[ppml] the "other" policy proposals

[Martin Hannigan]

Stephen Sprunk Said:

> >Yes, they should.  We elect people to the BoT and AC on
> the basis that >they're smart and understand how this
> stuff works better than the rest of >us.  To muzzle them
> once they get into office, and thus deny ourselves the
> >very wisdom we elected them to use, is
> counter-productive.  I _want_ to know >what the BoT and AC
> members think of the various proposals.

The intent of the question really was innocous, just a
thought that
struck me, but it was a thought created out of what I
started to feel
was an intimidation tactic. Whether that is true or not is
irrelevant,
the fact that I felt that twinge for a moment is what I felt
is relevant.

You said:

"they're smart and understand how this stuff works better
than the 
rest of us"

This doesn't mean the rest of us are here to be lemmings.
There are 
people that dont participate because they are worried that
they will be
ridiculed, made to look stupid, or be plain wrong and
sometimes people in 
this forum contribute to that. 

I am not for eliminating participation, I am for increasing
it. 
Intimidation has 0 place in our organization and perhaps a
style class 
for certain BoT members would be a better remedy than not
commenting or producing policy at all? Vigorous policy
debate is not intimidation. 
Minimizing their contributions through their participation
-- is. 

I hope this was a little clearer, FWIW.

Best,

-M<