User:Robertinventor/dft

On Wikinews
Transclusion requested Yes, things got heated last March. The conversation between Ca2james, Gryllida and me became charged and repetitive. Since then, I've been working on ways to minimize conflict on Wikinews talk pages. At the suggestion of Wikinewsie Gryllida, I started writing essays about my experience on Wikinews such as. I also wrote two conflict resolution essays. They didn't get past draft, but they got me thinking. If, for instance, I find myself in a two- or three-person conversation that has gone heated but is serving the needs of the project, simply writing up an answer and then waiting twelve hours before posting it slows everything down. Then heads are cooler and responses are more calm, productive, and even occasionally artistic.

Here are a few things I've tried since March:


 * If the conversation serves the needs of the project, tell the other person I need a break. "I wrote up a response to your post, but I think we need to slow down, or at least I do. Okay if I respond in 12 hours instead of now?" The other party responded well.


 * If the conversation's getting heated and not serving the needs of the project, then the trick is to get it to end: either let the other person have the last word, set the other person up for the last word, or give a last word that the other person won't feel the need to respond to.


 * I tried adopting a "let's do it together" response to anything that looks like a complaint, and it has seen some success.

I've tried all these things, and they work.


 * If the mentorship goes forward, I will be asking questions like "What am I missing?" and "Do you know a conflict resolution technique that would work?"

During the last time I was unblocked on Wikipedia, I was involved in no arguments of this kind. Unlike Wikinews articles, Wikipedia articles have no time limits. That makes it much easier to say "no thanks" and go work on something else.

Based on my six months experience when unblocked last time, I don't expect any arguments in mainspace editing outside of MoS and my experience in Wikinews will be invaluable for my sanction appeals and when eventually I return to MoS.

I am using them during this appeal as well and I hope you can see a difference from previous appeal discussions.

My plan for the future is if I ever notice myself going back and forth with someone else, and I feel the discussion might be getting even a little out of hand/uncivil, I'll step away from the discussion where I can, or do the things that I've tried in the past since the discussion that was referenced by you/Ca2james