{"id":8081,"date":"2020-01-29T16:38:32","date_gmt":"2020-01-29T14:38:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wikialerts.fiveblocks.com\/blog\/?p=8081"},"modified":"2020-01-29T16:40:59","modified_gmt":"2020-01-29T14:40:59","slug":"lets-talk-about-it-how-wikipedians-resolve-their-problems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wikialerts.fiveblocks.com\/blog\/lets-talk-about-it-how-wikipedians-resolve-their-problems\/","title":{"rendered":"Let\u2019s Talk About It: How Wikipedians Resolve Their Problems"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Wikipedia\u2019s \u201cTalk pages\u201d are a vital resource, not just for Wikipedia editors, but for anyone who wants to understand human interaction among strangers who share a common goal.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Wikipedia users know that the crowd-sourced, online encyclopedia is the product of the collaboration of thousands of editors. What most readers probably don\u2019t realize is that the real meat of the encyclopedia takes place on the back pages \u2013 where the Talk page<\/em> serves as a kind of teachers\u2019 room \/ Hyde Park hybrid to hash out both minutiae and fundamental differences in approach. (When a disagreement arises among editors about specific content in an article, the editors step back, refrain from further edits, and engage in a discussion about how to proceed, until consensus among the editors is reached.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This collaboration is invisible to readers unless they look behind-the-scenes: Every article has its own Talk page, easily accessed by clicking on the \u201cTalk\u201d tab on the upper left corner of the page.<\/strong>  Editors are expected to always be civil in their remarks on Talk pages, and to always assume good faith on the part of other editors. It does not always go down that way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause it\u2019s there.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the time an in-depth discussion of edits is unnecessary. Edits are usually straightforward and can be concisely explained in the edit summary box right before an edit is saved to the page. From time to time, two editors can even discuss their differences right in the edit box, where those differences can often be resolved relatively quickly and painlessly. (Those edit summaries are immortalized on the \u201cHistory page,\u201d which is found on a tab on the upper right side of the Main article space.) If the dispute, however, is complicated or the differences are large, the editors will need to take the discussion to the Talk page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Talk page is the hearth and home of Wikipedia collaboration. Editors go to the Talk page to explain larger, perhaps less obvious, and\/or potentially controversial edits, with an explanation of why the editor made that change. The editor isn\u2019t asking permission; rather the explanation is a declaration of intent, as well as an invitation to anyone who might disagree with that edit to state any objections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take the following polite and somewhat humorous example: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the George Mallory article\u2019s Talk page,<\/a> a discussion ensued about whether this article should be included in the category for \u201cdisappeared persons.\u201d One editor held that just because Mallory\u2019s body was eventually found does not change the fact that he had \u2018disappeared\u2019 for 75 years. The other editor argued that the Wikipedia category called \u2018disappeared persons\u2019 is only for those who have not (yet) been found. One editor suggested creating a new category called \u201cformerly disappeared\u201d or perhaps \u201cdisappeared and found.\u201d A third editor was called in, explaining that the intent of the category was for people who are \u201cmissing, remains not found.\u201d A consensus was therefore reached asserting that for 75 years Mallory was considered a \u201cdisappeared person,\u201d but as soon as his body was recovered, he could no longer be included in that specific category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rules of engagement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, overzealous Wiki editors can sometimes turn Talk page discussions into battles that can become quite contentious: not recommended for the squeamish or faint of heart. Foreseeing the potential for ugly name-calling and other rude behavior, a compilation of rules has been developed which editors are advised to abide by on the Talk page; if disregarded, editors can be punished with exile. Miscreant editors can either be barred from specific articles where fellow editors have deemed them disruptive, or from the entire encyclopedia, if their unscrupulous actions have wrought more widespread havoc. Bans can be anywhere from a few days, to weeks and even months.  Unrepentant vandals can face permanent exclusion from the website. The following are some of the rules<\/a> that must be followed at the risk of a reprimand at best or permanent expulsion at worst if they are ignored:<\/p>\n\n\n\n