Wikipedia:Conflict of interest is about conflict of interest

This image from {{User COI}} isn't arbitrary. It depicts an editor having two interests that are in conflict.

When discussing Wikipedia:Conflict of interest, it's easy to forget that the words "conflict of interest" are not a mere term of art. "Conflict of interest" describes a situation in which an editor's (supposed) interest in improving the encyclopedia comes into conflict with some other interest of theirs. While there are some proxies we can use to infer that a conflict of interest likely exists, the question we are always trying to answer is are their interests in conflict.

This is inherently subjective. Two people might own stock in a company, and one might be under the impression that the public perception of the company greatly affects the stock's value and thinks that Wikipedia's coverage of a company is a main driver of public image, while the other might not even think consciously about which stocks they own. The first has a conflict of interest and the second doesn't, even if the second has ten times as much money invested in the company. A doctor who specializes in a certain field is usually welcomed as a subject-matter expert, but if the doctor's editing patterns make clear that they are trying to promote a medical procedure that they personally provide and benefit from clients perceiving as necessary (example), they have a conflict of interest even though another doctor with the same specialty might not, and even though it is dubious that their edits actually will bring them any business.

Similarly, we can presume that a worker has a conflict of interest with their company and an alum lacks a conflict of interest with their university, but on an individual level that may not always be the case. Perhaps Alice clocks in and out of her entry-level job every day without ever thinking of her employer as anything other than a faceless monolith, whose standing has no effect on her life, who she has no reason to promote or denigrate. Perhaps Bob has his alma mater's logo tattooed on his back, bought his newborn a onesie proclaiming them a future student of the school, and feels a deep personal investment in the university's standing, taking any criticism of it as a personal affront. Despite the general presumptions regarding conflict of interest, it is Bob's interests that conflict here, not Alice's.

Because of this subjectivity, in many cases we cannot say for sure whether someone has an actual conflict of interest, only an apparent one. But in cases where we are given insight into someone's state of mind, this is the gold standard. If someone says they are editing to promote some outside interest, or their editing patterns show them promoting that interest, then they have a conflict of interest, whether or not any of those proxies for likely conflict of interest exist, even if the interest is in something we do not usually encounter in conflict-of-interest matters (like support for an ideological movement, country, or religion), and even if their conflict-of-interest editing was unlikely to have the desired effect.

Conversely, if someone superficially meets the standard for one of those proxies, but there is zero evidence that this ever affects their editing, they may be able to convince people that they lack a conflict of interest. However, if you think you are such an editor, beware: One of the hallmarks of a conflict of interest is underestimating the extent of your conflict of interest. This essay only applies to you if you genuinely don't feel any personal investment in the topic at hand. Even there, subconscious biases are possible, and if other editors say you are showing a bias, you should listen to them.

Markup to link to this essay with proper emphasis

[[Wikipedia:Conflict of interest is about conflict of interest|Wikipedia:Conflict of interest is about <em>conflict</em> of <em>interest</em>]]

Or if you want to be pedantically, semantically correct even via shortcut, [[Wikipedia:COICOI|Wikipedia:COI<em>C</em>O<em>I</em>]]

(See MOS:EMPH regarding <em>...</em> tags.)