MarioWiki:Proposals

Current time: Saturday, November 16th, 03:16 GMT

Proposals can be new features, the removal of previously-added features that have tired out, or new policies that must be approved via consensus before any action is taken. Voting periods last for two weeks. Any user can support or oppose, but must have a strong reason for doing so (not, e.g., "I like this idea!"). All proposals must be approved by a majority of voters, including proposals with more than two options. For past proposals, see the proposal archive and the talk page proposal archive.

A proposal section works like a discussion page: comments are brought up and replied to using indents (colons, such as : or ::::) and all edits are signed using the code {{User|User name}}.

How to

Rules

1. If users have an idea about improving the wiki or managing its community, but feel that they need community approval before acting upon that idea, they may make a proposal about it. They must have a strong argument supporting their idea and be willing to discuss it in detail with the other users, who will then vote about whether or not they think the idea should be used. Proposals should include links to all relevant pages and writing guidelines. Proposals must include a link to the draft page. Any pages that would be largely affected by the proposal should be marked with {{proposal notice}}.
2. Only autoconfirmed users may create or vote on proposals and talk page proposals. While only autoconfirmed users can comment on proposals, anyone is free to comment on talk page proposals.
3. Proposals end at the end of the day (23:59) two weeks after voting starts (all times GMT).
   • For example, if a proposal is added at any time on Monday, August 1, 2011, the voting starts immediately and the deadline is two weeks later on Monday, August 15, at 23:59 GMT.
4. Users may vote for more than one option, but they may not vote for every option available.
5. Every vote should have a strong, sensible reason accompanying it. Agreeing with a previously mentioned reason given by another user is accepted (including "per" votes), but tangential comments, heavy sarcasm, and other misleading or irrelevant quips are just as invalid as providing no reason at all.
6. Users who feel that certain votes were cast in bad faith or which truly have no merit can address the votes in the comments section. Users can ask a voter to clarify their position, point out mistakes or flaws in their arguments, or call for the outright removal of the vote if it lacks sufficient reasoning. Users may not remove or alter the content of anyone else's votes. Voters can remove or rewrite their own vote(s) at any time, but the final decision to remove another user's vote lies solely with the wiki staff.
   • Users can also use the comments section to bring up any concerns or mistakes in regards to the proposal itself. In such cases, it's important the proposer addresses any concerns raised as soon as possible. Even if the supporting side might be winning by a wide margin, that should be no reason for such questions to be left unanswered. They may point out any missing details that might have been overlooked by the proposer, so it's a good idea as the proposer to check them frequently to achieve the most accurate outcome possible.
7. If a user makes a vote and is subsequently blocked for any amount of time, their vote is removed. However, if the block ends before the proposal ends, then the user in question holds the right to re-cast their vote. If a proposer is blocked, their vote is removed and "(banned)" is added next to their name in the "Proposer:" line of the proposal, which runs until its deadline as normal. If the proposal passes, it falls to the supporters of the idea to enact any changes in a timely manner.
8. No proposal can overturn the decision of a previous proposal that is less than 4 weeks (28 days) old.
9. Any proposal where none of the options have at least four votes will be extended for another week. If after three extensions, no options have at least four votes, the proposal will be listed as "NO QUORUM." The original proposer then has the option to relist said proposal to generate more discussion.
10. If a proposal reaches its deadline and there is a tie for first place, then the proposal is extended for another week.
11. If a proposal reaches its deadline and the first place option is ahead of the second place option by three or more votes, then the first place option must have over 50% approval to win. If the margin is only one or two votes, then the first place option must have at least 60% approval to win. If the required approval threshold is not met, then the proposal is extended for another week.
    • Use the {{proposal check}} tool to automate this calculation; see the template page for usage instructions and examples.
12. Proposals can be extended a maximum of three times. If a consensus has not been reached by the fourth deadline, then the proposal fails and can only be re-proposed after four weeks (at the earliest).
13. All proposals are archived. The original proposer must take action accordingly if the outcome of the proposal dictates it. If it requires the help of an administrator, the proposer can ask for that help.
14. If the wiki staff deem a proposal unnecessary or potentially detrimental to the upkeep of the Super Mario Wiki, they have the right to remove it at any time.
15. Proposals can only be rewritten or canceled by their proposer within the first six days of their creation. However, proposers can request that their proposal be canceled by a staff member at any time, provided they have a valid reason for it. Please note that canceled proposals must also be archived.
16. Unless there is major disagreement about whether certain content should be included, there should not be proposals about creating, expanding, rewriting, or otherwise fixing up pages. To organize efforts about improving articles on neglected or completely missing subjects, try setting up a collaboration thread on the forums.
17. Proposals cannot be made about promotions and demotions. Staff changes are discussed internally and handled by the bureaucrats.
18. No joke proposals. Proposals are serious wiki matters and should be handled professionally. Joke proposals will be deleted on sight.
19. Proposals must have a status quo option (e.g. Oppose, Do nothing) unless the status quo itself violates policy.

Basic proposal and support/oppose format

This is an example of what your proposal must look like, if you want it to be acknowledged. If you are inexperienced or unsure how to set up this format, simply copy the following and paste it into the fitting section. Then replace the [subject] - variables with information to customize your proposal, so it says what you wish. If you insert the information, be sure to replace the whole variable including the squared brackets, so "[insert info here]" becomes "This is the inserted information", not "[This is the inserted information]". Proposals presenting multiple alternative courses of action can have more than two voting options, but what each voting section is supporting must be clearly defined. Such options should also be kept to a minimum, and if something comes up in the comments, the proposal can be amended as necessary.

---

===[insert a title for your proposal here]===
[describe what issue this proposal is about and what changes you think should be made to improve how the wiki handles that issue]

'''Proposer''': {{User|[enter your username here]}}<br>
'''Deadline''': [insert a deadline here, 14 days after the proposal was created, at 23:59 GMT, in the format: "November 16, 2024, 23:59 GMT"]

====Support====
#{{User|[enter your username here]}} [make a statement indicating that you support your proposal]

====Oppose====

====Comments====

---

Users will now be able to vote on your proposal, until the set deadline is reached. Remember, you are a user as well, so you can vote on your own proposal just like the others.

To support, or oppose, just insert "#{{User|[add your username here]}}" at the bottom of the section of your choice. Just don't forget to add a valid reason for your vote behind that tag if you are voting on another user's proposal. If you are voting on your own proposal, you can just say "Per my proposal".

Talk page proposals

Proposals concerning a single page or a limited group of pages are held on the most relevant talk page regarding the matter. Proposals dealing with a large amount of splits, merges, or deletions across the wiki should still be held on this page.

For a list of all settled talk page proposals, see MarioWiki:Proposals/TPP archive and Category:Settled talk page proposals.

Rules

1. All active talk page proposals must be listed below in chronological order (new proposals go at the bottom) using {{TPP discuss}}. Include a brief description of the proposal while also mentioning any pages affected by it, a link to the talk page housing the discussion, and the deadline. If the proposal involves a page that is not yet made, use {{fake link}} to communicate its title in the description. Linking to pages not directly involved in the talk page proposal is not recommended, as it clutters the list with unnecessary links. Place {{TPP}} under the section's header, and once the proposal is over, replace the template with {{settled TPP}}.
2. All rules for talk page proposals are the same as for proposals (see the "How to" section above), with the exceptions made by the additional rules below:
3. The talk page proposal must pertain to the subject page of the talk page it is posted on.
4. When a talk page proposal passes, it should be removed from this list and included in the list under the "Unimplemented proposals" section until the proposed changes have been enacted.

