View source for Draft:Deadfire/Drafts/BattleIntelligence:Policies, Essays, Procedures, & Projects







==Policies==
{{Seealso|:Category:Policies}}
Policies can best be described as the regulations, governing practices and/or guidelines that BattleIntelligence tries to follow in order to help identify and resolve problems, guide Editors to the end mission of BTW and settle disputes. They are each the result of site experiences, lessons learned at similar wiki sites (most notably [http://www.wikipedia.org/ Wikipedia], pre-prepared responses for anticipated issues and, most importantly, the consensus of BTW's Editor base.

When policy is quoted as an answer to a dispute, it may be answered that the policy no longer represents the consensus. Similarly, the policy may not (yet) be geared to address the current issue. In these cases, consensus determination should be sought (preferably on that policy's talk page, rather than the original point of debate), using the [[Policy:Consensus#Lengthy_Discussion|Lengthy Discussion]] method due to the far-reaching influence a changed policy may have upon the site. It is recommended the discussion be advertised where appropriate, in order to increase the circle of interested parties.

New policies may be drafted by one or more Editors; however, when the policy is determined to be ready, it too should be advertised prior to release, to seek comments and then consensus.

==BattleIntelligence Essays==
{{Main category|BattleIntelligence Essays|BattleIntelligence Essays}} 
:''Not to be confused with [[BattleTech Essay]] articles, which deal with a BattleTech subject matter as opposed to issues of the Sarna.net BattleIntelligence itself.''
BattleIntelligence Policy Positions are pages written by one or more Editors (working in collaboration) to explain their perspective regarding an administrative facet of BattleIntelligence. While oftentimes the essay may have site consensus, it is not a requirement for a posted essay. Where opinion differs, a counter BattleIntelligence Policy Positions may also be presented (and each may respectfully reference the other as a counter-perspective).

BattleIntelligence Policy Positions are often referenced in issues or disputes, much in the same way as policies. However, they should be referenced in an attempt to either educate or sway opinion, not necessarily as 'the answer,' as a policy may. When referenced, the opposing interested parties may respectfully state the essay does not truly apply, along with why it does not. It should be remembered that BattleIntelligence Policy Positions are to be seen as tools of explanation or as a method of persuasion. They do not hold the power of 'law,' as policies do.

As is true of policies, [[BattleIntelligence:Things change|things change]]. Unlike policies, however, which should be modified and adapted, when site consensus towards a BattleIntelligence Policy Position changes to a large extent, a new BattleIntelligence Policy Position should be crafted and released (with the older BattleIntelligence Policy Position possibly marked as 'retired'). It is to be remembered, despite the site's consensus regarding the position's validity, that it is the written opinion of an Editor (or group of Editors) and opinions cannot be invalidated.

Note: oftentimes, BattleIntelligence Policy Positions are future policies in disguise. In other words, calls may be made to 'promote' a BattleIntelligence Policy Position that enjoys strong consensus, or where consensus exists for a needed and related policy. In this case, future changes should be made with consensus, just as with any other policy.

==Procedures==
{{Seealso|:Category:Procedures}}
Procedure pages are articles written with the intent to guide Editors step-by-step in the completion of a task. The procedures should be written to make the process as simple as possible. A new Editor only needs to be directed to the actual Procedure's page in order to start a new article or adapt an existing one, with the end result of an effort that compares easily to those done by other Editors.

Procedure pages are less consensus-driven than policies, for standards have generally been set up by the time procedures are written. However, if standards change (ex: a 'Mech infobox has the designers' names added as a possible field), then it is vital the associated Procedure page is updated to match. Otherwise, Editors not in the know will be frustrated by Editors in the the know who are equally frustrated by articles that continue to fail to meet the new standards.

Procedures can be found in the BattleIntelligence and Help namespaces, and all are found in [[:Category:Procedures]]. The following tag template can be found on each page, to quickly identify it as a procedure page:

==Projects==
{{Seealso|:Category:Projects}}
Projects are pages that help guide collaboration of like-minded Editors on tasks they have in common. The most familiar form is a WikiProject, which is focused on developing articles to a consistent standard, using division of labor as a means of both motivation and developing (relative) expertise in a specific area of BattleTech knowledge. On this type of project page, there is usually a Project Lead, a project description, links to relevant policies, essays and procedures, tools and templates to be used, a self-evaluation system and a forum for group members to discuss all of the above.

