Wikipedia:Mediation Cabal/Cases/2009-12-24/Wikipedia:Manual of Style

Where is the dispute?
Manual of Style

Who is involved?

 * User:Ozob
 * User:Noetica
 * User:Eubulides
 * User:Tony1
 * User:HWV258
 * User:A. di M.

What is the dispute?
The relevant thread is Wikipedia talk:Manual of Style.

On 11 December, User:Sławomir Biały editing the MoS's rules for spacing en dashes. This was reverted, and he began a discussion. The discussion has lasted for about three weeks now, and at times it has been heated. However, all the participants have been civil, and our discussion has clarified our and each others' positions.

On 17 December, A. di M. noted that the description of how to use en dashes was longer than it needed to be and that it might be good to copyedit it. On 20 December, I thought that we were at a bit of an impasse in the spacing discussion, and I thought that it would be good if we changed focus for a moment and tried to build consensus around a modified version of A. di M.'s proposal.

This discussion, too, has reached an impasse. I believe that we have or nearly have consensus for the proposal at Wikipedia talk:Manual of Style. Noetica does not. If I understand him correctly, Noetica believes that we must settle all the en dash issues together and create a unified text. This would involve spacing, the description of the uses of en dashes, as well as concerns about how to enter en dashes into edit boxes that were brought up in a different thread (Wikipedia talk:Manual of Style). I disagree with him; I believe that this issue is separate from the others and that we can reach consensus on this issue separately. He does not, and he tells me that if I put this text into the MoS then my edit will be reverted.

What would you like to change about this?
I would like for us to reach consensus on the text for the bullets under point one of the en dash rules (MoS 8.9.1), excepting the bullet about spacing where I believe further discussion is required. In particular, I would like for us to determine whether the text I proposed has consensus or not.

How do you think we can help?
I think that Noetica and I are no longer communicating. I do not understand his objection.