Wikipedia:Policies and guidelines/essay

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[edit] Existing

An essay any page that is not actionable or instructive, regardless of whether it's authorized by consensus. Essays tend to be opinionated. Essays need not be proposed or advertised; you can simply write them, as long as you understand that you do not generally speak for the entire community. If you do not want other people to reword your essay, put it in your userspace. It does not follow that any page that is not a policy or a guideline is therefore an essay; there are plenty of pages in the Wikipedia namespace that are none of the three. For instance, a rejected proposal is not an essay.

[edit] Proposed

An essay is any page that is not enforceable, regardless of whether the page itself is supported by consensus. An essay represents the opinions of one or more editors. Essays do not carry any authority, and editors are not obliged to follow their advice (if any) except where they overlap existing policy. (Essays that represent a consensus view, however, will typically be upheld.) Essays need not be proposed or advertised; you can simply write them, as long as you understand that you do not generally speak for the entire community. If you do not want other people to reword your essay, put it in your userspace. It does not follow that any page that is not a policy or a guideline is therefore an essay; there are plenty of pages in the Wikipedia namespace that are none of the three. For instance, a rejected proposal is not an essay.

[edit] Compromise ?

Essays represents the opinions of one or more editors. Essays need not be proposed or advertised; you can simply write them, as long as you understand that you do not generally speak for the entire community. An essay is not enforceable or actionable, regardless of whether it's authorized by consensus; however, it does not follow that any page that is not a policy or a guideline is therefore an essay. For example, a rejected proposal is not an essay. If you do not want other people to reword your essay, put it in your userspace.