Wikipedia:Closing discussions

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This page is an attempt to develop some guidance on how and when talk page discussions should be closed. Closings are termed "archiving", although unlike traditional archiving, the discussion in question is not moved to a separate page, but is kept in place and enclosed in a shaded box. This can be accomplished by placing {{archivetop}} and {{archivebottom}} around a discussion. For the sake of avoiding confusion between traditional archiving and the kind of discussion archiving described above, this page will refer to the practice as "closing".

Discussions are usually closed in situations where someone, usually an administrator, decides that the discussion is irrelevant or disruptive. This practice is used quite often on pages that attract heated dispute, although there are no rules in place governing its use, and there are times when closing a discussion can create even more strife than had existed before.

Contents

[edit] Rationale for this (future) policy

Closings are meant to stop discussions from continuing. So far, the practice is regarded as de facto, and the right of any administrator to exercise when they deem it necessary. Being that Wikipedia runs on discussion, it is imperative that the power to stop a discussion from continuing not be given or handled lightly. Rules for its fair and proper use should be laid out, including the scenarios in which it is proper to close a discussion, who can do it, and what the possible consequences are should someone reopen a closed discussion. Reopening closed discussions is something editors have been blocked for in the past, which underlines the need for a policy.

[edit] Example of a closed discussion

A closed discussion looks like this:

The following discussion is preserved as an archive. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

The above discussion is preserved as an archive. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page, such as the current discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

[edit] Appropriate scenarios

  • Polls and other discussions with a formal time limit (XfDs)
  • Discussions that devolve into attack-counterattack, with no discussion of any actual issues.

[edit] Who can close discussions

(to be determined)

[edit] Consequences of re-opening a closed discussion

(to be determined)