What should I do, then? Send her a gift? Sacrifice? … Unholy fruit basket?

Angel ,'Just Rewards (2)'


Bureaucracy 4: Like Job. No, really, just like Job

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: Jon B, P.M. Marcontell, Liese S., amych, msbelle, shrift, Dana, Laura

Stompy Emerita: ita, DXMachina


DavidS - Jul 30, 2007 7:13:32 pm PDT #391 of 6786
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."

But who gets to decide what's best for the board if not the majority?

The discussion itself may change people's minds about what each thread vote means. The polling could clarify what we value most and how it works best.

I mean, regardless of what's polled and discussed , unless Connie withdraws her proposal, isn't whether or not we have a new Network Drama thread going to be decided by a vote on August 11th-13th?

That vote will go ahead. But we're trying to engage a larger discussion about how to handle the recurring board tension between a tight focus and a broad focus. I do think it is time for us to get a better sense of what we expect from this community and how to maintain it.

Isn't the only thing this discussion can change perhaps the way people decide to vote on the issue? Or am I missing a step here?

We've made some fairly profound changes in the past based on discussions here. It is my sense that we are looking at one of those moments where we look beyond voting our interest and creating some functional core direction that will help us make future decisions on growth. At least I hope we get a better sense of ourselves so that we don't ignore frictions and divisions which have been arising regularly over the last couple years. Some tension and disappointment is inevitable and that's okay. But it would be foolish to ignore bigger schisms if they started to emerge.

The board is whatever we decide it is. I'm arguing that now is an appropriate time to look beyond this particular vote and get some framework on how we will handle these issues going forward.


DavidS - Jul 30, 2007 7:14:57 pm PDT #392 of 6786
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."

omg - that is so more huggy touchy feely than I can continue to develop. someone else must take it and run.

Maybe less squishy to start with.

Let's just try to clarify two things:

1. Board useage.
2. TV thread preferences.

One at a time.


esse - Jul 30, 2007 7:16:49 pm PDT #393 of 6786
S to the A -- using they/them pronouns!

Let's do that then, on Mr Poll or something that can remain anon.


Amy - Jul 30, 2007 7:17:21 pm PDT #394 of 6786
Because books.

Let's just try to clarify two things:

1. Board useage.
2. TV thread preferences.

So where are we doing this? I think this could be really valuable, but it's ultimately going to depend on how many people answer the questions.


Liese S. - Jul 30, 2007 7:17:56 pm PDT #395 of 6786
"Faded like the lilac, he thought."

The only thing, Sean, is that even with us paying more now, there is always an upper limit to our resources. What has been proven is that if we thread it, we will talk. Increasing the number of threads has never resulted in fewer overall posts. So it's not an infinite number of threads we can support, technically or practically.


Denise - Jul 30, 2007 7:19:52 pm PDT #396 of 6786

We've made some fairly profound changes in the past based on discussions here.

I'm arguing that now is an appropriate time to look beyond this particular vote and get some framework on how we will handle these issues going forward.

Thanks for your explanation, David. The above two comments make it much easier to explain what I'm confused about. To the best of my knowledge, please correct me if I'm wrong, these changes that were made by discussions here are what prompted the voting procedure to begin with, no? Because people were upset by a bullshit consensus? I guess what my question is, is that whatever information this poll and discussion gives us about how thing should be handled going forward, wouldn't that decision have to be put to a vote as well?


NoiseDesign - Jul 30, 2007 7:21:11 pm PDT #397 of 6786
Our wings are not tired

Increasing the number of threads has never resulted in fewer overall posts.

Is this actually true? It seems that folks are saying the increasing the threads is sapping posts out of other threads. Do we have any data on what our overall board posting patterns have been lately?


DavidS - Jul 30, 2007 7:21:51 pm PDT #398 of 6786
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."

We can set it up on Mr. Poll.

Let's do board useage then.

Let's think about what questions give us the most useful answers.

Maybe just start with very clear and distinct questions that don't create more fuzziness.

1. I read B.org:
a - several times a day
b - at least once a day
c. - several times a week
d. - at least once a week
e. - less than once a week
f. - less than once a month

2. I post on B.org:
same list.

Continue in that vein or some other set up?


Vortex - Jul 30, 2007 7:23:39 pm PDT #399 of 6786
"Cry havoc and let slip the boobs of war!" -- Miracleman

Well, in order to save what bandwith we can, what if we did like we did for Supernatural (but with less making people feel bad, *smooches to my SPN peeps*) -- start bucket threads, but if the discussion of one (or more) shows gets overwhelming or takes over, then someone can nominate the show for spinoff. Essentially, if the show shows (ha) that it can handle its own thread, it gets one.


Kristen - Jul 30, 2007 7:27:21 pm PDT #400 of 6786

I'm kind of confused now. I see people stating that what the majority of people may or may not want isn't necessarily what's best for the board. But who gets to decide what's best for the board if not the majority?

To me, it's like voting for anything. What if neither of my choices are appealing?

We've had the debate over a big TV bucket thread before in different variations. It's been voted down before. Maybe it will be again. But simply deciding "no thread" hasn't solved the problem of how to handle TV talk. It just delays it for a little while until someone proposes the TV show thread again.

IMHO, the best outcome to this current conversation would be not only finding some middle ground but also not having this particular conversation again in a year or two.