List of ongoing talk page proposals

• Merge Orbs that share names with pre-existing Mario Party series items with those items (discuss) Deadline: November 14, 2024, 23:59 GMT
• Create a number of articles for special buildings in Super Mario Run (discuss) Deadline: November 15, 2024, 23:59 GMT
• Merge Mushroom, Dash Mushroom, and most of Super Mushroom (discuss) Deadline: November 18, 2024, 23:59 GMT
• Expand and rename List of characters by game (discuss) Deadline: November 20, 2024, 23:59 GMT
• Decide whether to create articles for Ashita ni Nattara and Banana Tengoku and/or include them on List of Donkey Kong Country (television series) songs (discuss) Deadline: November 23, 2024, 23:59 GMT

Unimplemented proposals

Proposals

Break alphabetical order in enemy lists to list enemy variants below their base form, EvieMaybe (ended May 21, 2024)

Standardize sectioning for Super Mario series game articles, Nintendo101 (ended July 3, 2024)

^ NOTE: Not yet integrated for the Super Mario Maker titles, Super Mario Run, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

Create new sections for gallery pages to cover "unused/pre-release/prototype/etc." graphics separate from the ones that appear in the finalized games, Doc von Schmeltwick (ended September 2, 2024)

Add film and television ratings to Template:Ratings, TheUndescribableGhost (ended October 1, 2024)

Use the classic and classic-link templates when discussing classic courses in Mario Kart Tour, YoYo (ended October 2, 2024)

Split articles for the alternate-named reskins from All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros., Doc von Schmeltwick (ended October 3, 2024)

Clarify coverage of the Super Smash Bros. series, Doc von Schmeltwick (ended October 17, 2024)

Remove all subpage and redirect links from all navigational templates, JanMisali (ended October 31, 2024)

Prioritize MESEN/NEStopia palette for NES sprites and screenshots, Doc von Schmeltwick (ended November 3, 2024)

Stop considering reused voice clips as references (usually), Waluigi Time (ended November 8, 2024)

Allow English names from closed captions, Koopa con Carne (ended November 12, 2024)

^ NOTE: A number of names coming from closed captions are listed here.

Talk page proposals

Split all the clothing, Doc von Schmeltwick (ended September 12, 2021)

Split machine parts, Robo-Rabbit, and flag from Super Duel Mode, Doc von Schmeltwick (ended September 30, 2022)

Make bestiary list pages for the Minion Quest and Bowser Jr.'s Journey modes, Doc von Schmeltwick (ended January 11, 2024)

Allow separate articles for Diddy Kong Pilot (2003)'s subjects, Doc von Schmeltwick (ended August 3, 2024)

Split Banana Peel from Banana, Doc von Schmeltwick (ended September 18, 2024)

Merge Spiked Thwomp with Thwomp, Blinker (ended November 2, 2024)

Split Cursed Mushroom from Poison Mushroom, Pseudo (ended November 12, 2024)

List of Talk Page Proposals

• Split Template:Fakelink from Rocket Start (Discuss) Deadline: June 14, 2016, 23:59 GMT
• Split deceased category into characters and people (Discuss) Deadline: June 22 2016, 23:59 GMT

Writing Guidelines

None at the moment.

New features

None at the moment.

Removals

None at the moment.

Changes

Automatically pass proposals if the outcome is clearly unanimous

When someone write a proposal that's already been discussed, especially when it comes to TPPs, we have to wait for 7 or 14 days for it to pass, even though the proposal has a good majority of votes. Because this wait can be needless when it comes to unanimous proposals, I'm proposing that proposals with at least 15 support votes (two or more of which should be from an admin) and no oppose votes be automatically passed after 48 hours so that, like I said, proposals we know are going to pass will pass without the unnecessary wait.

