Re: Debian Project Leader Elections 2007: Draft ballot

[Josip Rodin <joy@entuzijast.net>]

On Sat, Mar 10, 2007 at 02:01:38PM -0800, John H. Robinson, IV wrote:
> > In the brackets next to your preferred choice, place a 1. Place a 2 in
> > the brackets next to your next choice. Continue till you reach your
> > last choice.
> 
> In the brackets next to your preferred choice, place an A. Place a B in
> the brackets next to your next choice. Continue till you reach your last
> choice.
> [...]
> This change seems way too obvious to not be seen before. It removes all
> conceivable confusion.

Actually, I think that combining numbers/letters designating choices with
numbers/letters designating rankings is inherently confusing.
Choices shouldn't need to have a name or a letter designating them;
that's an internal variable that the voter doesn't care about.

As far as rankings are concerned, using 1, 2, 3, ... is a good default.
With over 26 candidates, the English alphabet runs out, so while it is
applicable here, it may not be suitable in larger votes.

OTOH, one could argue that 'lower is better' with those rank numbers is
not as intuitive as 'higher is better'.

While I'm at it, it would probably be fun to implement a 'higher is better'
ranking parser in a way to allow someone to vote for example
13-53-32-5-1-_-3-2-2-_-1. Yet, that would probably confuse voters if they
were comparing that vote with a vote like 12-24-23-7-2-1-5-3-3-1-2 -
because those two different votes would be considered equal in the eyes
of the parser script.

-- 
     2. That which causes joy or happiness.