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Date:         Wed, 14 Jan 2009 03:52:35 -0800
Reply-To:     Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Subject:      Re: Vanagon List Moderator
In-Reply-To:  <ccafde090901140116j3800b2e7lc448badea8c780e6@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

--snip-- Anyway, please share our thoughts about this. Pmail if necessary. --snip--

Two thoughts came immediately to mind: The first was 'Jonas's First Law of electoral politics': What disqualifies a person for the leader's job is that he or she wants it.

The second was about those occasional but lengthy barrages of non-vanagon related inside jokes that you and Mike Miller indulge in, especially around this time of year. Talk about wearing out the delete key.

I have nothing against you personally but I don't think that picking from a show of hands is the way to go about this.

If we are going to have a moderator (and we should probably have a moderator) I'd be inclined to have a slightly more formalized structure in the form of an elected council or board (of say, nine people) who would then appoint a moderator and an 'assistant moderator' (as a standby/fill-in) from amongst themselves; those two individuals would then be disqualified from being the head of council or board chair (*). This council would also set policy (as in the charter) and perform various other administrative functions that you find in most large human organizations.

The problem with even benevolent dictatorships, as was demonstrated so clearly with Jim, is that they inevitably generate resentment in both the governor and the governed. I think that recreating that situation is just begging for more of the same problems down the road. Having a small representative body should take a good deal of that pressure off of the individual moderating. On the other hand, if he or she screwed up they would have the ability to can them if necessary, which isn't possible with person holding all the keys. (See * above.)

Cya, Robert


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