Motion Passed 8-0-1: Amendment to TB Guidelines
 

Moved by kokonutz and seconded by bdschobel:



The TalkBoard recommends the following amendment to the TalkBoard Guidelines (strike language deleted, underline language added):

C. Voting Procedures
i. Once a motion has been made and seconded and all aspects of the Public Notice Procedures in Section D. below have been completed, not sooner than 48 hours later the President shall post a sticky poll thread in the TalkBoard forum calling the question and announcing the vote. The thread shall be titled "Vote: [summary of motion]". In the first post on the sticky poll thread the President shall post the maker and seconder of the motion as well as the voting deadline and then restate the motion that has been made and seconded.
ii. TalkBoard members may register their selection of yes, no or present but abstain while the voting period is open.
iii. It is each TalkBoard members’ responsibility to check the TalkBoard forum often enough that they do not inadvertently miss a vote.
iv. A TalkBoard member who is otherwise unable to log onto FlyerTalk due to a suspension may appeal to the FlyerTalk Host for the privilege of access to the private TalkBoard forum for the sole purpose of conducting TalkBoard business including voting on motions.
v. Once a TalkBoard member registers a selection that selection is final.
vi. Regular motions shall be kept open for a period of two weeks from the posting of the sticky poll unless
a. under extenuating circumstances, the President may call for a shorter voting period although in no circumstance shall a vote be open for less than five days.
b. all TalkBoard members have registered their selections.
vii. A motion shall pass if at least two-thirds of the yes or no votes cast by TalkBoard members are ‘yes’ and a majority of the total TalkBoard membership votes 'yes.'
viii. At the close of a voting period the President shall formally announce the results in the sticky thread and instruct the Vice President/Secretary to comply with the TalkBoard’s public notice procedures.
ix. When motions containing recommendations for changes to FlyerTalk are passed the President shall communicate that recommendation to the FlyerTalk Host.

D. Public and FlyerTalk Host Notice Procedures
i. Once a motion has been made and seconded the Vice President/Secretary shall post a new thread in the public TalkBoard Topics forum announcing the vote along with the voting end date as quickly as feasible. Once that thread is posted, the TalkBoard Vice President/Secretary will submit a request to the FlyerTalk Host or representative to create an site-wide announcment of the vote with a link to the discussion/voting thread in the TalkBoard Topics Forum. The Announcement will be available until either voting is completed and a decision is made or the voting period ends.
ii. Motions on topics related to the internal administration of TalkBoard as determined by the President and some topics requested for discussion or input by the FlyerTalk Host will be exempted from this public posting requirement.
iii. The purpose of posting voting topics in the public TalkBoard Topics forum is to solicit member feedback on any motions that are up for a vote and to allow for comments after a vote is made. It is at the sole discretion of the individual TalkBoard members whether they choose to post in the public discussion thread, there being no requirement to do so.
iv. Once an active motion has received sufficient Yes votes for approval or sufficient No votes that approval is not possible, the Vice President/Secretary or the President shall post this fact in the public TalkBoard Topics thread announcing the vote. When motions containing recommendations for changes to FlyerTalk are posted in the TalkBoard Topics thread under this guideline the President shall communicate that recommendation to the FlyerTalk Host for consideration and possible action.
v. Once voting is completed and the TalkBoard President has formally announced the results of the vote in the TalkBoard forum the Vice President/Secretary shall announce the full results of the roll call vote in
a. the public TalkBoard Topics thread announcing the vote
b. a new thread in the Town Hall forum.

Explanation: Under the current process, the Community Director/FlyerTalk Host is not formally asked to act on a recommendation until all TalkBoard members have voted even though it may be clear that a motion will pass well before that happens. Hypothetically, this could delay the creation of a new forum by up to 12 days. In practice it has delayed the creation of a new forum by 10 days.

The purpose of this motion is to ask the Community Director to act on a recommendation at the time it is clear that a motion will pass rather than waiting until voting closes on that motion, with the intention of giving FlyerTalkers quicker access to new forums.














This vote will close on Nov 20, 2015 , at 5:00PM* CDT or after all TalkBoard members have registered their vote, whichever comes first.




Per the TalkBoard Guidelines:

A motion shall pass if at least two-thirds of the yes or no votes cast by TalkBoard members are ‘yes’ and a majority of the total TalkBoard membership votes 'yes' after voting opens 2 days after a site-wide announcement.

The purpose of posting voting topics in the public TalkBoard Topics forum is to solicit member feedback on any motions that are up for a vote and to allow for comments after a vote is made. It is at the sole discretion of the individual TalkBoard members whether they choose to post in the public discussion thread, there being no requirement to do so.

So while there is already a thread and discussion on this general topic and it is safe to assume that TalkBoard members have reviewed that thread, this thread is about this specific motion.

Please feel free to post questions, comments or any other sort of feedback in this thread.


*will revise exact time once site-wide announcement is made

Before I participate in this vote......was this the verbiage to which you were referring that you would like to see included, nsx?

I would like to see which wording fellow FlyerTalk members prefer.

I definitely prefer koko's version, but either one gets the same job done. I hope we don't get distracted debating which version is better.

Bruce

I would have been better to discuss the wording before one of the motions was seconded.

+1.

The end result is, to my understanding, to allow the CommunityDirector to create a forum once the 6 votes passing it are in* & not have to wait until the 14th day when a TB member (any TB member) drags out the final vote - ie, FTers don't have to wait. Seems like a win-win for FTers, those folk TB are elected to serve.

* Obviously the understanding being that the CD isn't required to start the forum the second it passes as she does have other responsibilities, but that she now has the option of doing so once the 6th vote is in vs. waiting until the 14th day for a final straggler vote.

Cheers.

I do not believe that we will get distracted.

Either way, I am fine, as I believe that this amendment is in the best interests of FlyerTalk members.

We agree. Is that a first? :D

I do not know, as I do not recall us ever disagreeing with each other.

I am not saying that has never happened — I just never thought of you in that way in our history of almost 13 years.

I'm thinking of someone else, no doubt. Forgive me -- it's been a long, mind-numbing day.

Not a problem. I actually got a laugh out of reading that.

I hope you get a good night’s sleep tonight and are refreshed and well-rested when you awaken.

The problem with nsx's version is that when the announcement is that the vote will result in 'no's winning, there is nothing to report to the CD.

It's only when motions containing recommendations for changes to FlyerTalk are made that the President needs to communicate that recommendation to the FlyerTalk Host for consideration and possible action.

Because if the answer is no, then there is no recommendation to be made as the status quo is to be maintained.

It would have been better if this amendment were not necessary at all.

Unfortunately, it is.

Motion will pass
 

In accordance with the guidelines that means we'll announce if a motion has passed or failed once enough yes or no votes have been recorded by TB members, this is the public notice that this motion

will pass as it has secured 6 yes votes.

Please note that not all TB members have voted yet, and so a final announcement with who voted

yes/no will not be posted until all 9 have voted or the voting period ends.

Of course, in the future carol can start acting on a motion at THIS point in the process rather than waiting until the last TB member votes which, if past is prologue, will be in about 12.5 days.

Although it's procedural in nature I'm pleased this will be my last act as a TB member! ^

I think you were a great TalkBoard member. Will miss your input and candor. Thanks for volunteering.

I totally agree. And I thank kokonutz for making this important motion.

Bruce