History Administrivia / WhatGoesWhereOnTheWiki

** Part of a group of specific items that go ''in their own namespaces/subpages'', which link back to the main article via the buttons in the "Moments" section. These include: SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome ("Medal" icon), SugarWiki/FunnyMoments ("Smiley" icon), SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments ("Heart" icon), TearJerker ("Tear" icon), DarthWiki/DethroningMomentOfSuck, NightmareFuel ("Skull" icon), FridgeLogic, FridgeBrilliance and FridgeHorror ("Lightbulb" icon).

These are not an excuse to become Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} and document everything that exists. A Useful Notes page is only necessary for people, places, things, and topics that get referenced in fiction a lot. They should contrast how fiction depicts the subject with reality, and/or provide advice on writing accurately about the subject.

Here at Wiki/TVTropes we have plenty of different kinds of content. We point out patterns in a work, discuss patterns that may or may not be in that work, share our reactions to fictional happenings and take wild guesses at what happens next - among other things, most of which are [[Administrivia/NotATrope not considered tropes]]. It became clear early on that letting all this content mix together was not the best idea.

* Are {{pothole}d ''anywhere''.

* Are {{Pot Hole}}d ''anywhere''.

* Have the ''YMMV banner'' at the top..

* Are not listed or {{Pot Hole}}d in ''main pages'' or ''character sheets'', unless they fall under one of the "Exceptions" below. Many have objective counterparts/relatives which can be used instead.
* Are listed and {{Pot Hole}}d in ''YMMV subpages'', except those which are:

* Have the ''"scales" identifying icon'' or one of the specific icons listed above.
* On work and creator pages or character sheets they get marked with ''a red weighing scale point'', to help people locate and remove them.

* Are {{pot hole}}d anywhere, as long as you don't use this as a ploy to shoehorn Trivia examples where they don't belong; may be listed and {{Pot Hole}}d in ''Trivia subpages''.
* Have the ''"interrobang" identifying icon'' (looks like a fused exclamation point and question mark).
* On work pages or character sheets they get marked with ''a gray interrobang'', to help people locate and remove them.

* Are {{Pot Hole}}d anywhere within the confines of good taste.

** Part of a group of specific items that go ''in their own namespaces/subpages'', which link back to the main article via the buttons in the "Moments" section. These include: SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome ("Medal" icon), SugarWiki/FunnyMoments ("Smiley" icon), SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments ("Heart" icon), TearJerker ("Tear" icon), DarthWiki/DethroningMomentOfSuck, NightmareFuel ("Moonface" icon), FridgeLogic, FridgeBrilliance and FridgeHorror ("Lightbulb" icon).

** Used on a [[Administrivia/CreatorPageGuidelines creator page]]. Creator pages are not allowed to have YMMV items, and YMMV items found on creator pages should simply be deleted rather than moved. Tropes and audience reactions should be kept off {{Useful Note}}s pages as well, since they do not even have the exceptions for creators.

In theory, [[YMMV.HomePage Your Mileage May Vary]] on nearly all tropes. Who says that a HappyEnding is happy, for example? In practice, what we mean by a ''significant'' judgment call is exactly the duck test outlined above- an item falls under YMMV if people often disagree about it. Either we can figure this out from the definition, or a huge Administrivia/{{natter}} infestation wherever the item is mentioned clues us in. Either way, it gets stamped with the "subjective" stamp and relegated to YMMV subpages, where the varying of mileage and resulting Administrivia/{{natter}} will not get in the way of the objective tropes.

These are not an excuse to become Wikipedia and document everything that exists. A Useful Notes page is only necessary for people, places, things, and topics that get referenced in fiction a lot. They should contrast how fiction depicts the subject with reality, and/or provide advice on writing accurately about the subject.

YMMV stands for "Your Mileage May Vary". There have been plenty of attempts to pin down what this class objectively ''is'', but the definition in practice--and the reason the "YMMV" distinction exists in the first place--is simple: it's a YMMV item if it is based on opinion, and cannot be proven true or false. YMMV basically breaks down into 2 subcategories, which are

** Used or referred to InUniverse--for example, if characters have the reaction to a ShowWithinAShow, or if a potential fan reaction is {{discussed}} or {{lampshaded}}. In-Universe examples should go on the ''main namespace'' or ''character sheet'' as appropriate, and should be sure to specify that they are being used In-Universe.

* Are not listed in ''main pages'', ''character sheets'' or ''YMMV subpages''--except when used or referred to InUniverse (for example, with ConversationalTroping, or in reference to a ShowWithinAShow), in which case they go on the ''main page''.

!{{Website}}s
Websites (including wikis) fall into an unusual category between works and creators. Rarely is a site itself credited in a creative work. Instead, its users may (collaboratively or individually) publish creative content on the site, using it as a platform. Some guidelines:

* A website is not a creator unless it receives an authorship credit ''as itself''.
* A website is not a creative work, although content published on it may be. [[note]](Leaving aside discussions about whether the design of a website can itself be considered tropable.)[[/note]]
* A website may be a publication or distribution platform, but it should not have an index of works unless it is in some way involved in the production of the content as well as its distribution. (Netflix makes original shows and publishes shows from other creators. Only its original shows would be listed on its article.)
* The users and administrators of a website are real people and troping them is prohibited. Yes, even if they adopt personas.

