[Foundation-l] Discussion duration and the SOPA shutdown

[FT2]

It's worth pointing out the discussion was open from 15 December to 16
January before any close. (Note: 15 December is not when it actually
started, it's when it was formally opened as a community discussion -
earlier suggestions were also discussed less formally from 10 December on
various pages).

Usual discussions last from 5 - 7 days (deletions) to 10 days (adminship)
to 14 days (arbitrator elections). This had over 30 days formal
discussion.  By 13 - 16 January it's reasonable to say that if someone who
knew the community's approaches to discussions, or read a wide range of
pages, had wished, there was ample time to state a view, and many, many
did.

Some people only heard at the last minute, or didn't realize it was
serious, or missed it, or if some people feel it should have also been
advertized in yet more venues. It's hard to do everything right; neither
you or I organized it.

But even if someone had responded it is incredibly unlikely that anything
would have changed. Since then, every feedback the community has had,
whether Sue's blog, twitter, otrs, or on-wiki, has confirmed the same
overwhelming decision. All that might have been missed around 13 - 16
January was the closers deciding to close it in line with a technical
request from developers to allow them 48 hours and hence make a decision by
the 16th. There was a month when it was open before then.

FT2