One Piece Wiki:Guidebook/Talk Pages and Forums

General Rules
Talk pages and forums are places of discussion about wikia issues, improvements, and problems.
 * All posts should be signed.
 * Users are forbidden from editing the posts of other users. Users are allowed to edit their own posts only.

Signatures
On all types of communication pages, a signature is required whenever a user makes a contribution. A signature is added at the end of a post that allows users to see who has written the posts and when they were posted. Signatures are added to posts by adding four ~ symbols in a row to create a signature like this: ~

There is also a button in the forum editor that adds the ~ symbols for you. After publishing an edit, a signature looks like this:


 * 71.181.68.25 01:12, August 25, 2012 (UTC)

The above signature is for anonymous users or users that do not have an account. For them, their IP address is used for identification purposes.

Users with accounts typically have signatures that look something like this:


 * Sanji the Cook (talk 01:31, August 25, 2012 (UTC))

Experienced users with accounts sometimes have more elaborate custom signatures such as these:
 * 01:40, August 25, 2012 (UTC)
 * 01:45, August 25, 2012 (UTC)

For more help with signatures, look here.

There are a couple simple rules about custom signatures that all users must follow:
 * Any user with a custom signature must have the code for their signature in a template so that the (very long) code is not seen in the source mode editor. If you are unsure of what that means and you wish to have a custom signature, contact an editor who knows what it means, or join us in the chat.
 * Signatures cannot be invisible or non-existent.
 * Users may not request for the template of their signatures to be deleted, as this will lead to the creation of broken links on all the pages that were signed with that signature.
 * Signatures cannot link anywhere except for the user's own pages (meaning any page the user has created with their own "user" namespace. And that applies both the talk and profile page links.
 * Anonymous users sometimes type out their "own" signature like this:


 * AnonymousUser - August 25, 2012


 * This is not allowed, as readers of the forum are not given a link to the anonymous user's page or given their IP. If anonymous users wish to create their own signature, they must create an account on Wikia.

Frequently, new users don't realize they have to sign their posts, do not know how to sign their posts, or forget to sign them. One thing almost all veteran users of the wiki hate is unsigned posts, because of the difficulty in understanding they create. If you want to make a good impression on this wiki, it is important that you make sure that you sign ALL of your posts.
 * In order to help out and spread awareness of unsigned posts, look here.

Article Talk Pages

 * Article talk pages are used to discuss issues on the article itself, not for speculation on the article's content. This shall be taken to blogs or the forum.


 * Personal attacks between users are not permitted on talk pages. Continuing this activity may result in a ban.

Forums
There are several types of forums. Some forums are for user ban requests, some are for site improvements, some are for deletion candidates, and some are for fan speculation and discussion.

