Editing Incubator escapee wiki:Dispute resolution (section)

===<span id="discuss"></span><span id="Discuss"></span>Discuss with the other party===
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[[File:Disputeresolution.svg|thumb|right|260px|[[Paul Graham (programmer)#Graham's hierarchy of disagreement|Graham's hierarchy of disagreement]]: Aim at the top during disputes.]]
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Talking to other parties is not a mere formality, but an integral part of writing the encyclopedia. Discussing heatedly or poorly&nbsp;– or not at all&nbsp;– will make other editors less sympathetic to your position, and prevent you from effectively using the later stages of dispute resolution. Sustained discussion between the parties, even if not immediately successful, demonstrates your good faith and shows you are trying to reach a [[WP:CONSENSUS|consensus]]. Try negotiating a [[WP:Truce|truce]] or proposing a [[WP:Negotiation|compromise]] through negotiation.

Do not continue edit warring; once sustained discussion begins, productively participating in it is a priority. Uninvolved editors who are invited to join a dispute will likely be confused and alarmed if there are large numbers of reverts or edits made while discussion is ongoing.

[[WP:Talk page guidelines|Talk page discussion]] is a prerequisite to almost all of Wikipedia's venues of higher dispute resolution. If you wish at any time to request a [[WP:3O|third opinion (3O)]] or [[WP:RfC|request for comment]], use the [[WP:DRN|Dispute Resolution Noticeboard (DRN)]], or open a [[WP:RfArb|request for arbitration]], you will be expected to show there has been talk page discussion of the dispute. Actual discussion is needed; discussion conducted entirely through [[Help:Edit summary|edit summaries]] is inadequate.