GuildWiki:Article retention

GuildWiki is not an encyclopedia, but we're also not a complete database for Guild Wars. This policy article attempts to clarify what content the GuildWiki is interested in retaining.

Information we always retain
Our goal is to become a complete set of documentation for Guild Wars. Along those lines, we retain all content that documents or describes current mechanics, terminology, game play, skills, equipment, strategy, and canon. Most of these pages are linked directly off the Main Page&mdash;they are, after all, the reason we are so popular as a fansite.

The key word in the above paragraph was "current." We deal with outdated information and one-time events (hereafter collectively referred to "historical information") differently.

As a curtesy towards users, articles in the user namespace are always retained unless they are a severe policy violation (e.g. heavy insults, advertisment of scams).

Historical information
We handle historical information articles depending on when they are created and the nature of the content.

One-time events
ArenaNet regularily hosts time-limited events in-game, like Wintersday 2005. GuildWikians usually document these events as they happen. Once the event is over and fully documented, we add the template to the top of the article, which indicates that the event is over.

We discourage further edits to the content or meaning of historical events. We feel that most edits are totally unverifiable after the event has occurred. Without strong support (screenshots, developer chats, etc.) for a post-event edit, you can expect that it will be reverted. In any case, no edit to historical events (beyond maintenence and mechanics) should occur without justifying it in talk first.

Articles that become historical due to an update
Sometimes, an article will become outdated or entirely useless because an update removes a certain concept from the game entirely, like refund points. In these cases, we add the template to the top of the page, indicating that whatever the article discusses is no longer relevant. We add a short editorial summary to the top of the article of why the topic is no longer relevant, and then retain the legacy article below for those interested in Guild Wars history.

Articles that are created later to document older content
We immediately delete articles that attempt to document history. There is no way for us to verify the information so long after events occur.

Guild information
The GuildWiki retains no pages dedicated to any specific guild. We feel the potential for abuse is too high, especially when compared to the minimal potential gain.

Builds
The GuildWiki only retains builds that are vetted by the community, according to the process described in Builds.

Prices
The GuildWiki retains no information on prices in the Guild Wars economy, as we feel the potential for abuse is too high.

External websites and applications
The GuildWiki retains information on any tools that players use in-game (such as voice chat). We do not retain any information on external websites (such as fansites and forums). We also remove any references to sites that provide the means to violate, or advocate the violation of, the Guild Wars Terms of Service, such as sites that sell gold, provide farming bots, or facilitate account trading.

If an article contains content that warrants mentioning an external site, then it is best to link directly to the site. To do this, use single brackets, place the link, then a space, then the link description. For example:  this is a useful wiki on Guild Wars  would appear as: this is a useful wiki on Guild Wars