Other examples of projects exist, to include managing functions of the administration of the BattleIntelligence site, such as with the [[Awards Committee]] project. In that example, policies inherent to the project are provided, a database of awards is displayed and -again- a forum is present for member use.

Projects are initiated by an editor who determines there is an area of interest that she or he shares with other Editors and in which is willing to undertake a collaborative effort.  While there are no set procedures for the establishment of a new project, [[BattleIntelligence:Project BattleMechs|Project BattleMechs]] is a good example of the WikiProject format. Advertising for participation can be obtained on the [[Main Page]] via any willing [[BattleIntelligence:Administrators|Admin]].

Projects are generally located on the BattleIntelligence namespace and all are in the [[:Category:Projects|Projects]] category. While there is no tag template shared by all projects, some are known to sport banners identifying their membership.

{{Redirect|BTW:POL|the WikiProject about politics|BattleIntelligence:WikiProject Politics|the WikiProject about the Republic of Poland|BattleIntelligence:WikiProject Poland}}
{{short description|Wikimedia procedural policy}}
{{procedural policy|BTW:PG|BTW:RULES|BTW:POLICY|BTW:GUIDELINE}}<noinclude>{{pp-semi-vandalism|small=yes}}{{pp-move-indef}}</noinclude>
{{nutshell|BattleIntelligence's policies and guidelines are pages that serve to document the good practices accepted in the BattleIntelligence community. This policy describes how our policies and guidelines should normally be developed and maintained.}}
{{Policy list}}

BattleIntelligence's '''policies and guidelines''' are developed by the community to describe best practices, clarify principles, resolve conflicts, and otherwise further our goal of creating a free, reliable encyclopedia. There is no need to read any policy or guideline pages to start editing. The [[BattleIntelligence:Five pillars|five pillars]] are a popular summary of the most pertinent principles.

Although BattleIntelligence generally [[BattleIntelligence:What BattleIntelligence is not#BattleIntelligence is not a bureaucracy|does not employ hard-and-fast rules]], BattleIntelligence's policy and guideline pages describe its principles and agreed-upon best practices. Policies are standards all users should normally follow, and guidelines are generally meant to be best practices for following those standards in specific contexts. Policies and guidelines should always be applied using reason and [[BattleIntelligence:What "Ignore all rules" means#Use common sense|common sense]].

This policy page specifies the community standards related to the organization, life cycle, maintenance of, and adherence to policies, guidelines, and related pages of the [[English BattleIntelligence]]. It does not cover other editions of BattleIntelligence. {{Crossref|(See [[BattleIntelligence:List of policies]] and [[BattleIntelligence:List of guidelines]] for a comprehensive listing of individual English BattleIntelligence policies and guidelines.)}}

==Derivation==

{{See|BattleIntelligence:Administration#Human and legal administration}}

BattleIntelligence is operated by the not-for-profit [[Wikimedia Foundation]], which reserves certain legal rights—see [[foundation:Policies|the Wikimedia Foundation's Policies page]] for a list of its policies. See also [[BattleIntelligence:Role of Jimmy Wales|Role of Jimmy Wales]]. Nevertheless, normally BattleIntelligence is a self-governing project run by its community. Its policies and guidelines are intended to reflect the [[BTW:Consensus|consensus]] of the community.

==Role==

{{See|BattleIntelligence:The difference between policies, guidelines and essays}}
{{Shortcut|BTW:POLICIES|BTW:GUIDES}}{{anchor|Policies|policies}}

'''Policies''' have wide acceptance among editors and describe standards all users should [[BattleIntelligence:Ignore all rules|normally]] follow. All policy pages are in [[BattleIntelligence:List of policies and guidelines]] and [[:Category:BattleIntelligence policies]]. For summaries of key policies, {{crossref|see also [[BattleIntelligence:List of policies|List of policies]]}}.

