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class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Meatpuppetry</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Meatpuppetry-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Meatpuppets_banned" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Meatpuppets_banned"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Meatpuppets banned</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Meatpuppets_banned-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Meatpuppets" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Meatpuppets"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Meatpuppets</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Meatpuppets-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Proper_consensus" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Proper_consensus"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Proper consensus</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Proper_consensus-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Vulnerable_processes" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Vulnerable_processes"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>Vulnerable processes</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Vulnerable_processes-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-List_of_'opponents'" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#List_of_'opponents'"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>List of 'opponents'</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-List_of_'opponents'-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Coordinated_actions" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Coordinated_actions"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>Coordinated actions</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Coordinated_actions-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Harassment" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Harassment"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9</span> <span>Harassment</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Harassment-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">10</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> 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data-mw-ve-target-container> <div class="vector-body-before-content"> <div class="mw-indicators"> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">For a consensus or silence in violation of a policy, guideline, or ArbCom decision, see <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Sham_consensus" title="Wikipedia:Sham consensus">Wikipedia:Sham consensus</a>.</div> <div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Essay on editing Wikipedia</div><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238436933">.mw-parser-output .ombox{margin:4px 0;border-collapse:collapse;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;background-color:var(--background-color-neutral-subtle,#f8f9fa);box-sizing:border-box;color:var(--color-base,#202122)}.mw-parser-output .ombox.mbox-small{font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em}.mw-parser-output .ombox-speedy{border:2px solid #b32424;background-color:#fee7e6}.mw-parser-output .ombox-delete{border:2px solid #b32424}.mw-parser-output .ombox-content{border:1px solid #f28500}.mw-parser-output .ombox-style{border:1px solid #fc3}.mw-parser-output .ombox-move{border:1px solid #9932cc}.mw-parser-output .ombox-protection{border:2px solid #a2a9b1}.mw-parser-output .ombox .mbox-text{border:none;padding:0.25em 0.9em;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .ombox .mbox-image{border:none;padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ombox .mbox-imageright{border:none;padding:2px 0.9em 2px 0;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ombox .mbox-empty-cell{border:none;padding:0;width:1px}.mw-parser-output .ombox .mbox-invalid-type{text-align:center}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .ombox{margin:4px 10%}.mw-parser-output .ombox.mbox-small{clear:right;float:right;margin:4px 0 4px 1em;width:238px}}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output table.ombox img{max-width:none!important}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .ombox-speedy{background-color:#310402}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .ombox-speedy{background-color:#310402}}</style><table class="plainlinks ombox ombox-notice" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/Essay.svg/30px-Essay.svg.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="36" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/Essay.svg/45px-Essay.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/Essay.svg/60px-Essay.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="35" data-file-height="42"/></span></span></td><td class="mbox-text"><div style="padding-top: 6px; padding-bottom: 5px;"><b>This is an <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Essays" title="Wikipedia:Essays">essay</a>.</b><br/><div style="font-size: 90%;">It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Policies_and_guidelines" title="Wikipedia:Policies and guidelines">Wikipedia's policies or guidelines</a>, as it has not been <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Consensus#Levels_of_consensus" title="Wikipedia:Consensus">thoroughly vetted by the community</a>. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints.</div></div></td><td class="mbox-imageright"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1252059228">.mw-parser-output .module-shortcutboxplain{float:right;margin:0 0 0 1em;border:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);background-color:var(--background-color-base,#fff);padding:0.3em 0.6em 0.2em 0.6em;text-align:center;font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .module-shortcutboxleft{float:left;margin:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .module-shortcutlist{display:inline-block;border-bottom:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);margin-bottom:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .module-shortcutboxplain ul{font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .module-shortcutanchordiv{position:relative;top:-3em}.mw-parser-output li .module-shortcutanchordiv{float:right}.mw-parser-output .mbox-imageright .module-shortcutboxplain{padding:0.4em 1em 0.4em 1em;line-height:1.3;margin:0}</style><div class="module-shortcutanchordiv"><span id="WP:FALSECON"></span></div><div class="module-shortcutboxplain noprint" role="note"><div class="module-shortcutlist"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Shortcut" title="Wikipedia:Shortcut">Shortcut</a></div><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style><div class="plainlist"><ul><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:FALSECON&redirect=no">WP:FALSECON</a></span></li></ul></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p><b>False <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Consensus" title="Wikipedia:Consensus">consensus</a></b> applies to any "consensus" arrived at through <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Canvassing" title="Wikipedia:Canvassing">canvassing</a>, <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Vote-stacking" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:Vote-stacking">vote-stacking</a>, <i>or any other manipulation of a process or discussion contrary to <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Policies_and_guidelines" title="Wikipedia:Policies and guidelines">policy</a> or to <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Arbitration_Committee" title="Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee">ArbCom</a> decisions.</i> </p><p>Administrators who become aware of any such manipulation should immediately disregard any such consensus, and re-open a new discussion, barring those who participated in any such improper activity. </p><p>Actions taken which treated any tainted consensus as proper may be discounted by ArbCom or by other administrators. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc"/> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Canvassing" data-mw-thread-id="h-Canvassing"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Canvassing"></span>Canvassing<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Canvassing"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:False_consensus&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Canvassing"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>9) Excessive cross-posting, campaigning, votestacking, stealth canvassing, and forum shopping are inappropriate forms of canvassing. Signs of biased canvassing include urging new editors to take a specific position in a conflict and only contacting one side of a dispute. To protect against rigged decisions, editors participating due to questionable canvassing may be discounted when evaluating consensus. </p><p>Passed 9 to 0 (with 1 abstention) on 19:19, 27 June 2009 (UTC). </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Meatpuppetry" data-mw-thread-id="h-Meatpuppetry"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Meatpuppetry"></span>Meatpuppetry<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Meatpuppetry"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:False_consensus&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Meatpuppetry"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>26) The recruitment of editors for the purpose of influencing a survey, performing reverts, or otherwise attempting to give the appearance of consensus is strongly discouraged. </p><p>Passed 14 to 0 at 21:29, 11 June 2009 (UTC) </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Meatpuppets_banned" data-mw-thread-id="h-Meatpuppets_banned"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Meatpuppets_banned"></span>Meatpuppets banned<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Meatpuppets_banned"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:False_consensus&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Meatpuppets banned"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>3) Any administrator may block indefinitely any suspected meatpuppet for good cause. This includes disruptive behavior like edit warring and personal attacks, but also skewing consensus or neutrality by flooding the discussion. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Meatpuppets" data-mw-thread-id="h-Meatpuppets"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Meatpuppets"></span>Meatpuppets<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Meatpuppets"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:False_consensus&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Meatpuppets"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>8) The recruitment of new editors to Wikipedia for the purpose of influencing a survey, perform reverts, or otherwise attempting to give the appearance of consensus is strongly discouraged. A new user who engages in the same behavior as another user in the same context, and who appears to be editing Wikipedia solely for that purpose, shall be subject to the remedies applied to the user whose behavior they are joining. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Proper_consensus" data-mw-thread-id="h-Proper_consensus"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Proper_consensus"></span>Proper consensus<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Proper_consensus"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:False_consensus&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Proper consensus"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The determination of proper consensus is vulnerable to unrepresentative participation from the community. </p><p>Because of the generally limited number of editors likely to participate in any given discussion, an influx of biased or partisan editors is likely to generate an improper illusion of a consensus where none (or a different one) would exist in a wider population. <small><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Arbitration/Index/Principles#Participation" title="Wikipedia:Arbitration/Index/Principles">Passed 9 to 0 at 17:29, 22 December 2009 (UTC)</a></small> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Vulnerable_processes" data-mw-thread-id="h-Vulnerable_processes"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Vulnerable_processes"></span>Vulnerable processes<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Vulnerable_processes"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:False_consensus&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Vulnerable processes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Processes internal to the functioning of the Wikipedia project also rely on consensus. Given the more decisive nature of the discussions, and the greater likelihood of harm, it is important that discussion leading to a decision be as representative as possible. In particular, discussion on the deletion boards, arbitration enforcement, and noticeboards are especially vulnerable to biased or partisan participation. <small><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Arbitration/Index/Principles#Consensus_in_internal_processes" title="Wikipedia:Arbitration/Index/Principles">Passed 9 to 0 at 17:29, 22 December 2009 (UTC)</a></small> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="List_of_'opponents'" data-mw-thread-id="h-List_of_'opponents'"><span id="List_of_.27opponents.27"></span><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-List_of_'opponents'"></span>List of 'opponents'<span data-mw-comment-end="h-List_of_'opponents'"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:False_consensus&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: List of 'opponents'"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Battle" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:Battle">Wikipedia is not a battleground</a>. It is not a place to hold grudges, import personal conflicts, or nurture hatred or fear. Making personal battles out of Wikipedia discussions goes directly against our policies and goals. In particular, making list of "opponents" or coordinating actions in order to drive off or punish perceived "adversaries" goes counter to the necessary collegial atmosphere required to write an encyclopedia. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Coordinated_actions" data-mw-thread-id="h-Coordinated_actions"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Coordinated_actions"></span>Coordinated actions<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Coordinated_actions"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:False_consensus&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Coordinated actions"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>When a group of editors consistently and repeatedly participate in the same discussions to support the same point of view — especially when many or most of the members of that group had little or no prior participation in the underlying dispute — it is reasonable to presume that they could be coordinating their actions. Evaluation of consensus in particularly divisive or controversial cases need to carefully weigh the possibility and avoid ascribing too much weight to the number of participants in a discussion — especially when policy enforcement or sanctions are considered. </p><p>(all above are in decisions or proposed decisions by ArbCom and unanimously supported ) </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Harassment" data-mw-thread-id="h-Harassment"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Harassment"></span>Harassment<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Harassment"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:False_consensus&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Harassment"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Various forms of <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Harassment" title="Wikipedia:Harassment">harassment</a> and related activities may have a goal to <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Disruptive_editing#Campaign_to_drive_away_productive_contributors" title="Wikipedia:Disruptive editing">demotivate unwanted members</a> of discussion so they would no longer participate. This form of harassment may be better prepared than something done by a random troll for pure pleasure. It may be based on some tendentiously twisted "facts" and include multiple people cooperating. After unwanted opponents leave, it is possible to achieve the false consensus between remaining participants or simply make the wanted change assuming that "no objections is a consensus". Harassment is against Wikipedia policies and should be dealt with accordingly. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="See_also" data-mw-thread-id="h-See_also"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-See_also"></span>See also<span data-mw-comment-end="h-See_also"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:False_consensus&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Sham_consensus" title="Wikipedia:Sham consensus">Wikipedia:Sham consensus</a> – more general</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Procedurally_flawed_consensus" title="Wikipedia:Procedurally flawed consensus">Wikipedia:Procedurally flawed consensus</a> – a variant</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Wrongful_consensus" title="Wikipedia:Wrongful consensus">Wikipedia:Wrongful consensus</a> – a variant</li></ul>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:False_consensus&oldid=1221644784">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:False_consensus&oldid=1221644784</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Wikipedia_essays_about_consensus" title="Category:Wikipedia essays about consensus">Wikipedia essays about consensus</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Wikipedia_behavioral_essays" title="Category:Wikipedia behavioral essays">Wikipedia behavioral essays</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 1 May 2024, at 03:55<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. 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