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Re: Procedure for approving small dictionary updates

Item 5 was to address James's concern head-on.  I am willing to drop it and
see if the rest of the items manage to solve the problem indirectly.


At 1:47 PM -0500 2/5/10, David Brown wrote:
>The only problem that I have with Herbert's proposal is with point 
>5.  I am not sure that we need to be so formal as to lay down rules 
>for voting, but if we are to have such rules I would recommend that 
>any decision made at an IUCr meeting should be confirmed by an email 
>ballot.  It is not appropriate to disenfranchise those who for 
>whatever reasoon have missed attending an IUCr Congress.
>
>David Brown
>
>Herbert J. Bernstein wrote:
>
>>Dear James,
>>
>>   To avoid offending people in the process of ensuring active DWG/DMG
>>membership, I would propose that COMCIFS adopt a uniform policy of
>>terms for both chairs and DWG/DMG members.  Here is the policy I
>>would suggest:
>>
>>1.  That COMCIFS recognize DWG/DMG chairs for 3 year terms ending
>>immediately after each IUCr meeting, with successors to be
>>desgnated by COMCIFS at each IUCr meeting or on any vacancy.  Someone
>>filling a vacancy would serve only to the end of the orginal term.
>>
>>2.  That each DWG/DMG chair propose a list of DWG/DMG members to 
>>COMCIFS for 3 year terms ending one month after each IUCr meeting, 
>>with successors to be recommended by the incoming DWG/DMG chairs at 
>>or immediately after each IUCr meeting or on any vacancy.  Someone 
>>filling a vacancy would serve only to the end of the original term. 
>>In addition, any DWG/DMG chair whose term is ending would 
>>automatically be offered a seat as a member of the same DWG/DMG if 
>>they are interested in serving.
>>
>>3.  That there be no restriction on chairs and DWG/DMG chairs 
>>succeeding themselves and no minimum or maximum number of members 
>>of a DWG/DMG, and that COMCIFS would reserve the right to add 
>>appropriate, interested members of the community to any DWG/DMG.
>>
>>4.  That the COMCIFS secretary maintain an online list of all 
>>DWG/DMG chairs and members
>>
>>5.  While it is desirable to DWG/DMGs to work by consensus, if 
>>decisions are to be made by majority voting, on email ballots a 
>>plurality of those voting will be sufficient to decide a question, 
>>with those who do not respond within 6 weeks of posing a question 
>>deemed to have abstained. For meetings at IUCr meetings a majority 
>>of those DWG/DMG members in attendance at the IUCr meeting will 
>>constitute a quorum, and a plurality of that quorum sufficient to 
>>carry a motion.
>>
>>6.  COMCIFS may act at any time to revive a moribund DWG/DMG by 
>>replacing chairs and/or members as needed to ensure proper 
>>fucntioning.
>>
>>=====================================================
>>  Herbert J. Bernstein, Professor of Computer Science
>>    Dowling College, Kramer Science Center, KSC 121
>>         Idle Hour Blvd, Oakdale, NY, 11769
>>
>>                  +1-631-244-3035
>>                  <mailto:yaya@dowling.edu>yaya@dowling.edu
>>=====================================================
>>
>>On Tue, 2 Feb 2010, James Hester wrote:
>>
>>>Dear COMCIFS members,
>>>
>>>A six-week period (actually considerably longer than that) has now 
>>>expired since
>>>the modifications to the fast-track procedure suggested below were 
>>>proposed. As
>>>no critical comments were received, I declare them to have been accepted.
>>>
>>>James.
>>>
>>>On Wed, Nov 25, 2009 at 4:26 PM, James Hester 
>>><mailto:jamesrhester@gmail.com><jamesrhester@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>       I would like to suggest some common-sense refinements to the
>>>       fast-track procedure:
>>>
>>>       (1) If all members of a DMG have responded to a proposal before the
>>>       six-week time limit, there is no requirement to wait six weeks
>>>       (2) If all voting members of COMCIFS have responded to a proposal
>>>       before the six-week time limit, there is no requirement to wait six
>>>       weeks
>>>
>>>       I would also ask the chairs of the various DMGs to periodically
>>>       (perhaps once a year) check on the willingness of their members to
