Subject:
|
Re: Self Organisation (Was: Re: No gimmicks, just some free background images)
|
Newsgroups:
|
lugnet.admin.general
|
Date:
|
Tue, 22 Feb 2000 02:28:29 GMT
|
Viewed:
|
1957 times
|
| |
|
|
James Brown <galliard@shades-of-night.com> wrote in article
<FqB4M3.KH4@lugnet.com>...
> In lugnet.admin.general, Allan Bedford writes:
> > > In lugnet.admin.general, Allan Bedford writes:
> > > > What about a good old-fashioned vote by the 200+ paid members of
> > > > LUGNET. Might this not be a good time to excercise some democracy?
> > Again, I guess I didn't present this idea clearly. I was just • suggesting
> > that the council members themselves be selected by a vote, rather than • be
> > appointed. I agree, trying to involve everyone in every issue would • become
> > impossible immediately. However I propose that simply appointing people • to
> > such a position may be equally unpalatable to some. Why not use this
> > opportunity to let the membership express itself?
>
> On a hunch: It's because, especially in a small community (which Lugnet • still
> is), democracy doesn't necessarily bring the best people to the table. • I've
> worked with a number of small special interest groups(1), and it's very • easy
> for an elected position to turn into a popularity contest. Not • blatantly,
> necessarily, but it often happens that the best known person will get the • job,
> regardless of who's best qualified.
Well, using that logic, if the best person can be appointed, why can't they
also be nominated and elected? You're still dealing with the same group of
people. And, as you mention, this is a relatively small community... the
folks best suited to this task are not unknown to the rest of the group.
The other thing is that from what I've seen democracy always works, even in
the smallest of groups. So long as you've got at least 3 people who want
to vote on something, democracy works. It isn't always pretty, and the
person(s) who get out voted may not like the answer, but it works very
well. It's too bad you've had some negative experiences, I can say I've
had many positive ones.
> I think Todd selecting who he feels most comfortable with as his • "council" is
> going to result in the best working environment. Ultimately, this • council only
> really exists to take some of the more finicky duties of running a • community
> off of Todd's shoulders, which will let him put his time back into
> infrastructure (where, IMO, it is very well spent). Since it is Todd & • Suzanne
> who provide the direction for Lugnet, it should be they who pick the • people
> they feel can best work with them to keep it moving smoothly in that
direction.
I cannot argue nor disagree with these statements. It's a private
enterprise and as such Todd and Suzanne have the final say.
> Bluntly, an election would accomplish one of two things:
> 1:It would give the same result as appointments: people that Todd & • Suzanne are
> comfortable working with, or
You're right, the possibility of this happening is there, no one can
guarantee it won't.
> 2:It would put forward people they aren't comfortable working with, which • would
> make the council at best ineffective, and more likely a drag on their • time and
> resources.
No one gets elected who doesn't want to. No one has to accept a nomination
if they don't want it. I can't see that someone who didn't want to do the
job would ever wind up doing it.
> We trust Todd & Suzanne with a great deal... I see no problem with • trusting
> them with this, too.
I trust them immensely. I wouldn't spend so much time reading LUGNET if I
didn't have faith in Todd's ability to keep things level. However, a
council who sometimes acts on his behalf??? I can't be so sure about that.
I don't have good feelings about it. I guess this whole thing has caught
me off guard. I didn't ever expect to see LUGNET turning in such a
direction. Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way, I'm not sure. But I
figured I had better speak up now, or else be accused of sitting on the
sidelines and not trying to participate. I get the feeling that with or
without a vote, this will all come to pass, as it seems to be moving rather
quickly already.
Regards,
Allan
|
|
Message has 2 Replies:
Message is in Reply To:
82 Messages in This Thread:
 
 
- Entire Thread on One Page:
- Nested:
All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:
All | Brief | Compact
This Message and its Replies on One Page:
- Nested:
All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:
All | Brief | Compact
|
|
|
|
