User:Batsondl/Sandbox 17

Rewrite of section: FamilySearch Wiki:Purpose, Policies, and Procedures

Content Allowed in the Wiki
Final determination about the appropriateness of content rests with FamilySearch.
 * Links to free and subscription websites regarding genealogy databases, records, images, websites, research strategies, repositories, archives, government agencies, finding aids to other collections, or anything else helpful to a user to locate their ancestors
 * Genealogical research strategies and guidance
 * Instructions on how to find, use and analyze records that are genealogically useful
 * Historical definitions of legal terminology, occupations, and other historic information useful to genealogists
 * Images: Includes samplings of genealogical records, images of historical interest, also current and historical maps

Research Wiki Projects
 New bullets to be added: Or
 * Locality pages: containing information about records, strategies and topics specific to that location in discovering records about ancestors. This may include all jurisdictions, including countries, states, counties, parishes, provinces, departments, etc.
 * Historical Records Collection pages: explaining the scope of the collection and examples of relevant information contained therein
 * Guided Research project: maintained solely by FamilySearch to assist researchers starting research in a locality
 * Libraries and FamilySearch Affiliate Library Wiki pages
 * FamilySearch Family History Center/Library Wiki pages: for more information regarding what is allowed on a center/library Wiki page, go to: Help:Updating a Family History Page.
 * Genealogical and historical society pages
 * Information on naming practices belongs on country personal name pages.
 * Information on naming practices belongs on country personal name pages and not as separate pages.

Content Not Allowed in the Wiki
The Wiki should not include the following: 
 * Discussions of religion, politics, ethnicity, culture, and history except in relation to family history research and record keeping.
 * Images and files of record sets of source documents except when showing sample documents, especially associated with Historical Records collections.
 * Biographical information about an individual, unless it's used to describe a record or used in a case study to illustrate a research process or principle.
 * Information about fictional people, places, or things.
 * Repositories of genealogical information about individuals, families, and names.
 * Data sets and genealogical records, such as obituaries, military histories, or transcriptions of record sources.
 * Lists of individuals in index form or a repository of individual information.
 * Individual Wiki pages for specific names, or variants. This information is appropriate on Personal Names pages for the respective country.
 * Personal points of view, opinions, arguments, testimonials or stories of research experiences.
 * Advertising or reviews of products or services.
 * Edit wars and fighting over competing viewpoints.
 * Profanity or profane slang in any form or language.
 * Poems, speeches, or other narrative text.
 * Holidays and family traditions. Those which affect family history records or research methods are allowed under specific countries/localities.
 * Religious doctrine or advocacy, or criticism of religious practices.
 * Doctrine and practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is inappropriate to include this information in family history center/libraries Wiki pages.
 * Internal policies or contact information of FamilySearch International.
 * Contact information for business affiliates of FamilySearch International.
 * Criticism of FamilySearch or any of its business operations.

Add to the Manual of Style: Each page must have a minimum 1500 characters


 * For languages that use a non-Roman alphabet, a list of surnames with their transcriptions in English is appropriate

Need a list of approved structures for different pages. country, county, topic, research tips and strategy pages,
 * Structure of similar pages in the Wiki


 * A separate document can be created for surname lists to avoid surnames appearing in the Wiki search results.

 QUESTIONS TO DECIDE ON
 * Do we allow lists of surnames?
 * Thailand_Personal_Names - there are limited surnames for Asian countries. So it can be helpful. Plus, this goes to collections for the surname. Not to just tell us all that are possible. Do we say only Asian countries can do it? Or just put our foot down and take it out?
 * If it is allowed, it would only be on Personal Names pages - not individual pages
 * We can't become a surname dictionary