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:Silence and consensus - Knowledge

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can be presumed until disagreement becomes evident. That is typically through reverting, editing, or stating disagreement on a relevant talk page. You find out whether your edit has consensus when it sticks, is built upon by others, and most importantly when it is used or referred to by others.
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and it is highly likely that you will eventually find yourself affected by the outcome of some decision that you didn't know about, or didn't have the chance to join. Where a decision is based mostly on silence, it is especially important to remember that
374:, a lack of response to an edit does not necessarily imply community consent. Knowledge is huge and our editors' time is limited. At any given time, there are many open discussions on many different topics across the project. We encourage our editors to 204:
Of course, it is impractical to wait forever for affirmation: in the meantime then, sometimes it is best to assume that silence implies consensus. Lacking any objections on talk pages, you can continue to hold that hopefully safe assumption until
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When two editors reach an impasse, one or both may think that repeating and reiterating the same arguments is the only alternative to consent by silence. This is not the case. Either editor may withdraw from the discussion by stating that:
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Apply the rule of silence and consensus only when a weak consensus would suffice. Silence and consensus does not apply when a mandatory discussion is required. When real people are affected by a decision, such as
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In wiki-editing, it is difficult to get positive affirmation for your edits. Disapproval comes with a further edit, a statement of disapproval on the page's talk page or your talk page, or at times a
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Most of the time, you will find that it's fine to assume consensus, even if just for now, as it's more important to keep editing and cooperating smoothly in
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by editing or reverting. The more visible the statement, and the longer it stands unchallenged, the stronger the implication of consensus is.
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The post is correct, well-written information that needs no follow-up commentary. There's nothing more to say except "Yeah, what they said."
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The post is complete and utter nonsense, and no one wants to waste the energy or bandwidth to even point this out.
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This page provides additional information about concepts in the page(s) it supplements. This page is not one of
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Consensus arising from silence evaporates when an editor changes existing content or objects to it.
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If an editor withdraws without comment the other editor should, before assuming consent,
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the silent editor and alert them that their silence will be construed as agreement.
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No one understood the post, but won't ask for clarification, for whatever reason.
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The problem with no response is that there are five possible interpretations:
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Knowledge:Silence does not imply consent when drafting new policies
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consensus exists because you have seen evidence of disagreement.
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Consensus is assumed when there's no evidence of disagreement.
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The other editor is free to pursue the options offered at
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Explanatory essay about the Knowledge:Consensus page
