Wikipedia:Don't poke the bear
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This essay contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. Essays may represent widespread norms or minority viewpoints. Consider these views with discretion. Essays are not Wikipedia policies. |
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This page in a nutshell: Some actions that may appear harmless or helpful, may actually be counterproductive or provocative and result in being growled at. |
Bears are lovely creatures that often hibernate and are, for the most part, non-violent. However, when poked, bears can become quite angry. As such, it's always best to not poke the bear.
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[edit] Examples of poking
- Following editors to articles they are editing during an unrelated dispute
- Adding wikibreak/retired tags to userpages of other users without their consent
- Adding block templates to a blocked user's page or talk page if the blocking admin has not
- Having been asked not to continue to post on a user's talk page, or otherwise knowing it is unwelcome to post there
- Fussing with another user's userspace
- Vandalizing high-traffic pages
[edit] This metaphor could mean more than you intended
Be careful not to imply that a specific individual is a bear. In Russia "bear" may be a compliment, but elsewhere(OED) it can mean a rough or bad-mannered person and "like a bear with a sore head" means very irritable. Using "don't poke the bear" to hint that an editor is over-sensitive on a subject might not be true, and could be construed as a personal attack. You might also offend fellow editors if they think you are accusing them of "bear-baiting" – a cruel entertainment which involved setting dogs to attack a captive bear.(OED)
[edit] Analogous phrases
- The Latin phrase Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus (the motto of Hogwarts) translates as "never tickle a sleeping dragon".
- Also, Tickling the dragon's tail, in the nuclear sense.
