02/06/2025: Style of Consensus

Post-Vote Overview

Consensus - 2, with the exception of liability concerns, voluntasking individuals or groups, and telling groups how to perform their roles which have the power to block proposals

Style of consensus

Person or group submitting

Briar

Proposal History

• Submission Date: 01/04/2025
• Vote date: 2/16/25
• Vote result: Pass

Friendly ammendments:

• Woodbine has liability to be considered and respected, concerns were voiced that proposals must respect liability
• Proposals should include some caveat that anything regarding changes to finance structure need to include the finance team, should consult them while drafting any proposal that touches finances
• Proposals should include awareness and respect for the legacy of how things have been operating without being stuck in old ways if they are clearly not working, those drafting proposals are expected to research this and talk to people working in the areas their proposal touches
• Proposals need to be concerned with working groups being asked to do labor
• Proposals should involve awareness of/research into who at Woodbine has expertise in an area that the Proposal touches (i.e. consult dinner wg for any dinner related proposals)
• Proposals need to including an explanation/ proof of the problem it is trying to solve

Motivation

To provide the spokes council with a mechanism for making decisions together

Proposal overview slightly less tiny summary here

In order for a proposal to pass, it must reach consensus minus two. In other words, all spokes representatives present at the meeting must agree, with the exception of up to two dissenters.

Details

Background info

To learn more about consensus, read this book.

Groups this affects

Spokes council

Work required

1. Ensure that the council is aware of the consensus -2 process by announcing it during the first meeting

Individual or group doing labor

Whoever is representing the spokecouncilcouncil at the first meeting.

Money required

None

Proposals

I propose that the spokes council has the authority to make decisions if the proposal can achieve consensus - 2, with the exception of liability concerns, voluntasking individuals or groups, and telling groups how to perform their roles which have the power to block proposals

comments (format: commenter name: comment)

Ash: Lol, i'm being pedantic but PG's book is only 75 pages long including appendix. That is not long for a book. It's easy to read and calling it long may discourage people from reading!

Ash: We can also refer to PG's "Consensus" book and use it as a reference to present a basic pros and cons overview of consenus minus two and why we are going with it. the main con is that it can be a fall back rule that allows people to avoid conflict. We can use consensus minus two but with the understanding that blocks warrant dicussion and people should feel encouraged to engage in conflictual discussion. if it comes up over and over this needs to be addressed by the spokes council.

Briar: fair lol i was definitely being a bit of a troll. i removed the "very long"

Frankie: ✅ I think consensus minus 2 is a decent place to start. "Good enough for now, safe enough to try". I don't have strong opinions about whether it'll be the best approach long term. Honestly, I think seeing the Spokescouncil operate will inform my opinion on it (and probably others' too). This can always be revisited in a subsequent proposal as needed.