Wikipedia:Dispute Resolution Improvement Project/Newsletter: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 02:28, 20 August 2012

Revision as of 02:30, 20 August 2012

Line 2:

Welcome to the first edition of ''The Olive Branch''. This will be a place to semi-regularly update editors active in [[WP:DR|dispute resolution]] (DR) about some of the most important issues, advances, and challenges in the area. You were delivered this update because you are active in DR, but if you would prefer not to receive any messages, just remove your name from [[User:Ocaasi/DRlist|this list]].

'''Background''': Let's start with brief overview of the DR ecosystem. Most disputes begin at an article talk page, and many are settled there. Policy specific questions are typically raised at a noticeboard, such as [[WP:BLPN]] (biographies of living persons), [[WP:RSN]] (reliable sources), [[WP:ORN]] (original research), [[WP:FRINGE]] (alternative beliefs/pseudoscience), [[WP:CP]] or [[WP:NFCR]] or [[WP:MCQ]] (copyright), [[WP:PM]] (mergers), [[WP:RM]] (page moves), [[WP:ELN]] (external links) [[WP:NN]] (notability), [[WP:ANI]] (administrator's incidents), or [[WP:AN3]] (edit warring). User conduct issues go through [[WP:WQA|Wikiquette noticeboard]] while more serious situations warrant an [[WP:RFC/U]]. Small disputes can start with the lightweight [[WP:3O|thirdThird opinion]] process; more substantial disputes wind up at the [[WP:DRN|Dispute Resolutionresolution Noticeboardnoticeboard]]; and even more intractable issues arrive at [[WP:MEDCOM|the Mediation Committee]]. Some complex questions can be resolved with an [[WP:RFC]]. Last [WP:ARBCOM]] often needs to step in and levy a decision. An obvious observation here that there are ''a lot'' of places where dispute resolution happens. Some of them are more extensive, better known, or more effective than others.

'''Research''': One of the first steps in improving our DR processes has been getting good data about DR. This has been spearheaded by [[User:Szhang_(WMF)|Steven Zhang]] whose 2012 [[User:Steven_Zhang/Fellowship|Community Fellowship]] is focused on understanding and improving DR on Wikipedia. One of the key purposes of this newsletter will be to present the best research and ideas we have about which options are working and what we as a community might do about improving the rest of them.

Line 34:

|}

Of note is that the most active forum of those analyzed was the still relatively new Dispute Resolutionresolution Noticeboardnoticeboard. Also interesting is that WQA was often the fastest place to yield a response; however, the survey found WQA rarely resulted in satisfactory resolution. A follow-up of analysis is being done for August 2012, and ''The Olive Branch'' will summarize its findings once it comes out.

'''For Discussion''': Is it time to close [[WP:WQA|WQA]]? Please [[Wikipedia:Dispute_Resolution_Improvement_Project/Discussion|share your views]].