All registered United People members have the opportunity to participate in the custom tailoring of their decision-making environment. The United People planet facilitator may make any fine adjustments to any of the settings until the members collectively change the setting. Once a setting has been changed by the membership collectively that setting cannot be changed again except by the registered members within the guidelines of these rules.
B. Location of Settings
On the “Change Settings” section on the site, the Webmaster shall post the index of all United People settings. There shall be a bar graph displaying the % needed to change the setting as well as the current % status of the notices to change the settings. The Webmaster shall include a hyperlink on each setting so registered members may go directly to the appropriate location to enter their notice to change a setting. A hyperlink shall also be provided to the member so that they may verify their entry and/or view all registered members’ entries once a setting is changed. index
2. Types of notices including United People’s default settings
(see Definition of Terms for further explanation) index
Member Verification RequestThe Member Verification Request is used to notify the organization's adminsitrator to verify the accuracy of the Member Registry.
Member Verification Request Change RateThe Member Verification Request Change Rate is the percentage of the
total active registered members required to initiate a member verification.
20 %
II. General Reduction and Voting Notices
Award Fee Implementation Rate
Award Fee Implementation RateThe Award Fee Implementation Rate is the percentage of the total active Issue Participants who have rated propositions in the rating phase that is required to impose an award fee in the final vote of the issue.
N/A
Award Fee Implementation Level 1 Change RateThe Award Fee Implementation Level 1 Change Rate is the percentage of the total active registered members required to change the current award fee implementation rate.
N/A
Award Fee Implementation Level 2 Change RateThe Award Fee Implementation Level 2 Change Rate is the percentage of the total registered active members required to change the 'Level 1 award fee implementation
rate.'
N/A
Award Fee Maximum
Award Fee MaximumThe Award Fee Maximum is the maximum award fee allowed by the total Active Registered Members.
N/A
Award Fee Maximum Change RateThe Award Fee Maximum Change Rate is the percentage of the total active registered members required to change the current Award Fee Maximum.
N/A
End Discussion Rate
End Discussion RateThe End Discussion Rate is the current end discussion rate.It represents the percentage of the total active issue participants required to end a discussion period of an issue. A final requirement for the 'end discussion' notice to take effect is the issue participant minimum (the
number of registered members actually registered as issue participants in an issue). When this rate change is executed, it is automatically re-set to the new value chosen
by the registered members.
30 %
Grade Level
Grade LevelThe Grade Level is the initial grade level set by each organization via its administrator or updated by the
active members. Propostions are edited according to this grade level entry. A Flesch-Kincaid or equivalent system is used.
6
Grade Level Change RateThe Grade Level Change Rate is the percentage of the total active registered members required to change the grade level.
30 %
Group Discussion Maximum Proposition
Group Discussion Maximum PropositionThe Group Discussion Maximum Proposition is the maximum number of propositions per discussion group.
12
Group Disc. Max. Proposition Change RateThe Group Disc. Max. Proposition Change Rate is the percentage of the active members required to change the Group Discussion Maximum Proposition number.
30 %
Issue Participation Minimum
Issue Participation MinimumThe Issue Participation Minimum is the minimum number of the total active registered members required as Issue Participants of any issue. An issue may not proceed to its next phase until this number of issue participants is reached. An issue will be temporarily on hold if the number of participants of an issue falls below this minimum.
2 participants
Issue Participation Minimum Change RateThe Issue Participation Minimum Change Rate is the percentage of the
total active registered members required to change the current issue participation minimum.
60 %
Issue Voter Minimum Percentage
Issue Voter Minimum PercentageThe Issue Voter Minimum Percentage is the current percentage of the total
registered members required to participate in the final vote of an issue. If this requirement is not met within the initial final vote duration, the final voting will be extended by using the issue participation minimum deadline. If this second deadline expires without the issue voter minimum percentage being met, the issue will be sent back to the current issue list for a second attempt.
