Wikipedia:Establish the bikeshed needs painting before you decide which color to paint it

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It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints.

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This page in a nutshell: Make your point across about what you are trying to achieve with your proposal. Don't do change just for change.

Imagine you have spent fifteen minutes discussing what color to paint the bikeshed, with three other people. One person says "Wait, does the bikeshed even need painting?" Another person says "No, we didn't establish that. Maybe it's fine that it's like that?" The last person says "Okay, so it doesn't need painting.". This can happen anywhere, not just on Wikipedia. It's easily explained: Don't do change for the sake of change. In Wikipedia, you can use this to make a point in proposals and maybe change consensus a bit.

When, in the case that you think someone is doing something just for change, ask them "What are you trying to achieve with this proposal?" If you get a solid "I don't know" or something unhelpful to your question, it's probably change for the sake of change. They haven't established the bikeshed needs painting, but are already deciding the color.

Also, another thing to note, is that if you are changing something because it has been the same for a long time, but it's still okay to have it, that's also change for the sake of change. It's not very useful to the article, so... why change it?

Not establishing WHY you need change can also just waste things. If we just changed things for no reason, there would be a waste of resources because you need to buy the paint every time you want to change the colour of the bikeshed.

Change is only needed when it's crucial, or helpful. Not for things that have been the same for so long, but not bad to the thing applying to it as a whole. If it's old but gold, you don't need to change it, you will be told. The person who told you isn't cold, but you should take into consideration, the advice you were told, or you might take an un-needed toll, on the article.

So in conclusion... Leave the bicycle sheds be. Make your point about what you are trying to achieve, and don't do change for the sake of change. Don't let the consensus change because you left out what you are trying to achieve, please.

See also