[alicebot-archcomm] Procedure

[Dr. Richard S. Wallace]

Time to remind everyone how the Arch Comm works.  We follow, as closely as
we can, Robert's Rules of Order (available online--search Google).  The
reason is not so we can be control freaks or slow down anyone's progress,
but simply to avoid, or at least manage, conflict.  Many of our ancestors
over the millenia have faced exactly the same problems we have working
together in groups.  Robert's Rules have evolved as a way of gracefully and
civilly handling the normal disagreements people have.

I have seen many nonprofits and political organizations collapse precisely
because they didn't adopt any administrative rules.  They inevetibaly start
feuding over who contributed more, who originated what idea, who introduced
whom to who, etc.  I learned this lesson painfully and reluctantly.  No one
likes to bend the rules or color outside the lines or think outside the box
more than I do.   "Committees---a boring waste of time, they just slow me
down," is what I used to think.

Robert's Rules per se may not be the best choice.  We remain open to finding
alterantive rules, especially one suitable for online meetings.  Hard wired
into Robert's Rules, for example, is the concept of a "meeting" whose "time
and place" are announced in advance and where committee members are supposed
to attend.  Cyberspace throws that concept out the window.  We have
experimented by tinkering with Robert's Rules so that, for example,
Committee members have up to one week to vote on pending motions by email.

Our process here is (briefly):

1. Any member may bring an idea or issue to the floor for debate and
discussion.
2. When a member feels that enough discussion has passed, he/she may
formulate a motion.
3. Before voting begins, another member must "second" the motion.
4. The chairman or secretary announces the motion is open for voting, and
the members have one week to cast their votes, unless a majority is reached
before seven days.  In special circumstances the chairman can extend the
7-day rule.
5. A passed motion has a 30-day "cooling off" period before it becomes an
actual part of the AIML standard.  During that time the committee may amend
or revise the pending resolution.
6. Approved resolutions are published on our Committee page as components of
the AIML standard.  The Arch Comm announces the new motion to the community
at large.  We agreed that each minor change should be indicated by a 0.01
increment of the AIML standard version number.

Taking my "modest proposal" as an example,

1. We are in the discussion and debate step.
2. No one has formulated a motion.
3. No one has seconded it.
4. There is no voting underway yet.
5. We are at least 30 days away from adopting the proposal.
6. The fastest way to get to 6, is to follow 1-5.

It seems that members are confusing the discussion with the later voting
process, unless "+1" and "Yes" are meant to indicate, "I agree with this
idea.  Let's move ahead and formulate a motion."   But then, why not just
offer the motion?  You could say, "I move that we adopt this modest proposal
exactly as Dr. Wallace worded it," and you don't have to even think very
hard about :-)

Chairman

p.s. print out the 6 steps and paste them on your refridgerator door.