Once Upon a Time Wiki:Policies

This page is, essentially, a set of rules that are set and expected to be followed as long as you participate in the growth of the Once Upon a Time wiki. These guidelines apply to adding images, making pages, editing the wiki and everything in between. Remember, all we want is a fun atmosphere and these'll help with that... hopefully.

User Behavior

 * Vandalism will not be tolerated. Vandalism is deleting a large portion of the page without proper reason. If someone becomes a vandal, the admins have the right to block the person for an indefinite amount of time, depending on the severity of the act.
 * Comments on pages are expected to be appropriate. This means that there should be no inappropriate language, the comment should not be irrelevant, and should not be inflammatory. All comments are expected to use decent spelling, grammar and punctuation. Any comments insulting or harassing any users will deleted; such comments will also result in blocks.
 * In the case of an edit war, the two opposing people are expected to solve their problem for themselves. Get a neutral party to give an opinion. If they cannot do that, an admin will step in.
 * We do ask that major format changes (such as adding or deleting sections on articles) be run by the community first, to get a consensus. Ask any admin for details.
 * Insulting/slandering other users is not permitted. It is the right of any user to remove, or request the removal of, any comment, blog, forum, or message wall post that is insulting or slanderous to them personally. Harassing users in this way will result in lengthy blocks.

If You Are Blocked/Banned

 * If you are blocked or banned and want to appeal it, please use your message wall on THIS wiki, or contact an Admin on their wall on the Community Central Wiki.
 * If you are blocked/banned on this Wiki, it is NOT appropriate to follow any Admin to another Wiki they work on to protest. This will result in an extended block here.
 * If you are blocked/banned by one of our Admins on another Wiki, do not follow the Admin here to complain. This will result in a block here and possibly an extension on the Wiki in question.

Site Purpose

 * This is a wiki for the ABC television series Once Upon a Time. We are not affiliated with any other English Once Upon a Time wikis. As such, our content should not be posted on these kinds of sites. Neither should their content be posted on ours. Please be respectful of other people's hard work.
 * We have a featured article nomination here, a featured image nomination here, and a featured quote nomination here. All features will be reviewed by the admins and, if decided to be meeting the standards, they will put it on the queue. There will be new features every month. If you have any questions, go to Gigi.
 * You can add questions to the weekly poll here. The Poll Team consists of Applegirl, Prince of Hearts and Killian Jones. There will be a new poll every week. If you have any questions, you may speak to any one of them, or leave a comment on the Poll Submissions page.

Canonicity of Media

 * What is canonicity? Something is canon if it is considered valid in Once Upon a Time's universe. For example, an event occurring in a dream sequence is not canon to an overall timeline: the event didn't really occur.
 * Where it applies, the Once Upon a Time Wikia treats events and statements made in other show-related media (such as books) as canon. This includes Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.
 * The sole exception to this rule is when a statement/event from another source contradicts something occurring/said in-show, or a statement from a writer/creator/producer. In these cases, the show event or crew member statement will be what is considered canon.

Profile Tags

 * Certain users with administration approved privileges have custom profile tag names listed on their profile username bar. You may find a list of what each custom profile tag is the equivalent of here.

Page Format

 * To see what a sample character page format looks like, click here.
 * To see what a sample episode transcript page format looks like, click here. For further inquiries about transcripts, please see the leader of the Transcript Team, Utter solitude.

General Page Edits

 * All information edited into a character/item/location/episode page must be written in the user's own words. Do not copy and paste in information taken from other sites--including pasting in character history summaries, whole episode recaps, and/or trivia information. Even if hypothetically you wrote something on another site, and paste it onto one of the pages on this wikia, this would not be acceptable because the information will have the appearance of having been copied from another website domain. Do not take summaries or information from another site and try to switch or reword paragraphs to make it look like your own work.
 * Do NOT add categories that are inappropriate for the page.
 * Do NOT create categories without a previous discussion or admin's permission.

