Changes: Fallout Wiki:Content policy

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This page contains Nukapedia's content policy. It describes criteria and rules for all or specific types of content.

Policies set general rules for the wiki's administration and its content.
Any registered editor is free to edit this page to improve its readability as long as the essence of the article remains unchanged.
If you would like to suggest content changes or propose a new policy or guideline, please use the wiki discussion forum.
See the policies and guidelines page for an overview of this wiki's policies and guidelines.

General

All content should relate to the Fallout series of games or its setting.
All content needs to be accurate. Fallout Wiki aims to provide reliable information. In particular, adding speculation and own inventions (fan fiction, fan art etc.) to articles should be avoided.
All content needs to be verifiable. Other editors need to be able to check and verify it.
All content needs to be informative. Information which is only of interest to the writer or to other editors (as opposed to readers) should not be included in articles.
All content needs to be objective. Opinions, gameplay strategy, and "my favorite"-style passages should not be added to articles. Accordingly, guides may only be posted as subpages of one's user page or as a blog.
All content needs to relate to the games as delivered by the developers; user modifications are not covered by this wiki.
All content needs to abide by copyright regulations. Generally, content from other sites should not be copied unless permission has been granted. For example, do not upload magazine scans or add illegally obtained information, so as to avoid potential legal problems

Criteria for specific content

In the case where the following rules conflict with the general polices, the more specific rule supersedes the general one.

Behind the scenes

"Behind the scenes" information in the form of cultural references is acceptable page content only when there are obvious direct visual or textual correlations, in the event there is no developer confirmation.

Bugs

See: Bug policy

The policy describes criteria and rules for reporting, verifying, and editing bugs sections of articles and overviews.

Creation Club

Creation Club content have their own articles, which are separate from the Fallout 4 game content. When linking these articles to non-Creation Club articles the following must be applied:
Lore: Creation Club content is treated as non-canon and all lore based information must be enclosed within the {{CCC}} template.
Quests, notable loot and images: These should be marked with the at the end of each item (or caption for images). For example:
- Horse power armor

Notable loot

See: Notable loot

In order to keep articles about locations succinct, special interest items are listed under the notable loot subheader. In order to be considered notable, they must fit into specific categories.

Pages on real-world countries

Pages for countries/nation states can be created where a Fallout game has been based within the boundaries of that entity (in either the normal, or Fallout universe); this includes released and unreleased games regardless of canon status.
Pages for countries can also be created where the country has a significant place in the Fallout Lore. This includes Intro videos/cut scenes, supplementary materials, and the Fallout Bibles.
Pages can also be created if a character present in a Fallout game claims to be from there, or a character references that location. This page should contain in game content referencing that character.
The page should contain information on that country, as it is known to exist in the Fallout universe. It may also contain information of characters from that location, or whom discuss the location without offering any real insight into the place.
Using a language or accent common to the place does not merit inclusion on a page in its own right; neither does an ancestral link or name/world etymology justify a page.
Items that may trace their origin to that location should only be listed if that object provides insight on the location's representation in the Fallout universe.
These rules are subject to the general guideline that all articles need to be "strong" enough to stand on their own, meaning there is enough content to justify their existence.

Similarities to real-world weapons

Similarities between in-game weapons and real-world weapons are not to be included in articles, with the following two exceptions:
- If there is a sourced quote from a game developer stating which real-world weapon the in-game weapon is based on.
- If the in-game weapon shares the exact name of the real-world weapon.

Attribution policy

Nukapedia proudly makes its content available under a Creative Commons license. The specific version of this license is known as "CC-BY-SA", this means you can use it, and reuse it for whatever you like, as long as you credit us as the source, and make whatever you make available under the same license.

How to attribute

When using content created by us, you should use the following tag, or banner, to indicate the origin of the content.
If you're just using some text, use this banner:
- {{Copyright Nukapedia}}
If you're using another type of file, use this banner:
- {{Copyright Nukapedia}}

What doesn't need attribution?

Raw Game files, and data taken from the game
Raw Dialogue files
Texture or Graphics files, as exported
Sound exported from a game (Note, Commercial Music may still be subject to the owner's copyright).
Simple lists of information
Raw References

If you are unsure if you can use our content, or if you need to attribute it, please ask one of our friendly admin team.

