So, when are we voting?

Tuesday noonish through Friday noonish.

At some point I'd like to make a proposal that we have a procedure for shortening our voting period in certain circumstances. I'm not kidding. I respect the process immensely - hell, I blew a ton of social capital on it back in the day - but it was supposed to be a means to an end. I have seen absolute total unanimity on support for the writers on this board. A real consensus - not even a bullshit one. Why does it have to take a week to do something we all agree that we want to do?

Why does it have to take a week to do something we all agree that we want to do?

Because I'd like to be sure it's something we all agree we want to do. The voting procedure was put in place because it often seemed we all wanted to do something.

Even if the voting is 100% pro support, I still think affording dissent time to speak up is important in every decision we think is important.

Also, not everyone checks the board every day. I consider that shocking, and I will not admit how often I check the board, but the reason we have a long discussion period is to allow people to weigh in, even if they only check the board every few days.

Yeah, as much as I want our support to be timely, the idea of circumventing the voting process makes my skin crawl. There have been times when we've bullshit consensed about things to take action earlier, but once we get to a voting stage, I think we need to follow our own rules. Opportunity for every voice to be heard, and all.

Because I'd like to be sure it's something we all agree we want to do. The voting procedure was put in place because it often seemed we all wanted to do something.

Even if the voting is 100% pro support, I still think affording dissent time to speak up is important in every decision we think is important.

Very much this.

Also, why is this an issue of timeliness? There are plenty of other ways to show your support now (that have been linked elsewhere). If the strike is over soon, no harm no foul. If it's for the long haul, taking the time to follow our procedures is not going to make much difference.

From past experience, support strikers is like supporting people in grief, it's easy to be there at the beginning, it's sticking around that really counts.

Because I'd like to be sure it's something we all agree we want to do. The voting procedure was put in place because it often seemed we all wanted to do something.

We came up with our processes to determine a set discussion time, then a set voting time and we abide by what those votes decide.

Just because one proposal seems as if it will easily pass and we can skip one of those steps, I feel better knowing that our procedures are in place. Most discussions brought up for a vote here are anything but clear and I don't like the idea of a precedent of ignoring those steps and rules.

at first I was very in favor of posting a logo before the vote. Now I understand where the wait-and-vote-ers are coming from and I'd prefer to abide by the voting process as well.

Look, the fact that this vote will end up being unanimous is important, but not the reason that I think the usual procedure should be truncated. I feel a certain sense of urgency with showing support as a collective. Buffistas are a not-entirely-unknown subset of fandom. And I feel that in a fait accomplit like this one, it would be better to rush to support. Caution is easy. The people who create the things that create fandom are getting royally screwed. If ever a cause was tailor-made for us, this is it.

I get that not everyone feels that urgency, or feels that it's valid. I get why people would like to bend over backwards to let hypothetical dissenters have their say. I get why we set up voting in the first place, and why doing anything differently skeeves people.

But I'm frustrated by form over substance, principles and precedent be damned. I feel hoisted by my own petard.

I guess I don't understand what issues (including this one) we might vote on that need to have the voting period truncated? What purpose do you feel shortening either of those periods will serve that is not being served now, Wolfram?

I hope I've phrased this properly. I am only trying to understand your position, and not pick a fight.