How to prevent edit warring

[Nereo Preto]

I think it might be useful to categorize talk page comments into at least two categories: arguments, and explanations.

I have a question.
Do talk pages contain only arguments and explanations?
Better, is there useful material other than arguments and explanations in talk pages at present?
For example, talk pages may include lists of useful references or resources, which I suppose do not fit in the above cathegories.
What if the template/rule exists, but the editor is not bound to enforce it unless he believes an edit war is going on? Constables may gently advise editors to enforse the rules, or not to, in particularly difficult cases.

Ooops, while I was writing, here it is! Great!

[Stephen Ewen]

...on totally uncontroversial topics, requiring the protocol might get in the way.  So we might say that this becomes a requirement for specified topics, when triggered by a contributor or a constable.

See http://forum.citizendium.org/index.php/topic,995.0.html for a relevant proposal from June.

[Martin Baldwin-Edwards]

Ah yes. the Naughty Scale! I had forgotten about that

[Larry Sanger]

Right--but the real question is what to do for the "naughtier" articles.  I've made one definite proposal and I would like us to try it out, but I don't pretend that it is the only possible solution.

[Larry Sanger]

OK, the apparatus is now in place:

Dispute Watch page: http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/CZ:Dispute_Watch

The {{prop}} template: http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Template:Prop

Dispute Watch category: http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Category:Dispute_Watch

Dispute Watch related changes: http://en.citizendium.org/wiki?title=Special:Recentchangeslinked&target=Category%3ADispute_Watch

Example of use: http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Talk:Oriental_%28word%29#.22For_most_Asians.22

I'm about to put "global warming" and "intelligent design" under dispute watch.  Just for fun!

[Martin Baldwin-Edwards]

The apparatus looks good: let's see if it works!