LOST:What the LOST Wikia is not
From LOST
Except for minor edits, please make use of the discussion page to propose changes to this policy.
This page, much like Wikipedia: What Wikipedia is not and Wikia: What Wikia is not, attempts to define what is and is not proper use of this wiki. Hopefully, this will serve to help new users understand what we are trying to do here.
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[edit] What the LOST Wikia is not
[edit] The LOST Wikia is not Wikipedia
On Wikipedia, it is common for small, trivial articles like Peter Talbot or Peter Thompson to be deleted as trivial fancruft. Here, such articles are allowed. Any article that discusses a canonical character, place, or item in the LOST Universe has a place here.
Also, some of our rules, policies and article standards differ greatly from those of Wikipedia; please see Category:Policies on the LOST Wikia and Manual of Style for more details.
[edit] The LOST Wikia is not the official site
This means two things. First off, the information here is not official or definitive. Articles may be incomplete, inaccurate, or not up to date with the current state of the LOST canon. This means that the casual browser should not accept our articles as the final word. Though we will strive, as much as possible, to be the most accurate and complete online source for LOST information, we will not be as authoritative as the original sources.
Secondly, almost all webpages on this site refer to properties and stories which are the property of ABC, Bad Robot, etc. and its licensees. We try to stay on the side of "fair use." Copying entire blocks of text from any LOST website, ABC-licensed publication, or other copyrighted source is not allowed on this wiki.
[edit] The LOST Wikia is not any of the Internet's other unofficial sites
Just as we cannot copy blocks of text directly from a databank or a sourcebook, we cannot copy text from another fansite such as Lostpedia.
[edit] The LOST Wikia is not an all-inclusive trivia site
Background Information sections in articles should contain useful, pertinent information. The number of factoids and pieces of trivia related to LOST are boundless, but not necessarily encyclopedic or helpful. Be mindful of what information you add to these sections.
[edit] The LOST Wikia is not a free host or webpage provider
While registered users can create their own user page, this page is not a place for unlimited free storage of files. In other words, your user page should only contain information relevant to your work on this wiki. If you wish to put up a weblog, post your fanfiction, or advertise your business, neither your user page nor any other LOST Wikia or Wikia page is the proper place to do so.
[edit] What the LOST Wikia community is not
[edit] The LOST Wikia is not a general-purpose message board
Article talk pages, user talk pages, and the Community Portal will attract discussion and conversation: that's what they're there for. However, these discussions should stay focused on issues relevant to the LOST Wikia, such as "When was this character born?", "Where did this image come from?", and the like. General LOST questions such as "Who is a better leader of the Others" or "Which seasons did you like better? Season 1 or Season 2?" are best left for a forum such as the Fuselage, or Lost-Forum.com.
[edit] What the LOST Wikia user pages are not
[edit] Your user page is not your primary contribution to this wiki
Your user page and any associated sub pages are meant to give some information about yourself, and to help organize your contributions to the LOST Wikia. For example, you may wish to include a list of the LOST reference books you own, list some articles you worked on that you're proud of, or mention the articles and projects you intend to work on. You might also want to give personal information like your user name on LOST message boards, your favorite characters, what languages you speak, or a link to your personal page on another site.
Your user page should not be thought of as a personal homepage (as mentioned above, The LOST Wikia is not a free host or webpage provider.) In particular, writing a long imaginary biography of your persona in the LOST universe, or putting up a "collection" of dozens of userboxes or images, is not particularly helpful to the LOST Wikia. Your user page should help you contribute to writing and editing articles for this project—it is not a substitute for improving the articles on this wiki.
