Re: Justification of Negative Votes

["B. Tommie Usdin" <btusdin@mulberrytech.com>]

We seem to be agreed that it is good if people who vote against something
tell the community why.  We also seem agreed that we can't require people
to give good, thoughtful answers.  Our only disagreement here is about
requiring a stated reason for a negative vote.

This, it seems to me, is important in an environment in which all negative
votes must be directly addressed, and where there is an assumption of
consensus-based decision making.  In an environment in which majority-based
decision making is assumed, and where the loosers are simply ignored, this
issue is less important.  I suggest that we define the decisionmaking
environment a bit better before we spend much more energy on this small
issue.

-- Tommie

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B. Tommie Usdin                        mailto:btusdin@mulberrytech.com
Mulberry Technologies, Inc.                http://www.mulberrytech.com
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Suite 207                                    Direct Line: 301/315-9634
Rockville, MD  20850                                 Fax: 301/315-8285
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