FamilySearch Wiki:Assume good faithEdit This Page

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Revision as of 14:31, 24 November 2011 by Cottrells (Talk | contribs)


It is assumed that contributors' edits and comments are made in good faith. Most people try to help the project, not hurt it. If this were false, a project like FamilySeach Wiki would be doomed from the beginning.

When disagreement occurs, try the best of your ability to explain and resolve the problem and not cause more conflict, and give others the opportunity to do the same. Consider whether a dispute stems from different perspectives and look for ways to reach consensus.

When others cast doubt on their own good faith, continue to assume good faith yourself where you can. Be civil and follow dispute resolution processes, rather than attacking contributors or edit warring with them. If you wish to express doubts about the conduct of fellow Wikipedians, then please substantiate those doubts with specific diffs and other relevant evidence so that people can understand the basis for the concerns. Although bad conduct may be apparently due to bad faith, it is usually best to address the conduct without mentioning motives (which mention would tend to exacerbate resentments all around).

Be careful about citing this principle too aggressively. Just as one can incorrectly judge that another is acting in bad faith, so too can one mistakenly conclude that bad faith is being assumed, and exhortations to "Assume Good Faith" can themselves reflect negative assumptions about others if a perceived assumption of bad faith was not clear-cut.


About good faith

Everyone makes mistakes, both behavioral (like personal attacks) and content-based (like adding biographies), and we can correct them with reminders most of the time. However, there will be disagreements on Wikipedia for which no policy or guideline has an easy answer. When disagreements happen, it may not be that someone has ill intent. Keep a cool head, and consider dispute resolution if disagreements seem intractable; many of them are not.

This guideline does not require that contributors continue to assume good faith in the presence of contrary evidence. Assuming good faith does not prohibit discussion and criticism, but instead contributors should not attribute the actions being criticized to malice unless there is specific evidence of malice.

Violation of some policies, such as engaging in sock-puppetry, violating consensus, and so on, may be perpetrated in either good or bad faith. There are processes for dealing with all of these, and sanctions for repeated violation of policy apply regardless of whether bad faith was involved.

Good faith and newcomers

Main article: FamilySearch Wiki:Be kind to newcomers


A newcomer's behavior probably seems appropriate to him/her, and a problem in that regard usually indicates unawareness or misunderstanding of Wikipedian culture. It is not uncommon for a newcomer to believe that an unfamiliar policy should be changed to match their notion of how things should function, especially if they notice that there is already some level of disagreement over the policy in question. Similarly, many newcomers want to have their contributions to articles accepted without question, especially which pertain to subjects on which they have extensive knowledge. Behaviors arising from these perspectives are usually not malicious, and many new users who lack an intuitive grasp of Wikipedia customs are gradually brought around once the logic behind them becomes more clear.

Good faith and copyright

Main article: FamilySearch Wiki:Copyrights

When dealing with possible copyright violations, good faith means assuming that contributors intend to comply with site policy and the law. That is different from assuming they have actually complied with either. Contributors have a proactive obligation to document image uploads, etc. and material may be deleted if the documentation is incorrect or inadequate. Good faith corrective action includes informing contributors of problems and helping them improve their practices.

Demonstrate good faith


Dealing with bad faith


FamilySearch Wiki administrators and other experienced contributors involved in dispute resolution will usually be glad to help, and are very capable of identifying policy-breaching conduct if their attention is drawn to clear and specific evidence.

Accusing others of bad faith

Making accusations of bad faith can be inflammatory and hence these accusations may not be helpful in a dispute. It can be seen as a personal attack if bad faith motives are alleged without clear evidence that the others' action is actually in bad faith and harassment if done repeatedly. The result is often accusations of bad faith on your part, which tends to create a nasty cycle.


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