Jurassic Park wiki:Policy

These are the Jurassic Park wiki community and inclusion guidelines that will hopefully keep things running smoothly. If you disagree with one of the inclusion guidelines, please feel free to bring it and discuss it with the community.

Also see our Manual of Style for style guidelines.

Don't be a raptor
This is the only rule that is entirely non-negotiable. Don't be a raptor means treating your fellow contributors with respect and good humor. You don't have to feel it. You just have to do it. Specifically:


 * Be civil. No personal attacks on others.  That applies both on talk pages and edit summaries.  For instance, when cleaning up a page:


 * Instead of: Spelling, grammar, where did you go to school???
 * Just say: Fixing spelling and grammar

Also, please be aware that your tone may not come across to people who can't see your face or hear your voice.

If you are the person who is offended, try to assume that the other person is acting in good faith, and respond in kind. That can often defuse arguments before they even begin.


 * Treat others' work with respect. Do not belittle or ridicule someone else's work or ideas, and do not delete it capriciously. The exception is obvious vandalism, which should be removed as soon as possible.  However, if a person seems to be trying, assume good faith and try to help them.

Rework and rewrite as much as you want, but try to find a place for everything rather than cutting it out completely.

Deletion policy
Rewriting is essential to the building of a wiki database of information. That's why the site is a wiki - we want participation! Rewrite and correct and cite sources as much as you want, that is always worthwhile. Conversely, if someone has rewritten something you wrote, don't take it personally. Everyone is trying to make things better.

However, outright removal of a fact shouldn't be done lightly. Before eliminating something someone else wrote in good faith, ask yourself:


 * Can this be rewritten? Try cleaning up the spelling, grammar, and formatting. A little polish can work wonders.
 * Can this be moved? There might be a more appropriate name for an article, or a more appropriate article in which to place a fact.  Maybe a sentence in an article would work better as a background note, or a background note item should go in the body of the article.

Deleting and reverting should be reserved for patent nonsense and clear vandalism (such as number strings, profanity, and page blanking). Nothing should be removed because it is too trivial, as this is a purely subjective value judgement and violates the Neutral Point of View policy.

Neutral point of view
Jurassic Park wiki has a Neutral Point of View Policy similar to that of Wikipedia.

Although the world of Jurassic Park is fictional, it may inspire strong feelings. Some interpretation may be necessary in order to write a thorough and complete article; however, please avoid making value judgements about the characters or events on the show. Instead, report as accurately and completely as possible what happened without taking sides.


 * Instead of: Donald Gennaro selfishly abandoned Tim and Lexi Murphy and recieved retribution for his crime while hiding in the stalls.
 * Write something like: Donald Gennaro ran from the car in fright following the T-Rex's escape. He hid in the bathroom stalls, but was found and killed by the escaped dinosaur.

Writing as accurately and as objectively as possible will make the site more useful for everyone.

Of course Jurassic Paark does not exist in a vacuum, and it may be appropriate to report on such things as fan response and real-life influences on the creation of the show. When writing on fan response, it is best to include as many different sides as possible, including that of the films's creative team, if available. Remember that if a controversy is important enough to be included here, it must have at least two strong opposing arguments.

However, do not dress up your personal opinion as fact by claiming that "many fans" share it, unless you have a source to back up the claim. Likewise, do not make claims about what the films' creative team thought or intended unless it was stated on the record (interviews, podcasts, and DVD commentary are good sources). If you see a similarity between scenes or to another work, simply note it under "Background information and notes."

Real-world information
Real-life information that helps explain how the plot works and what the characters do is encouraged on Jurassic Park wiki. Any relevant piece of background information is welcome - share your knowledge!

However, because some people may want to know only what was stated on the show, information extrapolated from real life should be set apart from information from the show. Put it under the "Background information and notes" heading instead of in the main article body.

Canon policy
Canon consists of the bodies of work that are considered to be "genuine" or "official" within a certain fictional universe. With Jurassic Park, as with other license situations, the facts presented in the different tie-in products may not agree with each other or with the show. Since Jurassic Park wiki aims to be a complete reference, please make note of all facts, inconsistent or not.

Image use policy

 * 1) Obey our copyright policy when uploading images.
 * 2) Use the image description page to describe an image and its copyright rules.
 * 3) * The description entered when uploading an image becomes the default text for the image description page. You can use wiki markup in the image description.
 * 4) Use a clear, detailed title for the file.  An obscure name like "qua_047.jpg" won't help anyone!
 * 5) Don't include any watermarks or text in the image (this includes copyright notices; those belong in the text of the image description page!).
 * 6) Use the JPEG format for photographic images such as screenshots, and PNG or GIF for diagrams and other low-contrast images.

Please see Jurassic Park wiki:Image use policy for more information on uploading and using images.