Canon policy

See: Fallout canon

The canon policy is intended to serve as a guideline for authoring wiki articles, resolving conflicts between sources, and how to format references.

Images

See: Image policy

The policy describes guidelines for images which are uploaded to the wiki including quality and naming structure.

Plagiarism policy

See: Plagiarism policy

Spoiler policy

In general, the whole wiki is considered a spoiler and specific spoilers should not be marked as such in articles.
The only exception to this rule is information relating to upcoming games or add-ons, i.e. games or add-ons which have not been released yet but are to be released in the future. This information should be marked as a spoiler with the {{upcoming}} template.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Games|Wiki}}{{Navbox wiki policies and guidelines}}{{shortcut|FW:C|FW:CONTENT}}
+{{Navbox wiki policies and guidelines}}{{shortcut|FW:C|FW:CONTENT}}
 {{policyintro|type=policy|summary=criteria and rules for all or specific types of content}}
+==General==
-==Content criteria==
-* All content should '''relate to the ''Fallout'' series''', its setting or the [[SPECIAL]] character system.
+* All content should '''relate to the ''Fallout'' series of games''' or its setting.
-* All content needs to be '''accurate'''. Fallout Wiki aims to provide reliable information. In particular, adding speculation and original content (fan fiction or fan art) to articles is not allowed.
+* All content needs to be '''accurate'''. Fallout Wiki aims to provide reliable information. In particular, adding speculation and own inventions (fan fiction, fan art etc.) to articles should be avoided.
 * All content needs to be '''verifiable'''. Other editors need to be able to check and verify it.
 * All content needs to be '''informative'''. Information which is only of interest to the writer or to other editors (as opposed to readers) should not be included in articles.
 * All content needs to be '''objective'''. Opinions, gameplay strategy, and "my favorite"-style passages should not be added to articles. Accordingly, guides may only be posted as subpages of one's user page or as a blog.
 * All content needs to relate to the games as delivered by the developers; '''user modifications are not covered''' by this wiki.
-* All content needs to '''abide by copyright regulations'''. Generally, content from other sites should not be copied unless permission has been granted. For example, do not upload magazine scans or add illegally-obtained information, so as to avoid potential legal problems.
+* All content needs to abide by '''copyright regulations'''. Generally, content from other sites should not be copied unless permission has been granted. For example, do not upload magazine scans or add illegally obtained information, so as to avoid potential legal problems
 ==Criteria for specific content==
 In the case where the following rules conflict with the general polices, the more specific rule supersedes the general one.
-===Canon policy===
-{{see|Fallout Wiki:Fallout canon|t1=Wiki canon policy}}
-The [[Fallout Wiki:Fallout canon|policy]] is intended to serve as a guideline for authoring wiki articles, resolving conflicts between sources, and providing references.
-It is a policy for the purposes of authoring articles. The ''Fallout'' Wiki makes no judgment on canon or non-canon status of the series' elements, recognizing the sole prerogative of the current IP holder to define what is binding for them and what is not.
-===Notable loot===
-{{See|Fallout_Wiki:Notable loot policy|t1=Notable loot policy}}
 ===Behind the scenes===
-"Behind the scenes" information in the form of cultural references is acceptable page content only if there is developer confirmation or when there are obvious direct visual or textual correlations.
+"Behind the scenes" information in the form of cultural references is acceptable page content only when there are obvious direct visual or textual correlations, in the event there is no developer confirmation.
 ===Bugs===
 {{See|Fallout Wiki:Bug policy|t1=Bug policy}}
+The policy describes criteria and rules for reporting, verifying, and editing bugs sections of articles and overviews.
+===Creation Club===
-===Similarities to real-world weapons===
+* ''Creation Club'' content have their own articles, which are separate from the Fallout 4 game content. When linking these articles to non-Creation Club articles the following must be applied:
-Similarities between in-game weapons and real-world weapons are not to be included in articles, with the following two exceptions:
+* Lore: Creation Club content is treated as non-canon and all lore based information must be enclosed within the {{t|CCC}} template.
-* If there is a sourced quote from a game developer stating which real-world weapon the in-game weapon is based on.
