one likes to be attacked.

Refrain from using profanity; Bulbapedia will not tolerate profanity used in a matter that is derogatory, offensive, or designed to provoke other users.

Lists of your “favorite” users or “least favorite” users are not allowed in the userspace or talkspace, because it can create an environment where some feel unwelcome.

Examples of good conduct

Examples cannot be exhaustive; while it sounds simple, making an effort to be nice really helps. Giving others space to talk and explain their ideas, and responding with kindness and an open mind, is the best conduct we can ask for.

If someone is doing something that you perceive as mistaken, you can write on their talk page describing the incorrect action/behavior and provide encouragement and advice in how to make it better. People are not born with an intuitive understanding of wikicode, or even the English language. Positive reinforcement goes a long way to making the community stronger and new users better contributors—because even bad contributions are additions.

If someone makes an incorrect edit, you can revert it and explain why without insulting them. New users aren't made better if they feel like outsiders to a private club.

If someone starts trouble on your talk page by insulting you or using aggressive language, do not respond in kind. If appropriate, you can explain why you made a specific edit and seek to de-escalate the situation. Of course, you can always ignore this, too. If someone’s behavior is abusive, harmful, or makes you feel unsafe, contact an administrator for help.

Enforcement

Enforcement of these rules is the responsibility of the administrators. However, they do not see all interactions; please contact an admin if you see something going on that you think may violate the code of conduct.

If you don't feel comfortable talking to the Bulbapedia administration, you may contact evkl or Archaic, both of whom serve in site-wide administration roles.

Violations may draw responses from a warning to a block, depending on the severity of the infraction and the number of offenses. Typical first-time infractions will receive a warning. Second-time infractions may draw a warning or a short block. Third-time infractions and beyond are likely to result in a block.

Unless infractions are especially egregious, the block length may not exceed one month. All Code of Conduct blocks of duration greater than one month must be approved by Bulbagarden site leadership, the Editor-in-Chief, or a representative designated by the Editor-in-Chief.

This does not, in any way, limit administrators from blocking spammers, vandals, or trolls (whose accounts are solely used for harassment, not anything constructive) according to Bulbapedia’s blocking policy.

Concluding thoughts

Please, be nice to each other.