Wikipedia:New users and user pages
 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article or a Wikipedia policy, as it has not been reviewed by the community. |
 | This page in a nutshell: Handle promotional pages by new editors with additional care. |
New users on Wikipedia usually are unfamiliar with the site's policies and jargon. When they create a user page, they sometimes treat it as a profile on a social networking site, often in violation of Wikipedia's policies and guidelines. Wikipedia is not a social networking site and the user page project content guideline creates limits on what can and cannot be place on user pages. Newcomers may not realize that this also applies to the user space.
Some issues
When a new editor creates a user page about himself on their user page that looks like an article, it usually has at least some aspect that will allow them to better participate in the community. However, when the page goes well beyond that to where the amount of personal information provided on the user page is excessive content not directly relevant to Wikipedia, that raises promotional issues. Deleting the page at Miscellany for deletion without talking to the new user raises WP:BITE issues, particularly when the page is nominated five days or so from when the new editor creates their account. A similar problem occurs after an article space page about the user is moved to the user page rather than a user subpage.
Ways of responding to promotional articles
When encountering a page by a newcomer that is promotional and in violation of Wikipedia's policies, there are ways of approaching the problem before turning to the deletion process. Editors are encouraged to:
- Explain to the user Wikipedia's policies on userpages and what Wikipedia is not
- Encourage the use of the user's sandbox page to draft new pages before taking the article directly to the article space. Sandbox pages, especially those by new users, may sound promotional in tone.
- Offer to help them develop their user page.
- Direct the new user to the Wikipedia:Articles for Creation process.
- Wait until the article has been rejected at Wikipedia:Articles for Creation before proceeding to the MfD deletion process.