Rules for All Forums

 * All posts should be signed.
 * Forum creators must sign their posts. If forums are created without signed posts, they will be deleted.
 * Forum creators must have enough content to start a discussion. If any forum is created without any content other than a topic, it will be deleted.
 * When a new forum is created, the Wikia automatically adds a couple templates to the page in order to aid in the formatting and navigation of the forum. These should not be deleted. Users should start typing their content underneath these templates.
 * Forums cannot have a title that is the exactly the same as any article on the site, as this may lead to errors in the search function.
 * Similarly, forums may not have a title that is exactly the same as a redirect to any article.
 * Forums may also not have titles with all capital letters or excessive punctuation. This is also because of difficulties created in the search function.
 * Users may not change the font or font size of posts within a forum. Text may only be changed to bold, italics, underlined, or strike-through text.
 * Do not incorrectly categorize forums. Forums that are incorrectly categorized will be deleted, not moved.
 * Images that are unrelated to the discussion are not allowed.
 * Forums created for the purpose of promoting podcasts, fanart, videos (especially AMVs), and external blogs or anything similar are considered spam, are forbidden, and will be deleted.
 * If a topic on a talk page is deemed too forum-like, it must be moved to the forums before it can continue. If it was an active discussion, leave a link to the page its been added to and the title on the talk page where it was placed originally. If the topic is brand new, the user who created it should be notified to move the topic themselves. After a topic is moved, a line stating it has been moved must be placed underneath it to inform that the topic was originally moved from elsewhere.
 * Forums that have been unedited for a long period of time become archived, and the discussion is considered closed. Users are strongly discouraged from editing archived forums. Users are not fully prohibited from reopening archived forums, but again, it is strongly discouraged.
 * Archived forums should only be opened if something substantial can be added to the conversation. Almost all reopened forums are in the Wikia Discussion sections, and are about unresolved issues with the site. It is not acceptable to reopen a fan theory forum about dated information in the series only to supply an answer or an update.
 * Users should keep in mind that for very old discussions, the users who contributed to the discussion may not be active anymore.
 * It is strongly advised that you check the date of the most recent post before editing, in order to be sure your edit is necessary or not.
 * If a forum is not archived and the discussion is still active, then a forum about the same topic cannot be opened. If a forum is opened about the same topic, it will either be deleted, or its information will be moved into the relevant forum if it is important enough. Common examples of repeated forum topics include speculations on who the next member of the Straw Hat crew will be, speculations about where the crew is headed next, etc.

Forum Categorization
It is required that forums are correctly categorized, so here is a description of all categories currently used in the forum:

One Piece General
One Piece Manga- This is for general discussion of One Piece, especially for those related to the manga.

One Piece Anime- This is for discussion of the anime. Questions about music used in the anime or movies do NOT belong here, that is what the music category is for.

Translations- This is for topics regarding the translations of all things One Piece, Manga, Anime, Movies, Merchandise, or anything.

Spoiler Discussions This category is for discussions of spoilers that are revealed before the chapter is released so that readers of the Manga forum will not be spoiled. This category is NOT for fan theories or anything else that is not a spoiler.
 * Please avoid forum titles that give away the spoiler, otherwise this category is useless.

One Piece Music-This category is for questions related to music from any source related to One Piece.

Misc.- This is for anything else related to One Piece that does not fit in any of the above categories. categories

Wikia Discussion
The Wikia Discussion section is for topics related to this wikia. It is for discussions about editing, policies, formats, etc. None of these categories are acceptable places for theories or discussions about the content of the series. Often, changes to the site here are proposed here, and they are voted on by experienced editors.

Community Café- This is a place for discussing the process of editing with other editors.

Site Problems- This is for discussions about problems with the site. Common topics here are proposed changes to policies and forums for banning users. Topics for here should be about things or problems that have existed before.

Site Changes- This is for discussion of ideas, policies, and proposals that are brand new to the wikia and have no previous precedent.

Discuss the Forum- This is for discussions related to the forum itself and its workings.

Wikia Appearance- This is for discussions related to how the wikia looks. Common topics include discussions on images, gifs, etc. Draft Pages- This is for pages that do not have enough information from One Piece to be an article yet.
 * Any topics on title, section heads or any other text-related issue are not appearance-related, and should be put into a different category.

Misc
This is for any topics unrelated to One Piece or the One Piece Wikia.

Forum Poll Rules
When an issue cannot be decided on unanimously (or nearly unanimously when a large number of of active editors responds to the forum, and the majority is clear.), a poll will take place. Issues that are major changes to the rules or guidelines, they must be taken to a poll as well. The polls have many rules:
 * In order to vote, a user must have an account and have been on the wikia for 3 months, and they must have at least 300 edits.
 * Users are strongly encouraged to read all or most of the forum before voting.
 * All polls will close two weeks (down to the hour) after they are opened. Polls are started and ended in UTC time, and UTC must be specified in the poll.
 * All poll options must be written in fair, unbiased and similar language. This is so that the poll options will not subconsciously affect the opinions of the voters.
 * For issues that have been settled with a poll, there is a time period of 3 months where the issue cannot be polled or discussed again without a substantial change taking place.

