Wikivoyage:User page help

Wikivoyagers that create their own user accounts get assigned their own user page, user talk page, and optionally user subpages. These pages provide:


 * A brief introduction about the Wikivoyager.
 * A communications medium for collaborating with other Wikivoyagers.
 * A personal sandbox for each Wikivoyager to work on projects or ideas outside the "main" travel guide.

Brief introduction
Wikivoyagers typically include one or two paragraphs about themselves personally and their areas of interest in Wikivoyage. A portrait photograph or other picture may be appropriate but isn't necessary. Some Wikivoyagers also keep a list of articles they've worked on (a brag rag) on their User page.

Remember that Wikivoyage is not a personal home page service or a vacation photo service. Overloaded User pages are considered a form of abuse. In addition, while it is OK to associate yourself with your company if you work for or run a business, user pages should not be used for advertising.

On the User page, a User contributions link to the additions and improvements a user has contributed to Wikivoyage appears in the toolbox in the left sidebar. The User contributions page looks pretty much like a Page history page, with the same fields (except user name).

Using a personal sandbox

 * Note: This is not your personal sandbox!

Wikivoyagers should use their User page for developing new ideas about Wikivoyage, or for putting together a "toolbox" of frequently-needed text and Wiki markup. It can be helpful to create subpages (example: "User:MyName/Sandbox") for tools, brag rags, new article brainstorming, and to-do lists.

It is technically possible for anyone to change a user pages or subpages. It's generally considered bad form to do so, though, unless invited by the user. The exceptions are when articles or text that a user has created are deleted from the main namespace, they may be moved to a subpage of the user who contributed to them or when a Commons filemover has to edit someone's userpage to update a filename as part of the Commons filemoving process. Also, when a user has been inactive for some time, and travel content is significantly out of date, a disclaimer might be placed at the top of the page to allow people searching for content to understand that the page is in user space.

It's important to remember that while User pages and subpages don't need to follow the style guidelines for Wikivoyage articles – after all, these are for personal organization and use – all content must be under our copyleft.

Communications medium
If another Wikivoyager posts new text on your User talk page, you will see a marker at the top of the page next to "talk".

User talk pages also have a Email this user link in the toolbox on the left menu, for users who have activated the function. Because many users do not want to answer mail from unknown senders, however, it's often more useful and preferred to just post a comment on the user's personal talk page.

Inappropriate uses
While Wikivoyage provides users considerable freedom to post what they want on their user pages, these should be limited to either Wikivoyage-related content or personal information that a user decides to share. Wikivoyage is not a soapbox. Such comments will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis through consensus established by the community.

Examples of acceptable material

 * places visited
 * autobiographies
 * user sandbox
 * travel articles not allowed in mainspace
 * list of articles created by the user

Examples of unacceptable material

 * copyright violations
 * potentially harmful/damaging content unrelated to Wikivoyage
 * advertising/spam
 * threats
 * personal attacks on other contributors
 * any other material that is likely to give widespread offence, as determined by the Wikivoyage community