Wikipedia:Don't shoot yourself in the foot

This is an essay.

It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints.

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This page in a nutshell: Consider your own behavior before bringing attention to the behavior of others.

Petards were early gunpowder bombs. A careless engineer might find himself "hoist with his own petard".

On Wikipedia, it is possible, indeed common, to find people shooting themselves in the foot or being hit by a boomerang after complaining about someone else.