Wikipedia:Accepting other users

This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints.

Shortcut WP:OTHERUSERS

This page in a nutshell: Work cooperatively with other users and assume good faith. Wikipedia is a collaborative project.

Accepting other users is an important part of editing Wikipedia. You need to work with other users, reduce tensions that cannot be avoided entirely, and cope with the stress of handling difficult situations. If you have a great deal of experience with a subject in the real world, it might be frustrating that a user with seemingly less knowledge of the topic may challenge your edits. You may have to learn to be patient and try to make the case for the edits you want to make. If you are in a leadership position in your community or job, it might be hard to accept at first that on Wikipedia, you are just an editor, with the same status as all other editors. It might take time to learn to accept suggestions from other users. As well, it might take some users some time to reach a level of civilized behavior: try to be patient with them.