I'm not for a moment suggesting that these exist right now. We should however never permit a mechanism to exist that might allow it at some future time with less scrupulous folks in office.

Cliques can take many forms. We could have all OMNI regulars. We currently have all men. We could have all Star MegaDO organizers who vote as a block to create a separate forum for discussion of that one event. Or we could have all bloggers.

Really, what matters is the judgment, dignity, and experience each member brings to their Talkboard service.

In other words, there are good Talkboard members and bad TalkBoard members.

In my own personal opinion we have had some of both kinds over the years, far more good than bad, though I don't thin kthat the group of less effective or noble membes have had obvious consistely-defined demographic characteristics.

That would be elected 'less scrupulous' people surely.

I must have missed that agenda.

Unless a simple majority somehow changes the requirements that TalkBoard should be elected perhaps?

One can always come up with paranoid scenario. The point remains that 2/3 is not a bad threshold to maintain, but lets not make it any harder than it already is.

Funny, I see your push to reduce from 2/3 to simple majority to be part of that "agenda".

Agreed. Therefore we should not let the ability to generate endless paranoid scenarios cloud our judgment. :)

And seeking to limit moderator participation on TB isn't an agenda?

Of course it's on my agenda. It was part of my manifesto when I ran for TalkBoard and I raise the issue any chance I get in the TalkBoard forum. :)

I've noticed, trust me.

Well I don't see much support from the other Moderators on TB for this idea. After all, the proposal came from the membership!

How about a motion to the TB, or did you do this after you were elected?

Please remind me again what's the purpose of this discussion thread?
 

I thought this now-stand-alone-discussion thread was about what is a "countable" vote in TB 2/3 majority, instead of the eligibility of TB memberships.

Darn it! I thought I was getting sooo close to an honorable law degree from reading TB Topics Forum on FT. Silly me. Please pardon this non-English native speaker.

Can someone kindly remind me what's this discussion thread all about?

Forgive me for participating, as a FT member and in no other capacity (and here I have no other capacity, obviously!).

Until (or unless) there is a compelling case, supported by at least a majority of TB participants on this thread, this discussion may well only benefit people participating in the creation of new arguments in order to promote agendas or stymie proposals.

It seems more like a political policy unit's squabbling law grads, rather than a convention of learned colleagues, but I take your point.

Since the current TalkBoard is nearing the end of its run, for some members, what I can take away from this thread is that each participants' arguments here is their platform for re-election.

I have not followed this forum for a couple of weeks since I am yet to see anything which gives me hope that this is leading to a decisive vote.

For some of us, there are more pressing/important/deeper issues in the world that splitting this particular hair or particle. Don't let the general FTer level of disinterest in this thread stop your arguments. For how else does a lawyer get arguing practice, but in TBT and OMNI/PR? :)

So sad, isn't it?

Maybe for those TBers with this intent, they should get a room with Randy first then plead for an early opening of TalkBoard Elections/10 (sub)Forum? ;)

FWIW, if the (running) TBer-candidates, let it be new or old, cannot tell the issues at hand in thread and address them fully & accordingly, how could the general membership expect them to attack the "right" targets/issues once (re)elected? Am I being silly again?

Please allow me to re-introduce the thread topic as I know it:

Would it be too much to ask the current TBers to come up with something concrete to solve this (how-to-count-votes) math problem? A proposal would be nice. A motion? Even better.

Thank you for listening.

This has been done (remove the Abstain option), but there is insufficient support as you can tell from TB member posts here. I cannot even secure a seconder, so I am afraid there will not be a change even after the elections.:td: