Forum:A change to the discussion policy

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in the Tardis:Discussion policy, it states that the forums can't be one's main contribution to the wiki, and threatens blockage to anyone who does have it. knowing that, i will admit that i don't tend to edit main articles much compared to how much i post to the forums, mostly the howling as the points of discussion there are ones i want to participate in. i rarely find a point in a main article that i feel i have knowledge to add to or to change so i don't feel the need to change anything. i don't see why one's main contribution to this wiki can't be through the forums. also, i would hope that no one will block me for admitting this. can we please either change that part of the policy or can i have an explanation of why the policy must be kept? Imamadmad ^{talk to me} 07:56, January 5, 2012 (UTC)

I seem to recall when I wrote the discussion policy it was due to a lot of fanfic going around at the time, so it was more to deal with that than a specific attack on forum only editors.

I've gone through the discussion policy and softened the language.

I do though believe that contribution to only The Howling isn't what the wiki is for, the same for blog posts and User pages. The wiki is for generating encyclopaedic content about Doctor Who and the DW universe. Discussion forms a part of creating that content, yes. But I feel that The Howling is one of the least useful aspects of the wiki and is often just another DW Forum like Gallifrey Base (or other forums) except not moderated. Hence the need for a policy stating this. --Tangerineduel / talk 14:15, January 5, 2012 (UTC)

While I agree with your general position, Tangerineduel, I feel that despite the frequently clueless blather, the forums provide a social aspect to this wiki that encourages people to join. Think of it as a loss leader if you will. Boblipton ^{talk to me} 15:01, January 5, 2012 (UTC)

I support Imamadmad in his quest to get forum-only contributions "decriminalised", as it were. I don't find anything about the way Imamadmad is using the forums to be unhelpful. He's contributing to the editing of the wiki by frequently contributing not just to The Howling, but also to this forum as well. He is, in fact, making a difference to the wiki through his contributions.

That said, I think Tangerineduel has usefully responded to this concern by taking the threat of blocking away. The policy gives us something we can point to and say, "Please contribute more broadly." But it doesn't immediately threaten the irregular contributor whose posts happen to be in the Panopticon.

I further agree with user:Boblipton. If someone wants to just contribute to the Howling, I don't particularly care. It drives up our statistics and gives people a chance to learn basic wiki editing in an environment where people won't really bother them. It may be filled, as Bob says, with "blathe", but I don't have to look at it. T:NO FANFIC adequately covers us in terms of dealing with the one specific (mis)use of the forums that legitimately worries Tangerineduel, anyway.

So, if everyone else is happy, I'm down with the current wording of tardis:discussion policy.
czechout<staff /> ☎ ✍ 22:58: Wed 11 Jan 2012 

it's she, not he, and thank you. Imamadmad ^{talk to me} 06:43, January 12, 2012 (UTC)