Embrace, don't chase: Fan fiction or false information?

As covered in other blogs in this series, fan fiction is something we need because it's a form of creativity that can lead to new stories, ideas and inventions. A lot of it is mixed in with the facts about a subject and it's not identified as fan fiction, so it gets treated as false information.

Definition

The simplest definition of false information is lying. If you add fan fiction that you don't say is fan fiction, that's a type of lying where you don't mean any harm by it because you just want to add something you like. If you add information that you know is wrong, that's deliberate lying and it will be viewed as vandalism, which will damage your fan fiction.

The middle ground is what people who want to add fan fiction and administrators need to work on together. The next sections show how this can be done.

For the fans

Here's the step-by-step list of how you can add fan fiction without it being viewed as false information.

1. Most wikis want to keep fan fiction separate from the facts about their subject. The way it's kept separate varies from wiki to wiki. Don't add fan fiction until you find out how each wiki handles it. See Don't go charging in for ways to find out.
2. If you can't find the information you need, ask an administrator. Most are willing to help and would rather answer a question before it becomes a problem.
         Same goes for other members of the wiki. The ones that have been around a long time can also answer questions and help out.
3. If all else fails, put it in a blog.
4. Don't go from wiki to wiki to add your fan fiction. That can be considered spam.
5. Whether you add it to a regular page or create a blog, always put a reason in the "Edit summary". A short note like "my idea for a sequel" can make the difference between your edit being viewed as fan fiction or false information.
6. If you added some fan fiction and you see that it was removed or deleted, don't just add it right back in. Find out why first. Look at the history of the page if it's available or the Deletion Log. Hopefully there will be a reason listed, which would have been entered into the "Edit summary" line by the person who took it out.
         If you just add it back in, that can quickly become false information repeatedly being added, and it doesn't take much of that to become vandalism, which would then get you blocked.
7. Don't invent information. Waiting for official announcements is better than trying to help out by filling in details that aren't known yet. People who invent information are actually adding false information and can often earn a bad reputation where their edits can't be trusted.
8. Don't create a new account to get back into a wiki where you were blocked. That will send a signal that you're trying to get around the rules, and that account is likely to get blocked, too. Eventually, you might get blocked just because you showed up, even if you didn't do anything wrong, because of your past history.
         If you got blocked, go over to Community Central and leave a message there for the admin. Be polite and ask what you should have done differently. They may be consider removing the block if they see you're willing to change and abide by the rules.

For more information, read the following:

• Getting your fan fiction accepted
• Common fan fiction mistakes
• Where fan fiction is welcomed

For administrators

As administrators, you see the kind of people that come to a wiki for no other reason than to try and hurt it. Some of these are listed in the What administrators deal with section. It's important to separate those from the people who might not know better.

Here's the step-by-step list for admins (and everyone):

1. Decide how your wiki is going to handle fan fiction and create a policy for it.
2. Use Undo instead of Rollback so you have a chance to update the Edit summary to provide a reason why an edit is being removed. Likewise, provide a reason why something is being deleted. It might be easier and faster to use Rollback or leaving the deletion reason blank, but that doesn't help other people see why it was done.
3. Take the time to talk with people. If you see someone adding fan fiction where it's not allowed, leave them a message and let them know what they need to change. If you're asked about it, try to give them a prompt answer.
4. If fan fiction needs to go on a separate wiki and you need to move it there, you can manually add it and put a note at the top that says something like "Originally created on another wiki. Adding on behalf of the original author, (their name)." Or if you have admin rights on the fan fiction wiki, you could do an export from the first wiki and import it into the second one so the edit history is kept intact.
5. Don't get jaded. No matter how many times you've seen vandalism, don't assume that every poor or unwanted edit is vandalism.
   1. If someone has been inventing information, provide warnings to let them know it's not allowed and give them chances to correct their behavior.
6. Remember that administrators can be like a teacher or a friend. Admins that belittle what others do or act like a bully don't help people grow. There are times you have to be firm with how you deal with someone, but give them another chance whenever you can.
7. Remember that fan fiction can lead to more than just an idea about a character or a story. Creating new ideas based on what other people have done leads to innovation and inventions. Don't be the one that stifles creativity if you don't have to.

For more information, read the following:

• Don't crush their dreams