Rather than engage in edit wars over non-consensus deletions at Wikipedia:Reference desk/guideline, I've created this page to reflect only consensus discussions. StuRat 15:39, 12 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Copied and refactored from the Ref Desk talk page archives:

Here I wish to only build a list of Ref Desk policy issues under dispute. I don't wish to discuss them here, just build a list. That discussion can happen elsewhere. Please add any issues I missed to the list. Also, add a link after each item to where that discussion is or has occurred, if you have one:

• Purpose of the Ref Desk [1]
• Is the Ref Desk considered to be like an article or like a talk page ? RESOLVED
• Rules for deletion RESOLVED [2]
• Is opinion allowed RESOLVED
• Are references required for all statements of fact ? RESOLVED
• Are answers containing original research allowed? RESOLVED [3]
• Are answers with references outside of Wikipedia allowed ? RESOLVED
• Are responses which don't directly answer the question allowed ?

• If still related to the topic
• If totally unrelated

• Can we address another responder, or only the original poster ?
• Is humor allowed ? RESOLVED
• Is sexual content allowed ? RESOLVED
• Are poorly written questions allowed ?
• Should signatures be required ? RESOLVED
• May we edit the posts of others ? RESOLVED [4]
• Avoid using abbreviations like "OP" ?
• Is "just Google it" a valid response ? RESOLVED [5].
• May the same people post both questions and answers ? RESOLVED

Some of these numbered links lead only to the entire Ref Desk talk page, so they do not show any consensus that an editor can refer to. And it is meaningless to ask a question and say "RESOLVED" without saying which way the outcome was. Edison 16:22, 12 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yea, the broken links are a consequence of the consensus discussions having been archived. I will go track them down and fix the links, eventually, but don't have the time right now (would you be willing ?). To see the decision, just pick "project page" above. I was assuming that nobody will go and change that without consensus, though. If you want, I can copy the text over to here, from there, as well, I was just trying to keep things as short as possible. StuRat 16:48, 12 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Agree. We should avoid any abbrevs that are likely to confuse newbies (I had a specific question on the meaning of "OP" from one of them). Also, many of the abbrevs baffle me, as well. StuRat 15:46, 12 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Agree. Thought this has been decided. Also the suitlalby empasize or whatever. -THB 15:55, 12 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Agree It does not improve communication to sling neologisms and abbreviations around, IIRC. I must Suitly emphazi, it would be like going to RfAr because of a PROD or a 3rr vio in an AOTW, or a Wheel War started by a Rouge Admin who gets desysopped because xe didn't AGF and did a NPA vio after an RfC, so it winds up on on BJAODN when it could have been a COTW. Might as well post in hexadecimal. 52,49,47,48,54,3F . Edison 16:14, 12 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

THB, good point, perhaps we should say "Avoid using abbrevs and neologisms" ? I think it was decided, but the decision wasn't documented, so we need to do it formally before updating the consensus rules. StuRat 16:10, 12 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I see a few people are using this to work on their own version, because they're unhappy with how things are going at Wikipedia:Reference desk/guideline. Alright- but what happens when you're done? This would need to get merged into the guideline page, right? How is that going to work? Ned Wilbury 16:18, 12 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, we will cross that bridge when we get to it. That isn't an "official" page, incidentally, but only a proposal. We could decide to only use one, the other, or both, as is, or we could take aspects of both and do a "merge", as you suggest. StuRat 16:44, 12 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Will this help resolve disagreement, or only help delay disagreement? Ned Wilbury 16:46, 12 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

• It should be obvious that this page does not reflect consensus, since only one side of the earlier debate is included here. Proposals that do not reflect consensus are not merged, but {{rejected}}. (Radiant) 16:51, 12 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]