Elections

[Specialist290]

Elections: No. Tried it on my own forum, and it didn't work too well (mostly to do w/ low voter turnout; it was a smallish forum, and it still is).

However, the Admin(s) submitting a list of proposed new mods before appointing them might be a good idea, as it could allow those who'd oppose such an appointment the option of protesting it, and the possibility of a candidate being removed from the pool of appointees if enough people are opposed to him/her with good reason (i.e. not just because they don't like the guy personally). Not that I see that happening often--the guys who run this site do a pretty good job of picking their "helpers" from what I've seen

[Gregoshi]

New staff members are not picked randomly by pulling names out of a hat. All aspects of a patron are considered before asking them if they would join the staff. This includes any possible negative relationships or traits that the staff feels might interfer with the prospective mod's ability to do their job. I don't see where elections or public commentatary on prospective mods add any value to a system which has done an outstanding job of selecting staff members.

[Comrade Alexeo]

This is not a democracy.

This is a cheerocracy.

And Proletariat, Big King Sanctaphrax, Mithrandir, TosaInu, frogbeastegg, Kekvit Irae, Rob the Bastard, Myrddraal, barocca, GiantMonkeyMan, The Blind King of Bohemia, Sasaki Kojiro, ichi, LeftEyeNine, Kraxis, Beirut, Martok, sapi, TinCow, econ21, alpaca, NagatsukaShumi, shifty157, kataphraktoi, cegorach, GodsPetMonkey, UltraWar, General_Sun, pevergreen, Darkarbiter, Warluster, Catiline, Nelson, Ludens, Jambo, Wishazu, Voigtkampf, Epistolary Richard, Teleklos Archelaou, khelvan, Kull, Urnamma, Uesugi Kenshin, Silver Rusher, Ignoramus, Shark974, Gertgregoor, hoggy, blindfaithnogod, Set, Eastside Character, Wheel of Time Dev Team, ShadesWolf, LegioXXXUlpiaVictrix, PROMETHEUS, Kagemusha, TomteOfDoom, caius britannicus, Sir Moody, Lord Zimoa of Flanders, R'as al Ghul, Papewaio, Ser Clegane, Banquo's Ghost, Dariush, and KukriKhan are the cheertaters.

OK?

[Duke Malcolm]

This is not a democracy.

This is a cheerocracy.

And Proletariat, Big King Sanctaphrax, Mithrandir, TosaInu, frogbeastegg, Kekvit Irae, Rob the Bastard, Myrddraal, barocca, GiantMonkeyMan, The Blind King of Bohemia, Sasaki Kojiro, ichi, LeftEyeNine, Kraxis, Beirut, Martok, sapi, TinCow, econ21, alpaca, NagatsukaShumi, shifty157, kataphraktoi, cegorach, GodsPetMonkey, UltraWar, General_Sun, pevergreen, Darkarbiter, Warluster, Catiline, Nelson, Ludens, Jambo, Wishazu, Voigtkampf, Epistolary Richard, Teleklos Archelaou, khelvan, Kull, Urnamma, Uesugi Kenshin, Silver Rusher, Ignoramus, Shark974, Gertgregoor, hoggy, blindfaithnogod, Set, Eastside Character, Wheel of Time Dev Team, ShadesWolf, LegioXXXUlpiaVictrix, PROMETHEUS, Kagemusha, TomteOfDoom, caius britannicus, Sir Moody, Lord Zimoa of Flanders, R'as al Ghul, Papewaio, Ser Clegane, Banquo's Ghost, Dariush, and KukriKhan are the cheertaters.

OK?

TosaInu is the cheertator, the rest are merely his sidekicks and associated henchmen...

But really? Open the wonderfully and efficiently staffed Org to the evils of democracy? hmm...

[Caius]

This is not a democracy.

This is a cheerocracy.

