On Sun 05 Dec 2010 14:40 -0500, Shacristo wrote: > On Sun, Dec 5, 2010 at 2:32 PM, Xyne <x...@archlinux.ca> wrote: > > Shacristo wrote: > > > >> > Here's the script in-line. Sorry for spamming the list. > >> > > >> > #!/usr/bin/env python2 > >> > from sys import argv > >> > > >> > # Quorum (66%) > >> > quorum = 0.66 > >> > > >> > # Total active TUs, yes votes, no votes, abstain votes. > >> > TUs, yes, no, abstain = [float(x) for x in argv[1:]] > >> > # Total number of votes. > >> > votes = yes + no + abstain > >> > > >> > # If an absolute majority has voted yes, > >> > if yes / TUs > 0.50 \ > >> > # or quorum has been established with a simple majority > >> > or (votes / TUs > quorum and yes / votes > 0.50): > >> > print "The motion has passed." > >> > > >> > else: > >> > print "The motion has failed." > >> > >> You need to multiply 0.66 x TUs for the actual quorum requirement and > >> you're counting no and abstain votes exactly the same. My > >> understanding is that abstain votes are only used for establishing a > >> quorum. Otherwise there's no reason to have them. > > > > Um, "votes > TUs * quorum" is the same thing as "votes / TUs > quorum". > > > > There is no difference between voting "no" and "abstain" currently. > > The simple majority is counted by dividing the number of "yes" votes > > by the total number of users that have participated, including those > > who "abstain". > > > > I agree that there should be a difference between "no" and "abstain", but I > > didn't write the bylaws and I have proposed alternatives that would draw a > > distinction before, although I don't remember what. > > Ah, you are correct, I missed the division there. > > I agree that a strict reading of the bylaws treats 'abstain' the same > as 'no' despite people interpreting them to be different. Perhaps the > wording should be changed now while everybody is looking over the > bylaws.
Well as far as I can interpret it the bylaws don't actually say what abstain means, so it could mean anything: yes, no, or pineapple. Nor does it define what a simple majority is uhhh. Ambiguity abounds. The bylaws should be made clearer. If we read them carefully I hope we're clever enough to understand their intention as they are right now though.