search:Consensus

This page documents an official policy. It has wide acceptance among user and is considered a standard that all users should follow. When editing this page, please ensure that your revision reflects consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on the talk page.

This page in a nutshell:

Consensus is Wikia Search's fundamental model for editorial decision-making.

Policies and guidelines document communal consensus rather than creating it.

Search policy
Article standards
Neutral point of view Verifiability No original research Biographies of living persons
Working with others
Civility Consensus No personal attacks Dispute resolution No legal threats
Global principles
What Wikia is not Ignore all rules

Search Wikia works by building consensus.

Consensus is an inherent part of the wiki process. Consensus is typically reached as a natural product of the editing process; generally someone makes a change or addition to a page, and then everyone who reads the page has an opportunity to either leave the page as it is or change it. In essence silence implies consent if there is adequate exposure to the community. In the case of policy pages a higher standard of participation and consensus is expected.

When there are disagreements, they are resolved through polite reasoning, cooperation, and if necessary, negotiation on talk pages. If we find that a particular consensus happens often, we write it down as a guideline.

1 Reasonable consensus-building
2 Consensus can change
- 2.1 "Asking the other parent"
3 Consensus in practice
4 Note on use of discussion page
5 See also
- 5.1 Wikipedia articles and project pages

[edit] Reasonable consensus-building

Consensus can only work among reasonable editors who make a good faith effort to work together. It is difficult to specify exactly what constitutes a reasonable or rational position. Good editors acknowledge that positions opposed to their own may be reasonable. However, stubborn insistence on an eccentric position, with refusal to consider other viewpoints, is not justified under Wikia Search's consensus practice. (Note that in the rare case that the "eccentric" position turns out to have merit, the consensus can change). Editors should, in almost all situations, assume good faith and must always remain civil.

[edit] Consensus can change

Consensus is not immutable. It is reasonable, and sometimes necessary, for the community to change its mind. A small group making a decision does so on behalf of the community as a whole, at a point in time. If the community disagrees, the decision was badly founded, or views change, then the updated consensus replaces the old one.

A small group of editors can reach a consensual decision, but when the article or policy gains wider attention, others may then disagree. The original group should not block further change on grounds that they already have made a decision. No one person, and no (limited) group of people, can unilaterally declare that community consensus has changed, or that it is fixed and determined. An editor who thinks there are good reasons to believe a consensual decision is outdated may discuss it on the relevant talk page or on Wikia Search Forums to see what points other editors think are important, and to compare and examine the different viewpoints and reasons.

This does not mean that Wikia Search ignores precedent, especially tried and true wiki ways. A precedent usually has reasons too, which may still be valid. There is a distinction between unresolved good-faith concerns over a reasonable or policy related matter, and disruptively trying to enforce an individual view. An issue decided in the past can always be discussed again, especially if there is new information or a question of policy being breached.

Wikia Search's decisions are ever-changing, because new people visit every day, and through new information and new ideas, we may gain insights we did not have previously. It is important that there is a way to challenge past decisions, however these decisions were reached. Decisions should therefore practically never be "binding" in the sense that the decision cannot be taken back. The number of people involved in a decision may vary widely, from intense discussion by the entire community to a small group interested in a particular matter.

[edit] "Asking the other parent"

It is very easy to create the appearance of a changing consensus simply by asking again and hoping that a different and more sympathetic group of people will discuss the issue. This, however, is a poor example of changing consensus, and is antithetical to the way that Wikia Search works. Wikia Search's decisions are not based on the number of people who showed up and voted a particular way on a particular day. It is based on a system of good reasons. Attempts to change consensus must be based on a clear engagement with the reasons behind the current consensus — so in the new discussion section, provide a summary and links to any previous discussions about the issue on the articles talk page, or talk page archives, to help editors new to the issue read the reasons behind the consensus so that they can make an informed decision about changing the consensus.

