Wikipedia Education Program/Editing (Educators)/43

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Reaching Consensus

Decisions are made by "consensus" on Wikipedia. Consensus is a normal and usually implicit and invisible process on Wikipedia. Any edit that is not disputed or reverted by another editor can be assumed to have consensus. Should that edit later be revised by another editor without dispute, it can be assumed that a new consensus has been reached. In this way the encyclopedia is gradually added to and improved over time without special effort. Even where there is a dispute, often all that is required is a rewording of the edit to make it more neutral or incorporate the other editor's concerns. Clear communication in edit summaries can make this process easier.

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