What does consensus mean if there is no action?

Question

This is quite funny, because although whether the original question about the OSF system is reopened or not, I think the meta series is more interesting. First, let's recap:

1. Are questions asking technical issues on academic services on-topic?
2. Is there a consensus if there is only indirect evidence?
3. Should this question on the OSF system be reopened?

As of today, it is clear, in principle and in specific, that the original question is on-topic and should have already been reopened. Yet it's not. People only vote, but don't act.

My questions are:

1. What does consensus mean if there is no action?
2. If the mods are the representatives of the consensus, then what should they do, when people who can act don't act?

Answer 1

The question "Should this question on the OSF system be reopened?" only has 4 positive votes. The original question has, in its lifetime, received reopen votes from 4 unique users.

It doesn't seem like most "people only vote, but don't act"; it just seems like the specific question does not have enough support from the community to be reopened. (The threshold is 5 reopen votes from users with the reopen vote privilege, which hasn't been met here.)

Answer 2

My interpretation of what the consensus opinion of our community is, is slightly different than yours. I believe that Are questions asking technical issues on academic services on-topic? has led to a consensus that in general questions on technical issues are on topic. I also believe our community has expressed that a consensus opinion can be formed from indirect evidence based on Is there a consensus if there is only indirect evidence?. I think you agree with those two statements.

Where I think I disagree with you is what the voting on Should this question on the OSF system be reopened? means. I think you think it suggests that a mod should be called into action to reopen the question. Mod intervention for opening and closing questions in our community is usually limited to cases where an unedited questions gets repeatedly opened and closed and a mod has to decide if the final state is open or closed. In general, at most a simple nudge (e.g., a comment in chat), is enough to get our community to reopen questions that it is interested in. After nearly a month and numerous posts in meta and chat and trips through the review queue, the community was unable to generate enough support to reopen the question. I see nothing in the voting on Should this question on the OSF system be reopened? that makes me think the community wishes are not being fulfilled and hence have no desire to wield the mod hammer to reopen the question.