[WikiEN-l] need to work out clear policies on MANDATORY and OPTIONAL rules on WP

[Andrew Gray]

On 17/11/05, Tom Cadden <thomcadden at yahoo.ie> wrote:

>  A classic example is one vote where over twenty users have voted to put a page at the location that is contrary to MoS policy. Arguments ranged from
>
>  * well I like that name
>  * well I always use it
>  * I personally haven't heard any other name used
>  * the Government wants it
>  * it will eventually become widespread
>  * I hope it eventually becomes widespread
>  * I think it will eventually become widespread
>  * we should be encourging it to become widespread
>  * I think the old name is colonial
>  and a lot of others.
>
>  None of those are criteria recognised in the Manual of Style, which
> sets the simple criteria 'the most common name used in English',
> not 'the most common name likely to be used in the future', 'the
> name we would like to use', or 'the name the government tells us
> to use' but simply the most common name in use as of now.

Of course, there's also a significant number that are opposing based
on the fact that they consider the other name to be the most commonly
used in English. Repeatedly waving the strawman that people are voting
to ignore the MoS, or that they all somehow are incapable of
understanding what a manual of style is, doesn't help in the least.

Again, please assume *some* good faith on the part of people who
disagree with you. It costs nothing and saves on everyone's blood
pressure.

--
- Andrew Gray
  andrew.gray at dunelm.org.uk