Any ideas for how to be courteous and defuse conflicts on WikiTree?

Question

After a couple nasty conflicts last week, we decided to start a page explaining why courtesy is important on WikiTree and giving tips on how to be more friendly and polite.

Here's the draft: http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Courtesy

The plan is to link this from the Honor Code and point people to it when they're acting like jerks.

Thoughts? Anything you'd add or edit?

Comments

The additional page reads very well, Chris. I hope people take it to heart. Our community will be a much happier, healthier place if people help rather than hinder.

If something is wrong genealogically, it can be fixed. It's hard to 'fix' hurt feelings even if the perpetrator is humble enough to apologize.

---

I like this. Sometime I get very wired about the right and wrong and need reminding. Maybe something like this should appear on my screen saver.

Answer 1

Another point to bring.

 Geneology is often based on information passed down the lines from various family members. It is a difficult area, as even the most meticulous research may result in conflicting information.

 Even when you are 100% sure in your mind that the information you have received is accurate, you must temper that knowledge with the fact that in most cases, we were not there.

All we can do is our best. Accept the input from the other person, and rather than it becoming a heated situation, try working with them so that both of you can reach a concensus, even if it is to admit that neither of you is really sure.