Topic on Talk:Wikimedia Product Guidance

Caution: Use the guidance only as a tool for collaboration, not as a weapon against consensus

1
Alsee (talkcontribs)

This is fine guidance for how to engage and cooperate with the community. However product teams should very carefully consider the dangers of relying on this guidance as a basis to attempt to disregard or overrule consensus. The community is not likely to respect that guidance as a valid basis to disregard or overrule a large or global consensus.

As a reminder, this guidance was developed after a crisis where the Foundation fought a battle against Global Community Consensus. (The wikis involved represented a majority of the global community.) The outcome of that conflict was that the community replaced every community-elected seat on the Board of Trustees. Those elected board members then replaced every board member in an appointed seat. The only board seat who was not replaced was the founder-seat, Jimbo. The new Board of Trustees soon replaced the Executive Director responsible for the conflict. Superprotect was removed.

If the Foundation gets into a similar War Against Consensus, it could result in a similar or worse outcome. A "worse outcome" could even mean community banners at the top of every Wikipedia article telling readers to stop donating. That would be instant headline-news on TV and across global media.

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