Exclamating Disclaimers (with own definitions of course)

"Category:Wikipedia official policy: policies that are widely accepted and that everyone is expected to follow.

Category:Wikipedia guidelines: less rigid rules of thumb that are generally accepted by consensus to apply in many cases." - Wikipedia: Key policies and guidelines

Here we go again. When I read the above quote, I couldn't help but think, "Soooo, society's general acceptances rule Wikpedia...but we really can do anything we want. Oh look! Here come all the trolls like terrible two year-olds running for a candy shop!"

One may take the first rule as a general covering of everything beneath the Wikipedia name while the second focuses on only in a large amount of cases. What I'm wondering is this: Does the official policy actually differ in any way from the guidelines? Is Wikipedia trying to present itself in a better light than it is actually capable of achieving at this very moment? I think yes on both counts, at least for now. Talk about trying to confuse the random person who doesn't use Wikipedia that often. (Sorry, I'm way too busy these days.) It would probably just be simpler if Wikipedia made one policy and did their darned best to have people conform to it. Allowing for numerous variations, no matter how small, eventually lead to reader frustration and a lowered readability and usability.

As a little side note though, that I really think that you should check out, is the fact that for each of Wikipedia's Key Policies it gives a definition created by Wikipedia. Wow. Talk about making sure that there's no difference between what you want your readers to believe is true and what you think is true (if only by your own definition). Everyone's got a different interpretation on something, no matter where they are in the world.