Adminship Experiments Wiki:Assume good faith

Let's say you're faced with a problem. You are an administrator (or bureaucrat) of a wiki (any wiki) and another user points out a problematic user. What should you do? Assume good faith; perhaps the problematic user did not mean to stir up a problem, he or she just made a mistake.

Assume good faith

 * 1) Remember, no vandalism is apparent.
 * 2) Maybe, this user means no harm and he or she just made a mistake.
 * 3) This user is new to Wikia and he or she does not know what to do.
 * 4) This user just wants to experiment with editing (in that case, he or she should go to the wiki's sandbox)

Benefits to your wiki community
By assuming good faith, you could be doing a world of good to your wiki community. When you assume good faith, your wiki's newer users will feel more welcomed. In addition, good karma and civility will be promoted in your community as you assume good faith. Finally, new users don't want a negative experience, so give them that positive experience by assuming good faith.

Assuming good faith may not be the easiest thing to do, as you may strongly believe that even though that new user made a mistake, he should be blocked. Help yourself out by promoting a questions-first, shoot-later approach in your wiki. Fewer problems will occur, meaning that more happiness will come from your community.