| Revision as of 02:21, 19 February 2010 editEquazcion (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers41,926 edits ce← Previous edit | Revision as of 19:29, 4 March 2010 edit undoAtama (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Rollbackers17,335 edits Adding section about "immunity".Next edit → | ||
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| In the ] such an occurrence is commonly referred to as "shooting oneself in the foot". In ] it's known as "meeting oneself coming in the door". | In the ] such an occurrence is commonly referred to as "shooting oneself in the foot". In ] it's known as "meeting oneself coming in the door". | ||
| == There is no "immunity" for reporters == | |||
| A common statement on noticeboards is "this isn't about me, this is about them". There is sometimes a belief that if someone's perceived misbehavior is reported at a noticeboard that the discussion can only focus on the original complaint, and that turning the discussion around to discuss the misbehavior of the original reporter is "changing the subject" and therefore not allowed. However, that just isn't the case. Anyone who participates in the discussion might find their actions under scrutiny. | |||
| == How to avoid shooting yourself in the foot == | == How to avoid shooting yourself in the foot == | ||
Revision as of 19:29, 4 March 2010
Essay on editing Misplaced Pages | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Misplaced Pages contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Misplaced Pages's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. | Shortcuts |
 | This page in a nutshell: Consider your own actions before bringing attention to the actions of others. |
There are often reports on various noticeboards, especially the incident noticeboard, posted by editors who are truly at fault themselves for the problem they're reporting. In other cases a person might complain about another editor's actions in an incident, yet during the events of that incident they've committed far worse infractions themselves. In both cases, such editors will usually find sanctions brought against themselves rather than the people they've sought to report.
In the Western World such an occurrence is commonly referred to as "shooting oneself in the foot". In Norway it's known as "meeting oneself coming in the door".
There is no "immunity" for reporters
A common statement on noticeboards is "this isn't about me, this is about them". There is sometimes a belief that if someone's perceived misbehavior is reported at a noticeboard that the discussion can only focus on the original complaint, and that turning the discussion around to discuss the misbehavior of the original reporter is "changing the subject" and therefore not allowed. However, that just isn't the case. Anyone who participates in the discussion might find their actions under scrutiny.
How to avoid shooting yourself in the foot
If you are involved in a dispute with someone, try to discuss matters with the other person via their talk page. If they won't cooperate, seek dispute resolution. Try to avoid reporting someone for administrator intervention when you are angry; wait until you are calm and then think about whether the report is appropriate. Finally, if you do report someone, be sure you are at the correct noticeboard and read the rules of the board before making your report.