A good sign that you have not demonstrated a change in consensus, so much as a change in the people showing up, is if few or none of the people involved in the previous discussion show up for the new one. In this situation you may find that any changes you make are quickly reverted by people outside the new talk page discussion. Do not be tempted to edit war but instead post comments on the talk page encouraging others to participate in the new discussion.

Asking for a consensus in a completely different "venue" or section of Wikia Search, in the hope of finding more support for a failed proposal, is known disapprovingly as Wikipedia:forum-shopping. It's better to find the most appropriate page for discussing the topic, then ask there first and only. (This doesn't mean you can't take your proposal elsewhere if you're told you chose the wrong page for the topic.)

[edit] Consensus in practice

Consensus does not mean that everyone agrees with the outcome; instead, it means that everyone agrees to abide by the outcome. The following description of consensus, from the wikien-l mailing list, argues a difference between consensus and unanimity:

In fact Wikipedia's standard way of operating is a rather good illustration of what it does mean: a mixture across the community of those who are largely agreed, some who disagree but 'agree to disagree' without disaffection, those who don't agree but give low priority to the given issue, those who disagree strongly but concede that there is a community view and respect it on that level, some vocal and unreconciled folk, some who operate 'outside the law'. You find out whether you have consensus, if not unanimity, when you try to build on it.

While the most important part of consensus-building is to ensure all issues are considered and listened to in the discussion, it is often difficult to reach a single conclusion, and the debate can become unwieldy as more people participate than can effectively cooperate (see: Dunbar's number). At times it is not clear what (if any) consensus may be accessible, how to work towards one effectively, and to identify when one exists. [so what is done then?]

In practice, a lot of people look in on an issue and check to see if a (mere) majority exists in favor of their position. While this quick and dirty rule helps you to figure out what to spend your time on, it is obviously *not* the same thing as finding the actual consensus (or what it will end up as). To do that, you actually need to carefully consider the strength and quality of the arguments themselves (including any additional concerns that may have been raised along the way), the basis of objection of those who disagree, and in more complex situations, existing documentation in the project namespace should also be checked. If you are volunteering to carry out an action on the basis of rough consensus, only this thorough approach is acceptable.

Minority opinions typically reflect genuine concerns, and discussion should continue in an effort to try to negotiate the most favorable compromise that is still practical. In situations with a deadline, a perfect compromise may not have been reached by all participants at the deadline. Nevertheless, a course of action should be chosen that is likely to satisfy the most persons (rather than merely the majority). Running roughshod over the (then) minority is the best way to get yourself into almost unlimited amounts of trouble. Besides, next time someone from that minority might be the final closer, and you might be one of the people in a minority, so it's a good idea to be a gentleperson at all times and set a good example.

So in summary, Wikia Search decision making is not based on formal vote counting. This means that polling alone is not considered a means of decision-making, and it is certainly not a binding vote, and you do not need to abide by polls per se.

New users who are not yet familiar with consensus should realize that a poll is often more likely to be the start of a discussion than it is to be the end of one! The true decision is typically made during discussion. This is also why you should always provide a further rationale during a poll. People can then engage you in discussion and work out an acceptable compromise. This can be very empowering. Provided you do your homework right, at times your opinion alone will be enough to tip the scales, or even decide the issue all on its own!

[edit] Note on use of discussion page

While the consensus process does not require posting to the discussion page, it can be useful and is encouraged. It is also a good idea to check the discussion page before making an edit, because someone may have thought of it before, or discussed something that sheds more light on the subject. Otherwise "be bold"; ultimately, improving the usefulness of the project is what Wikia Search is all about.

Edit summaries are short and can be misinterpreted. Discussing your edit may help it attract consensus. Sometimes misunderstandings occur because people see the edit before any rationale is posted on the talk page. Posting a comment before editing is the best way to avoid such misunderstandings (but if you post a comment before editing, please make the associated edit immediately afterwards). To avoid falling into a similar trap yourself: if you are unsure about an edit someone has made, wait a reasonable amount of time to allow them to post a comment.