2008/10/20 Oskar Sigvardsson oskarsigvardsson@gmail.com:
On Mon, Oct 20, 2008 at 5:38 PM, Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.com wrote:
I agree. The mistake was starting a straw poll (the wording suggests it's intended to be a final decision, rather than used to aid discussion as straw polls should be), people making their decision based on their perception of consensus is entirely appropriate.
Exactly. Straw polls can be wonderful tools when used correctly, to get an idea about where everyone stands. If you do hold a straw poll, and 95% of the people says that they fundamentally agree with a position, then you can go on with the process. But they shouldn't be like the deciding test whether to enact a policy or not.
I find they work better the other way around - if 95% of people are against the proposal you can just stop there. If it's a more even split or there is general support then you can have a proper discussion and try and solve the problems people point out.