Range Voting

[kevin_standlee]

The folks advocating Range Voting contacted WSFS (actually, the WSFS webmaster, sfrose) lobbying WSFS to change its voting system from the Instant Runoff Voting system we currently use for site selection and the Hugo Awards. Sharon told them how our rules work and suggested that if they want to change them, they come to WSFS business meetings and propose and debate the changes there, like all other rule changes. The advocate's response, in my opinion, amounted to, "Our proposal is so obviously Right that we shouldn't have to do all that hard, expensive work. You should change your rules because we tell you to do so."

I often tell people who come to me with rules-change proposals, "If you think it's worthwhile, come and submit it yourself. I'll help you with all of the technicalities to the best of my ability, but you have to make your own case, lobby people yourself, and get the votes by convincing people." Most of the time, this discourages them -- democracy is hard work! But sometimes we get people who are willing to work and debate, and sometimes we even get workable changes and improvements.

WSFS rules are intentionally designed to be resistant to change; however, they can be changed if people work hard enough at it. But it's not enough to just lobby a Board of Directors or subvert the Chairman; you have to convince the members.

Comments

Re: I'm a geek

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

As we've been telling you, your argument boils down to "Do what I say because I'm so obviously right." You aren't the first person to claim this and I doubt you will be the last.

Re: I'm a geek

[thebrokenladder.livejournal.com]

More accurately my argument was, "Doing this would be of great benefit to you, and here's the overwhelming evidence."

I can't think of any reason you and others here would be so hostile about a great improvement. I feel like Darwin or Einstein, being told, "This evolution stuff is crap" or "This time dilation stuff is crap". Well, the evidence says otherwise. Do you want to be a creationist? Do you just enjoy having a bad election system? In that case I don't understand why you don't just pick the winner out of a hat.