diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5d439eaa..2b99db02 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,8 +1,17 @@
+# Add patterns in here to exclude files created by tools integrated with this
+# repository, such as test frameworks from the project's recommended workflow,
+# rendered documentation and package builds.
+#
+# Don't add patterns to exclude files created by preferred personal tools
+# (editors, IDEs, your operating system itself even). These should instead be
+# maintained outside the repository, for example in a ~/.gitignore file added
+# with:
+#
+# git config --global core.excludesfile '~/.gitignore'
+
 AUTHORS
 ChangeLog
-*~
 *.egg*
-*.swp
 *.pyc
 *.log
 .tox
@@ -14,8 +23,6 @@ doc/build/
 doc/source/api/
 dist/
 .testrepository/
-.project
-.pydevproject
 /doc/source/sample.config
 
 # Files created by releasenotes build