+* Quests, notable loot and images: These should be marked with the {{Icon|FO4CC}} at the end of each item (or caption for images). For example:
-* If the in-game weapon shares the exact name of the real-world weapon.
+** Horse power armor {{Icon|FO4CC}}
+===Notable loot===
+{{See|Fallout_Wiki:Notable loot policy|t1=Notable loot}}
+In order to keep articles about locations succinct, special interest items are listed under the notable loot subheader. In order to be considered notable, they must fit into specific categories.
 ===Pages on real-world countries===
-Pages for countries/nation states can be created where a ''Fallout'' game has been based within the boundaries of that entity (in either the normal, or ''Fallout'' universe). This includes released and unreleased games regardless of canon status. Pages for countries can also be created where the country has a significant place in the ''Fallout'' lore, including those mentioned in [[Fallout_canon#Supplementary_sources|supplemental sources]].
+* Pages for countries/nation states can be created where a ''Fallout'' game has been based within the boundaries of that entity (in either the normal, or Fallout universe); this includes released and unreleased games regardless of canon status.
+* Pages for countries can also be created where the country has a significant place in the ''Fallout'' Lore. This includes Intro videos/cut scenes, supplementary materials, and the Fallout Bibles.
+* Pages can also be created if a character present in a ''Fallout'' game claims to be from there, or a character references that location. This page should contain in game content referencing that character.
+* The page should contain information on that country, as it is known to exist in the ''Fallout'' universe.  It may also contain information of characters from that location, or whom discuss the location without offering any real insight into the place.
+* Using a language or accent common to the place does not merit inclusion on a page in its own right; neither does an ancestral link or name/world etymology justify a page.
+* Items that may trace their origin to that location should only be listed if that object provides insight on the location's representation in the Fallout universe.
+* These rules are subject to the general guideline that all articles need to be "strong" enough to stand on their own, meaning there is enough content to justify their existence.
+===Similarities to real-world weapons===
-Pages can also be created if a character present in a ''Fallout'' game claims to be from there, or a character references that location. This page should contain in-game content referencing that character. The page should contain information on that country as it is known to exist in the ''Fallout'' universe. It may also contain information of characters that are from that location or who discuss the location.
+* Similarities between in-game weapons and real-world weapons are not to be included in articles, with the following two exceptions:
+** If there is a sourced quote from a game developer stating which real-world weapon the in-game weapon is based on.
-Using a language or accent common to the place does not merit inclusion on a page in its own right, nor does an ancestral link or name/world etymology justify a page.
+<!--J.E. Sawyer: "In general, I prefer to give weapons functional names and avoid getting wrapped up in specific designations used by manufacturers or the military. Giving them a more utilitarian name helps negate some of the potential pedantry over those deviations. There are no AR-15s, Colt Commandos, Browning Hi-Powers, BFRs, M1 Garands, Winchester 1886s, 1887s, or 1892s in Fallout: New Vegas -- just Service Rifles, Assault Carbines, 9mm Pistols, Hunting Revolvers, This Machine, Brush Guns, Lever-Action Shotguns, and Cowboy Repeaters. There are no M1911s or Thompsons in Honest Hearts, but you'll find plenty of .45 Auto Pistols and .45 Auto Submachine Guns."<br />[https://web.archive.org/web/20160329165317/http://forums.bethsoft.com/topic/1189533-what-does-this-machine-look-like-in-real-life/page-2?p=17681768 J.E. Sawyer, forums.bethsoft]</ref>-->
+** If the in-game weapon shares the exact name of the real-world weapon.
-Items that may trace their origin to that location should only be listed if that object provides insight on the location's representation in the ''Fallout'' universe.
-These rules are subject to the general guideline that all articles need to be "strong" enough to stand on their own, meaning there is enough content to justify their existence.
-===''Creation Club''===
-''Creation Club'' content have their own articles, which are separate from the ''Fallout 4'' game content. When linking these articles to non-''Creation Club'' articles the following must be applied:
-* Lore: ''Creation Club'' content is treated as non-canon and all lore-based information must be enclosed within the {{tl|CCC}} template.
