Wikipedia:Ignore all precedent
{{essay|WP:IAPD|WP:IGNOREPRECEDENT|interprets=the precedent essay and consensus policy}}
{{nutshell|Although there is an established precedent, consensus can change, and you should ignore precedent if it prevents you from making constructive edits.}}
If the old or established way of doing things prevents you from improving or maintaining Wikipedia, ignore it.
What it means
If you want to make a constructive edit but the traditional way of doing things holds you back, ignore it. Be bold and edit it. This can help settle into a bold, revert, discuss cycle. Discuss your changes on the talk page, and editors might give you feedback on if your way is better than the previous method.
=What Ignore all precedent is for=
- When you want to make a change but you are turned down by the reasoning that "We always do it this way" or "This is how it was done in x article"
- When pages are outdated but the main editors refuse to let anyone update it (which is also a violation of WP:OWN)
=What Ignore all precedent is not=
- It is not an excuse for edit warring.
- It is not an excuse for unconstructive edits.
- It is not an excuse for ignoring all consensus in a content dispute or deletion discussion.