GuildWiki:Builds wipe

On May 1, 2007, all articles in the GuildWiki build namespace will be deleted. This includes every build on the GuildWiki. Related categories (like Category:Unfavored builds), policy articles (like Builds), and editing guides (like Writing good builds) will also be removed.

Details
On April 2, 2007, a notice (via Template:builds wipe) will be added to Main Page, Build:Main Page, Builds, and Community Portal linking back to this article and summarizing this decision. Editors are free to include this template at the top of any article to be deleted by this decision, to help spread awareness of this policy change.

If you find a build you'd like to keep handy after the builds wipe, you can copy it into your userspace. If you do this, it's suggested that you add

to the top of the build article, so that other users can simply link to your archived copy without making one themselves. However, this step is not necessary, and multiple users are welcome to copy the same build into their respective userspaces if they wish.

Coordinated efforts to archive builds, like this one, are certainly allowed.

On May 1, 2007, as stated above, all builds and build-related articles will be deleted. Builds will be rewritten from scratch to state our new build policy, which, simply stated, is "don't post any." However, like all GuildWiki policies, this new builds policy can be modified, replaced, or scrapped by our editors per the guidelines in Policy. Thus, it is the hope of the administration that the GuildWiki users can pull together and have a fresh new builds policy worked out as soon as possible after the wipe to replace the interim post-no-builds policy.

Reasoning
Like most of the GuildWiki, the builds section originated organically with little thought to maintainability, scope, or value. A few editors posted builds they found useful and it snowballed into the huge section we have today. Builds policy, like most GuildWiki policies, originated after the builds section came to exist. Unfortunately, our early policies, which worked well for a site with a couple thousand editors, doesn't expand particularly well to a site with several tens of thousands. Over the last year, the builds section, with its dysfunctional policies and procedures, has grown into a monstrosity.

In October of 2006, the GuildWiki administrative team first began considering a complete removal of the builds section. It was decided we'd try anything we could to fix the section and make it sustainable before such drastic steps were taken. The build policies and procedures were codified and clarified and additional administrative attention (for a short while) was given to build disputes. Certain editors were even offered sysop positions, in hopes they would act as impartial build section editors-in-chief, controlling what content was allowed and disallowed. None of these attempts were successful, and in March of 2007, the decision was finally made to wipe the section clean.

Why not allow editors to propose new builds policy, per the terms in Policy, instead of a wipe?
The administrative team has fervently hoped that a policy suggestion amenable to all would emerge. Indeed, people have been discussing alternate build policies since at least September 2006. However, no policy suggestion has been made that garners even majority support, let alone anything approaching consensus.

Why not simply fully protect the builds section and disallow new builds to be posted?
There are two reasons.


 * 1) We feel that, in general, the builds section isn't useful in its current form. There are many other better build resources on the Internet.
 * 2) Allowing the current, broken builds section to remain prevents a new build policy from being created from scratch. We feel that the status quo would infect any new idea. Starting fresh allows build policy suggestions that are unrelated to the current section to be created.

The interim policy to be instated on May 1
No build articles may be posted to the GuildWiki in the main article namespace. By "build articles," we mean anything that primarily consists of skill bars and numeric information. This does not preclude posting guides about developing your own builds or guides that describe different playstyles. In fact, such guides are strongly encouraged!

No articles may exist in the build namespace. This namespace exists for historical reasons -- we once had a builds library, but it was removed on May 1, 2007 because it caused more trouble than it cured. No red links may exist to the build namespace. if you feel a profession guide could be an appropriate reference were one written, feel free to red link to that. No redirects may exist to the build namespace.

Any article disallowed by these guidelines will be speedily deleted by an administrator, regardless of its edit history. Some administrators may be willing to retrieve a previously-deleted article for your personal use, but that's up to the individual admin.

Note that this policy does not affect user space! Anyone can post any builds they like in user space, providing they don't violate any user space policy.

Like all policies, this policy can be modified or replaced via the guidelines at Policy.