If there's only a difference of a few people, though, it's probably best to remember there's some uncertainty in it. Which I think means that it doesn't need to be an exact tie to be treated as a tie within the margin of error.

Exactly. This is where things get tricky for me. If we're close on the two cities then we get into a delicate matter of what tips the balance. If it's 2 votes extra that can't attend for one city, but we've got 5 extra votes that really prefer the other city, out of lets say 65 votes, then we're in a pretty tight margin and it's for all intents a tie.

Could we do it the way we decided between DC and Montreal? Jessica set up a Mr. Poll with

Would go
Might go
Can't go

for each city. The results are linked in that post, too.

JenP "F2F 3: Who's Bringing the Guacamole?" Jun 27, 2005 6:27:42 pm PDT

The reason that I complicated it up in my original drafts was to try to have as many layers of data to fall back on as possible, in case of functional ties. (ie-first, attendence, then preference, then real excitement)

Here's a two-question idea:

If you can most likely go to only one of the cities:

• Seattle
• San Francisco

If you can make either city, which would you prefer:

• Seattle
• San Francisco

Answer one question, based on your situation.

Say the first question comes out +-5, we look at the second question to make the call.

runs screaming

Someone let me know what we decide, please?

Poor Deb!

I hope others aren't getting too terribly frustrated with this. For me, even though it's mildly frustrating, I'd rather we agreed (as much as possible) on the voting details *now* rather than argue about What Went Wrong later.

::peeks into thread, glances around in admiration::

That is going to be one frickin' HUGE opium baby when this concensus hits the fan. And it's all on how to vote and not the vote itself. I'ma leave it up to you professionals to give us a poll. I just like watching the post count build. Feels like I'm watching a trainwreck in action.

::exits stage right, behind deb::

Ok. How's this? (And, since it's opening tomorrow, let's use this as a starting point, rather than people just throwing drafts out there)

Seattle

• Can attend
• Can't attend

San Francisco

• Can attend
• Can't attend

IF you can attend in Seattle, how do you feel about it as the F2F site?

• Very enthused
• Somewhat enthused
• Not enthused

IF you can attend in San Francisco, how do you feel about it as the F2F site?

• Very enthused
• Somewhat enthused
• Not enthused

In your heart of hearts, which would you prefer?

• Seattle
• San Francisco
• I really, truly, deep down in my soul, cannot generate a preference

Is there anything in that ballot that you think is unclear? Honestly, I don't much care if you think it's more info than we'll need (I don't see the harm in having too much data), as long as people won't have a hard time understanding it. We may not need all the data collected, but I'd rather have it than not. If there's something not there that you think needs to be, I'm particularly interested in that.

Actually, I sorta like that one.

BTW, if it's SF, Nic and I own the better part of a professional PA, so there could be live music if we wanted a prom jam.

Debet, I think that ballot really covers all the bases, and clearly. I think you're right to get more data than needed, too, just in case.