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These are the guidelines for writing on Future:
- We recommend new users to read this page before making any edits
- To get help on how to edit, visit this page .
- To see a guide for creating futuristic scenarios and articles, visit this page
- To see a simplified version of this page, see Project:Rules
- This page is protected so that only admins can edit this page. Any proposals for new policies or changes to existing ones should be submitted on this page
- Failure to comply with our guidelines may result in a warning or a ban.
Article or scenario?
On this wiki, we have two types of pages: articles and scenarios. Articles should be scientific, detailed, factual and well-backed with links to other websites. Articles can be about everything from biology, to electronics, to engineering and to topics related to society such as politics and economy. All articles should be part of categories that seem to fit their content (for example, if an article is about robots used in war, then it should be part of both the robotics and warfare categories).
Ideally, all pages should be like articles, but different people have different views as to how likely different futures are and different visions about what might happen in the future. That is why we have scenarios. Scenarios are mainly speculative and are less likely than articles. Scenarios don't need links or factual information supporting them, and every contributor can add their vision of the future, but they should try to keep their scenarios realistic and plausible. Scenarios should have "Scenario:" at the beginning of their name (for example: Scenario: Sino-American War) and be part of the .
We do welcome improvements to our many scenarios. Improvements move scenarios away from fiction and give thought-provoking justification for the portrayed futures. A poor scenario will look like nonsense, or like badly written science fiction - though it may have an intriguing idea behind it. A good scenario will make you think about the future in a new way. However, improvements can only be made if the author has categorized their scenario as open for contributions and/or accepts the improvements that are made. (Please note that grammatical corrections are always accepted).
Naming and categorizing
As already mentioned, scenarios should have "Scenario:" at the beginning of their name and should be part of the scenario category, while articles should be part of categories that seem to fit their content. But there is another part of the naming and categorizing of pages that is much more important.
The process of naming a page the right way will be described using the nation of Mexico as an example. A page that is just named "Mexico" causes a lot of confusion, because there is no way to know which timeline that page belongs to. Therefore, if the version of Mexico referred to is the one in the timeline, then the page should be named "Mexico (The Second Renaissance)". Additionally, this page should be part of the Second Renaissance category (be sure to add it to the right category). This, however, does not have to be done with articles.
Be plausible
The article/scenario you are writing must be logical and make sense. If your article/scenario has no logic to it, or it just seems completely ridiculous, then it isn't an acceptable page. Pages must have explanation, so if you can explain in your article why it seems so outlandish, then that is fine. Write about how and why things happen while taking into account how the world would likely react, such as people, nations, militant groups and so on. They should act appropriately and this should initiate a domino effect in your article. You should generally write as detailed as you can about every aspect of your article/scenario, but as mentioned in the above section, don't create pages for the sake of having them. However, as explained in the "deletion policy" section, implausibility is not a good reason for deletion, but contributors should generally aim at creating plausible and likely articles/scenarios.
Provide a lot of pictures and maps to help tell your future history. Pictures always help. If you would like to make a map, you can google "blank map of [insert area of interest here]", save an image you like, and open it up in Paint, Incscape, Photoshop or whatever image editing program you might have.
Alternate future history
This wiki is about the future, while the Althist Wiki is about alternate history, but some users might want their alternate history timeline to reach into the future (see for an example). This is called alternate future history. We try to keep these kinds of scenarios at a minimum, but we have decided to let detailed ones stay and let some users create such scenarios. Users wanting to create alternate history scenarios should ask an admin for permission. If your scenario is allowed to stay here, you should continue working on it and make it more detailed. We encourage users to put alternate future scenarios on the newly started Alternate Future Wiki, and rejected scenarios can go there as well. Alternatively, you can put your alternate history scenarios on Conworld Wiki, where they accept both alternate and future history. See for a list of alternate future history scenarios.
Open and closed pages
Open pages are pages that are open for anyone to edit. On this wiki, we have two categories for these types of pages, one for pages that are and one for pages that are . These pages are open to be overtaken by other users, who can then make it their own and/or make it part of a larger scenario of their own. All pages in this category are, obviously, also open to contributions and should therefore also be in that category, but it is different the other way around. Pages that are open to contributions are open for other users to edit, but this does not necessarily mean that they are also open for adoption. It just means that the author, who created the page, is openly seeking contributors to their work. Pages that are only open to contributions should have the template {{Public}} on the top of the page, which automatically adds them to the Open To Contributions category: Pages that are also open for adoption should instead have {{Template:Adoption}} added to the top of the page, which automatically adds them to both the Open to Contributions category and the Open For Adoption category.
Other pages that are open for anyone to edit include all factual and scientific articles, just like the articles on Wikipedia, but these should not be added to the Open To Contributions or Open For Adoption categories. All other pages on this wiki are closed and may not be edited by anyone except the author(s). However, you may still correct grammar and spelling and revert vandalism. That is, of course, unless the author(s) has said otherwise, but this is rare. Pages that are closed may have the template {{Closed to Contributors}} on the top of the page:.
