Wikipedia:Please discuss on talk page first
 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
Some articles have hidden notes requesting or demanding that any changes to the articles be proposed first on the talk page. There is no requirement to discuss edits on the talk page first. An editor or a group of editors who watch the talk page do not own an article and have the right to "approve" any edits to the article. Almost any editor can edit almost any article on Wikipedia, including a Featured article or even a Featured article on the main page, just by clicking the "Edit" button. In fact, "being bold in making changes" is a Wikipedia editing guideline. Being bold in making edits is part of an editing practice known as Bold-Revert-Discuss (or BRD). In the BRD cycle of editing, an editor boldly changes an article, the changes are reverted by other editors, and then there is a discussion on the talk page. An editor acting in good faith can make edits to articles, including major edits which change the lead, add sections, and add content without seeking talk page approval.