Template:FBDB

Template documentation[view] [edit] [history] [purge]

Millions have used {{FBDB}} – you should too!

I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody, but thanks to {{FBDB}}, I wouldn’t lose any voters, okay? It's, like, incredible.

Friendly Banter – Don't Block!

Purpose

Even when speak­ing in­fal­li­bly, I hedge my bets by adding {{FBDB}}.

This template may be used (on Talk pages and in Project space) to tag friendly banter which might otherwise be misinterpreted, by persons humor-impaired, as incivility or personal attack. It thus helps prevent unnecessary block-drama. It was created after an editor got blocked for adding the image and comment seen at the bottom of this ANI thread.

WARNING: Use with caution and at your own risk. This template is not a get-out-of-jail-free card for inappropriate behavior. Its function is to alert others to a prior relationship between editors within which teasing would be acceptable. In any appropriate use of this template:

• (a) you must be confident the "targeted" user will understand and appreciate the humor;
• (b) the friendly relationship between the two of you must not only exist, but be apparent to a third party without too much digging. (For example, there may be prior teasing – and even {{fbdb}}s – in the same discussion, or the two editors' talk pages may reveal a collegial relationship.)

Special caution should be exercised in tense situations. (Though a crack at the right moment can often break the tension, one needs to really know what one is doing.)

No template can prevent all block drama. When using {{FBDB}}, tell an admin right away if you experience fainting, mental/mood changes (such as increased anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, ambivalence at AfD), trouble assuming good faith, diarrhea of the mouth (especially at ANI), touchpad tremor, inability to hear people, carpal tunnel syndrome, rigidity of talk-page positions, electoral dysfunction, inability to reach consensus, POV, trouble controlling certain urges (such as gambling, sex, eating, shopping, beating of dead animals, saving without previewing, or article vandalism), or editing during sleep. Editing in certain topic areas may increase these risks. If you are blocked, discontinue use of {{FBDB}} and notify ArbCom, as some blocks may become permanent. Not for use with BLPs.

A crack at the right moment can often break the tension.

FBDB – By appointment to Her Majesty the Queen

Usage

• {{FBDB}} →
• {{FBDB|reason=Tooltip text}} → Tooltip text (which must be plain text – no links, HTML, or other markup) will appear in the pop-up tooltip.
• {{Friendly Banter Don't Block}} →
• {{Fucking bastard douchebagTemplate:Fucking_bastard_douchebag}}

How to respond to this template

This template is a little like the emoticons ;) and ;P, or the /j or /sarc tone indicator – its presence suggests there may be more going on than at first meets the eye.

• If you're the "target" of {{FBDB}} and don't appreciate the attention, the best approach might be to contact the other editor on their talk page.
• If you're a bystander and concerned about appropriateness, you may wish to ask the parties involved, but remember: {{fbdb}} will normally be used between experienced editors who can take care of themselves. On the other hand, if you simply don't get the joke and want to be let in on it, feel free to ask!
• The purpose of this template is to reduce work and drama, not create it; if someone uses it in a way that has the opposite effect, smack 'em with a WP:TROUT.

Testimonials

I've used this template before, and I can still say that I have a clean block log.

— MJL ‐Talk‐^☖ 00:14, 22 August 2019 (UTC)

I've used this template before. It set my car on fire, ruined a leftover burrito I was saving, and kicked my dog.

— GMG^talk 18:04, 26 July 2023 (UTC))

EEng, you still owe me a beer! Don't think I haven't forgotten, you freeloading, wise-cracking, dogkicking cur!

— ⛵ WaltClipper -(talk) 14:02, 17 August 2023 (UTC)

This template is blasphemous and horrible.

— Queen of Hearts ❤️ (no relation) 02:33, 19 November 2023 (UTC)

I didn't use this template and I am now in political exile because the rEaL editors are not familiar with h-u-m-o-r or its distant cousin h-u-m-o-u-r. Halp!

— ~ 🦝 Shushugah (he/him • talk) 19:20, 27 January 2024 (UTC)

I didn't use this template, and now the voices inside my head have forced me to like college lacrosse.

— Worgisbor (congregate) 18:28, 6 May 2025 (UTC)

