Wikipedia:Don't go out of your way to be diplomatic
 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
 | This page in a nutshell: Civility is good, but when your politeness is becoming strained and you're having to invent elaborate circumlocutions just to chart a path around supposedly "sensitive" issues, something is wrong. |
Civility is good. Of course civility is good. But it can be carried too far.
Strained politeness is nearly as bad as rudeness.
When others can see that you are trying very hard to be polite, that you are yearning to explode and let your typing fingers pour streams of sarcasm and vulgarities onto the page, the effect is that they know that if you had slightly less self-restraint, you would be bombarding them with impassioned tirades.
Even worse, when you try to make everything politically correct, meaning is obscured. People already KNOW that you're talking about a sensitive issue. That's why you're being politically correct. However, carefully tiptoeing around potential landmines only results in a long circular discussion without any results. And it's patronising. It implies that you think others can't control themselves and will ignite a gigantic flame war just because of one misplaced word.
Be polite, by all means. Just don't go out of your way.