User:Awilley/Enforced BRD FAQ

FAQ

 * Q1: What's going on here?
 * A: The "Consensus Required" sanction "All editors must obtain consensus on the talk page of this article before reinstating any edits that have been challenged (via reversion). This includes making edits similar to the ones that have been challenged. If in doubt, don't make the edit." is being replaced with an "Enforced BRD" sanction "If an edit you make is challenged by reversion you must discuss the issue on the article talk page and wait 24 hours (from the time of the original edit) before reinstating your edit."


 * Q2: Does this mean that consensus is no longer required?
 * A: No. WP:CONSENSUS is still a policy that applies everywhere. BRD is just another way of reaching consensus.


 * Q3: OK, so what's actually changing?
 * A: "Consensus required" puts a complete freeze on making any edits similar to the one that was reverted until a consensus is reached through talkpage discussion. "BRD" still requires talkpage discussion, but lifts the freeze on editing so that as you gain a better understanding of the reverter's concerns, you can attempt a new edit that addresses some aspect of those concerns.


 * Q4: Doesn't removing the "Consensus required" sanction make it so that editors can game 1RR and engage in tag-team edit warring?
 * A: Yes. But editors who are found gaming the system or participating in tag-team (group) revert wars without consensus will likely incur a new "Consensus required" discretionary sanction applied to them directly at the user-level.


 * Q5: The BRD sanction says wait 24 hours before "reinstating" your edit. Are partial reverts ok?
 * A: The traditional definition of revert applies, so a partial revert before the 24 hour mark would violate the sanction. After the 24 hour mark, partial reverts that take into account the objections of other editors are highly encouraged.


 * Q6: What does this change mean for articles that have an explicit list of "current consensus" on the talk page?
 * A: This changes nothing. Clear talkpage consensus can still be enforced as usual, and reverts enforcing clear talkpage consensus are still exempt from 1RR. (See the "small print" in the collapsed portion of the sanctions template.)


 * Q7: Why do I have to wait 24 hours between my Bold edit and my first Revert?
 * A: The 24 hour rule is meant to prevent the BRR scenario where Editor A makes a Bold edit, Editor B Reverts (using their 1RR), and then Editor A immediately Reverts (using their 1RR and leaving the article in a non-consensus state). It also allows time for discussion on the talk page.


 * Q8: What if nobody responds to my talkpage post within 24 hours?
 * A: Then you may reinstate your edit, preferably taking into account whatever concerns might have been expressed in the reverting edit summary.


 * Q9: I just saw somebody else's bold edit get reverted. Can I reinstate the edit, or do I need to post to the talk page first?
 * A: You can reinstate the edit without violating this sanction, but if your revert gets reverted you must then discuss and wait 24 hours before re-reverting. That said, unless the revert was really bad it's a better idea to go to the talkpage before reverting. And if you stumble upon an active edit war between multiple editors you should definitely try to find a compromise/consensus on the talk page before participating in any reverting.


 * Q10: What if this goes horribly wrong and the new sanction causes more problems then it solves?
 * A: Then I'll remove it.