RuneScape:Status and opinion-weight

This page in a nutshell: An editor's status, popularity, or in-game experience does not affect the validity of their opinions or anything they may say.

Editors come in all shapes, sizes, and powers, from the bureaucrat, to the administrator, to the standard editor, to the anonymous editor. It's possible that an editor is a player moderator, a forum moderator, or a member with exceptionally high levels in some skills. Due to human nature, an editor's status, popularity, attitude, demeanour, or in-game experience may influence the way we think about them. However, at no time may a user's group membership, in-game experience, or any other factor regarding that user's status affect the validity of his or her opinions in disputes.

Status and opinion-weight in the determining of consensus

Consensus, the method used to make wiki-wide binding decisions, does not count votes. Instead, the arguments made by both sides are "weighed" by a neutral or otherwise disinterested administrator, considering the validity of arguments and paying little attention to the exact number of people on each side. While imperfect, this system is required to prevent the onset of mob rule. In order for this system to work, a user's status, especially their usergroup membership or lack thereof, can't make their opinion "count" for more or less than anyone else's, as devaluing a user's opinions because he is not of a "higher status" is simply unfair. To summarise, it's not who made the point that matters; it's the point itself.

Notes regarding...

RuneScape and Jagex authorities

A common cry among RuneScape players, especially on the Official Forums, is that "A J-mod said so" or "An F-mod posted on my thread saying I was right." Although the figures of authority around RuneScape generally know the rules better, player moderators who normally reply to a question may or may not know any more about RuneScape itself than any knowledgeable player. For this reason, the words of player moderators do not have more authority than those of normal players; anything that can be quoted from them can also be quoted from the RuneScape rules. Furthermore, while Jagex employees are likely to be more knowledgeable than the average player, only statements released by Jagex employees in their official capacity as Jagex employees may be regarded as binding.

Wiki authorities

A wiki is not based on any form of hierarchy. Administrators and bureaucrats, as trusted members of the wiki community who are recognised for reliable edits and fairness in dealing with discussions, are not given authority over other players in overruling decisions; all major decisions, such as requesting adminship, must be made by the community. No statement made by an administrator or other authority can be enforced as if it were a policy purely based on the fact that an administrator said it, and only rules determined by consensus can be enforced. Given a controversial situation, editors are encouraged to discuss and compromise, both being major parts of a wiki.

Experienced in-game players

Many players are well-rounded and have extensive experience within the game, and some may think their edits have more value because they know more. However, on the wiki, this does not matter. Simply put, correct information added by a new player is no less correct than the same information from an old veteran.

Misinterpretations of status and opinion-weight

This policy was originally titled "All Editors are Equal," commonly called "AEAE," but it was renamed because users easily misinterpreted the name. This policy should under no circumstances be interpreted to mean "All users are equal in every conceivable way." Conversely, do not assume that "All users are inequal." All this policy means is that "An editor's status, popularity, or in-game experience will not affect the validity of their opinions or anything they may say." Using this policy to state anything else is a perversion of the policy, which is gaming the system. Given, users should never be unfairly oppressed because of their status, but that concept falls under the user treatment policy.