Especially pages under construction are closed to contributors, unless they also have the {{Public}}. Pages under construction have the template {{Construction}} on the top of the page:
Featured articles
Featured articles are articles with exceptional content that provides an example of how a good written article/scenario on the Future should be. Featured articles have a template on the top of the page: To see a list of currently and previously featured articles go . They are given this status by the users of the wiki through voting, which takes place on this page. Pages nominated for featured articles also have a template.
Deletion policy
From time to time it may be necessary to delete certain articles and scenarios from this wiki. This page describes the process to get articles/scenarios deleted and some of the reasoning/policies that go with it. To see a list of pages currently nominated for deletion go .
How to delete
- Add {{delete|~~~~|reason}} to the top of the page, which automatically adds the page to the .
- Discuss in the comments why it should be deleted.
- If after three days there is consensus to delete, the article will be deleted by an admin. If not, the article is no longer a candidate for deletion.
Good reasons for deletion
- Not future history
- Example: Alternate future history not reaching into the future, derivative works too similar to the original, fantasy, conworlding (except if in space), etc. is not allowed
- Note: Authors will be a given a few days to move the article(s) to another wiki if he/she chooses to
- Incredibly short and has not been worked on for some time
- No meaningful content or history (e.g. random characters).
- Test page (e.g., "Can I really create a page here?").
- Complete copy of an existing page either on this wiki or another
- Spam
- Vandalism
- Author request
- Author can also request a quick delete of his/her work by blanking the page
- Broken/unused redirect
- Unused map game
- Articles/scenarios of permanently banned user, unless someone wants to adopt/continue it
- Reposted content that was already deleted according to policy.
- Articles in a closed timeline not created by the current caretaker
- Talk pages of already deleted articles.
- Empty categories.
- Offensive and unpleasant images
Bad reasons for deletion
- I do not like it.
- It is offensive.
- However, articles/scenarios that are so offensive that it is obscene, or are intentionally offensive without any redeeming qualities, should be considered to be deleted
- It has bad spelling/grammar.
- Instead add it to the improve category
- It is implausible/unrealistic
- Everyone has a different opinion about what is plausible or not. An editor's subjective opinion of a timeline is not a sufficient enough reason to delete it. However, if it involves fantasy, then it should of course be deleted
- It is biased.
- All future history is biased, and people tend to make the countries/politicians they like the most powerful. For example, in the , the United States gains a lot of power, and that is likely because the user who wrote it is an American.
Blocking policy
Users on this wiki can be blocked for:
- Vandalism and spam (e.g. removing content from pages, inserting nonsense or useless information into pages, making edits solely to get achievements, spamming with links to external pages, unacceptable or offensive username, trolling, advertisements, etc.)
- Sockpuppetry
- Excess editing and/or adoption of scenario's without permission of the author(s)
- Using excess vulgar language and/or being offensive, and that applies everywhere
- Defying the administrators of this wiki.
- Breaking the policies/guidelines or misusing the wiki
Spamming is a big deal on wikia, and it is punishable by a temporary or permanent ban from the community. On this wiki, we have a policy on how blocking should take place, but it's relative to the situation and severity of the action, meaning that users may be banned for different amounts of time, unbanned, etc.
- The first time a rule is broken, users will usually be given a warning or a ban lasting for up to 1 week
- The second time a rule is broken, users will usually be given a ban lasting for up to 1 month
- The third time a rule is broken, users will usually be given a ban lasting for up to infinity
If a user is making many edits that violate the guidelines or interrupt the wiki, they may be temporarily blocked while editing to give the admin an opportunity to stop them before they damage the wiki. The block may last nothing more than a few minutes.
Users can report other users and even admins on this page, if they believe a policy has been broken.
See Project:Blocking for more information.
Promotion
Users can nominate themselves or other users for the status of becoming an administrator or bureaucrat. This takes place on this page. However, voting is not enabled, and the administrators of this wiki have the final say. Users can also be promoted to chat moderator, but nomination for this status is not enabled. To see a list of current administrators and bureaucrats, visit this page.
Rollbacker criteria
To qualify as an Rollbacker, the user must demonstrate the ability and willingness to:
- Revise and create new articles
- Have done 250+ edits
- Upload some images
- Follow the guidelines of the wiki
- Catch and revert vandalism by telling an Administrator or Bureaucrat
Administrator criteria
To qualify as an administrator, the user must demonstrate the ability and willingness to:
- Do everything that you have to do as an Rollbacker
- Create a blog
- Have done 500+ edits
- Categorize some pages and categories
- Devote a significant amount of time to the wiki
- Catch and revert vandalism on your own with a Wikia tool
Bureaucrat criteria
To qualify as a bureaucrat, the user must demonstrate the ability and willingness to:
- Do everything that you have to do as an administrator
- Move some pages
- Massively edit pages
- Create and add templates
- Add pages to categories
- Work together with other users and make an effort to talk to them
- Become a driving force in this community, and take the lead in projects
- Continue to contribute as you have before promotion to administrator
- Is not massive bias or known for chronic favouritism.
- Help other less experienced users.
Demotion
Administrators of this wiki can be demoted for:
- Inactivity
- Breaking the guidelines
- Vandalism (e.g. deleting pages for no appropriate reason)
- Unreasonable blocking of users
- Abusing their powers and rights
Users can report admins on this page, if they believe a policy has been broken.