Re: [atlarge-discuss] New PROPOSAL

[DPF <david@farrar.com>]

On Sat, 11 Jan 2003 16:00:40 -0000, "Richard Henderson"
<richardhenderson@ntlworld.com> wrote:

>PROPOSAL: The panel will authorise an "open ballot" of the whole membership,
>accepting questions from all members (up to a maximum of 3 questions per
>member), and posting these questions as a ballot on February 1st. 

Do you really think a ballot of up to 3,000 questions is going to make
members want to stay members or drive them off?

>In the absence of Panel consult, we live in a free world, and ordinary
>members will be free to carry out the process themselves. People will say,
>"Lots of questions will put people off". I reply: "The people who really
>care will be willing to answer a range of questions. It is not democracy
>that is putting people off, but inertia and a lack of clarity and progress.
>Let the members get really involved in this process."

I totally support having a members ballot on some key issues such as
purpose/mission statement, incorporation and bylaws but this proposal
is too ambitious.

If you want members to really be able to participate the panel needs
to draw up some neutral questions with clear options and also
preferably background info maybe with pros and cons of each option.
This is democracy far more than polling hundreds of questions on
issues with no background info.

DPF
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E-mail: david@farrar.com
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