[Election-Methods] Proposing a Delegable Proxy poll: best

[raphfrk at netscape.net]

(Sorry if this double sends)










> From: AllAbout Voting <AllAboutVoting at gmail.com>

>

> >[Jan Kok] Let's try a DP poll!

> >...

> >This is the proposed poll topic and title:

> >*** What is the best place to host the US-Iraq Conflict forum?

> Jan,

>

> Can you give us more information about what features the forum will need?



Also, is the objective to have a DP forum or is it to find a 

reasonable forum?? As you say, there are lots of places such forums 

occur.



One issue all forums face is that alot of people tend to talk to

those that agree with them.? The trick is get people from both

sides participating.



> In particular, does it itself need to support DP polls?

> (If yes, then I am not aware of any site that is suitable.? I don't

> share Abd ul-Rahman Lomax's view that the idea is central and the

> tools don't matter.? Having a site with good DP tools will help the

> idea function and propagate!!)



I totally agree.? Proxy expansion is alot of work to be done manually.? 

I was thinking about a software implementation, and even that would 

put alot of load on the server.? This means that assuming that it isn't 

an issue isn't reasonable.? People will want to be able to look at a poll 

and just see the expansion numbers, they won't want to have to go 

through the list and manually expand the proxies.



There would be 2 steps

1) expand proxy lists -> same for everyone

2) apply sock puppet removal weightings -> potentially different for each user



When a proxy votes, it would require recalculation of the entire poll

for all users of the forum.? If there is some common way of telling who

is and is not a sock puppet, then the 2nd step can be removed.? 

However, that requires a central authority.? Alternatively, each

forum could have its own approved list.? To be designated "not

a sock puppet" would require approval along the proxy chain.



On the same lines (keep user effort to a minimum), I am not so sure 

recommending moving the discussion to the RV list is a great idea. ?

The problem is that everyone on this? list would have to register 

on the RV list.? This would only take a few mins, but it is an 

annoyance that most couldn't be bothered with.



NOTE: you can send messages to both lists by including 



RangeVoting at yahoogroups.com 



in the header.? This would allow people participate in the discussions 

even if they don't vote.



OTOH, this list is now closed to the public, you have to subscribe to

see the archives.



The main point that Abd makes is that a FA system must at its root

allow people to setup alternative forums.? This provides a safety

value for concentrations of power.



I was thinking about how to do it with software.? Vbulletin forum

software is designed to allow extensions.? A plugin is written

that overrides default operation of the forum.? Perhaps a DP plugin

could be created.



Also, some kind of simple (computer readable) standard could be 

created.? A person could create an identity by storing an XML file

on a web server somewhere. ?



It would list the person's proxies, the person's clients and any

other meta data that would be useful.



When they would register with a DP enabled forum, they would provide

a link to their XML page (or the server could host it if they wish).



This does have an issue that it creates a single point of failure.

If the person loses control of their XML page, they lose their 

identity.? Perhaps people would be encouraged to have at least 3

XML pages.? All 3 would be (normally) identical, but if one was lost 

or compromised, then 2 of the 3 would count as the person.? Perhaps,

something like the DHCP lease could be implemented.




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