FamilySearch Wiki:Guiding Principles: Difference between revisions

As a tool designed to guide users to the best sources of genealogical information, the wiki has some sensitivity around the topic of [[FamilySearch Wiki:Linking|linking]] to commercial Websites. Like any librarian, wiki contributors writing an article on Ohio death records will recommend a variety of good sources for these records, including free sources (like FamilySearch Historical Records Collections, RootsWeb or U.S. GenWeb) or fee-based sources (like Ancestry, Heritage Quest, microfilms at Family History Centers, or even a government records office). The goal is to recommend sources in the order that the user might want to find them, taking into consideration  budgets, time constraints, and desire for instant gratification.  

That said, the wiki may not be used simply as an advertising platform. Pages should not be slanted overwhelmingly to any one vendor's products in exclusion of free sites and other vendor sites. Do not direct researchers to an expensive source when a free one will suffice.  Recommend sources to users in terms of what will help them, not what will help your business.  

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