See also

• Poe's law
• Hanlon's razor
• Wikipedia:Diffusing conflict

Inline talk templates

Template	P?	Example shortcut	Output	Notes
Thread level
{{Moved talk}}	Y	{{Moved talk|Dresden}}	Moved: was at Talk:Dresden	Used at the thread's current location
{{Moved talk to}}	Y	{{Moved talk to|Berlin}}	Moved to: Talk:Berlin	Used at the thread's former location
{{Thread retitled}}	Y	{{Thread retitled|Old title}}	Thread retitled from Old title.	Per Wikipedia:Talk page guidelines#Section headings
Opening
{{Summoned by bot}}	N	{{sbb}}	(Summoned by bot)	Can be used in requests for comment
{{Buttinsky}}	N	{{Buttinsky}}	( Buttinsky)	A variation of {{Talk page stalker}}
{{Edit conflict}}		{{ec}}	(edit conflict)	To indicate that you encountered an edit conflict
{{Interrupted}}	Y	{{Interrupted|User|12:30, 6 December 2025 (UTC)}}	— User 12:30, 6 December 2025 (UTC) — continues after insertion below	Used to identify the contributor of the upper fragment(s) of a comment that was broken up by a different contributor's insertion of text
{{Non-admin comment}}		{{nacmt}}	(Non-administrator comment)	Optional and only for own comments, see doc
{{Pinged}}	N	{{Pinged}}	(pinged)	Indicates a notification was received
{{Responding to ping}}	N	{{rtp}}	(responding to ping)	Similar to {{pinged}}
{{Talk page stalker}}		{{tps}}	(talk page stalker)	Cf. Wikipedia:Talk page stalker
{{Talk page watcher}}		{{tpw}}	(talk page watcher)	Ditto
Notifications	N
{{Hidden ping}}	Y	{{hp|Username}}	​	Invisible notification utilizing the zero-width space character
{{Ping group}}	Y	{{pinggroup|Example:|User 1|User 2|...}}	Example: (User 1—User 2—...)	Up to 10 usernames
{{Pong}}	Y	{{pong|Username}}	Username:	In reply to a ping
{{Reply to}}	Y	{{re|Username}}/ {{ping|Username}}	@Username:	Sends a notification; up to 50 names
{{To}}	Y	{{To|Username}}	To editor Username:	Sends a notification
During
{{subst:Arbitrary break}}	N	{{subst: Arbitrarybreak}}	======(arbitrary break)======	Requires substitution
{{subst:Bump}}	N	{{subst:Bump}}	Bumping thread ~~~~	Requires subst. A wrapper for {{do not archive until}}
{{FBDB}}	N	{{FBDB}}		An initialism for Friendly Banter – Don't Block
{{KISS}}	N	{{KISS}}	KISS	References the KISS principle politely
{{No ping}}	Y	{{np|Username}}	Username	Works like {{U}} but without triggering a notification
{{No ping2}}	Y	{{np2|Username}}	Username (talk · contribs)	Works like {{User}} but without triggering a notification
{{Notelist-talk}}		{{tnote}}	[not shown here]	Creates a list of footnotes for a talk page discussion
{{Notelist-talk-collapsed}}		{{NLTC}}	[not shown here]	A convenience collapsed wrapper around {{Notelist-talk}} to save space
{{Outdent}}		{{od|:::::}}		For out-denting a reply when indention gets too deep
{{Outdent2}}		{{od2}}	(←)	Alternative out-denting
{{Reflist-talk}}		{{tref}}	[not shown here]	Creates a list of references for a talk page discussion
{{Relevant discussion}}	Y	{{reldis|Talk:Berlin}}	Relevant discussion at → Talk:Berlin	Creates links to related discussions in a visually unique way
{{Sock vote}}	Y	{{sock vote|Username}}	( Blocked sockpuppet of Username)	To mark a vote/comment cast by sockpuppet. More parameters exist and can be viewed at the template documentation.
{{Sources-talk}}		{{Sources-talk}}	[not shown here]	A convenience collapsed wrapper around {{Reflist-talk}} to save space
{{Talkfact}}		"Example"{{talkfact}}	"Example"	Used to quickly ask an editor to back up their claims
{{Talk quote inline}}	Y	{{tq|"Example"}}	"Example"	To highlight a short excerpt of quoted material
{{Talk quote inline italic}}	Y	{{tqi|"Example"}}	"Example"	"
{{Not talk quote inline}}	Y	{{!tq|"Example"}}	"Example"	To highlight a short excerpt of quoted material someone didn't say but could have, or perhaps, should have
{{Not talk quote inline italic}}	Y	{{!tqi|"Example"}}	"Example"	"
{{Talk quote block}}	Y	{{tqb|"Example"}}	"Example"	To highlight a longer excerpt of quoted material
{{Talk quote block minimalist}}	Y	{{tqbm|Example}}	Example	A longer excerpt of quoted material, with less highlighting
End
{{Please sign inline}}	N	{{please}}	(Please remember to sign your posts on talk pages by typing four keyboard tildes like this: ~~~~. Or, you can use the [ reply ] button, which automatically signs posts.)
{{subst:Please ping}}		{{Please ping}}	(please  mention me on reply)	Includes your username if substituted, but can be transcluded. Use {{Please ping|no}} to ask not to be pinged.
{{Not watching}}	N	{{nw}}	(I am not watching this page, so please ping me if you want my attention.)
{{subst:Notifyme}}	N	{{subst:pingme}}	If you reply here, please put {{reply|your username will show up here}} in front of your message so I get a notification. Thank you!	Requires substitution. Will automatically add your username by substituting {{REVISIONUSER}} when you save.
{{subst:Request ping}}	Y	{{subst:repi|Example}}	If you reply here, please ping me by adding {{u|Example}} to your message, and signing it.	Requires subst
{{Signote}}		{{sg}}	Please leave me a note if you reply
{{Watching}}	N	{{Watching}}	(I am watching this page, so please reply here.)
Humor disclosure				(See the humor disclosure templates here.)

The above documentation is transcluded from Template:FBDB/doc. (edit | history)
Editors can experiment in this template's sandbox (edit | diff) and testcases (create) pages.
Add categories to the /doc subpage. Subpages of this template.