30 %
Proposition Acceptance Rate
Proposition Acceptance RateThe Proposition Acceptance Rate determines if a proposition is accepted. It is the percentage of the total active Issue Participants who have actually voted to accept a proposition in the final vote. If this rate is not reached, the proposition is rejected. (Conditions may apply -- see reduction rules concerning Issue Voter Minimum Percentage)
65 %
Proposition Acceptance Level 1 Change RateThe Proposition Acceptance Level 1 Change Rate is the percentage of
the total active registered members required to change the 'Proposition acceptance
rate'.
45 %
Proposition Acceptance Level 2 Change RateThe Proposition Acceptance Level 2 Change Rate is the percentage
of the total active registered members required to change the 'Level 1 Proposition acceptance rate'.
75 %
QQ Implementation Rate
QQ Implementation RateThe QQ Implementation Rate is the percentage of the total active Issue Participants in an issue who have
rated propositions in the rating phase that is required to impose qualifying questions in the final vote of the issue.
2.5 %
QQ Implementation Level 1 Change RateThe QQ Implementation Level 1 Change Rate is the percentage of the total
active registered members required to change the 'Qualifying questions implementation rate.'
67 %
QQ Implementation Level 2 Change RateThe QQ Implementation Level 2 Change Rate is the percentage of the total
active registered members required to change the 'Level 1 qualifying questions implementation
rate.'.
75 %
QQ Maximum Limit
QQ Maximum LimitThe QQ Maximum Limit is the maximum number of qualifying questions that will be asked before the final
vote.
10
QQ Maximum Limit Change RateThe QQ Maximum Limit Change Rate is the percentage of the total active registered members required to change the maximum qualifying question limit.
65 %
Standard Deviation Coefficient
Standard Deviation CoefficientThe Standard Deviation Coefficient is the initial Standard Deviation Coefficient set by each organization via its administrator or updated by the active registered members. All settings and award fee amounts are calculated by using this coefficient. The purpose of this setting is to prevent the unnecessary skewing of results due to unusually extreme entries. The most popular setting is between 1 and 2.
1.5
Standard Deviation Coefficient Change RateThe Standard Deviation Coefficient Change Rate is the percentage of the
total active registered members required to change the Standard Deviation Coefficient.
60 %
III. Time Limits
Discussion Finalization Period
Discussion Finalization PeriodThe Discussion Finalization Period is the number of days allowed as a transition period between the End Discussion notice and the beginning of the rating period.
1 days
Discussion Finalization Period Change RateThe Discussion Finalization Period Change Rate is the percentage of the active members required to change the Discussion Finalization Period.
30 %
End Result Display Period
End Result Display PeriodThe End Result Display Period is the period of time that the results of an issue remains listed in the current issue list.
30 days
End Result Display Period Change RateThe End Result Display Period Change Rate is the percentage of the
total registered members required to change the End Result Display.
60 %
Issue Participation Minimum Deadline
Issue Participation Minimum DeadlineThe Issue Participation Minimum Deadline is the beginning (current)
issue participant minimum deadline. This determines the maximum allowable period an issue may exist without maintaining the issue particpation minimum (measured in consecutive days). If an issue exceeds this deadline, it will be dropped from the issue list if its priority rating is less than 1.5.
10 days
Issue Participation Minimum Deadline Change RateThe Issue Participation Minimum Deadline Change Rate is the percentage of the total active registered members required to change the current issue participation minimum deadline.
60 %
Member Delete Deadline
Member Delete DeadlineThe Member Delete Deadline is maximum number of days that an inactive member may be inactive before being deleted from the Member Registry. Once members are deleted from the Member Registry, they can only be readmitted through the administrator.
365 days
Member Delete Deadline Change RateThe Member Delete Deadline Change Rate is the percentage of the
total active registered members required to change the Member Delete Deadline.
