Wikipedia:Courtesy vanishing: Difference between revisions
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* [[Wikipedia:Changing username|changing the username]] of the account,<ref>The account must have made fewer than 200,000 edits. This is a technical limitation in [[:mw:Extension:Renameuser|the rename tool]], not a policy limitation.</ref> |
* [[Wikipedia:Changing username|changing the username]] of the account,<ref>The account must have made fewer than 200,000 edits. This is a technical limitation in [[:mw:Extension:Renameuser|the rename tool]], not a policy limitation.</ref> |
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* replacing references to the former username with references to the replacement username, |
* replacing references to the former username with references to the replacement username, |
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* deleting the account's [[Wikipedia:User page|user page and subpages]], and |
* deleting the account's [[Wikipedia:User page|user page and subpages, possibly including talk pages]], and |
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* posting a brief note indicating that the account owner has left Wikipedia and asking that people not refer to the account by its former username. |
* posting a brief note indicating that the account owner has left Wikipedia and asking that people not refer to the account by its former username. |
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Revision as of 02:19, 10 September 2008
 | This page documents an English Wikipedia behavioral guideline. Editors should generally follow it, though exceptions may apply. Substantive edits to this page should reflect consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on the talk page. |
All Wikipedia users have the right to leave; the Wikipedia community will typically accord the right to vanish to users in good standing who exercise their right to leave.
Vanishing is the act of disassociating the identity of a user account from the identity of its owner, and typically involves:
- changing the username of the account,[1]
- replacing references to the former username with references to the replacement username,
- deleting the account's user page and subpages, possibly including talk pages, and
- posting a brief note indicating that the account owner has left Wikipedia and asking that people not refer to the account by its former username.
Vanishing is not a right in the strict sense of the word; rather, it is a courtesy extended by the Wikipedia community to make it easy for users to exercise their right to leave. Sometimes the community will not extend the courtesy: for example, if the user is not actually leaving, or if the user is not in good standing. Note also that the Wikimedia Foundation does not guarantee that an account's username will be changed on request.
What vanishing is not
Vanishing is only for users who are exercising their right to leave. The "right to vanish" is not a "right to a fresh start" under a new identity. Vanishing means that the individual, not the account, is vanishing. There is no coming back for that individual.
However, users who are not leaving are free to request a change of username at any time. Any contributions (including deleted contributions) made under the old username will be reattributed to the new username, preserving the edit history.
The deletion of personally identifiable information about users (such as a phone number or a street address) is not "vanishing", and users do not need to leave in order for this information to be deleted. Such information can be deleted on request, provided it is not needed for administrative purposes, which are generally limited to dealing with site misuse issues.
Effectiveness
Allowing your editing to trail off or simply stopping editing is likely to be about as effective since for the most part if a user in good standing disappears people tend to accept they are gone and leave it at that. This has the advantage that you can change your mind with no penalty.
Notes
- ^ The account must have made fewer than 200,000 edits. This is a technical limitation in the rename tool, not a policy limitation.