Re: Change Proposals, objections, and the Decision Policy

On Mon, Jun 14, 2010 at 6:03 PM, Sam Ruby <rubys@intertwingly.net> wrote:
> On 06/14/2010 08:49 PM, Adam Barth wrote:
>> A lot of the discussion around Change Proposals and the Decision
>> Process seems to revolve around the "strength of objections."  Would
>> it make my proposal more likely to convince the chairs if I edited my
>> proposal to more strongly object to the opposing viewpoint?
>>
>> Previously, I was under the impression that technical merit was the
>> salient criterion, so I couched my proposal in terms of technical
>> trade-offs.  I can certainly be more of an objectionist if that's what
>> the chairs desire.
>
> The full quote and context can be found here:
>
> http://www.w3.org/2005/10/Process-20051014/policies.html#managing-dissent
>
> It isn't lengthy, so I have quoted the full text here:
>
> "In some cases, even after careful consideration of all points of view, a
> group might find itself unable to reach consensus. The Chair MAY record a
> decision where there is dissent (i.e., there is at least one Formal
> Objection) so that the group may make progress (for example, to produce a
> deliverable in a timely manner). Dissenters cannot stop a group's work
> simply by saying that they cannot live with a decision. When the Chair
> believes that the Group has duly considered the legitimate concerns of
> dissenters as far as is possible and reasonable, the group SHOULD move on.
>
> Groups SHOULD favor proposals that create the weakest objections. This is
> preferred over proposals that are supported by a large majority but that
> cause strong objections from a few people. As part of making a decision
> where there is dissent, the Chair is expected to be aware of which
> participants work for the same (or related) Member organizations and weigh
> their input accordingly."

I guess the question is how you and the other chairs interpret this
text.  Are the chairs more likely to accept my proposal if I frame it
in terms of a strong objection or in terms of technical merit?

Adam

Received on Tuesday, 15 June 2010 02:01:59 UTC