Ban Forum Rules
When veteran users are accused of violating the rules of the wiki, a forum to decide if they are banned may be opened. Anyone can open a ban forum, but they must be able to provide enough evidence of the violations. Edit histories are commonly used as evidence. If after a discussion on the violations, it is determined that there is enough evidence to ban, a poll will be opened.


 * The subject of a ban forum is allowed to and encouraged to speak up for themselves in the discussion section. However, the subject of the forum is not allowed to vote in the poll.
 * Ban forum polls last two weeks, one week to decide whether or not to ban the user, and one week to decide the length of the ban.
 * If the poll decides in the first week that the user is to be banned, the user is immediately banned for the duration of the second week of the poll. This is done in order to prevent vandalism.
 * This week-long ban is not included in the length of the ban that is decided on. Therefore, any length that is decided on in the poll is additional time after this one week precautionary ban.

Discussing Polls in Other Places
When a poll is taking place, it is common for users to discuss the poll across the wikia. In order to preserve the integrity of the poll, several rules have been added to keep the voting ethical and to increase the number of people who read the forum. Places these discussions may occur are chat, blogs, other forums, and talk pages.


 * Users are discouraged from telling other users who have not yet voted to vote for a specific poll option. This is so that the other users will go into the poll with an open mind. Users are however, encouraged to inform other users that the poll is open without conveying their opinion.
 * Users are forbidden from bribing or convincing other users to change or alter their vote in exchange for any reward or favor, whether they are serious or not. Examples of violations of this rule would be:
 * Telling a person you will give them some sort of real or imaginary gift in exchange for their vote.
 * Telling a person they should vote with you because you are friends or they owe you a favor.
 * Telling a person they should vote with you because of any reason that is unrelated to the issue in the poll.

It should be noted that users are still allowed to discuss their opinions of polls around the wikia. They are still allowed to try and convince other users to change their vote, but only through legitimate argument, not in a way that violates the rules above, and not in order to change the opinions of those who have not yet voted.

Users who violate these rules can face several different consequences, depending on the severity of the violation and the previous violations.
 * First time offenders may just be warned for mild violations.
 * If a person violates the rules after already receiving a warning, then their vote will be retracted from the poll in question. Depending on the severity of the violations, this may occur in addition to more severe punishment.
 * Due to the fact that many of these violations take place within chat, users who violate the rules there may be banned from chat for the duration of the poll or longer.
 * Users may also be temporarily banned from voting on any polls.
 * If many violations occur, a ban forum may be opened in accordance with current banning rules.

Changes to Wikia Policy through Forums
All major changes to must be decided on through forums. Examples of things that must be decided in forums include:
 * Elections of new Administrators, Chat Moderators, and any other official position.
 * Substantial changes to rules and guidelines.
 * Substantial changes in page organization.
 * Substantial changes in image preference across many articles.
 * The banning of any veteran user.
 * This does not require a forum if the user has been banned before, and is knowingly committing obvious violations of Wiki Rules. However, these users may not be banned permanently without a discussion that they can take part in.

Guidelines and Rules
If a majority vote goes on a idea, then any Guideline can still prevent the idea coming into force. However, if there is a majority vote on the guideline changes, it must be allowed and a change to the rule cannot be denied. Guideline changes can only be thrown out for legal reasons, such as copyright violations for instance. Copyright violations primarily only cover images and copying other websites word for word. The rest is up to what the majority of the wikia wants.

Forum Help
Sometimes, the forums related to the changes to the site can become a place filled with heated arguments and some disrespectful words. This section contains some advice based on past experience from the forums. None of the following things are rules, (though some rules have been created after some past arguments to help lessen the chances of having the same arguments again) but they are things that may help you (and everyone else) have much more pleasant time should you choose to join us in the forums.