40 %
Member Inactivity Deadline
Member Inactivity DeadlineThe Member Inactivity Deadline is the initial maximum consecutive number of days that a registered member may be inactive on the site before being taken off the active Member Registry. Once this period is expired, the registered member is transferred to
the inactive list where he or she will remain until self-reactivation. This period is set by the organization via its adminsitrator or updated by the registered active members.
90 days
Member Inactivity Deadline Change RateThe Member Inactivity Deadline Change Rate is the percentage of the
total active registered members required to change the Member Inactivity Deadline.
60 %
Proposition Rating Duration
Proposition Rating DurationThe Proposition Rating Duration is the current reduction rating period (after the Notice to End Discussion and before the proposition rating deadline) in which Issue Participants may rate submitted propositions. It is first set by the organization via its administrator or thereafter up-dated by the active registered members.
3 days
Proposition Rating Duration Change RateThe Proposition Rating Duration Change Rate is the percentage of the total
active registered members required to change the Proposition rating duration.
50 %
Proposition Rating Duration (Urgent Priority )
Proposition Rating Duration (Urgent Priority )The Proposition Rating Duration (Urgent Priority) is the current reduction rating period (after the Notice to End Discussion and before the proposition rating deadline) in which Participants of urgent priority issues may rate submitted propositions. It is first set by the organization via its administratoror thereafter up-dated by the active registered members.
1 days
Proposition Rating Duration (Urgent Priority) Change RateThe Proposition Rating Duration (Urgent Priority) Change
Rate is the percentage of the total active registered members required to change the Proposition (Urgent Priority) rating duration.
50 %
QQ Rating Duration
QQ Rating DurationThe QQ Rating Duration is the initial duration allowed for the qualifying questions rating, and it is
set by the organization via its adminsitrator or updated by the active registered members.
3 days
QQ Rating Duration Change RateThe QQ Rating Duration Change Rate is the percentage of the total active registered members required to change the QQ rating duration.
50 %
QQ Rating Duration (Urgent Priority)
QQ Rating Duration (Urgent Priority)The QQ Rating Duration (Urgent Priority) is the initial duration allowed for the qualifying questions rating for high priority issues, and it is set by the organization via its adminsitrator or updated by the active registered members.
1 days
QQ Rating Duration (Urgent Priority) Change RateThe QQ Rating Duration (Urgent Priority) Change Rate is the percentage of the total active registered members required to change the QQ rating duration (Urgent Priority).
50 %
QQ Submissions Deadline
QQ Submissions DeadlineThe QQ Submissions Deadline is the initial deadline for qualifying question submissions set by the organization via its administrator or updated by the active members.
2 days
QQ Sub. Deadline Change RateThe QQ Submissions Deadline Change Rate is the percentage of the total
active members required to change the qualifying questions submission deadline.
50 %
QQ Submissions Deadline (Urgent Priority)
QQ Submissions Deadline (Urgent Priority)The QQ Submissions Deadline (Urgent Priority) is the initial deadline for
qualifying question submissions set by the organization via its administrator or updated by the active registered members for urgent priority issues.
1 days
QQ Sub. Deadline (Urgent Priority) Change RateThe Deadline (Urgent Priority) Change Rate is the percentage of the total active registered members required to change the qualifying questions submission deadline for urgent priority issues.
50 %
Voting Duration
Voting DurationThe Voting Duration is the initial voting duration for the final vote, and it is set by the organization via its adminsitrator or updated by the active registered members.
5 days
Voting Duration Change RateThe Voting Duration Change Rate is the percentage of the total active registered members required to change the final vote duration.
50 %
Voting Duration (Urgent Priority)
Voting Duration (Urgent Priority)The Voting Duration (Urgent Priority) is the initial voting duration for urgent priority issues final vote, and it is set by the organization via its adminsitrator or updated by the active registered members.
1 days
Voting Duration (Urgent Priority) Change RateThe Voting Duration (Urgent Priority) Change is the percentage of the
total active registered members required to change the final vote duration for urgent priority issues.
