In case any of you missed it, there was a bit of hubbub recently around the banning of one of the site's more beloved members. A lot of people felt that the banning was unfair, and too severe, and handled badly.
Overall, it was a petty sucky time: many peeps felt disenfranchised and alienated and the staff took quite a beating. Now I can take a beating like any good redhead, but the days of me going out looking for one are fading into the distance. And the days of me beating on peeps, well I was never much of one for that.
A couple members suggested (thanks Ethrad and goldenstaff) that instead of an autocracy or staffocracy, it might better serve the site if there were a small group of trusted members who would serve in the capacity of a jury or quorum, and could vote on to ban or not to ban a member. The benefit here would be twofold. The groupthink would be trusted to make informed dispassionate decisions, and it would take the heat offen me.
My first impulse was to reject the idea. I was afraid that there is no way to escape side-taking and bias and all the attendant emotions of friends and enemies that a community like this brings. That as it's creator I'm the only one with the site's best interests at heart. And I don't necessarily like the idea of handing over control of my baby either.
But I talked it over with the missus, who as a habit is a fair and righteous babe, and the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. I could see it opening redhedd up to a whole new level of redheaded goodness. To equity and trust and awesomeness. What do they say about when you love something? Set it.... what was it now?
So I'm giving you the franchise.
Let's vote in 5 members. Let's give them power to ban and reinstate. Let's give them a special staff forum area where they can discuss the evidence of a case and vote, and let the majority rule.
Rather than open this blog up to nominations, I think it would be best to have them messaged to me privately. That way people will feel freer to nominate without worrying what their friends will think. SO:
1. I will compile the list of all peeps nominated.
2. Once the list is compiled, I'll contact each nominee to confirm that they accept the nomination.
3. I'll then set up a vote. We'll all vote, and
4. the 5 members with the most votes will be our jury.
Waddya think of that apple?
Tags: Democracy
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