Thanks, I agree that we should post an answer after San Francisco has had an opportunity to consider things. In the unlikely event that no-one dissents from it I&#39;ll post my original draft at about this time tomorrow.<br>
<br>It seems clear to me that anything involving multiple questions and with the intent of finding out what people&#39;s views are on a range of things involves research. However the originators described their consultation as a referendum, even though it didn&#39;t actually include the question  &quot;Do you support this proposal?&quot;. So we shouldn&#39;t be surprised that those who oppose the idea in principle would like it treated as a referendum rather than a consultation. One possible way out of this mess would be to acknowledge that the last exercise was a consultation, attempt to code the thing in a way that resolves as many of the objections as possible and then hold a referendum when people can see how it would work.<br>
<br>It is probably too late for us to get involved in this project, but I think someone needs to get involved in this sort of thing for the future, and I don&#39;t see anyone more appropriate than us. I would like our remit to include reviewing any questionnaire broadcast to the community or parts of the community whether by watchlists, site notices, talkpages or the email user function. On that basis this would be in our remit, whilst a referendum with a single yes no question would not be. <br>
<br>WSC<br><br>PS to Milos, I&#39;ve commented several times, but only after the thing was announced - I
 didn&#39;t have a preview. Some of my comments have been about ambiguities 
among the questions, others have been about the idea. My first comment 
was about the inadvisability of describing a consultation as a 
referendum....<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On 6 September 2011 09:28, Yaroslav M. Blanter <span dir="ltr">&lt;<a href="mailto:putevod@mccme.ru">putevod@mccme.ru</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
<div class="im">&gt; I agree, and I thinbk it is important to do it quickly, nobody would get<br>
&gt; interested in a week. May be just to wait till RCom member in California<br>
&gt; have a chance to read this message later in the (European) afternoon.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; Another question to discuss would be whether we should have been<br>
&gt; consulted. I am not sure. This is not really research, this was supposed<br>
to<br>
&gt; be a vote.<br>
&gt;<br>
<br>
</div>Needs to read: members from California (meaning Pacific time).<br>
<div><div></div><div class="h5"><br>
Cheers<br>
Yaroslav<br>
<br>
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