The Rule
If the rules prevent you from improving or maintaining Wikipedia, ignore them.
Elaboration of The Rule
None of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines can ever account for all possibilities. If a scenario occurs where the rules prevent you from improving or maintaining Wikipedia, it is acceptable to ignore them and use your best judgment.
Soft Rules about Rules
- Rules derive their power to compel from historical consensus. They are not set in stone, but are rather a reflection of the shared opinion of a great many editors.
- Rules are sometimes poor attempts to put complex thoughts into words. The wording of a rule is never important; rather, the spirit of a rule is what counts.
- Rules are never final, as they are derived from consensus, and consensus can change.
- Rules tend to be descriptive rather than prescriptive, and sometimes lag behind the practices they describe. Follow consensus, not policy.
- Rules should be subject to constant scrutiny. When consulting the rules, consider not only what the rule says, but whether it is a valid rule to begin with.
- Rules cannot be lawyered with. There are no "loopholes" or "technicalities", as the spirit of the rule trumps the letter of the rule.
- Rules should still be followed most of the time in most situations.
Break them carefully.
- Over time, familiarize yourself with the rules as well as the underlying philosophies behind them. Read the talk pages about the rules: they often shed light on ideas in the rules that are contentious.
- Feel free to break the rules if you need to.
- Anytime you break the rules, explain to your fellow editors why doing so improves the encyclopedia.
- At the same time, listen to your fellow editors: if many people disagree with your actions, consider reverting them.
- You are still responsible for reasonably forseeable effects of your actions.
- Consider all issues on a case-by-case-basis.
- Participation in Wikipedia is not contingent upon knowledge of any rules. If someone unknowingly breaks a rule, politely point them to the appropriate rule pages, but still consider that their judgment may be correct.