Wikipedia:Grandmothering
 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
 | This page in a nutshell: Avoid using shortcuts as a substitute for reasoned argument. |
Using shortcuts in debates with other Wikipedians is a form of "grandmothering". These shortcuts are superfluous for regular contributors, who are well aware of our policies and guidelines, while new users unfamiliar with these acronyms deserve more gentle guidance. Everybody loses.
See also
edit- Wikipedia:Don't overuse shortcuts to policy and guidelines to win your argument. The long version.
- Wikipedia:Don't template the regulars. And don't shortcut the regulars!
- Wikipedia:Arguments to avoid in deletion discussions. With an assortment of shortcuts to avoid.
External links
edit- "Three Sins of Authors in Computer Science and Math" by Jonathan Shewchuk about of grandmothering in academia.