Wikipedia:Offensive speech

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.

This page in a nutshell: Offensive speech is a consequence of our broad user base Offensive speech harms the encyclopedia Offensive speech is unnecessary A number of things point to a statement that may offend other users

Users and readers of Wikipedia are a broad group that regularly participate in discussions about the content of Wikipedia and how it's created. Participants naturally care a great deal about the verifiability and accuracy of content, and so discourse is at times heated and abrasive. Sometimes, users or readers may say something which other users may find offensive.

This essay tries to define what is "offensive", something that has been the repeated focus of discussion. This is an essay and only reflects the views of this user. It does not aim to provide a 'bright line' that defines offensiveness, but rather help clarify that some statements are offensive, and provide some indication as to how they may be identified. This is not a policy or guideline, what is written here has no binding power, and users are free to agree or disagree as they please.