Wikipedia:Requests for mediation/Refactoring dispute

Refactoring dispute

 * Editors involved in this dispute
 * 1) – filing party


 * Articles affected by this dispute


 * Other attempts at resolving this dispute that you have attempted
 * Wikipedia talk:Manual of Style
 * User talk:SMcCandlish

Issues to be mediated

 * Primary issues (added by the filing party)
 * 1) SMcCandlish moved off-topic material in one thread at WT:MOS to separate the confused thread into separate discussions (both valid topics, but essentially unrelated other than both involving the same abbreviations; one is about MOS's own consistency, and the other is about what MOS should advise in articles).
 * 2) Dirtlawyer has repeatedly partially reverted this, objecting to refactoring. These reverts have been destructive, deleting intervening posts.
 * 3) Dirtlawyer's reasoning is that WP:TPO says "Cautiously editing or removing another editor's comments is sometimes allowed, but normally you should stop if there is any objection."
 * 4) SMcCandlish's reasoning is that "normally" does not apply here because the reverts are directly and intentionally confusing the two topics, and making both of them hard to follow and unlikely to come to consensus, while this refactoring is precisely what WP:REFACTOR advises.
 * 5) Dirtlawyer's response is that WP:REFACTOR is "just an essay".
 * 6) SMcCandlish's is that this is not valid reasoning on WP, in the face of both WP:COMMONSENSE and WP:TPO's wording ("normally" does not mean "always").


 * Additional issues (added by other parties)
 * Additional issue 1
 * Additional issue 2

Parties' agreement to mediation

 * 1) Agree.  — SMcCandlish ☺ ☏ ¢ ≽ʌⱷ҅ᴥⱷʌ≼  13:06, 12 August 2015 (UTC)
 * 2) DISAGREE. "Formal mediation is only suitable for disputes over article content, so requests to mediate grievances with other editors will not be accepted."  This dispute is a "grievance" and does not involve "article content"; there is no jurisdiction here.  Dirtlawyer1 (talk) 14:14, 12 August 2015 (UTC)

Decision of the Mediation Committee

 * Reject Fails to satisfy both prerequisite to mediation #2 "The dispute relates to the content of a Wikipedia article or other content page" and #3 "The dispute is not exclusively about the behaviour of a Wikipedia editor" either of which would be a proper and sufficient reason for rejection. For the Mediation Committee, TransporterMan  ( TALK ) 14:17, 12 August 2015 (UTC) (Chairperson)
 * And also rejected under prerequisite for mediation #5, "A majority of the parties to the dispute consent to mediation" —  TransporterMan  ( TALK ) 14:20, 12 August 2015 (UTC) (Chairperson)
 * Argh. Now what, then? WP:DRN is broken; can't add a request, as the page to do so is full-protected right now for some reason. WP:3O says it is limited to "a content or sourcing disagreement". WP:DRN also says it's only for "content disputes", anyway.  — SMcCandlish ☺ ☏ ¢ ≽ʌⱷ҅ᴥⱷʌ≼  14:21, 12 August 2015 (UTC)