Wikipedia:Ignore all rules/temp
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This is a proposal for replacing WP:IAR which was vetoed by the CABAL. Ashibaka tock 05:29, 22 January 2006 (UTC)
The original text of this page is as follows:
- If rules make you nervous and depressed, and not desirous of participating in the Wiki, then ignore them and go about your business.
However, some rules on Wikipedia, such as NPOV, are so basic that to violate them makes your contributions no longer useful. So, this page cannot stand as a guideline or a rule. You may not cite it as an excuse for violating the rules. It is, however, a fundamental part of the Wikipedia community. Jimbo has explained the context for "ignore all rules":
- Perhaps I should explain what it means to me. It does not mean that it is ok to make personal attacks. It does not mean that it is ok to be a POV pusher. And so on and so forth. What it really means is that, ideally, our rules should be formed in such a fashion that an ordinary helpful kind thoughtful person doesn't really even need to know the rules. You just get to work, do something fun, and nobody hassles you as long as you are being thoughtful and kind.
- What we want to avoid is a situation in which people are blasted for petty offenses with rules that they could never have guessed at in the first place. Yes we have style standards for example, but if someone doesn't adhere, we just fix it and leave them a friendly note, rather than yelling at them for breaking a rule. --Jimbo Wales 16:36, 7 Apr 2005 (UTC)
Therefore, "ignore all rules" has two implications:
- The spirit of the rules is more important than the letter because Wikipedia is not a bureaucracy.
- Ignorance is an acceptable excuse if you break rules when you are making good contributions.
"Ignore all rules" does not mean that our rules are meaningless. If that were true there would be total chaos and this project would be unproductive. Therefore, the historic statement above cannot be taken literally... just like every rule at Wikipedia.
