>>"Branden" == Branden Robinson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:

 Branden> On Fri, Nov 22, 2002 at 12:06:01PM -0600, Manoj Srivastava wrote:
 >> I think this is not really a matter of screwing up, this is a
 >> matter of, in some cases, avoiding the tyranny of the majority;

 Branden> ...a platitude directly rebutted by the paper to which John
 Branden> Robinson linked.

        Except I have not found the paper to be convincing; I think
 that the underlying assumptions are about mechanisms that are far
 different from ours, and that this difference is enough to invalidate
 the conclusion reached.

        I suggest people read the paper and reach their own conclusions.

 >> My contention is that there are a number of documents that
 >> define what the project is; and that we agreed to follow when we
 >> signed on to the project, and any changes to these documents, which
 >> cut to the heart of not just the developers, but the whole free
 >> software community (the DFSG is known as the gating criteria for free
 >> software far beyond the extents of the project), ought to be signed
 >> on by _most_ of the developers.

 Branden> Yes.  Anything more than half is "most", by definition.

     1. Consisting of the greatest number or quantity; greater in
        number or quantity than all the rest; nearly all. 

        I meant the nearly all nuance.

 >> So, supermajorities are, in my opinion, still needed for cases
 >> where we want a (very) rough consensus, where mere majority ought not
 >> be the sole criteria for adopting a measure.

 Branden>   consensus
 Branden>        n : agreement of the majority in sentiment or belief [syn: {general 
agreement> 

        Word games, I see. The common usage, when it comes to making
 decisions in debian, has been a term closer to unanimity. 

 Branden> Hear, hear.  I agree that we should have a rough consensus
 Branden> before changing such documents.

        I would have defined rough consensus to be about 90% of the
 people agreeing.

 Branden> We just don't need a supermajority to have it.

        I beg to differ.

        manoj
-- 
 "I love California, I practically grew up in Phoenix." Vice President
 Dan Quayle
Manoj Srivastava   <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>  <http://www.debian.org/%7Esrivasta/>
1024R/C7261095 print CB D9 F4 12 68 07 E4 05  CC 2D 27 12 1D F5 E8 6E
1024D/BF24424C print 4966 F272 D093 B493 410B  924B 21BA DABB BF24 424C


-- 
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Reply via email to