The Sims Wiki:Policy

General Rules
These are the general rules of the Sims Wiki. If these rules are broken, warnings and/or bans will be given out, as specified.

Vandalism of any kind is prohibited.
 * A minor violation can be characterized as a small change of wording. This will result in an unannounced warning.
 * Blanking the page or removing a significant amount of it will result in a block time of one (1) day.
 * Inserting profane words into a page will result in a block time of three (3) days.
 * Vandalism of the Main page or any of its templates is an automatic three (3) day block time.

Inappropriate words, such as cuss words and other profanity, are strictly forbidden on articles, userpages, usernames, and discussion pages. This wiki caters to a general audience!
 * If an inappropriate word is used it will result in a block time of one (1) day.
 * If an inappropriate word is used in a username, the user will be blocked indefinitely.

If a page is created on a topic already covered with different spelling it is up for immediate deletion or a #REDIRECT. Also if a page is created with Vandalism it is also up for immediate deletion.
 * If the title of the page contains vandalism, the user who made the page will receive a block time of three (3) days.
 * If a page is created with vandalism, the user who made the page will receive a block time of three (3) days.

Any empty page created after this policy takes effect will be deleted. Pages created before that point may and should be flagged by users with Delete. If, after one month, the page does not have at least three facts on it (in complete sentences!), it will be deleted.

Blocks will escalate in severity if multiple offenses are committed.

Sock puppetry is prohibited:
 * The general rule is one editor, one account; bots are an exception, but bot ownership must be clearly stated on the bot userpage.
 * Do not use multiple accounts to mislead, deceive, or disrupt; to create the illusion of greater support for a position; to stir up controversy; or to circumvent a block.
 * Do not ask friends or family to create accounts to support you.
 * Exemptions to this rule may be granted so long as only one registered account is used to access and edit the wiki at any one time, and as long as it is clearly stated on the account userpages that the accounts are linked. Please contact an administrator for further conditions regarding this rule.
 * Violation of this policy will result in a block (possibly permanent) against the "main" account, and permanent blocks for all inappropriate socks.



General Admins like Wikia admins, janitors, and helpers may use discretion when blocking a user, as that user may or may not be doing cross-wiki vandalism.

''This Rules Policy has taken effect as of 28 March 2008. Sock Puppetry rule has taken effect as of 30 January 2011.''

Player stories
The Sims Wiki policy on Player stories.


 * 1) No CAS player stories should exist in the main namespace of the wiki except for articles designated for player stories. If a CAS page has been created it should be moved to the user namespace, i.e. prefixed with "User: ". Users can write stories in their blog, on a user page or at Create-A-Sim/Player stories.
 * 2) Player stories for pre-made characters and neighborhoods are to be placed on a subpage of the main article. The page should be clearly marked as a player story and a link should be provided from the character's, family's or neighborhood's page, usually in an infobox.
 * 3) Writers should provide their signature ( ~ ) after their stories.
 * 4) Numerical ages are considered player stories as they are presumptive of information that is not cited and should not be included in Sim articles or infoboxes.

This Player Stories Policy has taken effect as of 27 October 2008.

User Created Contests
The Sims Wiki policy on User Created Contests.


 * 1) For administrative purposes, the creator of a contest must be a registered user.

This User Created Contests Policy has taken effect as of 20 July 2010.

Voting Procedures
Voting as a means to determine consensus for a decision should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. If a vote must occur, it should be held only after significant time has passed for all viewpoints to be taken into account. To encourage discussion rather than voting, votes may only be initiated by Administrators or Bureaucrats. A voting period lasts 2 weeks after the vote is created, unless otherwise stated. All Voters and Voting Topics should follow the following format in order to maintain neatness.


 * ==Voting Topic==


 * Small Description


 * ===Agree===


 * # Vote


 * *Comment


 * **Another Comment


 * ===Neutral===


 * # Vote


 * *Comment


 * **Another Comment


 * ===Disagree===


 * # Vote


 * *Comment


 * **Another Comment


 * ==Comments==


 * :Comment ~

It should be noted that anyone is allowed to comment, but not everyone is allowed to vote.

This Voting Procedure is in effect as of 17 January 2011.

