Meta:Snowball
 | The following page documents an official Meta-Wiki policy. This page has been elaborated and approved by the community and its compliance is mandatory for all users. It must not be modified without prior community approval. |
| ←Policies and guidelines | Meta policies and information about "snowball closures" |
| This page provides information on Meta policy about "snowball closures" for discussions. |
Don't close discussions early; we don't do Snowball closures on Meta-Wiki.
The reason has been voiced by many people in discussion forums on Meta: Meta is usually not a "home" wiki to most Wikimedians.
Most Wikimedians visit Meta only when they take part in a discussion; they tend not to watch polls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It's unfair to arrive here before an advertised deadline, to contribute a new idea to a discussion, only to find the poll closed "due to snowballing".
Participants on Meta-Wiki are a complex and diverse mix; as in real-world international politics, protocols that everyone can understand are important, regardless of linguistic or cultural background.
Remember, a discussion is not a vote. Even a long list of "supports" does not preclude the appearance of a single and important objection. An important comment giving deeper insights can often change the whole course of a discussion.
See also[edit]
- Snowball clause – the page on Snowball imported from the English Wikipedia.