Policy:Fanon

See also: Policy:Canon

The Sarna.net BattleTechWiki (BTW) started out as a fan site. Technically, it remains a fan site and falls under our own definition of meta-source.

Accordingly, fan-created content was allowed on BTW until 2011 when the site owner sanctioned a user consensus to purge Fanon/fan fiction content from BTW to improve the site's quality as a BattleTech resource. As a result, fan fiction on BTW such as short stories and custom designs is to be removed from this site and migrated to the BattleTech Fanon Wiki.

Fanon policy

Articles on BTW violate this policy if they contain Fanon.
All fan fiction should be put on the BattleTech Fanon Wiki instead.

Fanon definition

Fanon in this context is used synonymously with fan fiction. It covers any and all in-universe information that does not stem from official BattleTech products or sources, be they canon or apocryphal, print, online or other. Specifically, it includes (but is not limited to)

• fan-made stories, scenarios, characters, units, etc.;
• custom 'Mechs, vehicles, and other playing pieces;
• custom items and game rules ("house rules");
• artwork (graphical or otherwise).

Exception

• Articles are permissible if they cover (i.e. are written about) a piece of Fanon that is sufficiently notable. A fanon subject may be notable if the fanbase as a whole is generally using it as a tool or reference or is at least aware of it; otherwise, it may be notable because of its author or special circumstances. The question of notability is a subjective one and each individual case may ultimately require user consensus.
• In the absence of suitable canonical/official art, fan-made art is permissible if it was created by the same user who uploads it, and is required or at least highly useful to explain the subject at hand (for instance, a user-created map to illustrate the course of a border war in an article about the same).

Temporary Policy Addendum

To be removed 01 November 2011

All Fanon articles are being copied over to the BattleTech Fanon Wiki. Those that have been copied are marked with the {{fanontransfer}} template.

Do not yet delete Fanon content here. (That will be the next step, after all has been migrated.)