50 %
IV. Word Limits
Issue Explanation Word Limit
Issue Explanation Word LimitThe Issue Explanation Word Limit is the initial issue explanation word limit set by
each organization via its administrator or updated by the registered members.
650 words
Issue Explanation Word Limit Change RateThe Issue Explanation Word Limit Change Rate is the percentage of
the total active registered members required to change the issue explanation word limit.
65 %
Proposition Word Limit
Proposition Word LimitThe Proposition Word Limit is the initial proposition word limit set by each organization via its administrator or updated by the active registered members.
7000 words
Proposition Word Limit Change RateThe Proposition Word Limit Change Rate is the percentage of the total
active registered members required to change the proposition word limit.
65 %
QQ Word Limit
QQ Word LimitThe QQ Word Limit is the initial qualifying question word limit set by the organization via its
administrator or updated by the active registered members. This word limit relates to qualifying questions submited by Issue Participants -- either issue related during the
discussion phase or proposition specific after the reduction rating.
100 words
QQ Word Limit Change RateThe QQ Word Limit Change Rate is the percentage of the total active registered members required to change the qualifying questions word limit.
65 %
Forum Word Limit
Forum Word LimitThe Forum Word Limit is the initial Forum word limit set by the organization via its administrator or updated by the active registered members.
300 words
Forum Word Limit Change RateThe Forum Word Limit Change Rate is the percentage of the total
active registered members required to change the suggestion word limit.
65 %
Summary Word Limit
Summary Word LimitThe Summary Word Limit is the initial summary word limit set by the organization via its administrator or updated by the active registered members.
100 words
Summary Word Limit Change RateThe Summary Word Limit Change Rate is the percentage of the total active registered members required to change the summary word limit.
65 %
Title Character Limit
Title Character LimitThe Title Character Limit is the initial title character limit set by the organization via its administrator or updated by the active registered members. Please note that the title character limit is measured in characters and not in words.
55 characters
Title Character Limit Change RateThe Title Character Limit Change Rate is the percentage of the total active registered members required to change the title character limit.
65 %
3. How to change notice rates
A. All Settings except for Qualification Questions Implementation Rate Levels 1 - 3 Change
As soon as the registered members’ notice to change a setting reaches the current requirement, the Webmaster shall give notice on the web site, and to all registered members via e-mail, that the applicable setting has changed, and state the new setting. The new setting will be the average of all submissions using the standard deviation coefficient. Once a notice is given to change a setting, it is retained in the data base. Each future recalculation of the setting will include the values entered in the current notices as well as the values previously retained.
B. Qualifying Questions Implementation Rate Levels 1 - 3 Change
i. Reading Requirement
Prior to a registered member being able to enter a notice to change the Qualifying Questions Implementation Rate Levels 1 - 3, he or she must read Section 1 of the Supporting Text for the Qualifying Questions Rules.
ii. Answer Questions Requirement
Registered members must also answer ten questions in order to demonstrate an understanding of Section 1 of the Supporting Text for the Qualifying Questions Rules prior to their being able to enter their notice.
iii. When New Setting Takes Effect
As soon as the registered members’ notice to change any of the qualifying questions rate settings reaches the current requirement, the Webmaster shall give notice on the web site, and to all registered members via e-mail, and state the new setting. The new setting will be the average of all submissions using the standard deviation coefficient. Once a notice is given to change a setting, it is retained in the database. Each future recalculation of the setting will include the values entered in the current notices as well as the values previously retained. index
NOTE: DO NOT USE THE "BACK BUTTON" ON THE UPPER TOOL BAR AFTER VERIFYING A NOTICE. IF YOU WISH TO GO BACK TO THE "CHANGE SETTINGS" PAGE, USE THE NAVIGATION BAR TO THE LEFT. This is not a major problem, but even the minor problems it may cause can be avoided.
