Wookieepedia:What Wookieepedia is not

This page, much like What Wikipedia is not and  What Wikia is not, attempts to define what is and is not proper use of this wiki. Hopefully, this will serve to help new users understand what we are trying to do here.

Wookieepedia is not Wikipedia
On Wikipedia, it is common for small, trivial articles like Bimkall Sector or Myomaran to be deleted as trivial fancruft. Here, such articles are allowed. Any article that discusses a canonical character, place, or item in the Star Wars galaxy has a place here.

Also, some of our rules, policies and article standards differ greatly from those of Wikipedia; please see Category:Policies on Wookieepedia, Layout Guide and Manual of Style for more details.

Wookieepedia is not the official site
This means two things. First off, the information here is not official or definitive. Articles may be incomplete, inaccurate, or not up to date with the current state of the Star Wars canon. This means that the casual browser should not accept our articles as the final word. Though we will strive, as much as possible, to be the most accurate and complete online source for Star Wars information, we will not be as authoritative as the original sources.

Secondly, almost all webpages on this site refer to properties and stories which are the property of Lucasfilm and its licensees. We try to stay on the side of "fair use." Copying entire blocks of text from any StarWars.com website, Lucasfilm-licensed publication, or other copyrighted source is not allowed on this wiki.

Wookieepedia is not any of the Internet's other unofficial sites
Just as we cannot copy blocks of text directly from the Databank or an RPG sourcebook, we cannot copy text from another fansite such as The Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia.

Wookieepedia is not the place for fanfiction or roleplaying
The In-Universe part of the wiki is for canon information only. Any articles identified as fanon will be deleted. This includes both characters from fan fiction and player characters from roleplaying games (whether these are characters from in-person campaigns or from online roleplaying such as message boards, MUSHes, or Star Wars: Galaxies).

The exceptions are those fan fictions that have made an impact on the fanbase or canon itself. Examples include the well-known fanfilm TROOPS, the unofficial Book of Imperial Shuttle Plans: Cygnus Spaceworks which has been mistaken for canon and appears to be the first mention of the canonical Cygnus Spaceworks, and the persistent fraud SuperShadow. Such articles are limited to a discussion of the fan fiction in question&mdash;separate articles on characters, locations, or other individual elements found only in fan fiction are not desired.

In addition, roleplaying numbers and stats for canonical elements will be reverted and/or deleted (since quoting official statistics counts as copyright violation, while unofficial statistics are completely non-canonical.)

Wookieepedia is not an all-inclusive trivia site
Behind the scenes sections in articles should contain useful, pertinent information. The number of factoids and pieces of trivia related to Star Wars are boundless, but not necessarily encyclopedic or helpful. Be mindful of what information you add to these sections.

Wookieepedia is not a free host or webpage provider
While registered users can create their own user page, this page is not a place for unlimited free storage of files. In other words, your user page should only contain information relevant to your work this wiki. If you wish to put up a weblog, post your fanfiction, or advertise your business, neither your user page nor any other Wookieepedia or Wikia page is the proper place to do so.

(On the other hand, users have historically included a few vanity images for their user page. The policy on this is still evolving.  If you wish to decorate your user page, include only one or two small images.)

Wookieepedia is not a battleground
There are many controversies in Star Wars fandom. Some of these controversial questions have either been answered by Lucasfilm (in the Holocron Continuity Database or otherwise), or have been left unanswered. This is not the place for arguing with other fans about which retcons were unneeded, what canonical Expanded Universe works should be completely ignored, or how much you hated Jar Jar Binks.

In addition, when discussing articles with other users, it is important to be civil and respectful.

Wookieepedia is not a general-purpose message board
Article talk pages, user talk pages, and the Community Portal talk page will attract discussion and conversation: that's what they're there for. However, these discussions should stay focused on issues relevant to Wookieepedia, such as "When was this character born?", "Where did this image come from?", and the like. General Star Wars questions such as "Who was the most powerful Dark Lord of the Sith?" or "Which movie did you like better, Empire or Jedi?" are best left for a forum such as the Jedi Council Forums or the Official site message boards.

Your user page is not your primary contribution to this wiki
Your user page and any associated sub pages are meant to give some information about yourself, and to help organize your contributions to Wookieepedia. For example, you may wish to include a list of the Star Wars reference books you own, list some articles you worked on that you're proud of, or mention the articles and projects you intend to work on. You might also want to give personal information like your user name on Star Wars message boards, your favorite characters, what languages you speak, or a link to your personal page on another site. See User page for more information on proper use of user pages.

Your user page should not be thought of as a personal homepage (as mentioned above, Wookieepedia is not a free host or webpage provider.) In particular, writing a long imaginary biography of your persona in the Star Wars galaxy, or putting up a "collection" of dozens of userboxes or images, is not particularly helpful to Wookieepedia. Your user page should help you contribute to writing and editing articles for this project&mdash;it is not a substitute for improving the articles on this wiki.