Abstentions can also indicate "I don't care about the outcome of this vote," or "either way is fine by me." A host of things, really. Hil's on the right track, I think - it may not be an issue past this vote. But I'm beginning to see that we do need to discuss how to count them, and when to offer abstention as a voting choice anyway.
Anya Christina Emmanuella Jenkins. Twenty years old. Born on the fourth of July — and don't think there weren't jokes about that my whole life, mister, 'cause there were. 'Who's our little patriot?' they'd say, when I was younger and therefore smaller and shorter than I am now.
Anya ,'Potential'
Bureaucracy 1: Like Kafka, Only Funnier
A thread to discuss naming threads, board policy, new thread suggestions, and anything else that has to do with board administration and maintenance. Guaranteed to include lively debate and polls. Natter discouraged, but not deleted.
Current Stompy Feet: ita, Jon B, DXMachina, P.M. Marcontell, Liese S., amych
brenda m - Feb 26, 2003 10:04:55 pm PST #5682 of 10001
If you're going through hell/keep on going/don't slow down/keep your fear from showing/you might be gone/'fore the devil even knows you're there
Rebecca Lizard - Feb 26, 2003 10:05:28 pm PST #5683 of 10001
You sip / say it's your crazy / straw say it's you're crazy / as you bicycle your soul / with beauty in your basket
(John, there's a typo in that tag.
I saw this in a movie about a bus that had to speed around a city, keeping its speed over fifty, and if it's speed dropped, it would explode! I think it was called "The Bus That Couldn't Slow Down".
It's/its. Correct yr database.)
DavidS - Feb 26, 2003 10:05:52 pm PST #5684 of 10001
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
Oh, I totally think abstentions count towards a quorum.
Right. They voted and participated, so that constitutes the quorum.
But the abstentions don't count in determining the percentage that establishes the majority (according to Sophia's cites).
John H - Feb 26, 2003 10:17:56 pm PST #5685 of 10001
abstentions count towards a quorum
I agree. I didn't vote in most of those student things, but I was there, and I did pay attention, and I had the opportunity to say "hey! not with my contribution you don't!". I was part of the Quorum.
In that real-life case, you can simply count the people there. Five hundred people had a chance to vote, two-hundred-odd actually bothered.
But you can't count people as present in an online situation unless they've voted: either yes or no or "I don't care".
So abstentions will be really important. If all eight hundred Buffistas turn up to the vote thread and 750 just go away again without voting, how will we know we had quoracy?
§ ita § - Feb 26, 2003 10:21:10 pm PST #5686 of 10001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
If all eight hundred Buffistas turn up to the vote thread and 750 just go away again without voting, how will we know we had quoracy?
I don't see any reason we can't continue like we're doing now -- submit your abstention.
Rebecca Lizard - Feb 26, 2003 10:25:13 pm PST #5687 of 10001
You sip / say it's your crazy / straw say it's you're crazy / as you bicycle your soul / with beauty in your basket
quoracy
Now you're just trying to provoke someone.
(I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Natter. I'm leaving.)
John H - Feb 26, 2003 10:27:38 pm PST #5688 of 10001
I don't see any reason we can't continue like we're doing now -- submit your abstention.
Oh absolutely, but that's not my point. If people don't even bother to abstain, we don't have quoracy. Or we don't know we do.
I can hardly believe I'm writing this, but we may have to convince people how important it is to show up and vote "I don't care".
jengod - Feb 26, 2003 10:28:44 pm PST #5689 of 10001
joss is never going to show up and vote i don't care. neither is tim or fury or about 300 people who registered after joss posted. neither is...
there are a heck of a lot of empty registrations and THAT'S FINE.
§ ita § - Feb 26, 2003 10:29:05 pm PST #5690 of 10001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
If people don't even bother to abstain, we don't have quoracy. Or we don't know we do.
But I want to be able to either register my presence and abstain officially, or just not be any part of it. So I'll vote ABSTAIN if I'm making the point, or stay mum if I'm leaving the stuff to others.
John H - Feb 26, 2003 10:29:25 pm PST #5691 of 10001
Now you're just trying to provoke someone.
It's a word! What's your option, I-blame-noah-webster-girl? "Quorateness"? "Quoraciousness"? "Quoraciosity"?