TB 2012 elections?
Nov 8, 2012, 12:36 pm
#76
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As I said in the private TB forum:
"On a dif note it doesn't totally surprise me that TB election questions haven't gotten many views, even though Carol/IB/Talkmail have mentioned it & are trying to promote it sitewide. Most FTers care about their programs & not about the admin of FT.
I think more people might look at the original candidate bios/platforms when it comes time to voting. When I first started voting I did that. In the last few years I took the time to also read the questions, but some people don't have or aren't willing to take the time to read everything."
Cheers. Sharon
"On a dif note it doesn't totally surprise me that TB election questions haven't gotten many views, even though Carol/IB/Talkmail have mentioned it & are trying to promote it sitewide. Most FTers care about their programs & not about the admin of FT.
I think more people might look at the original candidate bios/platforms when it comes time to voting. When I first started voting I did that. In the last few years I took the time to also read the questions, but some people don't have or aren't willing to take the time to read everything."
Cheers. Sharon
Nov 8, 2012, 12:36 pm
#77
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I always found it interesting that you seem to like the fact that TalkBoard is a very neutered body. I wonder why that is.
Nov 8, 2012, 12:38 pm
#78
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As posted in 2004, after I was elected to TalkBoard:
Yesterday, I had lunch with my entire family. Uncle Irving, who was not thrilled about being dragged out of home to go to a restaurant where he had to pick up part of the check, immediately demanded to know why we were having this dinner.
"To celebrate the election results," I told him.
"Whadda I care if Bush or Kerry won?" Irving demanded. "Did either one of them serve in the big one -- WWII? No! They were slackers!"
"Not that election," I said. "The important one -- I was elected to TalkBoard."
"You're going to be a congressman?" Irving exclaimed. "I can't say I'm surprised. You always were a liar and a crook. I guess it was only natural that you would wind up in Washington."
"TalkBoard is much different than Congress," I told him. "For one thing, we don't get any pay."
"Then why bother being a member?" Irving asked.
"It's all about power," I said. "TalkBoard has the power not to create forums."
"Can't anybody not create forums?" he wondered.
"Sure," I admitted, "but they can only not create forums unofficially. TalkBoard can officially not create forums."
"And if TalkBoard doesn't officially create a forum than it won't exist?" Irving asked.
"Only if the board owner agrees," I said. "Otherwise, he is free to create the forum which the TalkBoard officially did not create."
"That doesn't sound like a lot of power to me," Irving said.
"Well, that's not all TalkBoard does," I told him. "It also sets guidelines for itself and elects its president. These are very important steps. Otherwise, when members ask for a forum and TalkBoard decides not to create it, it would be doing so in a chaotic fashion."
"Tell me," said Irving, "you said you were elected. Did anybody else bother running?"
"They certainly did," my mother injected. "A lot of people. I even voted for some of them."
"You didn't vote for Dovster?" Irving wondered.
"No," Mom said. "It wasn't because of any philosophical issues. I just don't like him personally."
"To celebrate the election results," I told him.
"Whadda I care if Bush or Kerry won?" Irving demanded. "Did either one of them serve in the big one -- WWII? No! They were slackers!"
"Not that election," I said. "The important one -- I was elected to TalkBoard."
"You're going to be a congressman?" Irving exclaimed. "I can't say I'm surprised. You always were a liar and a crook. I guess it was only natural that you would wind up in Washington."
"TalkBoard is much different than Congress," I told him. "For one thing, we don't get any pay."
"Then why bother being a member?" Irving asked.
"It's all about power," I said. "TalkBoard has the power not to create forums."
"Can't anybody not create forums?" he wondered.
"Sure," I admitted, "but they can only not create forums unofficially. TalkBoard can officially not create forums."
"And if TalkBoard doesn't officially create a forum than it won't exist?" Irving asked.
"Only if the board owner agrees," I said. "Otherwise, he is free to create the forum which the TalkBoard officially did not create."
"That doesn't sound like a lot of power to me," Irving said.
"Well, that's not all TalkBoard does," I told him. "It also sets guidelines for itself and elects its president. These are very important steps. Otherwise, when members ask for a forum and TalkBoard decides not to create it, it would be doing so in a chaotic fashion."
"Tell me," said Irving, "you said you were elected. Did anybody else bother running?"
"They certainly did," my mother injected. "A lot of people. I even voted for some of them."
"You didn't vote for Dovster?" Irving wondered.
"No," Mom said. "It wasn't because of any philosophical issues. I just don't like him personally."
Nov 8, 2012, 1:14 pm
#79
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Other than that, it's actually really a great site and a great community - because of the posters.
So one should not treat us posters like 8-year olds.
After all, we create the value.
Power to the posters!
Excellent, and very accurate observation.
Last edited by Football Fan; Nov 8, 2012 at 1:21 pm
Nov 8, 2012, 1:16 pm
#80
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1. Whats the point of voting. It wont change anything.
2. It doesnt affect me personally (ie I only use Delta forum anyway, and of course me, myself and I are never going to get suspended by any overzealous mod).
and 3 is typically I dont vote because I dont have enough info.
Awesome. ^Amazing
Nov 9, 2012, 3:01 am
#81
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I'm a little late to express my well wishes to uxb but I hope he and his are safe and beginning their recovery from Hurricane Sandy. I appreciated his contributions to our debate and hope to see him run again next year.
Nov 9, 2012, 3:10 am
#82
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Whats the reason it takes upto 5 days to publish voting results, when these numbers pretty much are visible for admin immediately at closing of votes?
Nov 9, 2012, 3:27 am
#83
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The low interest probably indicates that the supposedly populist topics chosen by about a third of the candidates is no longer a hot topic with the majority of the members? Just food for thought... after last years vote the topics that quickly were put up for debate attracted about 2-3 dozen interested members to nudge the debate along. Very surprising, considering we all are experts in identifying and obsessing about first world problems 
Nov 9, 2012, 3:44 am
#84
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I have suggested letting members participate in the discussion. Participation could be easier aacounted then. Now we only have page views.
Could other factors outside TBs eh FTs purview play a role? Hurricanes? US president election? etc.
We dont have page views on candidates platforms? Can we have those numbers also please? Could it be that many has checked platforms and found great "populist" candidates, and see no point in reading furthers opinions from the same people states just once again (mostly)?
Some people will never accept "populist" viewpoints, even if its from a united TB elected from members. I and others, have suggested polls for more legitimacy.
But with all numbers floating, and member base numbers secret to us, its hard to argue democracy with enough accuracy
Nov 9, 2012, 4:59 am
#85
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Nov 9, 2012, 7:11 am
#86
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Maybe more people will read the Q&A threads after voting actually opens. I know I feel obligated to read the materials before casting a vote, but in the past I never was so eager to read stuff well in advance of voting that I found myself returning to read the responses as they were posted rather than reading everything at once.
Nov 9, 2012, 8:16 am
#87
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Nov 9, 2012, 9:41 am
#88
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Toeing the party line has always helped people to advance in the ranks, or what they consider that to be.
Nov 9, 2012, 12:37 pm
#89
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I wanted to post somewhere and this seems the best place to do so that I no longer need any questions for the candidate debate. We've got a great range of queries. What we need now is for all candidates to participate and then get members to actually read the threads. The view count is depressingly low.
Nov 9, 2012, 12:43 pm
#90
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http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/talkb...ions-2012-717/
You do have to be logged in to see it.