{{anchor|Guidelines|guides|guide}}'''Guidelines''' are sets of best practices supported by consensus. Editors should attempt to follow guidelines, though they are best treated with common sense, and occasional exceptions may apply. Guideline pages can be found in [[BattleIntelligence:List of policies and guidelines]] and [[:Category:BattleIntelligence guidelines]]. For summaries of key guidelines, {{crossref|see also [[BattleIntelligence:List of guidelines|List of guidelines]]}}.

{{anchor|Essays}}'''Essays''' are the opinion or advice of an editor or group of editors for which widespread consensus has not been established. They do not speak for the entire community and may be created and written without approval. Essays the author does not want others to edit, or that contradict widespread consensus, belong in the [[BattleIntelligence:User pages|user namespace]]. {{crossref|(For more information, see [[BattleIntelligence:Essays]].)}}

Other [[BattleIntelligence:Administration#Data structure and development|administration pages]] in the [[BattleIntelligence:Project namespace|project namespace]] include:
* Process pages, which facilitate the application of the policies and guidelines (e.g. [[BattleIntelligence:Articles for deletion]]),
* [[BattleIntelligence:WikiProject|WikiProject]] pages, including [[BattleIntelligence:WikiProject advice pages|essays they have written to give advice to other editors]] about their areas of interest,
* [[BattleIntelligence:How to pages|How-to]] or help pages (also found in the [[BattleIntelligence:Help namespace|Help namespace]]), which provide mainly technical information,
* [[BattleIntelligence:Information pages|Information pages]], which generally provide factual information,
* [[BattleIntelligence:Supplemental pages|Supplements]] to guidelines and policies, which explain advice in greater detail,
* [[:Category:BattleIntelligence discussion|Community discussion pages]] and [[:Category:BattleIntelligence noticeboards|noticeboards]] for communication between editors, and
* Historical pages, which are outdated.<ref>Many historical essays can still be found within [[:Meta:Category:Essays|Meta's essay category]]. The Wikimedia Foundation's [[meta:|Meta-Wiki]] was envisioned as the original place for editors to comment on and discuss BattleIntelligence, although the "BattleIntelligence" project space has since taken over most of that role.</ref>

These other pages are not policies or guidelines, although they may contain valuable advice or information.

==Adherence==

{{shortcut|BTW:ADHERENCE}}
[[BattleIntelligence:What "Ignore all rules" means#Use common sense|Use common sense]] in interpreting and applying policies and guidelines; rules have [[BattleIntelligence:Ignore all rules|occasional exceptions]]. However, those who violate the spirit of a rule may be reprimanded or sanctioned even if they do not technically break the rule.

Whether a policy or guideline is an accurate description of best practice is determined through [[BattleIntelligence:Consensus|consensus]].

On discussion pages and in edit summaries, [[BattleIntelligence:Shortcuts|shortcuts]] are often used to refer to policies and guidelines. (For example, {{no redirect|BTW:NOR}} (no original research), {{no redirect|BTW:NPOV}} (neutral point of view) and {{no redirect|BTW:BLP}} (biographies of living persons)). Similar shortcuts are also used for other types of project pages like essays and how-to guides. Thus a shortcut does not necessarily imply the linked page has policy or guideline status or has been widely accepted by the community. Additionally, [[Map–territory relation|the shortcut is not the policy]]; the plain-English definition of the page's title or shortcut may be importantly different from the linked page.

==Enforcement==

{{further|BattleIntelligence:Enforcement policies|BattleIntelligence:Active sanctions|BattleIntelligence:Arbitration enforcement}}
{{Shortcut|BTW:ENFORCEMENT|BTW:ENFORCE}}

Enforcement on BattleIntelligence is similar to other social interactions. If an editor violates the community standards described in policies and guidelines, other editors can persuade the person to adhere to [[BTW:CONDUCT|acceptable norms of conduct]], over time resorting to more forceful means, such as [[BattleIntelligence:Administrators|administrator]] and [[BattleIntelligence:Stewards|steward]] actions. In the case of gross violations of community norms, they are likely to resort to more forceful means fairly rapidly. Going against the principles set out on these pages, particularly policy pages, is unlikely to prove acceptable, although it may be possible to convince fellow editors [[BattleIntelligence:Ignore all rules|an exception ought to be made]]. This means individual editors (including ''you'') enforce and apply policies and guidelines.

