Reading 7 --- WANG HANPING
1. Summary
As seen earlier, polling is an available technique within the consensus process. When a poll is taken on Wikipedia, individuals are invited to list their position under one of the specified options (e.g., A or B; accept, reject, abstain) with an explanation, which then might prompt further commentary and discussion. How is polling different from voting? While people may confuse polling with voting — or even speak of voting as “a quick shorthand for what we are actually doing” — polling should prompt and shape discussion, rather than terminate it:
Wikipedia operates on discussion-driven consensus, and can therefore be regarded as “not a democracy” since a vote might run counter to these ends. Some therefore advocate avoiding votes wherever possible. In general, only long-running disputes should be the subject of a poll. Even then, participants in the dispute should understand that the poll does not create a consensus. At best, it might reflect how close those involved are to one.
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