[WikiEN-l] Consensus vs

[Fred Bauder]

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Ron Ritzman [mailto:ritzman at gmail.com]
>Sent: Sunday, January 28, 2007 05:09 PM
>To: 'English Wikipedia'
>Subject: [WikiEN-l] Consensus vs "groupthink"
>
>Seeing how a few detractors here have been throwing around the term
>"groupthink" I have to ask, is there any real difference between the
>two or does it depend on which side of a "consensus" decision you are
>on? That is, if an article you wrote/are involved with survives AFD,
>then it's "consensus", if it gets deleted, it's "groupthink". Of
>course it's the other way around if it's an article you don't like.
>
>Same with an edit to an active article. If the edit stands, it's
>"consensus" if it's constantly reverted and your persistence gets you
>banned by a "rogue admin (tm)", it's "groupthink".
>
>Therefore, I have to wonder if "groupthink", as long as it doesn't
>lead to an [[Abilene paradox]] might not just be another way of saying
>"consensus" which can either be good or bad. Good if the "consensus"
>decision squares with previously established policies, bad if it
>doesn't.

Groupthink refers to solidarity by fiat, while consensus refers to a group decision arrived at after full discussion.

Fred