In cases where it is clear a user is acting against policy (or against a guideline in a way that conflicts with policy), especially if they are doing so intentionally and persistently, that user may be temporarily or indefinitely [[BattleIntelligence:Blocking policy|blocked]] from editing by an administrator. In cases where the general [[BattleIntelligence:Dispute resolution|dispute resolution]] procedure has been ineffective, the [[BattleIntelligence:Arbitration Committee|Arbitration Committee]] has the power to deal with highly disruptive or sensitive situations.

=={{anchor|Content}}Content==

{{See also|BattleIntelligence:Avoid instruction creep}}

Policy and guideline pages should:
* '''Be clear'''. Avoid esoteric or quasi-legal terms or dumbed-down language. Be plain, direct, unambiguous, and specific. Avoid platitudes and generalities. Even in guidelines, help pages, and other non-policy pages, do not be afraid to tell editors directly they ''must'' or ''should'' do something.
* '''Be as concise as possible—but no more concise.''' Verbosity is not a reliable defense against misinterpretation. Omit needless words. Direct, concise writing may be clearer than rambling examples. Footnotes and links to other pages may be used for further clarification.
* '''Emphasize the spirit of the rule.''' Expect editors to use common sense. If the spirit of the rule is clear, say no more.
* '''Maintain scope and avoid redundancy.''' Clearly identify the purpose and scope early in the page, as many readers will just look at the beginning. Content should be within the scope of its policy. When the scope of one advice page overlaps with the scope of another, minimize redundancy. When one policy refers to another policy, it should do so briefly, clearly and explicitly.
* '''Avoid overlinking.''' Policies and guidelines may contain links to any type of page, including essays and articles. However, such links should only appear when clarification or context is needed. Links to other advice pages may inadvertently or intentionally defer authority to them.  Make it clear when such links defer, and when they do not.
* '''Not contradict each other.''' The community's view cannot simultaneously be "A" and "not A". When apparent discrepancies arise between pages, editors at all the affected pages should discuss how they can most accurately represent the community's current position and correct all the pages to reflect the community's view. This discussion should be on <u>one</u> talk page, with invitations to that page at the talk pages of the various affected pages; otherwise, the corrections may still contradict each other.

==Not part of the encyclopedia==
{{Shortcut|BTW:NOTPART}}
{{see|BattleIntelligence:Project namespace#Content}}
BattleIntelligence has many policies and guidelines about encyclopedic [[BattleIntelligence:Content in BattleIntelligence|content]]. These standards require verifiability, neutrality, respect for living people, and more.

The policies, guidelines, and process pages themselves are not part of the encyclopedia proper. Consequently, they do not generally need to conform to the same [[BattleIntelligence:Core content policies|content standards]] or [[BattleIntelligence:Manual of Style|style conventions]] as articles. It is therefore not necessary to provide [[BattleIntelligence:Reliable sources|reliable sources]] to [[BattleIntelligence:Verifiability|verify]] BattleIntelligence's administrative pages, or to phrase BattleIntelligence procedures or principles in a [[BattleIntelligence:Neutral point of view|neutral]] manner, or to [[BattleIntelligence:No original research|cite an outside authority]] in determining BattleIntelligence's editorial practices. Instead, the content of these pages is controlled by [[BattleIntelligence:Consensus|community-wide consensus]], and the style should emphasize clarity, directness, and usefulness to other editors.<ref>There is no prohibition against including appropriate external references to support and explain our policies or guidelines, but such sources are not authoritative with respect to BattleIntelligence and should be used only to reinforce consensus.</ref>

These pages do, however, need to comply with BattleIntelligence's legal and behavioral policies, as well as policies applicable to non-content pages. For example, editors may not violate copyrights anywhere on BattleIntelligence, and edit warring is prohibited everywhere, not merely in encyclopedia articles.