Voting Requirements
Anyone who wants to vote must meet these requirements:


 * 1) Must be a Registered Member (Anonymous or IP Votes will not be counted)
 * 2) Must have at least 1 edit in the Sims Wiki
 * 3) Votes must be signed correctly with ~
 * 4) Banned user's votes will not be counted.

These Voting Requirements are in effect as of 12 March 2008.

IRC Channel
The Sims Wiki has a dedicated IRC (Internet Relay Chat) Channel that is open to all editors on the Wiki and allows live communication between multiple editors in real-time. By using the channel (Freenode/#The_Sims), you agree to be bound by these policies as well as any applicable IRC or freenode rules or terms of use, and acknowledge that violation of policies can result in being kicked or banned from the channel. Note that the freenode IRC channel is not affiliated with Wikia.

The following rules govern use of the IRC Channel:


 * There is no official topic of the channel; it may be used to discuss the Wiki, discuss The Sims, or simply to build community. However, discussions on the channel must remain appropriate for a general audience.
 * Excessive spamming of the channel, either through inclusion of nonsense or in linking to other websites multiple times even after receiving an administrator warning, will not be tolerated and may result in a kick or a ban, depending on the amount and type of spam.
 * Harassment, exploitation of other users, attacks against other users, extreme profanity or repeated cases of profanity, may be addressed by an administrator on the channel, either through a kick from the channel, or a permanent ban from the channel.

Administrators
Administrators from this Wiki are marked by 'voice' status and have a + in front of their name. They are able to kick or ban users who do not follow the policies set above. A kick is a temporary removal from the channel and serves as a warning. A ban can have a limited duration or be indefinite, depending on the severity of the case. The duration of a ban will correspond roughly to the existing policies on blocking users from the Wiki.

If you are an administrator on the Wiki, have registered with the freenode network and wish to obtain voice status, contact Duskey, our IRC channel contact.

These IRC Channel Policies have taken effect as of 13 September 2010.

Inactive Administrator Policy
In order to ensure that most, if not all, administrators on are active participants in the community,  has adopted an Inactive Administrator Policy. The policy is as follows:


 * 1) An admin is inactive when they do not make a non-minor (examples of minor edits: fixing spelling, participating in discussions unrelated to The Sims or, editing their userpage) or administrative-related (administrative tasks, not necessarily tasks only admins can do) contribution within three (3) months.
 * 2) Admins should be given a reminder up to a week before their rights are to be revoked. (Current inactive admins will also receive a warning when the policy goes into effect.)
 * 3) A former admin can immediately regain their status by contacting a bureaucrat and declaring their intention to return to active duty if the absence is less than six (6) months. If they are inactive for longer than six months they will have to reapply.
 * 4) If an admin knows they will be inactive they should step down. Special cases to extend or revoke an administratorship may be brought to the attention of current administrators. If an administrator is banned permanently from, their rights are automatically revoked.

The Inactive Administrator Policy has taken effect as of August 28, 2010.

Forums
The Sims Wiki policy on Forums.


 * 1) Inappropriate words, such as cuss words and other profanity, are strictly forbidden.
 * 2) Advertisement to other sites and wikis is prohibited. Linking to other wikis in regular conversation is acceptable.
 * 3) Links to any inappropriate site/webpage are completely forbidden. The wiki must remain appropriate for a general audience.
 * 4) Trolling, flaming, etc. is also prohibited. Doing so will result in a block time of 3 days. Repeated offenses will result in a longer or indefinite block.
 * 5) Spamming is not allowed. Doing so will result in a block time of 3 days, to an indefinite block, based on the severity of the spamming, or its persistence.
 * 6) General misuse of the Forums will result in a warning, block from the Forums, or a block from the wiki, depending on the severity of the situation.

This Forums Policy has taken effect as of 29 January 2012.

The Sims Wiki/Wikia

 * Wikia Terms of Use
 * Wikia Community Guidelines
 * Simplified Rules
 * Manual of Style
 * Templates
 * Guidelines
 * 5 Pillars
 * Assume Good Faith
 * Spoiler Rules
 * What The Sims Wiki is not

Wikipedia

 * Vandalism
 * Do not insult the vandals
 * No personal attacks
 * Sock puppetry