Introduction[]
Hey reader!
Now and again, wikis do face toxicity and drama within their communities, which can often lead to drama happening. As someone who had been a victim of a toxicity and an attack by users for an opinion I had, and also, as someone who started off as toxic when first joining Fandom at a younger age, I am going to give four tips on dealing with toxicity on wikis.
What is toxicity?[]
Toxicity is defined as harmful communication on a community, whether it is harassment of a user, trolling in discussions, or creation of negative posts. It can usually lead to drama on communities.
Do not engage into it[]
The first tip, is simply, do not engage in the toxicity. When I first joined Fandom at a younger age, I used to engage in toxicity, and ended up getting into a few arguments with other users. However, as I became more mature and older, I realized that joining in the toxicity is wrong. Engaging into drama situations can just incite more drama and toxicity to happen in the community. Following a toxic user's footstep and acting similarity to them will just create more toxicity in the community and possibly cause blocks.
Do not retaliate[]
The second tip, is to not retaliate. It can be uncomfortable when a toxic attack is led on a user, but retaliating in a situation like that will just make the toxicity worse. The best thing to do is to report to a local admin where they can take action. If the toxicity is severe, and has led to harassment of users, then reporting to Fandom Support may be essential. However, users can just ignore the toxicity and just focus on what they like to do themselves.
Work things out[]
The third tip, is to evaluate the situation, talk it out, and make a compromise. Users may act toxic because they don't agree with a change or a rule on a wiki. Admins can talk to the user about their toxicity and their demands in which they can see what users prefer for the wiki, in which a compromise could be used, so that both parties are satisfied. As an admin on a large wiki. I have dealt with users complaining about certain rules, in which me and the other admins have came to a compromise.
Take a break when needed[]
The fourth tip, is to take a break when needed. Sometimes users do end up quitting the wiki and the platform in general, because of growing toxicity on wikis. However, that does make things worse sometimes. While it is their decision, my best suggestion is to ignore the toxicity, and take a break if needed.
Conclusion[]
Overall, while dealing with toxicity and drama on a wiki may be unsettling. It is best to not follow it, after all, wikis on the platform strive to avoid drama happening within the communities. Don't let toxicity bring you down and don't let it take away doing the stuff you like!