Bitcoin Unlimited Voting system plan

[awemany]

Hey guys, especially @theZerg, @solex, @Peter R,

I am working on a plan on how to implement the BU voting system. I now have a couple of questions to the native English speakers among you:

What is the exact difference between an Election and a Vote? I am not meaning the individual vote now. The word 'vote' also seems to be 'vote' as in 'popular vote'.

It seems to me like the sum of all votes and the corresponding result on a BUIP would be a vote, whereas the vote on people on a position in BU would be an election (like the difference between a bill being passed and a president elected in the political realm -?) Is that correct?

However, I'd like to give the concept (A) of 'sum of votes plus result' an appropriate name, while of course also keeping the concept of 'individual vote on an issue' intact. So far and in my prototype, I called that 'an Election', but I am unsure whether that really fits. Furthermore: What are Votes/Elections on membership called?

Do we have Elections on BUIPs, or are they (collective) votes?

What would be an appropriate name there?

I further like to separate the technical role of 'election supervisor' (or rather: concept (A) supervisor) from the formal role of what is now the Secretary's duty (in case that this relationship ever changed). Again, this is something I like a decent name for.

Finally, I am actually not quite sure about the process with which subitems or alternatives in a BUIP can be passed or rejected. Can I (from the POV of software) handle individual BUIP parts as individual BUIPs?

 

[Bagatell]

It seems to me like the sum of all votes and the corresponding result on a BUIP would be a vote, whereas the vote on people on a position in BU would be an election (like the difference between a bill being passed and a president elected in the political realm -?) Is that correct?

Yes.

 

[solex]

@awemany Nice initiative.
I also concur with your distinction between vote and election. The "election supervisor" is basically the president and secretary working together. (as per Article 2.II).

Regarding "multi-choice" BUIPS. I think that this is a legitimate way to get refined membership opinion without the complexity of sub-BUIPs.
Looking back at BUIP004 about RBF. It helped having the choices. However, I do think that when BUIPs are being readied for vote that BUIP sponsors consider carefully whether multiple options are to be available or not.

 

[awemany]

I also concur with your distinction between vote and election. The "election supervisor" is basically the president and secretary working together. (as per Article 2.II).

Yes. I now think it is best to leave out references to 'election' or 'vote' for that role as that would be breach of abstraction in a way. So just 'supervisor' or something.

Regarding "multi-choice" BUIPS. I think that this is a legitimate way to get refined membership opinion without the complexity of sub-BUIPs.
Looking back at BUIP004 about RBF. It helped having the choices. However, I do think that when BUIPs are being readied for vote that BUIP sponsors consider carefully whether multiple options are to be available or not.

Agreed, it does make things simpler. The individual sub-options all behave like independent votes on independent BUIPs in regards to the vote counting, correct?

 

[theZerg]

"What is the exact difference between an Election and a Vote? I am not meaning the individual vote now. The word 'vote' also seems to be 'vote' as in 'popular vote'."

And election is the event where you vote for a person. A vote is your particular choice. The "popular vote" means basically the average vote of a group of people, or in a representative democracy its who won if you tally up every individual's vote. In the US democracy this can be different from who actually wins because its a representative democracy -- that is, your vote causes a person to be selected (a member of the "electoral college") who then votes on your behalf. But due to population changes sometimes one particular electoral college member represents 1000000 people where another one might represent 900000.

Since people in US and England don't directly vote (typically) on an issue the terminology is rarely used, unlike in BU where people do directly vote. But I think that in England they call it a "Referendum". Isn't that what Brexit was?

I'll have to ask around to figure out what the act of voting on a proposal is called in the US... when we have direct votes like that (at the state and community level) they are often held at the same time as an election, or in a broader town meeting.

 

[AdrianX]

I can't speak for England but a I'm sure they use the terms in a similar way to the US and Canada.

A Referendum is a type of vote it's not an election but a binary vote something like just a yes or a no option.

Come to think of it in my opinion an election is associated with choosing leaders while a vote describe the event on picking favored proposals.

 

[adamstgbit]

plebiscite!

pleb·i·scite
ˈplebəˌsīt/
noun

1. the direct vote of all the members of an electorate on an important public question such as a change in the constitution.

ROMAN HISTORY
a law enacted by the plebeians' assembly.

Time for the plebiscite!
how will you vote in this round of plebiscites?

Its such a uncommon word... pretty sure google made it up, but the meaning is perfect.
go nuts and call it cryptographic-plebiscite crypto-pleb for short.

 

[awemany]

@adamstgbit : The corresponding word in native language would be a vote by 'the people', however BU is a club of people. Is that the same in English?

@theZerg: That's what I was wondering. So there's the individual vote (as in filled-out and sent-in ballot) as well 'the popular vote on an issue'.

So I think I am going to call the individual vote 'ballot' to separate the two - and call votes on members 'elections' and votes on issues just 'votes'.

Thanks all.

 

[AdrianX]

Is it a membership vote
Or
Do we elect members

I don't know but I'm sure whatever you do is perfect until someone with a strong opinion on the matter comes along and pushed through a BUIP to change it.

 

[awemany]

@solex: New question especially to you: Is it necessary to be able to close out votes on BUIPs or membership elections or position elections one-by-one or can 'all open BUIP votes' be closed or 'all open membership applications'?

 

[solex]

@awemany
Personally, I think that closing BUIPs is fine one by one. Something would be seriously amiss if there were dozens of them up for vote. Regarding new members, I think the same applies, we should not be inducting so many members that they need to be selected in bulk. So, the extra functionality is not needed at the present time.