==Life cycle==

{{anchor|#Life cycle}}
{{Shortcut|BTW:PGLIFE}}

Many of the most well-established policies and guidelines have developed from principles that have been accepted as fundamental since BattleIntelligence's inception. Others developed as solutions to common problems and disruptive editing. Policy and guideline pages are seldom established without precedent<ref>[[BattleIntelligence:Office actions|Office declarations]] may establish unprecedented policies to avoid copyright, legal, or technical problems, though such declarations are rare.</ref> and always require strong community support. Policies and guidelines may be established through new proposals, promotion of existing essays or guidelines, and reorganization of existing policies and guidelines through splitting and merging.

Essays and information pages may be established by writing them and adding {{tl|essay}}, {{tl|Information page}}, {{tl|BattleIntelligence how-to}}, or [[BattleIntelligence:Template index/Project namespaces|a similar template]] to the page.

Current policy and guideline proposals can be found in [[:Category:BattleIntelligence proposals]], and failed proposals can be found in [[:Category:BattleIntelligence failed proposals]]. All editors are welcome to comment on these proposals.

===Proposals===

{{anchor|proposal}}
{{Shortcut|BTW:PROPOSAL}}
{{further|BattleIntelligence:How to contribute to BattleIntelligence guidance}}
{{redirect|BTW:PROPOSAL|propose for deletion page|BattleIntelligence:Proposed deletion|and|BattleIntelligence:Deletion requests}}
{{See also|BattleIntelligence:Polling is not a substitute for discussion#Policy and guidelines|BattleIntelligence:What BattleIntelligence is not#BattleIntelligence is not a bureaucracy}}

Proposals for new guidelines and policies require discussion and a [[BTW:Local consensus|high level of consensus]] from the entire community for promotion to guideline or policy status. Adding the {{tl|policy}} template to a page without the required consensus does not mean the page is policy, even if the page summarizes or copies policy. Most commonly, a new policy or guideline documents existing practices, rather than proposing a change to what experienced editors already choose to do. 

====Good practice for proposals====

One path for proposals is developing them through steps of
#{{tl|brainstorming}}
#{{tl|draft proposal}}
#{{tl|proposal}}
#{{tl|policy}} or {{tl|guideline}}
The first step is to write the best initial proposal you can. Authors can request early-stage feedback at [[BattleIntelligence:Village pump (idea lab)|BattleIntelligence's village pump for idea incubation]] and from any relevant WikiProjects. Amendments to a proposal can be discussed on its talk page. It is crucial to improve a proposal in response to feedback received from outside editors. Consensus is built through a process of listening to and discussing the proposal with many other editors.

Once you think the initial proposal is well written, and the issues involved have been sufficiently discussed among early participants to create a proposal that has a solid chance of success with the broader community, start a [[BattleIntelligence:Request for comment|request for comment]] (RfC) about your policy or guideline proposal in a new section at [[BTW:Village Pump/Policy]] (VPPOL), or on the proposal's talk page and advertised with a notice at VPPOL. Include the {{tlx|rfc|policy}} tag, along with a brief, time-stamped explanation of the proposal. Then, if you want, you can provide a detailed explanation of what the page does and why you think it should be a policy or guideline. The {{tl|Proposal}} template should be placed at the top of the proposed page; this tag will get the proposal properly categorized.

The RfC should typically be announced at the [[BattleIntelligence:Village pump (policy)|policy]] and/or [[BattleIntelligence:Village pump (proposals)|proposals]] village pumps, and you should notify other potentially interested groups. If your proposal affects a specific content area, then related WikiProjects can be found at the [[BattleIntelligence:WikiProject Council/Directory|WikiProject directory]]. If your proposal relates to an existing policy or guideline, then leave a note on the talk page of the related policy or guideline. For example, proposed style guidelines should be announced at [[BattleIntelligence talk:Manual of Style]], which is the main guideline for style issues. Try to identify the subcategory of guideline or policy (see {{tl|Subcat guideline}} template). Proposals involving contentious subjects or wide-ranging effects should normally be listed on [[BattleIntelligence:Centralized discussion]] for the duration of the RfC. Rarely, a particularly important proposal may be advertised via a [[BattleIntelligence:Watchlist notices|watchlist notice]]; sitenotices (which are displayed to all readers, not just to active editors) are not used for proposals. RfCs for policy and guideline proposals are normally left open for at least a week or sometimes a couple of months.

