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Wikipedia:Because I can

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An almost sure sign of a problem editor is someone who has "because I can" syndrome. You see this play out like this: Editor A notices something he thinks is a problem. He says "Hey, Editor B, please don't do this." Then editor B quotes some rule and insists that he's allowed to do it. Editor A explains why said behavior is harmful. Editor B merely blows off the objection, and insists he'll continue doing it because he can.

Editor B has a temperament that is fundamentally incompatible with a collaborative project like Wikipedia. Since Wikipedia isn't going to change to match that misguided temperament, the editors suffering from "because I can" need to either change their ways, or refrain from participating here.

If this is you

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If you see that you are suffering from "because I can", there is an easy solution. Simply recognize that while "because I can" is a perfectly good reason to do something on your own website, Wikipedia does not belong to you. Here, the general operating principle is that you should do only what is helpful, rather than anything you can.

See also

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