All The Tropes Wiki Project, Part XXV

[robkelk]

In the course of dealing with WD Studios ("this asshole" cited above), I realized that while we have frequently cited the guidelines for how to get a page name changed, we never actually wrote them down anywhere.  So I just drafted the following, based in part on our "How to Get a Rule Changed" page (which we may want to modify based on what I wrote here, as it's a little loose and flippant).  Anyway, presented for admin review and approval before adding it to the site:

How to Get a Page Name Changed

Because of the potential for vandalism and [[Edit War]]s, the ability to rename pages -- called "Move" by MediaWiki for those unfamiliar with the wiki software -- has been limited to the wiki admins and moderators.  However, this does not mean it is impossible to change a page's name.  Like [[All The Tropes:How to Get a Rule Changed|other ways to change things at ATT]], it's a matter of conensus.

The process is simple:
* First, start a thread on the talk page of the page you want to rename or in the ATT forums, in which you propose the name change and lay out the reasons why you think it's both appropriate and necessary.
** You are responsible for contacting as many users as possible and asking them to weigh in on your proposal.  Not all users pay attention to the forums or even talk pages, so you can't rely on anyone just stumbling over your thread and offering their opinion.
* Convince the other users of the wiki you're right.

You or an administrator can call for a vote at any time, with the following caveats:
* You need to establish a consensus -- AKA a clear majority -- that the change is wanted.  This is at least three more "Yes" votes than there are "No" votes.  (In the simplest case, this means three users need to vote "Yes" with no one opposing.)
** Your own vote counts, so you should always have at least one "Yes" vote.<ref>If you don't, why are you even proposing the change?</ref>
* Lack of response by the other users is not to be considered approval of the change.  You need explicit "Yes" votes, not simply an absence of people saying "No".  Disinterest or apathy from other users means you haven't made your case.
* Voting periods should run at least 48 hours.  Not every user is on every single day.
* All votes are final.  Once a consensus one way or the other has been determined, that's it.  No retries, no begging the Governor of Georgia to find extra votes in your favor.

If at the end of the voting the consensus is to make the change, a moderator or admin will move the page and note that it has been done in the thread.

== Some hints: ==

* It helps immensely if you are an established editor with a history on the site.  While we won't dismiss a newbie out of hand, having "street cred" will get more (and more serious) attention paid to your suggestion.
* Be polite (or at least calm), even if — ''especially'' if — the discussion isn't going your way.  Getting snarky or insulting because you're not finding the support you want is not going to win you points with ''anyone''.

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Wiki Policy]]
[[Category:Wiki FAQs]]

Just had a thought... Are we going to apply these rules to "grammar fix" page renames? (For example, changing "Batman the Animated Series" to "Batman: The Animated Series".)

Why or why not?