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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


victor infante - Feb 27, 2003 9:55:16 am PST #5751 of 10001
To understand what happened at the diner, we shall use Mr. Papaya! This is upsetting because he's the friendliest of fruits.

In usage on this board, does "a quorum" mean that a certain minimum percentage of registered users must vote, either for or against, in order for a subject to be decided? Whereas a subject allowed to pass by a "simple majority" would pass by a vote of 51% to 49% of however many or few people vote?

A "quorum" doesn't need to be a majority. It just needs to be a set number. My suggestion is we use the current round of voting as a yardstick to figure out about how many people are "really" active (as opposed to those who just swing by once to say "JOSH!!! I LUV U JOSH!!! FRIERFLI4EVAH!!!" and set a fraction of those votes as the quorum.

For example, say the current round of voting--which seems brisk--indicates about a 100 "active, participating members." We could then set a quorum from that at, say, half, or even a third or a quarter. Personally, I think 50 minimum votes, including abstentions, is jim dandy.

The upshot, of course, is that means we need to have a vote to decide what the "quorum" is if that method wins. Sigh. I suppose we can also name the next Bureaucracy thread: "We Need to Decide How to Decide Things."


Cindy - Feb 27, 2003 9:55:42 am PST #5752 of 10001
Nobody

Jesse is me. In fact, I'm thinking of banning all words beginning in Qu from my vocabulary. This is going to make it tough to ask form my "**een of all things" mug at home. But it's the only way I don't see my head exploding on the carpet.


Lyra Jane - Feb 27, 2003 9:56:28 am PST #5753 of 10001
Up with the sun

I like the quorum idea (though I'd want it to be quite low -- say, 10). I think abstentations can be useful if it's a multi-issue ballot so it's clear the person did read the question and chose not to vote. However, I don't think they should count towards percentages -- it should be viewed as basically no ballot at all.


Jesse - Feb 27, 2003 9:56:32 am PST #5754 of 10001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

The upshot, of course, is that means we need to have a vote to decide what the "quorum" is if that method wins.

Yup, that's the plan.


Jon B. - Feb 27, 2003 9:57:46 am PST #5755 of 10001
A turkey in every toilet -- only in America!

low enough that the people who want to end non-spoiler whitefonting in NAFDA threads won't have to lobby 300 registered voters to weigh in on the issue.

could we include this in the next ballot?

Unfortunately, I think we still need to iron out some process questions first.

Was there anyone opposed to a one week grace period? I know that people were tossing around various proposals, but I don't remember anyone saying they thought one week was too short.

If we can reach a strong consensus on the issue now, I don't see why we need to wait for a vote.


Jesse - Feb 27, 2003 9:59:26 am PST #5756 of 10001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

Was there anyone opposed to a one week grace period? I know that people were tossing around various proposals, but I don't remember anyone saying they thought one week was too short.

There were a couple of people who thought one week total for discussion and voting was too short. At least, a couple who spoke up here, and one of them was Liese, who's not here now.


Theodosia - Feb 27, 2003 9:59:39 am PST #5757 of 10001
'we all walk this earth feeling we are frauds. The trick is to be grateful and hope the caper doesn't end any time soon"

If we don't like 'quorum' could we say 'minyan' instead?

... Okay, just me.


Lyra Jane - Feb 27, 2003 10:00:48 am PST #5758 of 10001
Up with the sun

If we can reach a strong consensus on the issue now, I don't see why we need to wait for a vote.

Because it seems to me that if we say we're establishing a new policy, we should handle all issues through that new policy. Otherwise, it (to me) seems like we're confused, and not really committed to changing anything.

That said, I don't remember anyone objecting to a week. I think it's a bit short for people who are getting tapes from elsewhere, but it is probably the sanest choice, and the easiest thing for people to remember.


Jesse - Feb 27, 2003 10:05:35 am PST #5759 of 10001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

Crap, now I realize what Jon was talking about. Nevermind!


Jon B. - Feb 27, 2003 10:14:21 am PST #5760 of 10001
A turkey in every toilet -- only in America!

No worries, Jesse. I edited for context.

Because it seems to me that if we say we're establishing a new policy, we should handle all issues through that new policy. Otherwise, it (to me) seems like we're confused, and not really committed to changing anything.

In theory I agree, but given the short amount of time left where this is even an issue, I thought we might expedite it.