-* Quests, notable loot and images: These should be marked with the {{Icon|FO4CC}} at the end of each item (or caption for images). For example:
-** Horse power armor {{Icon|FO4CC}}
-==Spoiler policy==
-* In general, the whole wiki is considered a spoiler, and specific instances should not be marked in articles.
-* The only exception to this rule is information relating to upcoming games or add-ons which have not been released yet. This information should be marked as a spoiler with the {{tl|upcoming}} template.
 ==Attribution policy==
-Nukapedia proudly makes its content available under a Creative Commons license. The specific version of this license is known as "CC-BY-SA"; this means you can use it and reuse it for whatever you like, as long as you credit us as the source and make whatever you make available under the same license.
+Nukapedia proudly makes its content available under a Creative Commons license.  The specific version of this license is known as "CC-BY-SA", this means you can use it, and reuse it for whatever you like, as long as you credit us as the source, and make whatever you make available under the same license.
 ===How to attribute===
-When using content created by us, you should use the following tag or banner, to indicate the origin of the content.
+* When using content created by us, you should use the following tag, or banner, to indicate the origin of the content.
+* If you're just using some text, use this banner:
-{{Copyright Nukapedia|Fallout Wiki}}
+** {{tl|Copyright Nukapedia|Fallout Wiki}}
+* If you're using another type of file, use this banner:
-More information can be found at the [[:Template:Copyright Nukapedia|template page]] for this banner.
+** {{tl|Copyright Nukapedia|Fallout Wiki}}
 ===What doesn't need attribution?===
-* Raw game files and data taken from the game
+* Raw Game files, and data taken from the game
-* Raw dialogue files
+* Raw Dialogue files
-* Texture or graphics files, as exported
+* Texture or Graphics files, as exported
-* Sound exported from a game (Note: Commercial music may still be subject to the owner's copyright)
+* Sound exported from a game (Note, Commercial Music may still be subject to the owner's copyright).
 * Simple lists of information
-* Raw references
+* Raw References
-If you are unsure if you can use our content, or if you need to attribute it, please ask a member of [[FW:ADMIN|our friendly admin team]].
+If you are unsure if you can use our content, or if you need to attribute it, please ask one of our friendly admin team.
-==Plagiarism policy==
+==Canon policy==
+{{see|Fallout Wiki:Fallout canon|t1=Fallout canon}}
-A wiki doesn't just live and die on the information it contains, it also survives on the reputation it builds as an information source. Plagiarism hurts the wiki's reputation and reduces our ability to be seen as an authoritative information source. It could also put the wiki at risk; unauthorized copyrighted content could see parts of or even the whole wiki made unavailable.
+The [[Fallout Wiki:Fallout canon|canon policy]] is intended to serve as a guideline for authoring wiki articles, resolving conflicts between sources, and how to format references.
+==Images==
-===What is, and what is not, plagiarism?===
+{{See|Fallout Wiki:Image policy|t1=Image policy}}
-{{Quotation|The practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one's own|[http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/plagiarism Oxford definition of plagiarism]}}
+The policy describes guidelines for images which are uploaded to the wiki including quality and naming structure.
+==Plagiarism policy==
-As a trusted source of information, we want as much of our pages as possible to be made up of original content that you can't find anywhere else. To this end, we would prefer you to, whenever possible, create original works that do not directly copy anyone else's work.
+{{see|Fallout Wiki:User conduct guideline#Plagiarism policy|t1=Plagiarism policy}}
+==Spoiler policy==
-This is not to say you can't be inspired by it; maybe you saw something somewhere else that you thought might improve a page. By all means, feel free to bring that to the wiki, but make sure its your own work and written in your own words, and if you can improve and develop the idea further.
+* In general, the whole wiki is considered a [[wikipedia:Spoiler (media)|spoiler]] and specific spoilers should not be marked as such in articles.
+* The only exception to this rule is information relating to upcoming games or add-ons, i.e. games or add-ons which have not been released yet but are to be released in the future. This information should be marked as a spoiler with the {{tl|upcoming}} template.
+==See also==
-Sometimes you may have to use other people's words and work. Here are some (but not all) situations where this is acceptable:
+* [[Fallout Wiki:Content organization guideline]]
+* [[Fallout Wiki:Article layout guideline]]
+* [[Fallout Wiki:Editing guideline]]
+* [[Fallout Wiki:User conduct guideline]]
+* [[Fallout Wiki:Templates]]
+{{transcludesection|Fallout Wiki:Policies and guidelines/Forum archive|content policy|options=nointro}}
-* ''Licensed content'': If you have prior permission from the content owner, you can reuse their content - We've asked permission to present to you many of our sound files for example. You should still cite who the owner of the work is though.
-* ''Copyleft/Creative Commons/public domain'': This is a specific form of licensed content. The owner of the work has made it available for anyone to use without prior permission, but in the case of the first two this is subject to some rules. You should ensure that you follow any requirements set by the content owner (such as following the license conditions, or attributing in the way that they request). If no attribution standard is given by the owner, then you should ensure that they are identified and if at all possible the original is linked in the references. For non-displayed content, the comments may also be acceptable.
-* ''Quotes'': It's perfectly permissible to quote a person or even a copyrighted work. Your quote should be limited to the amount you need to make your point. For example, you can't quote an entire magazine article, but a paragraph or two may be acceptable. You should use the {{tl|Quotation}} template and link to the source of the quote wherever possible, giving credit to the author/speaker/publication.
-* ''Fair use'': There are also times where it is possible to reuse content within the US's "Fair Use" exemption. Much of the source files and screenshots fall into this category, as do images used in news reporting. The origin should be credited and linked wherever possible.
-===What happens if I break the rules===
-* Good faith attempts to attribute shouldn't ordinarily see punishment. If you have done something incorrectly, we'll show you how to put it right. We appreciate the thought and effort you make, and won't punish you for a simple mistake. If you keep making the exact same mistake, we may have to restrict your ability to edit the wiki.
-* If you are a new user, or someone who is new at editing, and make no effort to attribute content that is not your own, then you will receive a maximum of one warning for this behavior. After this warning, we expect you to make a good faith attempt to attribute. (Getting it wrong is better than not doing it at all.)
-* If you have already been warned, or are someone who we feel should know better (this includes experienced editors and the entire admin team) and you fail to make even a good faith attempt to attribute, enforcement action will be taken. For users in this group, there is zero tolerance.
-===What happens if I see someone who breaks the rule, or I suspect content has been copied?===
-* If it is a fresh edit, you should undo (or revert) the edit (or if it's just part of a larger edit, remove just the suspect content), and leave a note on the talk page indicating what you have done, why, and where you think the information has been copied from.
-* If it is existing information, then remove the specific content and leave a note on the talk page.
-* If you are a content owner (or other responsible person for the source), and you believe your content has been misused or copied, please instead notify our [[#Point of contact|Plagiarism Point of Contact]].
-* If you notice a user repeatedly using plagiarized content, please alert an [[FW:ADMIN|administrator]].
-===Point of contact===
-The Plagiarism Point of Contact (PPOC) is an administrator who accepts reports of potential plagiarism. They have no special enforcement powers beyond being an administrator, but instead act as a single point to report issues to.
-The PPOC may investigate issues directly, or may ask a fellow member of the admin team to handle an issue. If the PPOC hasn't replied to a talk page comment in a significant amount of time, then any admin is free to take the lead.
-==See also==
-* [[Project:About|Fallout Wiki:About]]
-* [[Project:Editing guideline|Fallout Wiki:Editing guideline]]
 [[Category:Policies and guidelines|Content policy]]

Policy vote forum overview
Policy	Content policy
Amendment 1	General/specific rule & BTS speculation · Vote · 30 December 2014 · 11-1-0; 9-3-1
Amendment 2	Countries articles standard · Discussion · Vote · 2 August 2015 · 16-3-2
Amendment 3	Attribution · Vote · 27 August 2015 · 13-0-0
Amendment 4	Creation Club content · Vote · 25 September 2017 · 23-3-0
Amendment 5	Creation Club article placement · Vote · 25 October 2017 · 15-5
Amendment 6	Creation Club on mainspace · Discussion · Vote · 20 March 2018 · 15-5-2
Amendment 7	Deleting Torn and Lionheart · Vote · 7 June 2020 · 12-0-0
Amendment 8	Non Developer Resources (Resources Namespace) · Discussion · Vote · 21 July 2022 · 12-0-0
Related topics	Content organization guideline · Article layout guideline