If you try to imagine this post having John H's username attached to it, wouldn't it look more like devil's advocacy, and not offensive at all?

Nah, I'd snarl at him, too.

No one is exempt.

I go with 3 months and 6 months.

I would like to point out that the purpose of this thread is to discuss the current issue about to be voting on (i.e. 3, 6, or 12 months), and nothing else. Thank you.

I would also like to point out that we don't have to sustain a discussion for 4 days. We can just be quite for 4 of them, and let people who had some days off read through the (small) discussion.

I like three months. Six is a very long time. I only got married six months ago. Four might be best, though -- an issue would only come up three tmes a year, but it's not an eternity.

And yes, there should be an "extraordinary circumstances" clause in the final language voted on.

Are we even gonna be able to sustain four whole days of discussion on 3 or 6?

God willing, the thread will be fairly quiet for the last couple of days, giving people a chance to catch up.

Six months! It is the only right answer (henceforth, the Jesse approach).

Snerk.

Are we really going with limited choices and a straight X number of months or 6 months on a ballot? Cause if we did, I skimmed it.

In order to making voting as simple as possible, Sophia suggested that we try to come to an agreement around two choices. She proposed 3 months, 6 months, a year. As far as I can see from people's responses here, everyone thinks a year is too long. A few people think 4 months is optimal -- do those people care enough to agitate for it as a choice? If not, I think we're pretty well set with choosing between 3 and 6 months. Remember, people, nothing HAS to be revisited.

Also, possibly to be added to the ballot:

• Language about "extraordinary circumstances"

• Does this apply to issues that are raised but don't get enough seconds? What should the time frame there be?

• Is there a time limit for people to get their seconds?

I absolutely think the closed discussion time limit should apply to unseconded proposals. Otherwise, people are going to be re-proposing endlessly until the only reason people second is to get it voted and done with, and that's a waste of everyone's time.

I think 24 hours is a reasonable amount of time to wait for 4 seconds.

I agree with Jess PMoon.

Honestly, when I read it, my gut reaction was to post something completely rude.

Please don't! That way lies rancor and madness. We are sane and fluffy Buffistas. Nutty says so.

I absolutely think the closed discussion time limit should apply to unseconded proposals. Otherwise, people are going to be re-proposing endlessly until the only reason people second is to get it voted and done with, and that's a waste of everyone's time.

I don't know as how this is actually part of what we're going to be voting on, but I do tend to think that, as a practice, people will begin to second proposals that will obviously lose a vote, just to be able to apply the waiting period. A couple of the seconders in the War Thread discussion in Bureaucracy have indicated this is their strategy. IOW, unless it's a totally insane person trying to propose, I think this part of the process will fix itself and not need legislation.

But it only works if you choose 6 months! Imagine voting on Nutty Cheese Butt every 3 months!!