>>>       continue in the role, to avoid situations where ghost members hold up
>>>       these types of processes.
>>>
>>>       James.
>>>
>>>
>>>On Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 12:30 PM, James Hester 
>>><mailto:jamesrhester@gmail.com><jamesrhester@gmail.com>
>>>wrote:
>>>       Dear COMCIFS members,
>>>
>>>       The following proposal for fast-track approval of minor
>>>       dictionary
>>>       updates has now been approved, as a six-week discussion period
>>>       has
>>>       expired with no unresolved comments.  Note the following
>>>       changes to
>>>       the original proposal arising from the discussion:
>>>
>>>       (i) the time-limit for making comments will be six weeks,
>>>       rather than
>>>       one month as was originally suggested.
>>>       (ii) following the conclusion of the 6-week comment period, the
>>>       Chair,
>>>       or designee, will explicitly state to the COMCIFS list that a
>>>       proposal
>>>       has been approved.
>>>
>>>       I will coordinate with Brian to update the website with
>>>       information
>>>       about this new procedure.
>>>
>>>       Best wishes,
>>>       James.
>>>
>>>       On Wed, Aug 19, 2009 at 5:48 PM, James Hester
>>>       <mailto:jamesrhester@gmail.com><jamesrhester@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>       > Dear COMCIFS members,
>>>       >
>>>       > Currently the procedure for making any changes to the
>>>       dictionaries
>>>       > requires putting those changes to a formal vote on the
>>>       COMCIFS list.
>>>       > This may be seen as heavy-handed for small updates and
>>>       additions.
>>>       > Following discussions with David B I would like to propose
>>>       the
>>>       > following fast-track procedure for dealing with minor updates
>>>       to the
>>>       > dictionaries:
>>>       >
>>>       > 1. Anybody can propose a change to the core dictionary either
>>>       through
>>>       > the IUCr web site or by contacting the chair of the
>>>       appropriate DMG.
>>>       >
>>>       > 2. In conjunction with the DMG chair, they can work out a
>>>       proposal for
>>>       > new dictionary code.
>>>       >
>>>       > 3. This code is then submitted to the DMG for comment and
>>>       eventual approval.
>>>       >
>>>       > 4. The change is then posted to the COMCIFS discussion list
>>>       for
>>>       > comment within a given time limit.
>>>       >
>>>       > 5. If no comment is received, or if all the comments are
>>>       resolved, the
>>>       > change is accepted, otherwise it is refered back to the DMG.
>>>       >
>>>       > I suggest that a 'small change' is one that creates no new
>>>       categories
>>>       > and affects no more than two definitions.
>>>       > A one month time limit for initiating comments seems about
>>>       right to
>>>       > me, as it should allow those that happen to be on holiday to
>>>       make it
>>>       > back in time.
>>>       >
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>--
>>>T +61 (02) 9717 9907
>>>F +61 (02) 9717 3145
>>>M +61 (04) 0249 4148
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>--
>>>T +61 (02) 9717 9907
>>>F +61 (02) 9717 3145
>>>M +61 (04) 0249 4148
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>--
>>>T +61 (02) 9717 9907
>>>F +61 (02) 9717 3145
>>>M +61 (04) 0249 4148
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>comcifs mailing list
>><mailto:comcifs@iucr.org>comcifs@iucr.org
>><http://scripts.iucr.org/mailman/listinfo/comcifs>http://scripts.iucr.org/mailman/listinfo/comcifs
>>
>
>
>Attachment converted: Macintosh HD:idbrown 54.vcf (TEXT/ttxt) (00431E02)
>_______________________________________________
>comcifs mailing list
>comcifs@iucr.org
>http://scripts.iucr.org/mailman/listinfo/comcifs


-- 
=====================================================
  Herbert J. Bernstein, Professor of Computer Science
    Dowling College, Kramer Science Center, KSC 121
         Idle Hour Blvd, Oakdale, NY, 11769

                  +1-631-244-3035
                  yaya@dowling.edu
=====================================================


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