User:Purplebackpack89/Harassment

This is a Wiktionary policy, guideline or common practices page. This is a draft proposal. It is unofficial, and it is unknown whether it is widely accepted by Wiktionary editors. Policies – Entries: CFI - EL - NORM - NPOV - QUOTE - REDIR - DELETE. Languages: LT - AXX. Others: BLOCK - BOTS - VOTES.

Harassment is a pattern of repeated offensive behavior that appears to a reasonable observer to intentionally target a specific person or persons. Usually, the purpose is to make the target feel threatened or intimidated, and the outcome may be to make editing Wiktionary unpleasant for the target, to undermine, frighten, or discourage them from editing.

Wiktionary must never be misused to harass anyone, whether or not the subject of the harassment is an editor here. Edits constituting harassment will be reverted, deleted, or suppressed, as appropriate, and editors who engage in harassment are subject to blocking and banning.

Harassment can include actions calculated to be noticed by the target and clearly suggestive of targeting them, even when no direct communication takes place.

The prohibition against harassment applies equally to all editors. It is as unacceptable to harass a user with a history of inept or disruptive behavior as it is to harass any other user.

Types of harassment

Hounding

Hounding on is the singling out of one or more editors, following or monitoring their specific edits, and joining discussions they have also joined. Hounding usually involves following the target from place to place on Wiktionary.

Many users track other users' edits, although usually for collegial or administrative purposes. This should always be done with care, and with good cause, to avoid raising the suspicion that an editor's contributions are being followed to cause them distress, or out of revenge for a perceived slight.