352:No one cares about the post, for whatever reason. 334: 234: 112: 452:– relating to articles, media, and other pages 179:if you disagree, the onus is on you to say so 8: 237: 114: 346:No one read the post, for whatever reason. 433:Knowledge:Consensus § Level of consensus 312:Silence is the weakest form of consensus 207:someone comes along and changes the page 496: 143:Nobody ever complained about my idea → 450:Knowledge:Deletion process § No quorum 362:-- Original description of the dilemma 269:The discussion has reached an impasse, 468:Knowledge:BOLD, revert, discuss cycle 7: 404:biographies of living persons policy 123:He who is silent is taken to agree. 402:, or using material covered by the 370:This so because, as illustrated by 152:Someone complained about my idea → 360:Re: RFCs: two proposals for change 145:You can assume there is consensus 61:thoroughly vetted by the community 57:Knowledge's policies or guidelines 25: 308:without first seeking consensus. 552:Knowledge essays about consensus 213:What does not constitute silence 97: 33: 277:WP:Dispute resolution requests 272:They will not continue it, and 1: 421:Meta:Don't vote on everything 547:Knowledge supplemental pages 463:Knowledge:What is consensus? 242:": the maxim of the law is " 117:Qui tacet consentire videtur 18:Knowledge:Presumed consensus 568: 390: 315: 296:That said, in the face of 216: 188: 68: 480:Consensus decision-making 532:meatball:SilentAgreement 304:a good faith editor may 147:until you hear otherwise 105:This page in a nutshell: 509:Internet Movie Database 505:"A Man For All Seasons" 355: 262: 238: 131: 115: 27:Wikimedia project page 257:A Man for All Seasons 244:Silence gives consent 174:as much as possible. 387:Scope of application 381:consensus can change 177:A corollary is that 239:Qui tacet consentit 136:Is there consensus? 59:as it has not been 48:Knowledge:Consensus 439:Related guidelines 358:Bryan C. Warnock. 154:You can no longer 445:Knowledge:Be bold 415:Essays on silence 372:Warnock's dilemma 191:Silence procedure 111: 110: 89: 88: 44:explanatory essay 16:(Redirected from 559: 519: 518: 516: 515: 501: 427:Related policies 363: 328: 292: 286: 260: 241: 229: 129: 120: 101: 100: 94: 81: 37: 36: 30: 21: 567: 566: 562: 561: 560: 558: 557: 556: 537: 536: 528: 523: 522: 513: 511: 503: 502: 498: 493: 412: 395: 389: 365: 357: 332: 331: 324: 320: 314: 290: 284: 261: 250: 233: 232: 225: 221: 215: 193: 187: 161: 137: 130: 127: 98: 92: 85: 84: 77: 73: 65: 64: 34: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 565: 563: 555: 554: 549: 539: 538: 535: 534: 527: 526:External links 524: 521: 520: 495: 494: 492: 489: 488: 487: 482: 471: 470: 465: 457:Related essays 454: 453: 447: 436: 435: 424: 423: 411: 408: 400:blocking users 388: 385: 354: 353: 350: 347: 344: 341: 333: 330: 329: 326:WP:WEAKSILENCE 321: 316: 313: 310: 306:employ silence 281: 280: 273: 270: 248: 236:The maxim is " 231: 230: 222: 217: 214: 211: 186: 183: 160: 159: 153: 150: 144: 140: 135: 132: 125: 109: 108: 102: 90: 87: 86: 83: 82: 74: 69: 66: 54: 53: 40: 38: 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 564: 553: 550: 548: 545: 544: 542: 533: 530: 529: 525: 510: 506: 500: 497: 490: 486: 483: 481: 478: 477: 476: 475: 469: 466: 464: 461: 460: 459: 458: 451: 448: 446: 443: 442: 441: 440: 434: 431: 430: 429: 428: 422: 419: 418: 417: 416: 409: 407: 405: 401: 394: 386: 384: 382: 377: 373: 368: 364: 361: 351: 348: 345: 342: 339: 338: 337: 327: 323: 322: 319: 311: 309: 307: 303: 299: 294: 289: 278: 274: 271: 268: 267: 266: 259: 258: 253: 247: 245: 240: 228: 227:WP:NOTSILENCE 224: 223: 220: 212: 210: 208: 202: 200: 199: 192: 184: 182: 180: 175: 173: 168: 165: 157: 151: 148: 142: 141: 139: 138: 128:Latin proverb 124: 121: 119: 118: 106: 103: 96: 95: 80: 76: 75: 72: 67: 62: 58: 51: 49: 45: 39: 32: 31: 19: 512:. Retrieved 499: 473: 472: 456: 455: 438: 437: 426: 425: 414: 413: 396: 369: 366: 356: 335: 295: 282: 263: 255: 243: 235: 203: 196: 194: 178: 176: 169: 162: 155: 146: 134: 133: 122: 113: 104: 41: 252:Thomas More 42:This is an 541:Categories 514:2009-05-31 491:References 485:Groupthink 391:See also: 189:See also: 172:good faith 79:WP:SILENCE 46:about the 185:Rationale 164:Consensus 474:Articles 410:See also 318:Shortcut 219:Shortcut 71:Shortcut 376:be bold 298:vandals 302:trolls 198:revert 156:assume 300:and 288:ping 50:page 254:in 543:: 507:. 383:. 291:}} 285:{{ 249:— 181:. 126:— 52:. 517:. 279:. 149:. 63:. 20:)

Index

Knowledge:Presumed consensus
explanatory essay
Knowledge:Consensus
Knowledge's policies or guidelines
thoroughly vetted by the community
Shortcut
WP:SILENCE
Qui tacet consentire videtur
Consensus
good faith
Silence procedure
revert
someone comes along and changes the page
Shortcut
WP:NOTSILENCE
Thomas More
A Man for All Seasons
WP:Dispute resolution requests
ping
vandals
trolls
employ silence
Shortcut
WP:WEAKSILENCE
Re: RFCs: two proposals for change
Warnock's dilemma
be bold
consensus can change
Knowledge:Silence does not imply consent when drafting new policies
blocking users

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