Delay Wiki Changes

A suggestion for WikiImmuneSystem:

Perhaps when edit-wars or spam storms start to appear, wiki or problem pages could be put into a delayed edit mode where changes do not appear on the target page for 24 or more hours. One could review the suggested changes by clicking a special link.

Or perhaps changes sit in limbo until trusted volunteers approve them.

The problem with that is that if edits aren't appearing for 24 hours the possibility of a revision conflict increases. Say there's two or more good edits from the same reference - what happens then? You lock the page for 24 hours after edit? The wardens have to resolve the conflict - which then makes them editors as well as approvers. -- JamesHollidge

Spam storms, it appears, aren't much of a problem. If the simple 567 captcha is enough to scotch the spammers then plainly they're not trying too hard.

Edit-wars can't be scotched by a wiki delay as James says. And delaying individual page edits won't work because the dispute will simply spill out onto other pages.

But consider TidalWiki as an alternative.

Perhaps all the edits could be subject to a delay. Anybody editing when another edit is pending simply edits the "edit image" instead of the live page. The basic idea is that edit-wars tend to be caused by raging emotions. If the edits are slowed down, then people have time to cool off and worries about bills, romance, jobs, etc. take away their "concern juice" from wiki.

See also the page DelayAction and related pages at MeatballWiki.