index
4. How to monitor notice rates
It is the collective management responsibility of the United People membership to clearly identify and specify consequences for inappropriate behavior on the site. Every member has the responsibility for monitoring the site for signs of inappropriate behavior and reporting it to the applicable facilitator for appropriate action. The integrity of this site is dependent upon the integrity of the individual members. index
Awards
Fee Implementation Rate -- The percentage of the active registered
members that is required to implement the awards fee requirement
in the final vote. This, like the qualification questions requirement,
is determined in the pre-vote that is part of the reduction rating phase. Index
Credit
Vote -- A vote within the final vote in which the members decide how the
award fees are to be distributed to the contributing authors
of a successful proposition (if award fees are required for the specific issue). Index
End
Discussion -- This is the notice each member may give
to end the discussion period of any issue. The discussion period
begins immediately upon the opening of an issue, and the Issue Participants
decide to end the discussion when they feel it has had sufficient
time in the discussion mode. Index
End Results Display -- This is the period of time selected by the Active Registered Members in which the final results are posted on the site. When this period expires, the issue is placed into the archives where it will remain for 30 days. The organization administrator may upload all the files of the issue during this time. Index
Final
Vote Notice -- A notice from the web master of the
starting and ending time of the final vote. Index
Grade
level -- The determination of which academic level in which a particular writing is classified. The method used on this site is the Flesch-Kincaid or equivalent. Most public news papers are edited
at a sixth grade level. Index
Issue Participant Minimum -- The minimum number of participants required for each issue in order for an issue to progress through the reduction and voting process. If the number of participants fall below this requirement, the issue will stall at its current level in the reduction/voting process. The issue will not proceed until it exceeds the Issue Participant Minimum. (explained in detail in the reduction process rules Index
Issue Participant Minimum Deadline -- The maximum number of continuous days an issue can exist while under the Issue Partic!
ipant Minimum requirement. If a stalled issue exceeds this maximum allowable number of continuous days, it will be dropped from the current issue list. Index
Issue Voter Minimum Percentage -- This represents the minimum number of Active Registered Members required for a final vote. If this percentage is not met, the final vote is initially extended. If this percentage is not met after the close of the issue Participant Minimum Deadline, the final vote is null and void and the issue is returned to the current issue list for a second attempt. Index
Member
Verification Needed -- Registered members of organizations,
especially those with large numbers of members, may give official
notice to their site administrator to verify the Member Registry.
This is to ensure that the record is up-dated and current and
represents the true registered member list of the organization. Index
Pre-vote
-- This is the vote is incorporated into the proposition rating phase. It precedes the final vote
and is used by the members to determine the need for qualifying
questions and award fees in the final vote for a specific issue. Index
Proposition
Acceptance Rate -- The percentage of the issue participants required to accept a proposition in the final
vote. Any registered member may register as an issue participant in a particular issue at any time prior to the deadline for the final vote of the issue. Index
Proposition
Rating phase -- This is a rating process used to reduce the
number of propositions from the total number submitted to only
one. However, the result of this process does not guarantee
the acceptance of a surviving proposition. A successful completion
of the final vote is necessary before
a proposition may be officially accepted by the organization. Index
Proposition Rating Deadline Notice -- The notice given at the end of the discussion phase stating the time at which the proposition rating will end. Index
Qualifying
Questions Implementation Rate -- The percentage of
the issue participants required to implement the qualifying
questions requirement in the final vote. This determination
is made in the pre-vote that precedes every final vote. Index
Qualifying Questions Maximum Limit -- The maximum number of qualification questions that may be asked in a final vote. Index
Qualifying Questions Deadline -- The notice given to state the deadline for submitting qualifying questions. Qualifying questions may be submitted at any time, but none will be accepted after the deadline. It is suggested that qualifying questions submissions made prior to the final selection of the one surviving proposition be issue specific; and once only one proposition remains, the !
qualifying questions may be proposition specific. Index
Standard Deviation Coefficient -- This coefficient is used in determining rates and award fees on this site in order to eliminate unusually different entries from unnecessarily skewing the results. The 1062.ORG default setting for this value is 1.5. A value of one takes into account approximately 86% of the total members entries. A value of 2 takes into account approximately 95% of the total members entries. Index
Voting
Duration -- The length of time allowed for voting.