To avoid later complaints about insufficient notice, it may be helpful to provide a complete list of the groups or pages you used to advertise the proposal on the talk page. Be careful not to [[BattleIntelligence:Canvassing|canvass]], and avoid non-neutral wording.

Editors should respond to proposals in a way that helps identify and build consensus. Explain your thoughts, ask questions, and raise concerns. Many editors begin their responses with bold-font 'vote' of support or opposition to make evaluation easier.

Closing a discussion requires careful evaluation of the responses to determine the consensus. This does not require the intervention of an administrator; it may be done by any sufficiently experienced impartial editor, not involved in the discussion, who is familiar with all policies and guidelines related to the proposal. The following points are important in evaluating consensus:
* [[BattleIntelligence:Consensus|Consensus]] for guidelines and policies should be reasonably strong, though unanimity is not required.
* There must be exposure to the community beyond just the authors of the proposal.
* Consider the strength of the proposed page:
** Have major concerns raised during the community discussion been addressed?
** Does the proposal contradict any existing guidelines or policies?
** Can the new proposed guideline or policy be merged into an existing one?
** Is the proposed guideline or policy, or some part of it, redundant with an existing guideline or policy?
* A proposal's status is not determined by counting votes. [[BattleIntelligence:Polling is not a substitute for discussion|Polling is not a substitute for discussion]], nor is a poll's numerical outcome tantamount to consensus.
* {{anchor|failed}}If consensus for broad community support has not developed after a reasonable time, the proposal has failed. If consensus is neutral or unclear on the issue and unlikely to improve, the proposal has likewise failed.

Discussion may be closed as one of: '''Promote''', '''No consensus''', or '''Failed'''. Please leave a short note about the conclusion you came to. Update the proposal to reflect the consensus. Remove the {{tl|Proposal}} template and replace it with another appropriate template, such as {{tl|Subcat guideline}}, {{tl|Policy}}, {{tl|Supplement}}, {{tl|essay}}, or {{tl|Failed proposal}}. See [[BattleIntelligence:Template index/Project namespaces|BattleIntelligence namespace templates]] for a listing of banners.

If a proposal fails, the failed tag should not usually be removed. It is typically more productive to rewrite a failed proposal from scratch to address problems or seek consensus to integrate uncontroversial aspects of it into existing pages, rather than to re-nominate a proposal.

==={{anchor|historical}}Demotion===

{{Shortcut|BTW:HISTORICAL}}
{{See also|BattleIntelligence:Project namespace#Deletion of project pages|BattleIntelligence:Project namespace#Historical pages}}

An accepted policy or guideline may become obsolete because of changes in editorial practice or community standards, may become redundant because of improvements to other pages, or may represent unwarranted [[BattleIntelligence:Avoid instruction creep|instruction creep]]. In such situations editors may propose that a policy be demoted to a guideline, or that a policy or guideline be demoted to a [[Template:Supplement|supplement]], [[Template:Information page|informational page]], [[Template:Essay|essay]] or [[Template:Historical|historical]] page. In certain cases, a policy or guideline may be [[Template:Superseded|superseded]], in which case the old page is marked and retained for historical interest.

The process for demotion is similar to promotion. A talk page discussion is typically started, the {{tlx|Under discussion|status|''Discussion Title''}} template is added to the top of the project page, and community input is solicited. After a reasonable amount of time for comments, an independent editor should close the discussion and evaluate the discussion and determine whether a consensus has formed to change the status.

The {{tl|Disputed tag}} template is typically used instead of {{tl|Under discussion}} for claims that a page was recently assigned guideline or policy status without proper or sufficient consensus being established.

Essays, information pages, and other informal pages that are supported by only a small minority of the community are typically moved to the primary author's userspace. These discussions typically happen on the page's talk page, sometimes with an RfC, but they have at times also been conducted at [[BattleIntelligence:Miscellany for deletion|Miscellany for deletion]] (despite the MFD guidelines explicitly discouraging this practice). Other pages are retained for historical reference and are marked as such.