If these guidelines result in no tropable content, then we should not have an article for the website.

----

!{{Roleplay}}s
Roleplays ([=RPs=]) are a special category of creative work in which real people are actively participating in the creation of an ongoing story, typically for an audience or for publication. Roleplays are treated like normal work articles, with the following caveats:

* A roleplay must be accessible to the public in order to have a work article. This means either that ...
** Anyone can read or watch the RP without a private server invitation, a login, or a paywall [[note]](unless the RP is a commercial product broadcast for profit)[[/note]].
** Private RP content is published for general consumption, in whole or in part, at some point in time.
* ''Only public content'' may be troped.
* ''The players and/or game masters are real people'' and may not be troped. Not even a little. Not even that funny thing Sue did that one time.
* All participants in the RP are considered creators and must follow the [[Administrivia/TheFicMayBeYoursButTheTropePageIsOurs rules for creators]] when editing the article.

In case it's not clear from these rules, TV Tropes is not your record-keeping site. Don't try it.

----

** Anyone can read or watch the RP without a private server invitation, a login, or a paywall.

!{{Trope}}s
These are recurring patterns, elements, techniques, and progressions that the creator unquestionably put into the work to add information of some nature or to elicit a particular response or reaction from the audience. In the case of video games and other interactive media, gameplay elements fall in this category as well.

* Are found on the ''main namespace''.

* Have ''open-to-editing example lists'' unless otherwise noted.
* Are listed on either a work’s ''main page'', or its ''{{character sheet|s}}'' if it has one. If there are enough examples for a given objective trope, it might have its own subpage.
* Are {{Pot Hole}}d ''anywhere''.
* Have no identifying icon.

* Live mostly in the ''JustForFun namespace'', although some may be found in ''Main'', ''SugarWiki/SugarWiki'', ''DarthWiki/DarthWiki'', ''NeutralWiki/NeutralWiki'', or their own dedicated namespaces such as ''SelfDemonstrating''.

* Live mostly in the ''JustForFun namespace'', although some may be found in ''Main'', ''SugarWiki/SugarWiki'', ''DarthWiki/DarthWiki'', or their own dedicated namespaces such as ''SelfDemonstrating''.

* May or may not not permit ''on-page example lists''.

!{{Administrivia}}[=/=]WikiTropes
Stuff related to the wiki or the Internet in general, this page included. The "tropes" part is only in the meta sense, if you consider Wiki/TVTropes a work of fiction.

* Are usually found on the ''main namespace'' or ''administrivia namespace''.

* Are listed and {{Pothole}}d anywhere, though the situation rarely calls for it.

* Spread about evenly among the ''Main namespace'', ''SugarWiki/SugarWiki'', ''DarthWiki/DarthWiki'' and ''JustForFun namespace''.
* Have the ''Just For Fun banner'' at the top (not used much currently, implementation pending).

These have the Flame Bait banner; many of the ones on DarthWiki/DarthWiki have had their redirects from the Main wiki made members of the Administrivia/PermanentRedLinkClub. The reason for this is they are used to complain, attract massive amounts of Administrivia/{{natter}} and don't actually contribute anything to the wiki's mission. Do not list or pothole these ''anywhere'', and no examples outside their main page (if the page accepts examples - some of them [[Administrivia/ExampleSectionectomy we don't want any examples of, please]]). The only exception to this is within trope descriptions (above the examples line).

!Special rules for {{Creator|s}} articles

Special note: when a real or fictional person covered by a UsefulNotes article appears in a work, the tropes are HistoricalDomainCharacter and PublicDomainCharacter, with the article linked in the example text.

!{{Administrivia}}[=/=]WikiTropes
Stuff related to the wiki or the Internet in general, this page included. The "tropes" part is only in the meta sense, if you consider Wiki/TVTropes a work of fiction.

* Are usually found on the ''main namespace'' or ''administrivia namespace''.

* Usually have ''no in-article example lists''.
* Are listed and {{Pothole}}d anywhere, though the situation rarely calls for it.

!JustForFun
Pages that basically play by their own rules. We keep them around, because... well [[RuleOfFun they're fun]].

* Spread about evenly among the ''Main namespace'', ''SugarWiki/SugarWiki'', ''DarthWiki/DarthWiki'' and ''JustForFun namespace''.
* Have the ''Just For Fun banner'' at the top (not used much currently, implementation pending).
* Sometimes have ''open-to-editing example lists''.
* Are {{Pot Hole}}d anywhere within the confines of good taste.

* Have open-to-editing example lists, though if these turn into wretched hives of ThreadMode, they will likely be subjected to an Administrivia/ExampleSectionectomy.

** Part of a group of specific items that go ''in their own namespaces/subpages'', which link back to the main article via the buttons in the "Moments" section. These include: MomentOfAwesome ("Medal" icon), FunnyMoments ("Smiley" icon), HeartwarmingMoments ("Heart" icon), TearJerker ("Tear" icon), DarthWiki/DethroningMomentOfSuck, NightmareFuel ("Moonface" icon), FridgeLogic, FridgeBrilliance and FridgeHorror ("Lightbulb" icon).

** Used on a [[Administrivia/CreatorPageGuidelines creator page]]. Creator pages are not allowed to have YMMV items, and YMMV items found on creator pages should simply be deleted rather than moved.