And Proletariat, Big King Sanctaphrax, Mithrandir, TosaInu, frogbeastegg, Kekvit Irae, Rob the Bastard, Myrddraal, barocca, GiantMonkeyMan, The Blind King of Bohemia, Sasaki Kojiro, ichi, LeftEyeNine, Kraxis, Beirut, Martok, sapi, TinCow, econ21, alpaca, NagatsukaShumi, shifty157, kataphraktoi, cegorach, GodsPetMonkey, UltraWar, General_Sun, pevergreen, Darkarbiter, Warluster, Catiline, Nelson, Ludens, Jambo, Wishazu, Voigtkampf, Epistolary Richard, Teleklos Archelaou, khelvan, Kull, Urnamma, Uesugi Kenshin, Silver Rusher, Ignoramus, Shark974, Gertgregoor, hoggy, blindfaithnogod, Set, Eastside Character, Wheel of Time Dev Team, ShadesWolf, LegioXXXUlpiaVictrix, PROMETHEUS, Kagemusha, TomteOfDoom, caius britannicus, Sir Moody, Lord Zimoa of Flanders, R'as al Ghul, Papewaio, Ser Clegane, Banquo's Ghost, Dariush, and KukriKhan are the cheertaters.

OK?

I am not in the cheerocracy

YOU WILL BURN FOR THIS

[Kagemusha]

No.I dont like the idea at all. Benevolent dictatorship is the best way to rule a forum.

[MSB]

No.I dont like the idea at all. Benevolent dictatorship is the best way to rule a forum.

[Husar]

Nice try on a joke, made me smile a little bit.

[Moros]

This is not a democracy.

This is a cheerocracy.

And Proletariat, Big King Sanctaphrax, Mithrandir, TosaInu, frogbeastegg, Kekvit Irae, Rob the Bastard, Myrddraal, barocca, GiantMonkeyMan, The Blind King of Bohemia, Sasaki Kojiro, ichi, LeftEyeNine, Kraxis, Beirut, Martok, sapi, TinCow, econ21, alpaca, NagatsukaShumi, shifty157, kataphraktoi, cegorach, GodsPetMonkey, UltraWar, General_Sun, pevergreen, Darkarbiter, Warluster, Catiline, Nelson, Ludens, Jambo, Wishazu, Voigtkampf, Epistolary Richard, Teleklos Archelaou, khelvan, Kull, Urnamma, Uesugi Kenshin, Silver Rusher, Ignoramus, Shark974, Gertgregoor, hoggy, blindfaithnogod, Set, Eastside Character, Wheel of Time Dev Team, ShadesWolf, LegioXXXUlpiaVictrix, PROMETHEUS, Kagemusha, TomteOfDoom, caius britannicus, Sir Moody, Lord Zimoa of Flanders, R'as al Ghul, Papewaio, Ser Clegane, Banquo's Ghost, Dariush, and KukriKhan are the cheertaters.

OK?

Cool, I'm a cheertater!

[Roman_Man#3]

I dont think that a democracy is a good idea, but I think the people who are being picked for staff should be run by the members first. Has anyone seen what has been happening at the Total War Center?

[sapi]

@meghas - i don't know what's been happening there, but i don't think that's a great idea.

If you expose the admin process to public criticism like that, you weaken it, in the same way as an election would.

If you have problems wiht any member of the admin/moderating staff, take it up with either them or Tosa

[edyzmedieval]

Why do people like the mess that is called TWC?

Democracy = > TWC.

Edyzmedieval |||||||||(walls, walls, walls...) Democracy

[caravel]

I dont think that a democracy is a good idea, but I think the people who are being picked for staff should be run by the members first.

I disagree. The administration need to recruit other people that they can trust, and who's abilities they are sure of. Allowing members to vote in untrustworthy and manipulative people, that are good at pretending to be something they're not until they get elected, is foolish.

If you expose the admin process to public criticism like that, you weaken it, in the same way as an election would.

Exactly: "The .org is not a democracy". If it was, then it would be blighted by infighting from rival self interested "candidates". It would then factionalise into cliques which would eventually bring it to it's knees. The .org under the benevolent rule of our Dear Leader is fine as is. Do not attempt to fix that which is not broken.

[Ragabash]

I dont think that a democracy is a good idea, but I think the people who are being picked for staff should be run by the members first. Has anyone seen what has been happening at the Total War Center?