Your Thoughts vs. the Wiki's
This wikia has dealt with several users in the past who have tried to turn the wikia into something that fits their "vision" of what the wikia should be. The wikia is open to all ideas and we cannot afford to let a single user's ideas dominate the wikia. That is not to say that you cannot propose any changes to the wikia, but to say that you should realize that the wikia will become what all of its users think it should be. It is unfair and wrong to exclude anyone from discussions, or to fail to acknowledge their opinions. Decisions are made by the community as a whole, and no matter how "right" you think you are, the wikia can still decide against you. You should be prepared for the possibility that the majority of the wikia will not agree with the changes you propose, and accept it should that be the case.

Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk!
After the image arguments of August/September 2010, please be aware there are proper ways to do things. For instance, if you are discussing images, please reference and read Image Guidelines. Even if the majority of the Wikia is on your side on the discussion, if your ideas conflict with any of the guidelines, PLEASE propose changes to be voted on. If you fail to do it correctly, also please don't become upset when you fail to understand why your idea can't be put into place. Also, please note even the best ideas have flaws, if someone is picking up on the flaws in your ideas, just go back to the drawing board and rethink your idea, and accept help and suggestions from other users. Do not become upset and start changing things yourself without the approval of the Wikia.

If you lose an argument, it is not the end of the world or the Wikia. Please move on and come back to the matter at a later date with a fresh take on the idea. Do not just re-start arguments without changing any ideas, because if you do so, you will likely get the same result. There are still plenty of other things to do on the Wikia while you rethink your idea. Who knows, maybe you'll come up with an alternative idea.

Try not to make every argument a personal battle against the wiki if they did not side with you in the past. Let things go and do not bring up bad feelings of the past. Doing so will only lead to the creation of more bad feelings and won't help you or the wiki in any way. Try to stay positive in new arguments, so that things can keep going smoothly.

How to Organize Pages
Anyone can create a new topic simple by writing the name and click on the "Add new topic" button. Keep discussions within the page that most suits the discussion best.

If by mistake, the new topic is created on the wrong Forum section you can move the topic to the right Forum by editing the "Forumheader" name.

Example: when you create a new topic on the "One Piece Manga" section and then you want to move the topic to the "Spoilers" section. This can be done by changed the "One Piece Manga" --> "Spoilers" on the "Forumheader".

-->

Stickied Threads
Stickied Threads are all the pages that are categorized on the category Stickied Threads. Remove or add topics to category and the forum "Stickied Threads" will updated.

You can customize Stickied Threads to different forums by create a unique category for the page you want. Next, add the following code bellow "Stickied Threads" section on forums. namespace=Main category=Stickied threads 2 shownamespace=false addlasteditor=true historylink=true cache=false


 * namespace=Main: for a normal articles. Forum: for a forum pages.
 * category=Stickied threads 2 --> your category.

New Forum Section

 * See Wikia Help article

How to Organize Discussions
Add titles to every new discussion so we know where the old discussions end and the new one starts. Without titles things get confusing. Sub titles for related discussions may also be placed under the title to separate related but different topics.

Please make life easier for all editors by signing your posts with ~, it is considered polite - but also helps to make sure everyone's discussions don't get blurred together.

E.g.: Is the latest spoiler out? ~

Replies to another editor should start with ":" in source mode and then the following message(s) you are leaving on the page. This is to let everyone know who you are replying to. But also, again it helps to prevent messages blurring together, particularly if people forget to sign their posts.

For example:


 * Like this.


 * Then This.


 * To reply to a separate trail of responses simply add less ":"s in source mode.

What NOT To Do

 * Be rude. Like anywhere else on the wikia, respect other editors.
 * Neglect to read the Image Guidelines for more information in general for images.
 * Move discussions off the forum pages once they have been put on without good reason. Now the forums are open, they can be used for things we can't talk on other pages about such as spoilers, theories and such like.

Dates
Unfortunately, due to the number of topics previously created across the wikia, some discussions are not in chronological order. There are no restrictions to posting against old discussions, but please be aware the original posters may not be around anymore and the question may also have been resolved by now. It is advised you check the most recent date before editing.