User:Andrewa/The MOS is neither optional nor compulsory

The MOS does not count

Like all policies and guidelines, the MOS is not perfect. All editors are not just permitted but are actively encouraged to violate it whenever they believe that to do so would improve Wikipedia.

And that is the policy, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

The MOS does count

The Wikipedia Manual of Style is a standard to which all edits in the article namespace should ideally comply.

To deliberately and repeatedly ignore the MOS is disruptive and may result in not just reverting but also in sanctions. It is far worse than just wasting your own time, you are wasting the time of other people too.

Nor does the MOS have any less authority because it is a guideline rather than a policy. Its authority, like that of any policy or guideline, comes purely from the level of consensus it represents. See User:Andrewa/Policy or guideline.

But it can work and does

And it works surprisingly well.

See:

• User:Andrewa/creed
• User:Andrewa/AGF cuts both ways

See also

• User:Andrewa/Policy or guideline#The Wikipedia Manual of Style

Attribution

I, andrewa, hereby authorise any Wikipedian (whether logged in or not) to copy any or all of my contributions to this page to any other page in English Wikipedia with or without attribution. Go for it.