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Re: Re: General Resolution: Statement regarding Richard Stallman's readmission to the FSF board result



>>>>> "Barak" == Barak A Pearlmutter <barak@pearlmutter.net> writes:

    Barak> The Schwartz set resolution algorithm is absolutely best of
    Barak> breed. But there's an old saying in computer science: garbage
    Barak> in, garbage out.

    Barak> If we look at the actual ballots, it's really
    Barak> interesting. Options 7 and 8 were semantically pretty much
    Barak> equivalent. It's hard to see any reason for someone to rank
    Barak> them very differently. So if the voters are rational, we'd
    Barak> think that nearly all ballots would have options 7 and 8
    Barak> ranking either the same or adjacent. And that if one is
    Barak> ranked the same as other options, then they should both
    Barak> be. Yet many of the ballots rank one but not the other, or
    Barak> rank them very differently.  Some voters ranked either option
    Barak> 7 or 8 as "1" and allowed everything else to default. It's
    Barak> very difficult to imagine someone who actually preferred
    Barak> option 7 being equally satisfied with any of options 1-6 and
    Barak> 8.


In my mind the ballot options are not similar.  First, things above FD
are things I don't mind being in a cycle.  If it's ranked above FD, I'd
rather be done with a decisdiscussion and have that option win even if
it is not my preferred option.  Options below FD are options I'd prefer
not make their way into a cycle.

Second, FD implies that the question is still open.  I might be able to
convince people to choose something more aligned with my option in the
following discussion.
In contrast, option 7 is final; we've made a decision.

So, in filling out my ballot I rank:

1) Options that I like--where I'd be okay with any of those options
getting chosen.

2) fd

3) Options that are in the general direction I like, but are weak enough
that I'd rather have an opportunity to ask people to do something
stronger than choose those options.

4) no statement

5) options that are in a direction I disagree with.


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