SmashWiki:How to Test Propositions

Every rose has a thorn, and vice versa; there is always good to be found in the bad, and there is always bad to be found in the good. This phrase is put to work in how SmashWiki should handle instances where a user suggests a change for the community, or the wiki itself. After all, seeing the potential in everything is a great skill to have!

Shortcut:

 * SW:TEST

Testing Proposed policies:
Note: Only ONE proposed policy/guideline can be tested at a time to prevent excessive work and confusion.

Every now and then, a user, whether just a regular user, or among the higher authorities will propose a policy in hopes that it will become official. It can be supported or opposed, bashed or praised, and for the most part it works out fine. However, such debates can potentially lead to the failing of a policy that would have been remotely fine. A way to improve upon this is as follows...


 * 1) After a proposed policy is put up for discussion, users are welcome to place their initial thoughts about it on the talk page.
 * 2) After sufficient time has passed, the talk page of the policy or guideline will be protected to prevent discussion, and the "testing period" will commence. The length of this time-period is usually decided by whoever proposed the policy, and should be decided based on how complicated it is, (though overly complicated ones will not be tested as it creates an obscenely large amount of work). The recommended length for a testing period is from a few days to a week, (though it can be longer if deemed necessary). Note that the policy will always reach this stage regardless of how much opposition it initially received.
 * 3) During this time, users are encouraged to take part by acting as if the policy is official, and enforcing it as best as they can whenever the situation calls for it.
 * 4) Once the previous step is done, the talk page of the policy will be unprotected. A new section for final thoughts will be started, and discussion will resume. It is at this point in time where users can express their overall opinions, and also suggest ways to improve the proposal, as well as where the community consensus is reached, followed by the final decision, which will be based on a combinations of opinions and test results.
 * 5) This step will only commence if the proposal fails. After making the final decision, the following 24 hours is given to undo any major changes made by temporarily implementing the policy.

Testing Requests for User rights:
Note: No more than three users who are requesting rights can be tested at a time.

This can also come into play when a user requests for additional rights, such as Adminship or Rollback. One thing that cannot be stressed enough is that one of the best ways to get proof of something you're trying to decide, is giving who or what you're deciding on a chance in order to get a better idea. After all, how else (other than their general reputation on a Wiki, and their knowledge on what is required for adminship) can you prove that a user is not fit for the privilege if you have not seen them with it?


 * 1) Just like with proposed policies, users can post their initial thoughts on the matter once the RfA, RfB, or RfR is put up.
 * 2) Once again, a testing period will happen after the discussion takes place and the request for rights is temporarily protected. Here, the user will receive the rights that they are shooting for temporarily, and must prove their capability with them, and that their edits will improve as long as they have the powers. Unlike with policies though, the testing-period should never be longer than a week. Also, note that if the user has requested the rights before, then they will not get a testing-period.
 * 3) After the period is over, the user's rights will be removed, (though they'll be reinstated if the request succeeds), and the real discussion will take place, which is where the final decision is made.