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I think we need to impose a bit of discipline on what is in this template. Can we have a verifiable rule enunciated about what should be in this template? I suggest that at a minimum, there should be at least one reliable source describing a particular concept as an instance of unintended consequences. LK (talk) 07:00, 16 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]
@Lawrencekhoo: Agreed. I came here to object to the inclusion of Tragedy of the commons. The "tragedy" occurs when a given situation arises. A situation has no "intentions", it is not a program or intervention, so I don't see how "Unintended Consequences" is relevant. Sondra.kinsey (talk) 15:36, 21 October 2017 (UTC)[reply]
You say, Sondra.kinsey, that the tragedy of the commons is a situation, and not the kind of thing that could have an intention. Yes of course. To think a tragedy could have an intention would be a category mistake. But how do you conclude from that that a tragedy cannot be an unintended consequence? That is seriously confused logic. Here is a reliable source which characterizes the tragedy of the commons as the "classic case of unintended consequences":
You can find other reliable sources, also pointing out the obvious, here and here. --Epipelagic (talk) 09:29, 22 October 2017 (UTC)[reply]
@Epipelagic: Nevermind what I think. Your sources are good. I accept the inclusion of unintended consequences on this template. Sondra.kinsey (talk) 19:08, 23 October 2017 (UTC)[reply]