User:Wikieditor662/Once and for all
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Note: the term 'once' does not always literally mean once, as in many cases, even a formal discussion result can change (see WP:CCC for more on that). It's used as an expression: after a discussion or RfC, change becomes less likely, but it is not entirely eliminated.
 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article or a Wikipedia policy, as it has not been reviewed by the community. |
 | This page in a nutshell: If an issue is controversial among editors, and there is unnecessary tension among the editors over this, then it is best to get a dispute resolution, community discussion, or RfC, so that the issue can become less relevant, and such discussion could be referenced to address future objections, instead of having long and drawn out disagreements. |
When this applies
This is meant for either:
a) Cases where users are over-arguing/debating in a talk page about a subject, where it appears to be clear that their discussions are not going to arrive at a resolution.
b) When editors frequently raise a subject from opposing viewpoints, or when disagreement is evident even if requests or objections are not regularly made.
Rather than letting these problems fester, and be long lasting, it's best to find a way to get these issues to a stronger agreement once and for all. See Wikipedia:Dispute resolution for how to do this.
How to use
Using the dispute resolution, you should start from the most minor solution which likely resolves the issue.
For example, if two users are disagreeing on a grammatical issue, a Third Opinion may be warranted. However, if the two users were debating whether Donald Trump should be called a felon in his first sentence, then getting a third opinion would not suffice.
If you decide the issue is large and it's best to do a high level dispute resolution, such as an RfC, It is recommended to notify involved editors before initiating a high-level dispute resolution like an RfC, unless you are certain it is appropriate and unlikely to cause controversy. See WP:BEFORERFC for a list of non-RFC ways to resolve a dispute.
Purpose
Once a formal resolution to a dispute has been concluded, much (or in some cases all) of the unnecessary tension around the case should be resolved, and editors can spend their time focusing on something else.
Referencing the outcome of a formal discussion resolution can also help address repeated objections, saving time and preventing edit wars.