Well that is the best we have for community wide discussion about changes in policy. You could also try the village pump... But even that is only watched by a select few.
By its very nature, the more people you put in a discussion the noisier and choatic a discussion gets. Really any discussion that you can have that has a large cross section of the community is likely to be a strong argument for changes in policy based on the results of the discussion. The trick is getting any meaningful agreement on principles or select parts of a change. If you can't get that then any changes you make to a policy that affects the whole encyclopedia as dramatically as this is always going to be contested as not enough people in the consensus. This issue is playing out now in an existing arbitration case. (changes were made on a discussion with 14 people... 11 supporting and 3 contesting... If I recall right) The point being large changes can't be made without bringing the changes up for the whole community to review. Right now I would say a well done policy RFC is your best option. Feel free to try something else... But that format seems to work best for lots of folks commenting. On 1/13/09, Marc Riddell <michaeldavi...@comcast.net> wrote: > on 1/13/09 9:14 AM, Wilhelm Schnotz at wilh...@nixeagle.org wrote: > >> Please see my prior reply. A policy RFC is a very good way to gauge >> communty thought. You can figure out if the coommunity is divided >> strongly or are there some points that everyone agrees on. You will be >> surprised... Heck the latest RFCs on linking dates found some common >> ground... Albit not enough to foestall the RFAR... But the RFAR is >> almost more about behavior issues. >> >> Regardless... Policy RFC will get a better idea of consensus then this >> mailing list. Be sure to advertise the RFC in all the places that >> editors meet... Perhaps even a notice when editors go to see their >> watchlists. > > I have been to these places, Wilhelm, and there seems to be more chaos than > constructive dialogue going on there. And, it doesn't appear very easy for > the average Community Member to navigate through it all. > > Marc > >> >> On 1/13/09, Marc Riddell <michaeldavi...@comcast.net> wrote: >>> on 1/13/09 8:36 AM, White Cat at wikipedia.kawaii.n...@gmail.com wrote: >>> >>>> When consensus is reached the relevant pages are updated accordingly. In >>>> general major changes (such as the one in discussion) is voted upon by >>>> the >>>> entire community. Not five or six editors but hundreds of editors. The >>>> voting happens after there is an agreement on the general principles - >>>> even >>>> if such an agreement is partial or temporary. >>> >>> WC, how is it determined that this agreement has been reached? >>> >>>> During the vote people are >>>> given the option to support/oppose different approaches. >>> >>> Is there a set time for the vote? And, if so, how is it set? >>> >>> Marc >>> >>>> >>>> - White Cat >>>> >>>> On Tue, Jan 13, 2009 at 3:22 PM, Marc Riddell >>>> <michaeldavi...@comcast.net>wrote: >>>> >>>>>> on 1/13/09 2:33 AM, White Cat at wikipedia.kawaii.n...@gmail.com >>>>>> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> In other words there is a lack of consensus. Meaning no mass action of >>>>> any >>>>>> kind should be taken until a consensus is secured. >>>>>> >>>>> On any given subject within the Project, how does someone go about >>>>> achieving >>>>> consensus? And how and when do you determine that a consensus has been >>>>> reached? >>>>> >>>>> Marc Riddell >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> WikiEN-l mailing list >>>>> WikiEN-l@lists.wikimedia.org >>>>> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, visit: >>>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l >>>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> WikiEN-l mailing list >>>> WikiEN-l@lists.wikimedia.org >>>> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, visit: >>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> WikiEN-l mailing list >>> WikiEN-l@lists.wikimedia.org >>> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, visit: >>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> WikiEN-l mailing list >> WikiEN-l@lists.wikimedia.org >> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, visit: >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l > > > _______________________________________________ > WikiEN-l mailing list > WikiEN-l@lists.wikimedia.org > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, visit: > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l > _______________________________________________ WikiEN-l mailing list WikiEN-l@lists.wikimedia.org To unsubscribe from this mailing list, visit: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l