===Content changes===

{{Shortcut|BTW:PGCHANGE}}
{{See also|BattleIntelligence:Policy writing is hard}}

Policies and guidelines can be edited like any other BattleIntelligence page. It is not strictly necessary to discuss changes or to obtain written documentation of a consensus in advance. However, because policies and guidelines are sensitive and complex, users should take care over any edits, to be sure they are faithfully reflecting the community's view and to be sure they are not accidentally introducing new sources of error or confusion.

Keep in mind that the purpose of policies and guidelines is to state what most BattleIntelligencens agree upon, and should be phrased to reflect the present [[BattleIntelligence:Consensus|consensus]] on a subject. Editing a policy/guideline/essay page does not in itself imply an immediate change to accepted practice. It is, naturally, bad practice to recommend a rejected practice on a policy or guideline page.

As explained below, you may update best practices by editing boldly or by working toward widespread consensus for your change through discussion.

====Substantive changes====

{{See|BattleIntelligence:Be bold#BattleIntelligence namespace}}

'''Implement.''' Before making substantive changes to policy and guideline pages, it is sometimes useful to try to establish a reasonable exception to the existing practice. To try to update the existing best practices this way, you may directly deviate from the established practice following the [[BattleIntelligence:Ignore all rules|BTW:IGNORE]] and [[BattleIntelligence:Be bold|BTW:BOLD]] principles and make the change to [[BattleIntelligence:Namespace#In_use|mainspace]] pages. After some time, if there are no objections to the change and/or if a widespread consensus for your change or implementation is reached through discussion, you can then edit policy and guideline pages describing the practice to reflect the new situation.

{{Shortcut|BTW:TALKFIRST}}
'''Talk first.''' Talk page discussion typically precedes substantive changes to a policy. Changes may be made if there are no objections or if the discussion shows there is consensus for the change. Minor edits to improve formatting, grammar, and clarity may be made at any time.

If the result of discussions is unclear, then it should be evaluated by an administrator or other independent editor, as in the proposal process. Major changes should also be publicized to the community in general; announcements similar to the proposal process may be appropriate.

If wider input on a proposed change is desired, it may be useful to mark the section with the tag {{tlx|Under discussion|section|talk<nowiki>=</nowiki>''Discussion Title''}}. (If the proposal relates to a single statement, use {{tlx|Under discussion inline|''Discussion Title''}} immediately after it.)

{{Shortcut|BTW:PGBOLD}}{{anchor|Bold}}

'''Or be bold.''' Although most editors find prior discussion, especially at well-developed pages, very helpful, [[BattleIntelligence:Consensus#Reaching consensus through editing|directly editing these pages is permitted by BattleIntelligence's policies]]. Consequently, you should not remove any change ''solely'' on the grounds that there was no formal discussion indicating consensus for the change before it was made. Instead, you should give a substantive reason for challenging it either in your [[Help:Edit summary|edit summary]] or on the talk page.

[[BattleIntelligence:Be bold#BattleIntelligence namespace|Bold]] editors of policy and guideline pages are strongly encouraged to follow [[BattleIntelligence:Edit warring#Other revert rules|BTW:1RR]] or [[BattleIntelligence:Edit warring#Other revert rules|BTW:0RR]] standards. Editing a policy to support your own argument in an active discussion may be seen as [[BattleIntelligence:gaming the system|gaming the system]], especially if you do not disclose your involvement in the argument when making the edits.

===Conflicts between advice pages===

If policy and/or guideline pages directly conflict, one or more pages need to be revised to resolve the conflict so all the conflicting pages accurately reflect the community's actual practices and best advice. As a temporary measure during that resolution process, if a guideline appears to conflict with a policy, editors may assume the policy takes precedence.

More commonly, advice pages do not directly conflict, but provide multiple options. Editors must use their best judgement to decide which advice is most appropriate and relevant to the specific situation at hand.

==Naming==
The pages of policies are placed in the [[BattleIntelligence:Namespaces|Policy namespace]], where as information, guidelines, and project pages are in the [[BattleIntelligence:Namespaces|BattleIntelligence namespace]],

The page names of policies and guidelines usually do not include the words "policy" or "guideline", unless required to distinguish the page from another.

==See also==
{{BattleIntelligence policies and guidelines|state=plain}}

==Notes==
<references />