Proposer: Roy Koopa (talk)
Deadline: June 20, 2016, 23:59 GMT

Support

1. Roy Koopa (talk) My proposal.

Oppose

1. Time Turner (talk) New information can come to light during the last few days that makes passing the proposal a bad idea. Near-unanimous proposals have been cancelled in the past, and this proposal would go against that.
2. driftmaster130 (talk)— Per Time Turner; there's a reason why this isn't usually done. Also the specific guidelines seem unnecessary.
3. LudwigVon (talk) - Per Time Turner. 48 hours, is too short to allow a proposal to passed, even with a good majority of support, the result may change after a few days if other information about the subject (like Time Turner said) that makes passing the proposal a bad idea. 7 and 14 days is sufficient time to allow the proposal to passed.
4. AfternoonLight (talk) Per all!
5. Bazooka Mario (talk) Bad idea. It's better to let a proposal simply run its course. It has happened before: something with seemingly unanimous support suddenly gets turned on its head. One example: a lot of voters were siding with "do nothing" until I, Mario (talk), voted along with Baby Luigi (talk) and MarioYoshi2 (talk). Note my comment, "I'll probably be the minority vote here". Also, minority votes can still prove to be valuable and we always invite dissenting votes to try to minimize groupthink; this proposal encourages this anti-intellectual groupthink behavior, and I find that dangerous. While the provision of 15 votes to 0 sounds like a mighty achievement, it's still better to just let the system handle itself rather than create wholly unnecessary rules on the negligible benefit of reducing wait times (hardly any of these proposals are urgent).
6. Tucayo (talk) - Per all; there's no urgency in rushing through the process.
7. Andymii (talk) Per all.

Enforce a timestamp with user signatures

According to MarioWiki:Signature, signature and datestamp are preferable, referring to when users sign their comments. While clicking the pen icon in the editing interface produces ~~~~ and automatically inputs a generic signature with a timestamp, several custom user signatures still either have the user manually inputting {{User:Username/sig}} to transclude their signature page, or just typing {{User|Username}}. Neither of these options will give a timestamp (which is an important part of the signature, according to the guideline page) and therefore makes it harder when looking back on older conversations to know when the comment was actually made without having to look at the talk page edit history. The solution is simple; enforce users to either set up their custom signatures to display the timestamp (a simple process even for new users who are inexperienced with wiki syntax, as shown in Help:Signature), or just have them use the plain default signature which already includes a timestamp. If this were to pass then the appropriate changes would be made to MarioWiki:Signature to cover this.
tl;dr simply transcluding the signature page as many users do, fails to provide a timestamp and can make reading older messages confusing; the process of setting it up to include a timestamp should be enforced to prevent this.

Proposer: driftmaster130 (talk)
Deadline: June 20, 2016 23:59 GMT

Support

1. driftmaster130 (talk) Per my reasoning.
2. Reboot (talk) Abso-astheysay-lutely (or "Per driftmaster"). Hell, make it simpler - you MUST sign with ~~~~. It is entirely possible to make that produce {{User:Username/sig}} <timestamp> in your settings if you want to use that sort of sig.
3. Tucayo (talk) - I am fine with encouraging users to sign with ~~~~ and even to add timestamps to {{unsigned}}, but not signing with timestamps should not be a warnable offense. I'm saying this just in case users start giving out warnings for not using timestamps if this passes. An informal reminder would do best unless it's extremely recurring, in which case an official reminder would be the best course, but definitely not a warning.
4. AfternoonLight (talk) I will agree with all of you! This is a very good idea to use it so, per all.
5. Tails777 (talk) I'll be one hundred percent honest, I'm not to keen on saying you MUST use a timestamp or truly enforce the idea, however I do see the usefulness of the idea and how it makes it easier to tell when comments were posted and that's mainly why I'm supporting. If anything, I more agree with Tucayo's point of encouraging it rather than outright forcing it.
6. Baby Luigi (talk) Per Tucayo.

Comments

I'm also very annoyed by the lack of timestamps in some signatures, but if users do not sign with timestamps, should we fill it in for them or not? Also, should we add a timestamp to {{unsigned}}? It's me, Mario! (Talk / Stalk) 21:37, 13 June 2016 (EDT)

If this passes and users still don't implement a timestamp, then yes (though not having a timestamp would be a reason to issue a {{sigfix}} and it would be enforced like any other signature rule). Also adding it to the unsigned template is a good idea. driftmaster130 (Talk • Edits) 21:49, 13 June 2016 (EDT)

Would this be mandatory whenever a signature is used, regardless of whether it's on a user talkpage or a mainspace talkpage? Hello, I'm Time Turner.

Miscellaneous

None at the moment.