The problem has never been in the elections(Curia) of the TWC but in its ownership, OgresNet in this case.

[Stig]

Not true, that guy Ogre said that democracies don't work, and wanted to change it ... and he had every right in doing so, after that TWC rebelled (as they had every right in doing so, as they were a democracy)

Democracies don't work ... as I said before, it means that the wrong people are allowed to have a say too, we don't want that do we?

[sapi]

I'd have to agree with gregoshi - democracies don't work in a system where those elected may have to criticise the voters.

As one of the senior staff said some time ago, they're not here to be loved

[Andres]

Forum democracies don't work ... it means that people like Andres or even worse me, get a say in things

You mean that... I'm popular?

But off course I am !

All power to the tyrant AndresTheCunning Long live democracy. Let the rule of the incompetent TheCunning corrupt TheCunning popular hero TheCunning begin.

First new forum rule : no more camels
Second new forum rule: no camels I said
Third rule: who said camels?


I think it's pretty clear why we don't want democracy heh...?

[MSB]

I disagree with this idea. Popular spammers (such as The Stranger) could get elected and spam the place down and should a power hungry admin get in power (such as me ) then elections would stop anyway. Also an evil admin could end up changing the Org forever and doing such things as changing the complete layout of the forums and banning individuals should they not be liked by those in power. This system would not be a democracy, it would be anarchy.

I would only consider, and when I say consider I only mean consider, supporting this system should the candidates be made up only of existing staff members and noble Senior Members who have never had warning points in their lifetime here. Even then I would not feel any true support of the system. The Org is fine as it is - a dictatorship with those who know what they are doing in charge.

[caravel]

Not a good idea at all. It never works. I do have, as ever, a horror story about this sort of thing but I won't bore you with that now. The problem with a mod/admin that is elected by a poll of the userbase is as follows:

1) The userbase elect a personality, not someone that is is best suited to the job.
2) Most of the userbase won't bother to vote, only those that are trying to push their particular candidate.
3) Once in position the person may feel somehow beholden to those that elected him.
4) Encourages the formation of partisan groups, leading to flame wars and boycotts etc.
5) The person may lack the required skills.
6) He may dissolve the admins and mods and proclaim himself emperor of all the org
7) Camels might get deleted.

If this were to happen we would be looking back on it years later talking of the "Golden Age" of TosaInu and the folly of the fools that thought they knew better:

AndresTheCunning: "...we believed we knew better, but now, under that most despicably evil tyrant, Caravel everything is illegal. It is eternally black and none are happy. I remember the avatars...

New Member: "the avatars? surely they are a legend like the signatures?"

AndresTheCunning: "no, they existed once, and there were signatures, and colours, and the moderators kept the peace, all were content and camels ran freely upon the open forums... all gone now..."

[Andres]

AndresTheCunning: "no, they existed once, and there were signatures, and colours, and the moderators kept the peace, all were content and those dirty, stinking, filthy and tricksy camels ran freely upon the open forums... all gone now..."

I had to fix that...

[Sensei Warrior]

Not a good idea at all. It never works. The problem with a mod/admin that is elected by a poll of the userbase is as follows:

1) The userbase elect a personality, not someone that is is best suited to the job.
2) Most of the userbase won't bother to vote, only those that are trying to push their particular candidate.
3) Once in position the person may feel somehow beholden to those that elected him.
4) Encourages the formation of partisan groups, leading to flame wars and boycotts etc.
5) The person may lack the required skills.
6) He may dissolve the admins and mods and proclaim himself emperor of all the org
7) Camels might get deleted.

If this were to happen we would be looking back on it years later talking of the "Golden Age" of TosaInu and the folly of the fools that thought they knew better:

Its shocking how much that statement defines the American voting system, and we all see how well that works.

As many have said, a benevolent dictatorship is the way to go. Another quaint euphamism is, if it 'aint broked don't fix it.

Actually even if we tried it I think Tosa would get voted in overwhelmingly, and then mass petitioned for him to lead a coup to straighten everything back out.