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Requests for comment/Wording of "Autobiography" template in Russian Wikipedia

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The following request for comments is closed. This is a purely local issue which has no business being on Meta. * Pppery * it has begun 18:49, 12 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Summary

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This request for comment concerns the wording of the "Autobiography" template in the Russian Wikipedia. The request is not about any particular article but about the general formulation of this template, which I believe is unnecessarily harsh and can harm human dignity. I suggest that the template be reworded in a more neutral and tactful manner, similar to the Ukrainian Wikipedia version.

Details

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Dear Wikimedia Foundation representatives,

I am writing to you as the author and editor of several Wikipedia articles in the German, Russian, Ukrainian, and other language editions.

In the Russian Wikipedia, there is a template labelled “Autobiography” whose wording, in my view, is tactless and overly harsh. It contains assumptions such as: "It is possible that it is to a significant extent being edited by the subject of the article or by an organisation or other interested parties related to them." Such wording creates a prejudiced impression for the reader, as if the author of the text is violating the rules or has hidden motives.

In other language editions (for example, in Ukrainian Wikipedia), the equivalent template is phrased much more delicately. It neutrally describes the situation and invites the reader to check the talk page for potential suggested changes.

I believe that the current practice in Russian Wikipedia:

  1. Generates distrust towards conscientious authors and editors.
  2. Can harm human dignity, especially if the article is in fact written in a neutral style and based on verifiable sources.
  3. Undermines the motivation for voluntary and high-quality contributions to the encyclopedia.

I kindly request that you consider:

  • Recommending to the Russian Wikipedia community that they review the wording of this template towards greater neutrality and tact, following the example of other language versions.
  • Promoting the use of wording that does not contain unproven assumptions about the motives of authors, but instead focuses on the substance of the issue and possible solutions.

I am ready to provide concrete examples, including a direct comparison between the Russian and Ukrainian template wordings.

Sincerely, Andreas Buller 10 August 2025 --Buller Andreas (talk) 04:38, 11 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

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--Buller Andreas (talk) 04:38, 11 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Discussion

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This topic needs to be closed quickly. The wording in Russian Wikipedia is being discussed (suddenly) in Russian Wikipedia. The person didn't like that a corresponding template was hung on his autobiography, and he started a stormy activity. Этот топик надо быстро закрывать. Формулировки в русской Википедии обсуждаются (внезапно) в русской Википедии. Человеку не понравилось, что на его автобиографию повесили соответствующий шаблон, и он развёл бурную деятельность. Lesless (talk) 05:24, 11 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

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