Cycle of Proposals
Ill Bethisad Proposals -- an Underlying Principle
One of the cornerstones by which the IB project functions so smoothly is the way in which Members create, offer, discuss and either modify or accept proposals. Ill Bethisad has long been a shared world, even though its earliest and most basic aspects were worked out by Andrew Smith. Ever since the first gatherings of the Sessiwn, where early Members used to discuss aspects of the Brithenig language and the culture of the Kemrese people, changes and addenda have been discussed by the group before being accepted as part of the canon of IB's reality -- before becoming a fact within IB and therefore QSS.
As the project has progressed and more and more Members have shown interest in some aspect of IB, the use of the progression of Proposal to Discussion to Modification to further Discussion to Acceptance or Rejection has become an increasingly common and formal means of creating IB history. On the Wiki, it is common to see disclaimers that even a section or even a whole page is a "Proposal". The following tag was created to denote this status of IB related information. "This article is a proposal -- It has not been ratified and therefore the information on this page is not protected by QSS. You are welcome to correct errors and/or express your opinion at the Discussion Page. If you add this label to an article, please do not forget to make mention of it on the Proposal page." A proposal is generally accepted as fact if no one brings up a disagreement with it or an emendation to it within a(n ill defined) period time.
In passing, I think it might be wise to also consider the role of private communications in the process of discovering IB history. Usually, this involves emails between two or three Members interested in a particular detail or aspect that might not be of great interest to the whole group. Often, details of a country's history or culture get hammered out by small work groups in this way. Also, private discussion has been used to great effect by two caretakers who want to work out some kind of elaborate scheme between their two countries, before surprising the rest of the world with breaking news.
Occasionally, someone will propose something, but in stead of inviting general comment will say something like "if you have any questions, just email me". In general, this is quite the turn-off. Private email discussion has definite advantages and legitimate uses; but not general discussion of a proposal!
Membership is now often considered on the merits of a proposed change to existing IB knowledge. It's no longer enough to say "I have an idea" and everyone cheers and says "Welcome to the group!" Anymore, the likely response is "Ill Bethisad is a large and complicated place. How do you plan on fitting your idea into IB's framework and the body of known fact?"