Character Edits

 * Each character page follows what the character's name is given as in either the casting call or official ABC press release. A new character page may be named as per the name in the casting call, but can be changed in the future if the character appears in a newer episode and is shown to have a different name. Examples: Mulan was given the codename "Magnolia" in her casting call. Her page name was changed to Mulan when there was sufficient enough factual sources to confirm her character name was actually Mulan, which is also the name she is noted as on official ABC episodic press releases.
 * Also note that promos and sneak peek videos are not considered reliable sources of information for adding in facts about a character unless the upcoming episode with that information has already aired. Therefore, any new information learned in promos or sneak peeks will not be added onto the pages until the episode actually airs.
 * Be aware that despite a character being called one name in the promo, the structure of this wiki is to *always* follow the name given for the character on the episodic press release, and no secondary names are added until the new episode has aired. This means even if the character is named in a promo or sneak peek under a different name, that name will not affect the character's actual page name, and may only be added in as a listed secondary name after the epsiode finishes airing. Example: the Thief from "The Outsider" is Robin Hood. His name was used in the promo for that episode. However, the ABC press release lists him as "Thief", so that is the title the Wiki uses. This helps relieve confusion when we use one consistent source.
 * For appearances listing on episode pages, the names of the characters confirmed to appear in an episode are written in as per what the official ABC press release says. Example: Greg Mendell was named in the press release for "In the Name of the Brother" as "Stranger" even though it was already known his actual name is Greg Mendell. So, for the episode appearances section for "In the Name of the Brother", he is be written as "Stranger" and not "Greg Mendell".
 * For writing character history summaries, nicknames of the characters, or shortened versions of the character name are not used; such as Rumplestiltskin becoming "Rumple", or Mr. Gold being referred to as "Gold". Counterpart pages are separate. Example: If you are writing on Mary Margaret's page, you do not write her in as Snow White for history edits.
 * Characters that are from the Enchanted Forest that have crossed over to Storybrooke who were not affected by the curse do not have Storybrooke counterparts, so therefore they do not have Storybrooke counterpart pages. Example: Hook is still Hook even though he came over to Storybrooke. He does not have a Storybrooke counterpart.

Trivia Edits
For episode page trivia, it should include information pertinent to the page and is listed under three subheadings "Production Notes", "Event Chronology" and "Episode Connections". For a proper example of what a complete trivia section looks like, please see here here.
 * Production Notes includes sentences in relation to interesting episodic facts or behind the scenes workings involved in writing/filming the episode itself.
 * Event Chronology includes two set of sentences with both explaining the occurence of events before and after the episode. They vary in the aspect one describes the timeline of events for the Enchanted Forest events set in the episode, and the other for Storybrooke events.
 * Episode Connections includes any in-episode references that relate to events which either already occurred in a previous or future episode.

Information that should NOT be listed under either episode or character/location/item page trivia:
 * Speculation - Trivia that is not a true fact. If it is a fact, the information must be verifiable either in-episode or from use of a proper article reference (excluding fansites, tumblr, gossip columns like PerezHilton and WetPaint). Tweets may be used as references if it is a verified response from an actor or writer of the show. Information that does not have a reference, or has no source to show where it came from will be immediately removed.
 * Major history plot points - Sentences that detail major plot points in an episode is unnecessary. Examples of major plot points would be, "Snow White biting the apple is what happens in the Disney movie" or "Rumplestiltskin makes a deal with Cinderella". However, obscure or not well known information is acceptable to write in as trivia. An obscure or not well known point would be something not everyone would know from watching the episode. For example, "Graham's last name is Humbert" or "The Star Wars theme is the ringtone of the Outsider" could be considered obscure enough to write in as trivia.
 * "Mirroring" references - Sentences that describe how one scene mirrors the other.
 * Disney and Lost references - This wiki already has Disney References and Lost References pages to use for listing references from Disney or Lost, so do not add them under episode or character page trivia. There are some exceptions. A Disney owned franchise, which is not a Disney made franchise, such as Star Wars or Marvel, may be written in as trivia. The wiki is not using Disney princess references, so don't add trivia like "Belle is the third Disney princess to appear" and so on.
 * Familial relations - Adding relatives or blood relations the character has to other people under trivia. The infobox template on each character page already has a section for editing in relatives.
 * DVD Trivia - All trivia that is shown or remarked upon from the Season One's DVD should be put under the "Notable Trivia" section of the Once Upon a Time: Season 1 page. Do not put the trivia under an episode/character/item/location trivia page.

