-----Original Message----- From: Jimmy Wales [mailto:jwales@wikia.com] Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 01:01 AM To: 'English Wikipedia' Subject: Re: [WikiEN-l] WP:V, WP:RS, WP:NOR and WP:ATT
jf_wikipedia wrote:
(a) What was done that we should not have done;
The change was made before a sufficient process had taken place to make the change, with the result that many good editors were unaware that such a fundamental change was about to take place. Many have reported being baffled and unhappy with the change.
(b) What was not done that we should have done;
A process which has worked well in the past is a process of discussion to arrive at a specific proposal, followed by a broad public poll (or "vote"), followed by a certification of the result.
This achieves something quite useful: broad notification, a serious assessment of the strength or weakness of support for some proposal, and a defined endpoint so that people know that policy has been changed. All of these things serve to promote harmony by making policy changes democratic rather than power struggles.
(c) How do we gauge consensus as it relates to policy changes.
We do not have a simple clear definition of this.
(d) Do we need to involve you in the final determination so this does not happen again?
I think this would be a good thing, yes. I do not want to have a veto over policy changes (other than perhaps WP:NPOV - if a vote of 90% of all editors was to turn Wikipedia into Conservapedia, I would not accept it at all of course :) ). But I think it is important that for really major shifts of policy, we have a clear and defined endpoint.
--Jimbo
This suggestion is an elaboration of a principle that was developed in an arbitration case. Policy doings need to be closed, just like a Request for Deletion. Someone, or a small group, needs to evaluate the depth and breath of the policy discussion and if there is consensus, proclaim the policy as adopted. And, I might add, consider whether a fundamental policy such as NPOV, is diminished or violated by the new policy.
Fred