2
\$\begingroup\$

First, the definition of consensus from here:

5 net votes and at least twice as many upvotes as downvotes.

Suppose a meta question has two conflicting answers that are both a consensus (score at least 5, at least twice as many upvoteds as downvotes).

Examples: this one and this one

What to do?

1: Ask same question again

2: Choose the one with highest net score

3: Choose the one with most upvotes

4: Choose the one with least downvotes

5: Choose the one with highest upvote/downvote ratio

6: Say no consensus exists due to conflict.

This is not a dupe of What to do about a fluctuating consensus? as the linked one asks about a fluctuating consensus while this one is about two conflicting consensuses.

\$\endgroup\$

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
5
\$\begingroup\$

Notably, the quoted definition of consensus only applies to:

In fact, the "consensus" on greater meta consensus is that:

Consensus simply means "general agreement." There is no specific quantity of upvotes or downvotes that you can use to measure it, because if we change our minds later, the vote count will no longer reflect the consensus.

Source - mbomb007's answer to the (closed) question What is a meta consensus.

Therefore, outside the two questions which specifically state that definition of consensus, there isn't really a problem of conflicting consensus. The problem, rather, "what happens if a meta discussion is left without a clear consensus". In which case, in my non-mod opinion, the best option is to:

  1. Bring it up in The Nineteenth Byte to see if discussion there can clarify the consensus (or at the very least bring enough attention to the post to get some new votes) and
  2. If people agree it's needed, ask the question again.
\$\endgroup\$
1
  • \$\begingroup\$ Debate until everyone is too exhausted to argue, and that is the new consensus /s \$\endgroup\$ Commented Oct 9 at 17:40

You must log in to answer this question.

Start asking to get answers

Find the answer to your question by asking.

Ask question

Explore related questions

See similar questions with these tags.