Appearances Edits

 * For the appearances template on a character/item/location page, only add "appearing" if the character/item/location is a physical manifestation. For example: Granny's Diner appearing in the background of an episode scene, or Mary Margaret's ring is seen on her hand. For "mentioned", only add it if the character/item/location is referred to by a character when speaking.
 * Photos, pictures or drawings of a character/item/location absolutely do not count as "appearing" or "mentions", and should not be altered as such on the appearances templates. Instead, a bullet list should be made under the appearances template to show it.
 * A character's name reference should not be added under appearances including when the name appears in the newspaper, cellphone or on a personal possession (such as Mary Margaret's credit card, Emma's blanket, Henry's gravestone, Michael's uniform shirt, David's telephone records, Rumplestiltskin's dagger). In some cases, the name reference can be added if the item is of obscure origin such as the squid ink scroll with Emma's name on it, or the list Tamara had with the townspeople's storybrooke and fairytale counterpart names.
 * The same can be said for name referencing items or locations. Just because an item or location has its name on something does not mean it needs to be listed under appearances. Example: The "Storybrooke" name being on the town welcome sign.
 * Photo/poster/drawing mentions on the bullet list should not be listed IF the character physically made an appearance in the episode itself. When the character is absent from an episode yet a photo/poster/drawing is seen of the character, then the photo mention can be added in. Photographic images in the newspaper are included in this category.
 * Storybook picture mentions are added no matter if the character physically appeared in the episode of not.

Quotes Edits

 * For listing quotes under an episode page, make sure to put it under the "Quotes" heading. There is a maximum limit of only ten quotes per episode. Any quote added in after the tenth quote will be deleted. If you still wish to add a quote for a particular character, please see the List of Monologues.
 * For adding in a quote on character/item/location pages using the quote template, there needs to be a consensus in the comments concerning this. Put the quote in a comment, and ask other users if they find the quote favorable for the page, or if anyone has a better quote that can be suggested.

Fluff Edits

 * Fluff editing will not be tolerated. Fluff editing includes, but is not limited to, changing of the codework in source mode when the change will not alter the actual appearance of the page. Such a change may be tolerable if there is another change in the edit as well. Basically, if your edit does not make a VISIBLE change on the page, it is fluff.

Edit Warring

 * An edit war is the repeated undoing of edits (or readding information) by different editors. This is unproductive and detrimental to the Wikia.
 * If someone undoes an edit of yours, it is not appropriate to undo their edit. Please, start a discussion in the article's comment section or on the forums to reach a consensus. You can make your case for your opinion there and get unbiased opinions on the subject.
 * The Once Upon a Time Wiki defines an "edit war" as occurring when one editor reverts (either via undo, or by adding/removing information manually) an edit three times in a short period (usually 48 hours).
 * Once an edit war is noted as occurring, the article in question will be temporarily locked so a consensus can be reached.
 * Any editors engaged in edit warring will be warned, and possibly blocked, depending on the situation.

Spoiler Policy

 * Spoilers need to come from a reliable source, and should be referenced in articles.
 * It is our policy to lock an episode's page while it is airing. On the day a new episode is aired, the page will be locked from 7 PM Eastern time until 9 PM Eastern time. Comments may also be turned off during this time if spoilers are being leaked.

