Wash: Well, I wash my hands of it. It's a hopeless case. I'll read a nice poem at the funeral. Something with imagery. Zoe: You could lock the door and keep the power-hungry maniac at bay. Wash: Oh, no, I'm starting to like this poetry idea now. Here lies my beloved Zoe, my autumn flower, somewhat less attractive now she's all corpsified and gross...

'Shindig'


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


Dana - Mar 04, 2003 2:16:26 pm PST #6724 of 10001
I'm terrifically busy with my ennui.

If "good enough" and "simple" are the only values and "fair" and "rational" are not important, because the issues at stake are so trivial -why not roll dice?

Gar, I'm starting to really resent the tone of your posts. God knows we can all argue this to death, but please don't imply that people who disagree with you aren't interested in what we think is best for the board.


Typo Boy - Mar 04, 2003 2:17:04 pm PST #6725 of 10001
Calli: My people have a saying. A man who trusts can never be betrayed, only mistaken.Avon: Life expectancy among your people must be extremely short.

OK, I apologize for the "cool kids " comment because it offended people. We have an issue, the number of people who constitute minimum turnout that would seem a test case for preferential voting.


Lyra Jane - Mar 04, 2003 2:17:37 pm PST #6726 of 10001
Up with the sun

DX did a threadsuck and counted, and 2/3rds of the 1500 posts on this issue have been posted by 14 people.

Oh.

Ack.

I should really shut the hell up, then, if I'm one of the fourteen (and I have a sinking feeling I am). Because it's not like I care so much about any of this -- I'm happy we're voting, but I don't really have strong opinions on abstentations or number of seconds, and the preferential thing is just way over my head.


P.M. Marc - Mar 04, 2003 2:18:20 pm PST #6727 of 10001
So come, my friends, be not afraid/We are so lightly here/It is in love that we are made; In love we disappear

Actually, we have a Slightly More Critical Issue.

Which is to say, clearing up the majority confusion.


Betsy HP - Mar 04, 2003 2:18:31 pm PST #6728 of 10001
If I only had a brain...

The argument I hear going around and around is:

"The logical and mathematically correct way to determine preferences among multiple choices is preferential voting."

"I don't like preferential voting. It confuses me and/or will confuse others."

Lather, rinse, repeat. I don't think anybody's positions are being changed by either of those statements any more. The cases have been made.


Jon B. - Mar 04, 2003 2:18:56 pm PST #6729 of 10001
A turkey in every toilet -- only in America!

Seriously, what about deciding that as it occurs, so we're not locked into it?

I'm fine with this.

Per John H.'s suggestion, here is the original proposed ballot that a few of us came up with yesterday. Note that the link the the preferential voting explanation isn't live.

Item 1: FORMAL DISCUSSION THREAD

Do we want a separate thread for actual voting discussions?

A yes vote on this Item means you would like a new thread, that will be solely dedicated to formal discussion of future items put forward for voting. This thread will only be open during the designated days of formal discussion.

A no vote means you do not want a new thread. (Presumably in this case, all discussion will take place in Bureaucracy.)

Item 2: CLOSE DISCUSSION

Do we want to close the talking about a subject when the voting starts?

A yes vote on this item means that you would like to end all discussion on a given item when voting starts.

A no vote means you would like to continue discussion through the voting period.

ITEM 3a: VOTER TURNOUT

How many Buffistas does it take to make a vote count?

You are choosing the minimum number of community members voting on any item in order for the vote to count. If fewer than this minimum number vote on a particular item, then that item will have failed to pass regardless of the percentage of votes in favor.

This question is being decided via a preferential ballot, which is kind of an automated run-off system used in Australia and elsewhere. A detailed explanation of how this works is here. You don't need to rank all the choices, but if you don't, and one of your choices isn't a top vote-getter, it's as though there were a run-off and you didn't vote.

Item 3b: ABSTENTIONS

Do abstentions count toward the number in 3a? Yes or no.

If you vote yes, you would allow people to register their vote as an abstention -- that is, with no preference for either choice -- and that vote would count toward the minimum number.

If you vote no, you want only votes that prefer one option to count toward the minimum.

ITEM 4: SECONDS

Before a proposal moves to formal discussion, what should be the minimum number of people who have to "second" the motion?

If a proposal does not receive this minimum number of "seconds", then the proposal will be considered to have failed, without going through the formal discussion and voting process.

This question is being decided via a preferential ballot, which is kind of an automated run-off system used in Australia and elsewhere. A detailed explanation of how this works is here. You don't need to rank all the choices, but if you don't, and one of your choices isn't a top vote-getter, it's as though there were a run-off and you didn't vote.


§ ita § - Mar 04, 2003 2:19:15 pm PST #6730 of 10001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

Oy.

Jon, are we still on for the clarification vote at midnight eastern? Voting period open ... 3 days?

I will post the announcement in Press at that time.


Sophia Brooks - Mar 04, 2003 2:19:16 pm PST #6731 of 10001
Cats to become a rabbit should gather immediately now here

But this is EXACTLY why I think we need an easy way for people to contribute, and to me that way is voting If only 14 people really care about discussing all this shit in all of this great detail, it's important to me that everyone else has an opportunity to have some impact without having to quit their jobs to read this thread. I don't want community decisions made by 14 people, even if I am one of those 14 because I am unable to keep my big mouth shut.

I have to agree with Jesse on this one. I am almost positive that I was one of the 14 people. I wanted voting so people were heard. Beleive it or not, I hate discussing this. I really tried to make every single one of my posts something that would facilitate the discussion and keep it from being picky. I have been upset all last night and today about this because I have PMS, and becuase I don't want something that I really thought would simplify things to make me cry.


PaulJ - Mar 04, 2003 2:20:10 pm PST #6732 of 10001

So, why not vote then on whether we prefer:

a) Majority (as in 51%) wins?

b) Majority (as in "the choice with the most votes")

c) Preferential (linked to the dozens of posts explaining the mechanism

do people prefer?


Jessica - Mar 04, 2003 2:20:46 pm PST #6733 of 10001
And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset

If we continue doing things by consensus, and we respect each others' feelings to the point where certain points get a veto as soon as someone says "this is making me feel uncomfortable" then the most important things are going to get ignored.

I agree with this. The instant veto-ing of topics is something I (speaking as an often oversensitive person) don't particularly like.

But, really, saying "There are important things that we could settle with voting, but I can't say any of them out loud" is just another way of saying "Yes, the voting will only be used for frivolous issues," isn't it?

If the only things worth voting on are the things people don't feel they can even bring forward for discussion, then why have we spent the past week talking about voting?