Lyra, I was picking nits, I think. Shutting up now.

I didn't mean to sound impatient or whatever -- I think the question of how we handle it if someone cares deeply about an issue and wants to vote but will be offline for the time of the vote is an important one. But the reasoning in your scenario semeed odd to me.

Although all this discussion seems rather head explody at the moment I am convinced that we will all benefit from a routine way to handle decisions in the future.

We're getting close. We've got the ballot set and jengod will tally the votes. We've done a pretty good job on sticking to a hard focus on establishing the voting procedure and not getting dragged off on the other issues.

I don't think she should count a ballot that comes in at 10 pm. We said the voting would open at midnight. To me, that means the voting opens at midnight. discussion on the motin continues until we vote, therefore, the vote shouldn't be announced before-hand. What if someone comes up with a really good point at 11 pm. if we wanted to start voting at 5pm, we should have said so.

Fair enough, and a good point to boot.

I have to go right now. If I don't make it back, I trust Sophia to post it.

I am having a concern that some people heavily involved in the discussion at WX haven't made it back yet (Jim e-t, Angus?)

I sure as shit am sick of talking about it, but maybe we haven't waited long enough. i think I just need reassurance.

I feel the same way. Perhaps we need to wait and put it off a day (or however long is needed).

Oh, sorry Lyra. I was paraphrasing or attempting to quote, or something, a previous poster who seemed concerned about whether or not they'd be allowed to do an absentee ballot previous to the vote, if necessary, because they'd be away from Internet access during the regular voting time. I don't really know what I said that was odd, but, you know, I've been told that before. You did seem a little impatient, but it was a little late for me to be bringing it up, I think, and I don't want to fragment the discussion when it seems so close to ending. I wasn't offended, anyway.

Perhaps we need to wait and put it off a day (or however long is needed).

No, please don't do that.

If concerned about Jim or Angus I could send them a quick note.

Deena, I think what confused me was that you didn't ask about absentee ballots (which we haven't addressed yet). You asked if someone who cared about absentee ballots but supported voting should vote no. That strikes me as a really silly thing to do, because it's voting against something you like because of something we haven't decided yet.

I think the reason I come off as abrupt or impatient sometimes is that I tend to be terse about my opinions -- I'd be surprised if more than 10% of my posts top 150 words. It's not indicative of a bad mood, or anything except the fact this is the way I talk online.

I don't know if it's been mentioned, because skip and skim and other things that make me a Bad Person...

Anyway, I think, if we're going to do a poll on something as serious as how we make decisions as a community, perhaps adding a small banner on the home page, or spamming each thread with the news is in order for a week, just so's verra few can claim ignorance. And, you know, in Announcements, people usually mention when they're going dark. What am saying is, we really can notify as many people as humanly possible, and accept that a few will fall through the cracks and may be cranky about it.

And, you know, in Announcements, people usually mention when they're going dark.

No, they do that in "Beep Me".

I really want voting to start tonight at midnight.