fandom's decision-making process

[sergebroom]

Last night, the local SF club's meeting was supposed to be mostly about the stories that one had read in 2010. Alas, that didn't quite work out as expected due to first having to settle certain business matters: would we keep meeting at the current location (the hotel where Bubonicon is held) albeit with a slightly higher membership fee to cover the increased rental costs, or would we go elsewhere? Two hours later, I was ready to give myself the Vulcan nerve pinch out of despair. Much to the relief of Craig & Kevin (the club's chairs), people stopped coming up with propositions, with amendments to the propositions, with amendments to the amendments, and we voted to stay where we are. That was quite an introduction to an aspect of fandom I'd never been exposed to. We used what little time was left to rush thru the capsule reviews of our favorites for 2010: mine were William Preston's novelette "Helping Them Take The Old Man Down", and especially MK Hobson's novel "The Native Star".

Comments

[miltonthales.livejournal.com]

This is why we have a representative democracy rather than an open one; it's the only way to avoid the messiness of every voice being heard all the freakin' time.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

King Arthur: Then who is your lord?
Woman: We don't have a lord.
Dennis: I told you, we're an anarcho-syndicalist commune. We take it in turns to be a sort of executive officer for the week...
King Arthur: Yes...
Dennis: ...but all the decisions of that officer have to be ratified at a special bi-weekly meeting...
King Arthur: Yes I see...
Dennis: ...by a simple majority in the case of purely internal affairs...
King Arthur: Be quiet!
Dennis: ...but by a two thirds majority in the case of...
King Arthur: Be quiet! I order you to be quiet!
Woman: Order, eh? Who does he think he is?

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

Well, never go to a WSFS meeting at a Worldcon!

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Those MUST really be something.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

They start really early, follow Roger's Rules of Order, and lots of people come with their ideas. The meeting usually lasts at least two days.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Two days?
Oh my.

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

There's a reason why "herding cats" is a common metaphor for getting a largish group of fen to actually DO anything.

And Marilee is dead right about the WSFS meeting -- but she forgot to mention that there are half a dozen BNFs who have made it their goal in life to be as obstructive as possible by gaming the rules. Add in the fact that using Roberts' Rules of Order can turn even the simplest decision process into Entmoot, and...

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

The herding-of-cats metaphor occurred to me too. Meanwhile, I am still in awe that they managed to change the Hugo rules so that blogs can finally be considered as fanzines. It's my understanding that some lovers of th Future's Literature weren't that keen on taking the Hugos into said Future.