This forum is discussing whether or not the friends lists on user pages and the occasional talk page should be terminated, or gotten rid of. Here are my points on why they should:
- They are useless. Absolutely useless. They contribute nothing to the wiki as a whole, and are a way to basically just waste time.
- They fill up the recent changes with pointless edits to user pages, and increase a user's editcount in the "User" namespace.
- Administrators don't know if these edits to other user's pages are vandalism or not, and we don't have time to check.
- Some regard them as a way to build popularity and have friends in the website. This is NOT a chatsite or a socializing site, and our focus should not be to crave popularity but to work towards the betterment of the wiki.
- You do not make friends by having people sign a list. Friendship is something you work to cultivate over a long period of time and it eventually blossoms.
These tenants will most likely be added to the WWiki is NOT policy. Please post your comments and suggestions below this line. Please realize there will be action taken against the friend lists in any case, because there is no point to them and the community would be well off without them. --Bramble -Hyuu~ 03:15, July 28, 2010 (UTC)
Yeah you're right. They are pointless. I think the main reason people have them is because they saw other users with one. Honestly that's why I have one.AshshadowAg 03:18, July 28, 2010 (UTC)
That's called 'following the herd'. Quite honestly I don't get that. I see no reason to get something pointless even if everyone else has it. It's like walking off a cliff because you see someone else do it. You are probably correct, though, Ashshadow. Are there other comments? Please post; this will only be up for a week at the most. --Bramble -Hyuu~ 23:00, July 28, 2010 (UTC)
I suppose you're right, you made a good point. ♫ dovesong ♫ 01:29, July 29, 2010 (UTC)
I still have the remnants of a list I used to keep, in which I'd make notes about editors I ran into a lot. Mainly for my own reference. I think any changes to this would have to be accompanied by the elimination of the templates related to being friend to/considering yourself a friend of. I do agree that focusing in the core goal of the wiki is important. This idea of lists in which people are to sign just confuses me, though. I can see why we want to get rid of that sort of thing. Kitsufox Den/CoSC 03:53, July 29, 2010 (UTC)
Kitsu, I believe Bramble meant only the "Sign Here!" lists (such as this), where other users are expected to place signatures / comments. I agree that this should be terminated. On the other hand, there is nothing wrong if the user themselves posts on their own userpage a list of people they consider as friends and / or non-offensive comments about them (such as you or I have on our own pages). These strengthen the community, and I hope they will never be banned. Kind regards, Helixtalk 13:38, July 29, 2010 (UTC)
I agree with you Helix. I also agree that we should get rid of the friends' list, they just clog recent changes and there's too much stuff on talk pages, stuff like, "Can we be friends? Sign my list, and I'll sign yours." ♥Icestorm★ 14:00, July 29, 2010 (UTC)
I can't say much that hasn't already been said; I give my full support to this cause. Honestly I've never seen the point in these and they're just a nuisance as Bramble said. insane brick'd 16:22, July 31, 2010 (UTC)
Over the last few days I've noticed a few of them get written on... This "will you be my friend" rot needs to stop. Friendship isn't a negotiation away. It's just something you know. These things need to go. Badly. And post haste. I think the NOT policy technically already bans this ("NOT a Social Network"), but explicitness never hurts. For some reason people need it. An addition to the Social Networking header as a bullet point could be something like... "Friendship Negotiation Center. Collecting petition style signatures of your "friends" is not the purpose of this website. Friendship signature collection, signing friends lists on a userpage, user subpage, Blog, or any other means within the forum is inappropriate and creates unnecessary work for those who patrol edits." The NOT policy is gonna get a lot of attention coming up... Between this and the other thread... Kitsufox Den/CoSC 02:11, August 5, 2010 (UTC)
I agree with that. I'll see what I can do concerning how to write it once we get the main points past vote. Seeing as there have been no other comments or suggestions, I see no reason not to approve this as is. I’ll put it up for vote along with Forum:Suggested Clarification to Policy:Warriors Wiki is NOT. --Bramble -Hyuu~ 03:20, August 9, 2010 (UTC)
I just remembered that there is a "guestbook feature" on wikia, aimed specifically for collecting such signatures: guestbook.wikia.com. After the implementation of the policy, users should be told of this alternative, so they can use it if they are fond of such lists, and / or transfer their existing lists there (it's not that I approve of such lists - most of you know my traditional views on social interactions ;) - but if some members wish to do it, it's their choice; and this way they won't be too mad at us after the policy is implemented). Kind regards, Helixtalk 10:22, August 13, 2010 (UTC)
Offering alternatives is one of the best ways to ease transitions in cases like this where something commonplace becomes outlawed. It's a good idea that will help ease the process of not only the general membership getting use to the change, but of those stuck enforcing the rule. Kitsufox Den/CoSC 00:33, August 15, 2010 (UTC)