WP:DRN Rule X

{{essay|WP:DRNX|WP:RULEX|interprets=the Wikipedia:Dispute resolution policy|cat=Wikipedia behavioral essays}}

These are preliminary ground rules for any mediation that is conducted at DRN where the moderator specifies Rule X because they haven't selected a set of rules. These are rules that are always in effect:

1. Be civil and concise.
2. Civility is required everywhere in Wikipedia and is essential in dispute resolution. Uncivil statements may be collapsed.
3. Overly long statements do not clarify issues. (They may make the author feel better, but the objective is to discuss the article constructively.) Overly long statements may be collapsed, and the party may be told to summarize them. Read Too Long, Didn't Read, and don't write anything that is too long for other editors to read. If the moderator says to write one paragraph, that means one paragraph of reasonable length.
4. Comment on content, not contributors.
5. The purpose of discussion is to improve the article, not to complain about other editors. (There may be a combination of content issues and conduct issues, but resolving the content issue often mitigates the conduct issue or permits it to subside.) Uncivil comments or comments about other editors may be suppressed.
6. "Comment on content, not contributors" means that if you are asked to summarize what you want changed in the article, or left the same, it is not necessary or useful to name the other editors, but it may be important to identify the paragraphs or locations in the article. It isn't necessary to identify the other editors with whom you disagree.
7. Discuss edits, not editors. This means the same as "Comment on content, not contributors". It is repeated because it needs repeating.
8. The moderator may not have any background knowledge about the subject. It is the responsibility of the editors, who are familiar with the subject matter, to inform the moderator about the subject matter, just as the purpose of the article is to inform the readers about the subject matter.
9. Be specific at DRN. Do not simply say that a section should be improved, but tell what improvement should be made. Do not simply say that "All viewpoints must be discussed", but identify the missing viewpoints. If you say that the article has BLP violations, specify how they can be corrected.