IRC/Guidelines/ml
< IRC
 | Wikimedia IRC has been migrated from freenode to Libera.Chat. For more information, please see IRC/Migrating to Libera Chat. References to freenode on this page and others may be out of date. |
These guidelines are just that, guidelines. You may look for more enforceable rules for #wikipedia specifically.
This page details requested standards of behaviour in the Wikimedia-affiliated IRC channels, designed to keep the channels a useful and friendly place for users to exchange ideas and chat in a welcoming environment. Drawing heavily from the Freenode website, this guide also explains how channel staff can be expected to behave. However, the running of channels is at heart down to those on the access list, and this is not official policy. Feel free to update it, but be sure that any major changes reflect the consensus of the IRC community.
- Try to be a catalyst to keep channel temperature down. Libera Chat's channel guidelines are also helpful in getting things to run smoothly.
- Take heed that the IRC channels and their corresponding wikis are, at most, similar communities. Policies on either side do not apply to the other.
- Don't attempt to exploit client or router vulnerabilities.
- Don't post public logs of any channels without prior permission from all persons quoted. This is a good rule of thumb, but some channels do not have this restriction - if in doubt, check.
- Keep critiques of other users to a private message with them, rather than publicly embarrassing them. Try to put yourself in their position to see whether or not what you say may offend.
- While IRC is not Wikimedia, keep in mind that the same basic standards of behaviour do apply.
- Channel operators (chanops) should use common sense when using their abilities.
- Before you invoke your powers, look around and see if there is another way out of the problem.
- Don't mess around with your privileges, and try to use them sparingly - we don't want to get a reputation of childish ops.
- Consider using /mode +q rather than kickbanning someone immediately. These can do wonders for channel temperature.
- Always give reasoning and appropriate warnings before applying sanctions.
- Use #wikimedia-opsconnect to discuss methods with other operators at the scene where possible, in order to drive the focus of the channel away from its staff. You should set your client to autojoin this channel so that you can participate in pertinent discussions there.
- Unless no-one else is around, try to get another operator involved when you have a conflict of interest or have been personally attacked.