Editing MediaWiki:Captions

[[Image:Captions wearenotwikipedia.png|thumb|400px|A picture is worth 1000 words.]]

Unlike most Wikis, '''{{SITENAME}}''' does not have a complete ban on humor, particularly in image captions where a description saying "a picture of Generation 1 Megatron" on a page about Generation 1 Megatron with "Megatron (G1)" in big bold letters at the top with "Megatron" bolded in the opening paragraph would be just a ''wee'' bit redundant. Instead, we prefer to lighten things up with humorous image captions, because ''Transformers'' is inherently ridiculous, and denying this probably isn't healthy.

{{SITENAME}} is a fun community which welcomes new members' contributions with open arms.  That said... if your idea of "contributing" is to simply change the existing jokes to new, "funnier" jokes... '''don't'''. This holds true for changing them to blanks or boring, patently-obvious descriptors as well.


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==Why?==
There are several reasons we discourage new users from editing image captions.

* Your jokes ''probably'' aren't any funnier.
* Funny image captions are like a ''fun bonus'' you get to do when you make a page or a new section or upload a needed image.  For the people who wrote the text, or found and edited the images, this is their reward for that hard work.  If you're not expanding the article, you really shouldn't be making jokes.
* If you're ''changing'' a joke, you're removing content created by a user who's contributed to this community, and replacing it with something from someone (yourself) who has not.


{{messagebox|header=Simple Rule of Thumb|message_text=If you haven't contributed anything, don't change the image captions.}}

==Removing joke captions==
[[Image:Captions.png|right|frame|Edits which do nothing but change the funny image captions to ''new'' funny image captions, or remove those captions altogether, are reverted to their original state.]]
You will be banned if you repeatedly remove jokes simply for the sake of doing so despite warnings given.  The humor thing has been discussed at length for quite a long time; the policy will not change, and trying to "make a point" will only result in us removing the troublemaker.

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==Keep in mind, however...==
* '''Some jokes are not appropriate.'''

:We ''do'' have guidelines about what level of humor is and is not acceptable:
:* When it comes to profanity, try to stick to "PG-13" words or lower. The four-letter f-word indicating copulation is ''right'' out.
:* Sexual humor should be kept to a minimum, and preferably '''''im'''''plicit rather than '''''ex'''''plicit.
:* We do ''not'' tolerate slurs, stereotyping, or "punching down" humor. Jokes where the target is based on race, gender, sexuality, religion, etc. will get a wipe, and you'll at ''least'' be on thin ice.
{{note|We are aware that some older, untouched-for-years pages/sections may contain jokes along these lines. We have been actively weeding out such instances, but please bear with us if some have slipped by. This is pretty much the one case where blanking a caption is all right.}}

* '''It is okay for an image to have a factual caption, or *gasp* ''no caption at all''.''' 

:Please note that an image without a caption is '''not''' an open invitation for anyone to come along and slap in whatever thought first crosses their mind.  A captionless image is not some grievous error in need of immediate correction.   Minimal-contributing editors who add captions in such instances are rarely doing the wiki a service.

:Also, on occasion, a caption ''needs'' to be informative, not irreverent. Sometimes, a descriptor ''is'' necessary to describe the contents (such as [[Gang-molding|just what pattern you should be recognizing here in regards to the plastic colors]]), and a joke will only obfuscate or confuse the purpose of the image.

:We ''allow'' humor.  We don't ''discourage'' it.  But we certainly don't ''mandate'' it, either.  The purpose of this wiki is to convey information; the jokes are an occasional bonus, not the driving force.

* '''Having no caption is better than having an outright dumb, inane, pointless, badly-written or unfunny one.''' 

:As with pretty much everything else, we demand ''quality''.  While humor is highly subjective, a joke caption should generally have ''some'' kind of thought, reasoning, or intelligence behind it.  

:If you can't even punctuate or capitalize, don't bother.  If you haven't contributed substantive content, don't bother.  If your joke caption isn't funny enough to make ''you'' laugh, don't bother.  If your "joke" is so obscure or internalized that nobody on Earth will ever grasp it except for just you, ''don't bother.''  We have plenty of jokes already.

:Regular contributors who decide not to add humorous captions to images they've uploaded or inserted into articles are encouraged to add more "standard", factually descriptive captions instead if necessary.  We would much rather have that than weak attempts at humor by non-contributing editors.  And while "A picture of Megatron" is inane and redundant, "Megatron's [[Package art|box art]] painting from his 1984 toy", while not ''necessary'' (since such detailed information would be part of the image file's content), is at least informative and intelligent.

==Captions and jokes we're sick of==
Or, ways to earn a quick revert:
* Linking the word "God" to the [[Primus]] article.  "Oh [[Primus|God]], not again!"  Overdone?  Yes.  Funny?  No.
* Linking the word "crazy" to the [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] article.  Do it and we'll give you something to scream about!
* Anything involving "Soundwave superior".  Previous caption superior!  Your caption inferior.
* Gratuitous word-linking to "[[To sell toys]]" and "[[Ruined FOREVER]]".
* "[[Dull surprise]]!"  Yeah, we get it.  Thanks. It'll take new depths of awfulness to actually merit using this.
* Changing every single Omega Supreme caption to match his speech quirk.  Joke: overdone.  Humor: deceased.
* Jokes about how someone with a large weapon or whatever else is "compensating" for something. 
* Remarks about how someone or something is "not" someone or something else that they might vaguely resemble, or "not" "[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]" whatever.
* "I'm here to kick ass and chew energon/bubblegum/anything else!"
* ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]]''. Yes, we know. We all know. It's over with. Let it go, Indiana.
* Any and all variations of "dude looks like a lady". We get it's a pop music reference, but see above concerning "inappropriate" jokes.
* ''Futurama'' "clamps" references. The core of that whole shtick is how ''uninspired and obvious it is''.
* The many things [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]] hates. Which coincidentally includes all of the above.

===Jokes we're not sick of===
* Since the jokes in the previous section are surplus to requirements, you must wonder what chance [[Furmanism]]s have. The answer: a very good one. 
* Me [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s speech pattern filled with comedy potential!
* We [[MSTF|love]] ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' references, [[Dull surprise|dull surprise]] notwithstanding (see above).
* KNOW that [[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razorclaw]]'s running gag never gets old!

{{see|Transformers Wiki:Policies#De-snarking}}