Reliable Sources

 * Sources that are usually reliable will always link back to the article they got the information from; some tumblr blogs and wikis do this. IMDB is not always correct, and due to any registered user having access to edit information on there, IMDB is not trusted as a true source. Please do not use fan sites of Once Upon a Time as source or reference links.

Speculation Edits

 * We do not create pages for a character, item, or location that does not exist in the Once Upon a Time universe, or has not been confirmed to appear by a reliable source, such as a press release. Such created pages will be deleted and removed from the wiki upon inspection.
 * We do not add information to already existing articles that is unreasonably presumed to be fact, has not appeared on the show, or has not been confirmed by a reliable source. It is the practice of this wiki to consider information learned from promotional material and sneak peeks of upcoming episodes to be speculation, and such information should not be added until the episode itself concludes airing.

Image Policy

 * ALL images must directly relate to the show; this includes episode stills, promotional photos released by ABC, and actor photos. No other types of images should be uploaded to the wiki.
 * The use of official ABC promotion photos are allowed under Fair Use; however, ABC reserves the right to ask us to remove any or all pictures from this wiki.
 * Do not upload images just to place on a user page. This is a waste of server space. Any such images will be deleted. If you would like to use images not appearing on the wiki, you can upload them to a whitelisted site, such as Flickr or Photobucket, and use the direct image url to have them on your userpage.
 * Fanart owners have their own copyright to their work. If the creator of a fanart sees their creation and wishes to remove it, they reserve the right to do so.
 * When uploading images, please use the following naming style: "xyyzzz" where "x" is the season number, (1 or 2), yy is the episode number, and zzz is a short description. An example would be "101Book1.jpg". This identifies that the image is from Season 1, episode 01, ("Pilot") and describes what is in the photo. Users who do not comply with this rule will be notified, and if the user continues to ignore the proper photo naming format, he or she will be blocked from further editing for a maximum of two weeks. If the user is a repeat offender, it is possible he or she will likely be blocked from the wiki indefinitely.
 * The proper naming format for Promotional and Behind the Scenes images is XXXPromo#, XX being the episode number, # being the number (example: 102Promo4.jpg). The same format should be followed for Behind the Scenes images, replacing Promo with BTS.
 * The Once Upon a Time Wiki does not use photos watermarked by other sites; any such images will be immediately deleted. Additionally, please do not take watermarked photos and crop out said watermark; photos doctored this way will be deleted as well.
 * Do not upload images with an ABC or CTV logo.
 * Do not upload images from Tumblrs or Seriable.
 * Do not upload images from Fanpop.
 * Do not upload images that already exist on the wiki - Please check the gallery you intend to put the image in, and see if the photo already is on the page. Duplicate photos added to a gallery will be deleted from the wiki.
 * If you upload an image, place it in all applicable galleries, and place it in its proper chronological place.

Galleries

 * Galleries are to contain images only. This means no GIF images please.
 * When taking screenshots to save as photos and upload onto any gallery, please utilize the entire screen. Do not upload irregular shaped photos that only capture part of the screen as those are not acceptable, and will be subject to deletion.
 * The Galleries pictures should be either pictures of the character or of the episode from the show and not of other profiles of that character. Please, if you are cropping a photo to make it smaller to possibly use as a character's profile template picture, do not sort the photo into a gallery. As stated above, we do not put irregularly shaped photos into galleries.
 * If creating a Gallery page, please make sure to formulate it so that it looks like the other pages, with a Gallery Header and the pictures below.
 * Character galleries should include headers for episodes the character appeared in, in chronological order, and photos should be arranged chronologically in each episode section.
 * Episode galleries should have episode stills, promo photos, deleted scenes and behind the scenes photos in separate sections. The episode stills section should be in chronological order. Do not sort promo photos into any character galleries.

