Posted by Solstice on December 19, 2010, at 11:46:53
In reply to Re: some kind of Community Council, posted by Dr. Bob on December 19, 2010, at 1:49:59
> Solstice, I agree, not blocking posters is another big difference. I think your proposal is creative: people would vote by nominating, and there would only be write-in candidates. My concern is that it would be inefficient to consider and to nominate/vote for posters who aren't willing to serve.
My proposal would definitely be less efficient than campaigning and holding elections outright. However, campaigns and elections end up being the most inefficient of all if it can't seat a council. I think nominations would result in a seated council. Campaigns and elections won't.
> Who's said they're willing to?Oh gosh - now you're gonna make me hunt for it in all the aposts about it? If I remember correctly, Dinah has said something that sounded to me like she would be willing to serve if she could do so without having to do it by campaigns and elections. There have been others - I think maybe one is Sigi? Anyway - maybe when I get to my holiday destination I'll have time to do a search and look for it. But the point is - if you announce - say "January is nominations month. We need a Council. Everyone send me the five names you would like to see as members of Community Council during the month of January." Perhaps you could set it up to to a specific email account. Maybe ask that only the five names be put in the email. Maybe have a student do the tallying for you. Although there will likely be lots of names that are isolated, a pattern of the names that get a lot of nominations should be very clear. Although there *might* be a few of them that for various reasons want to pass - I think you will find five who are willing to do it pretty quickly.
> I honestly believe that voting against change is voting for the status quo.I know you do - but I think that it might be narrow-minded to apply it across the board. I think the status quo here is very distressing to the Community. And I don't think that being unwilling to serve on Council by campaign and elections is equal to "voting against change." Those are generalizations that don't leave any room for the specific dynamics that are creating the problem. This community wants change. The community has politely requested it, and has demanded it, over an extended period of time. But it is imperative that you honor the characteristics of this Community that make campaigns and elections problematic. To not let consideration of those things weigh heavily would be unkind, in my view.
> It might be healthy to give others the benefit of the doubt, but for whatever reason, people sometimes don't, and perceive systems to be unjust, and feel angry.
>
> That anger is one reason I think being "durable" is advisableI am certain that it's possible for there to be, at times, discontent with Council decisions about shortening blocks - but since Council doesn't make the rules or enforce them, I think you might be taking reactions to your administrative actions and erroneously believing that they will apply to Council as well. I think the chance of that is so slim that it's not even worth considering.
Some of the fear and angst you've read about Council, I believe, comes more from the lack of clarity inherent in putting something like this together. Alot of folks likely skim through this stuff and aren't sure what Council means. Once Council is in place, is operating, and enough time has passed for everyone to have a clearer understanding of Council's responsibilities and limitations - I think the fear and angst will diminish considerably.
> and agree with muffled, posters should be careful about accepting power.of course - but Bob - are you encouraging them to be so careful that they just don't take the chance of finding out how it will be? That doesn't even seem reasonable. Thing is - that at the very bottom of it is the fact that this is all volunteer. If it turns out to be impossible - if Council is mistreated to the point that it's unbearable - then they can quit! No one is required to stay here. So it really doesn't make sense to me that people taking Council positions should lay awake at night worrying about having the power to shorten blocks. It kind of surprises me that you would suggest it. And further - I don't think Muffled meant it quite like you're suggesting here. I think Muff's angst has been rooted in the uncertainties. And her sensitivity to uncertainties is understandably higher than most other's angst about uncertainties.
> It's safer to let the buck stop with me.It might be safer to let the buck stop with you when it comes to issuing blocks, etc. But it is decidedly NOT safer to let the buck stop with you with respect to the LENGTH of blocks. It has caused a lot of disruption for you to be holding that last buck - and I think the majority of the community would be happy for there to be a Council of Community members who can, by majority vote, shorten unreasonably long blocks.
Solstice
poster:Solstice
thread:964630
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20101201/msgs/973987.html