This rate applies to the final vote (which includes the credit vote). Index
Word
Limit -- The maximum number of words allowed for a
particular submission. Word limits apply to issue explanations,
proposition summaries, propositions, suggestions to propositions and qualifying questions. Title limits are measured in characters. For example, "title limits" has twelve (12) characters - one of which is a space. Definition Index
Part of proposition copied from a previously submitted proposition: None
1.
General Statement of Support
In order for the United People to efficiently capitalize on its members’ collective genius, it must provide equal access to the decision making process to all registered members in their approved sub-divisions. Furthermore, it is the registered members who manage the rules of the entire process. It is each registered member’s responsibility to familiarize himself or herself with the notice process. It is especially important to understand the difference between some rates that apply to all registered members and other rates that apply only to those registered members who have registered in a particular issue (known as "Issue Participants"). Although all rates are determined by the total "registered members", there are four of these rates that are triggered differently from the rest. These five rates are: end discussion, issue participant minimum, issue participant minimum deadline, and qualifying questions. These four rates are actually triggered by those registered members who have specifically registered to participate in the reduction process of an individual issue.
The triggering of these four rates is based upon the registered participants in a particular issue -- not the total overall United People membership or any one of its sub-divisions. If these notices were to be based on the total registered members on the site, it can easily be seen that the discussion period for some issues might never end, the decision on qualification questions might never be made. In actuality, the organization’s chosen "Issue Participant Minimum" establishes a quorum for any phase of a particular issue. One must realize that the percentage of the total United People’s registered members who actually participate in the "Reduction" process of any one issue may be only a small part of that total number of registered members in the United People or any one of its sub-divisions. Therefore, if the notice rate of any one of these four reduction process functions is set too high, the whole decision-making process could be brought to a standstill. This would !
primarily be due to the fact that many non-participants were taken into consideration in the statistical calculations during the reduction process of an issue. Therefore, on the United People site only the registered members who actually register to participate in a particular issue will be used to calculate the reduction phase statistics in that issue. It must be re-emphasized here that each registered member may register as an "Issue Participant" in any issue in which they are authorized at any time prior to its final vote deadline. The overall registered members only have to assure that the four previously mentioned rates (based upon the "Participants") are adjusted appropriately. If problems occur, the general membership will naturally see the problem quite quickly and begin submitting their notices to change the rates to a more realistic level. The only thing that will make this site fail is improper rate settings. And the only solution for that problem is found among t!
he registered members themselves.
Concerning the monitoring of the notice rates, there is a simple reality. Every system has its potential abusers. It is up to the United People membership to be very clear about what it considers abuse, and exactly what consequences the individual abusers will face. The United People must have in place, in its by-laws or constitution, certain specific remedies for this abuse. This may be one of the first issues the United People will decide to address on this site.
2. Clarification of three vital rates
There may be some clarification needed concerning two of the notice rates. These three rates include Qualifying Questions and Proposition Acceptance Rate. The Qualifying Questions rate-changing requirement will be described in detail. This clarification will assist in the understanding of the Proposition Acceptance Rate changing requirements -- since they are similar in nature.
First, there is a default setting for the qualifying questions implementation rate. Just for an example, lets call that 2.5%. In order for the membership to change that rate (2.5%), they need to reach the QQ Implementation level 1 change rate. Lets call that rate 67%. In other words, it will take 67% of the total membership to change the original 2.5% QQ implementation rate requirement. Lastly, there may be a significant number of members in the organization who want to change the 67% figure. Unlike most of the other rates that require their current value in order to change (automatic re-set), this is a higher rate that makes it more difficult to change the 67% figure. This is the QQ implementation level 2 change rate. Lets call this last figure 75%. To clarify further, it will take 75% to change the 67% rate and 67% to change the 2.5% rate. That is as difficult as it gets. Finally, it will take 75% of the membership to change the 75% rate (automatic re-set). If the rate !
were 85%, it would take 85% of the membership to change it. This is a self-setting change rate. This process (for the QQ Implementation Rate and Proposition Acceptance Rate) allows the organization further security by making it more difficult to change some vital and sensitive components of the decision-making process.