Infobox Images

 * If you would like to change an infobox image on a character's page, we require that you post in the comments section of the page, and get a consensus on what image should be used first. Note that in doing this, the image's photo page link on the wiki itself can be added as a link in the comment, but do not post the actual photo in the comment. This helps prevent edit wars over images. A photo which is cropped out to use as a character's profile photo should not be placed in any gallery.
 * This wiki does not use promotional or behind the scenes photos as infobox template photos. In other words, those type of photos should not be used on character/item/location pages as profile images.
 * An admin may step in and add a temporary image until a consensus can be reached to ensure that articles have infobox photos.

Unacceptable Behaviors

 * Excessive use of caps
 * Excessive cursing
 * Harassment/slander of another user - this includes insults directed at the room, or users
 * Spam/trolling/"invading"
 * Excessive linking to another wiki/outside site
 * Entering chat just to advertise another wikia/chat/site/etc.
 * Entering chat just to complain/protest a ban/block on another wikia

Consequences
Users engaging in the above behaviors will be warned by an Admin or Chat Mod. If the behavior continues, they will be "kicked" from the chat. If the user returns and continues, they will be banned for a period of time. If the behaviors continue after blocking, longer blocks will result.

It is the discretion of the Admins and Chat Mods to extend bans, and to ban without kicking, depending on the severity of the offending behaviors.

Age
To comply with COPPA, all Wikia users must be 13 years old or over. This is enforced on OUaT wiki. If it becomes known in chat (or out) that a user is under 13, they will be blocked.

"Sockpuppeting"
"Sockpuppeting", using another account to circumvent a ban or block, is not permitted on OUaT Wiki. If it becomes known that a user is sockpuppeting, their sockpuppet will be infinitely blocked, and the block/ban the original account will be extended.

Purpose of Comments

 * Comments are to be utilized to discuss changes to the article. For example; changing an infobox image, giving a reference to a spoiler or update that applies to the page, suggesting the addition or removal of a section, etc.
 * Do not use comments to discuss theories or thoughts on the article's subject. Please use the forums for this. Users who write in the comments just to complain about how much they dislike or do not favor the style of starting discussions on the wiki will have their comments deleted without question.

Forum Policies

 * We expect all users utilizing our forums to be respectful of each other. Slander, harassment, and insults will result in lengthy blocks without question, and the offending post will be removed.
 * Be aware that you can flag multiple topics in one thread. There is no need to post things repeatedly, and such actions will result in warnings and blocks.
 * Refrain from using excessive caps. There's no need to shout.
 * Keep the thread on topic as much as possible. Remember, you can always change to another topic and start a discussion there! Threads that go off topic excessively and for a long period of time will be considered spam, and may be closed due to it.

Video Policies

 * Videos must be relevant to the show; such as sneak peaks, promos, deleted scenes, or DVD extras. Any videos not directly relating to the show will be deleted.
 * Do not upload duplicate videos.
 * Do not upload videos just to use them on a user profile. This is a waste of server space.

Renaming Videos

 * For promo or sneak peek videos that are uploaded onto the wiki under the Videos heading for any episode page, please rename the video to the format of the episode name; starting as 2x10--with "2" symbolizing Season Two, and "10" symbolizing the tenth episode of the season. After 2x10, type out the full name of the episode, which for the tenth episode would be "The Cricket Game", and after adding a "-", also include what type of video it is. An example of how the whole title would look is: 2x10 The Cricket Game - Promo 1. If it's a second promo, put it as Promo 2. If it's a sneak peek, it should look like this: 2x10 The Cricket Game - Sneak Peek 1.

User Blog Policies

 * Blogs are meant for announcements and discussions. You are welcome to create blogs for these purposes.
 * Blogs are NOT meant for just posting thoughts or complaints without encouraging discussion. (Example: "I hope we see Aurora again!" or "I miss Graham!") Blogs such as these will be deleted.
 * Blogs are retired after 30 days of inactivity. This means comments are turned off. After 60 days, they will be deleted.