View source for Metapedianism

{{TNT|Philosophy}}
{{Metapedianism/lang}}
{{hatnote|Not to be confused with [[:w:Metapedia|Metapedia]].}}

'''Metapedianism''' is the philosophy of focusing on the internal workings of Wikimedia projects, including guidelines and policies, and the social side of the Wikimedia movement, rather than editing articles and related content. Users who tend towards this philosophy are called ''metapedians'' or ''meta-Wikimedians'' and fall on the opposite end of the spectrum from ''[[Exopedianism|exopedians]]''. ''[[Mesopedianism|Mesopedians]]'' lie somewhere between the two.  

Metapedians often know how rules and processes are created, why the existing ones work the way they do, and what you'd need to do to get one changed.  They are often admins, and most people who are admins on multiple projects are metapedians.  Experienced editors often find it handy to keep in touch with a couple of metapedians, because when you run into a complicated situation, your metapedian friends can help you sort it out and save you the trouble of reading dozens of screenfuls of guidelines and procedures – or tell you to give up early, if they think your goal is hopeless.  

Metapedians are often seen as the "[[w:Social gadfly|social gadflies]]" of Wikimedia projects, doing honourable work and civic duties: giving out [[w:WP:BS|Barnstars]], having general conversations on [[w:WP:TP|Talk Pages]], taking part in deletion discussions and contributing largely in Wiki-Associations and places where discussion may be required, such as [[w:WP:AFD|Articles for Deletion]], [[w:WP:RFA|Requests for Adminship]], [[w:WP:RFC|Requests for Comment]], [[w:WP:HD|Help desk]], [[w:WP:RD|Reference desk]], mediation noticeboards, and other such places on Wikimedia projects that relate to the Wikimedia movement itself. 

Metapedians do not necessarily edit at the [[M:|Meta]] project, although many of them congregate there. 

In theory, all groups, associations, collaborations, and "cabals" are, by their nature, metapedian, although there is a metapedian-specific group called the [[Association of Metapedianist Wikipedians]].

[[Category:Patterns]]