UseNET voting From: t-phils@microsoft.UUCP (Phil Stracchino) Date: Tue, 15 Aug 1989 22:07:05 +0000 I would reply by email to those who pointed out to me the 100-vote majority required for newsgroup creation, but my mail is down... and besides, I want to se how many other people on this newsgroup think that the 100-vote margin is as hokey as the tax reform package. The current standard, I am told, requires a majority margin of 100 votes - NO MATTER HOW MANY VOTES ARE RECEIVED. I ask: Does this make sense? I propose as the answer to this question: No way! Let me illustrate with two scenarios. Scenario 1: Total number of votes: 1,000,000 Total votes for: 500,050 Total votes against: 499,950 Percent votes for: 50.005% Percent votes against: 49.995% Majority margin (votes): 100 Majority margin (percent): 0.01% This vote, by the current standard, passes even though the vote is split almost exactly 50/50. Scenario 2: Total number of votes: 100 Total votes for: 99 Total votes against: 1 Percent votes for: 99% Percent votes against: 1% Majority margin (votes): 99 Majority margin (percent): 98% This vote, by the current standard, fails even though "yes" votes outnumber "no" votes by two orders of magnitude. Is this rational and reasonable? Hell no! I suggest: Would it not make more _sense_ to require, for example, a two-thirds majority with the majority margin not less than 50 votes? (note that exact values here could be diddled with as appropriate - a 60% majority, a 30-vote margin, a 75% majority, a 75-vote margin, whatever.) Comments, reactions, flames, anything??? -- Knight of the Ancient and Honorable | Phil Stracchino Order of the Rampant Turtle | uunet!microsoft!t-phils Black Knights fought, Holy Grails sought | INTERNET: t-phils@microsoft.UUCP (Damsels in distress rescued free) | DISCLAIMER: Disclaim who? Referenced By Up