3. Clarification of the "Back Button" problem after entering notices
When a member uses the "back button" on the upper tool bar after verifying a notice, it will re-enter their notice. This is not usually a problem, although the member will have to navigate through a few warning windows that may be a hassle. However, there may be a rare occurrence when a specific member is the single responsible individual for "triggering" the notice change. Once triggered, the new rate will be entered and all windows for entering new rates will be re-set to zero. However, if the one triggering member goes to the verification page to check his or her entry, there will not be an entry there since the new rate has been entered into the organization’s settings database and all verification settings have been re-set to zero. At that moment, if the triggering member attempts to go back to the notice page in question by using the "back button" in the upper tool bar, he or she will unintentionally be the first member to enter notice for that particular item on a !
clean slate so-to-speak (the same entry they had previously entered). If this happens, the member can go back and change the notice at any time. This only emphasizes the importance for members to verify their entries. This potential problem may be completely avoided by using the navigation bar to the left of the page or a "on-page link" for entering and re-entering the "Change Settings" page. Again, if a member sees no entries on a verification page, they should not panic; it simply means that they have triggered the new notice rate, word limit or deadline and all verification windows have been re-set to zero in order to start accepting new entries.
4. Standard Deviation Coefficient
It is also important to discuss the standard deviation coefficient in more detail. The purpose for implementing the standard deviation coefficient is the elimination of extremely unusual entries. For an example, the voting duration will be used. If a few registered members entered a setting for a 3000 day voting duration, a simple average for entered settings notices would have the potential of increasing the voting duration to a length of time that is unacceptable to the vast majority of the organization. Therefore, a standard deviation coefficient is used on this site to make determinations that are more likely to be readily acceptable to all members. A standard deviation coefficient of 1 takes into consideration about 86% of all entries. A value of 2 takes into account 95%. The registered members themselves have the power to set this value. The United People default setting is 1.5. The only question is how many of the entries need to be eliminated to guarantee sanity !
in the outcome. Another benefit of the application of this coefficient is peace of mind and the ability to focus on the real business at hand. Without the use of this coefficient, members would constantly have to view the settings section to see if outrageous entries were being made that would inappropriately skew the results. Once a member saw evidence of this type of activity, he or she would most likely feel the need to counter this activity with entries that would result in the opposite effect in hopes of bringing balance to the outcome. This type of activity would be wasteful and inefficient. With this coefficient in place, members can relax and efficiently enter setting notices, etc. based upon their true feelings as to what values should be attached to those settings. The registered members need to keep in mind the balance between the needs of the potentially few Issue Participants and the needs of the overall registered members when determining this coefficient. Much!
more information about the standard deviation coefficient can be found on numerous sites on the Internet that specialize in this subject and the bell curve.
5. Current and Retained Entry Calculations
Once a Registered Member enters a notice to change a setting, it is assumed that the notice represents his or her on-going belief of what the setting should be until he or she changes it. Therefore, a member’s setting entries are retained in the database after a setting is changed. If the required number of Registered Members enter their notice to change the same setting again, the calculations will include the retained settings (settings of members who are not participating in the current effort to change the setting again). This prevents Registered Members from having to continually re-register their desired value of a particular setting -- unless, of course, their feelings have changed. This process also eliminates the fear of a minority of "new" en tries inappropriately changing a setting without taking into consideration the overall input concerning the setting. The combined effect of the standard deviation coefficient and the use of current and retained values in de!
termining new settings allow Registered Members to comfortably focus on the issues at hand.
For more descriptive explanation of each setting see balloon messages in the settings chart on this page, the Change Settings page or the Introduction page under "Introduction to the Rules -- Member Notices. Index
