[wp-forums] The "Changes" - PT2 - Let's get this together..

[Podz]

Christopher J. Hradil wrote:
> I think you two should take a step back and think about things a bit. The fact is that a project
> like WP is more like a democracy than not, no one is being paid for their efforts here, and it's the
> contributions of the community that are responsible for not only the day to day operations of
> things, but also getting things like the forums and codex straightened out. That being the case (and
> also the fact that this is the wp-forums mailing list, which is used by WP forums
> supporters/contributors to discuss issues relating to operations and other forum issues -- this
> isn't a 'help forum' mailing list), so this is not only the easiest place to take a quick vote, as
> we've done here, but it's also the most relevant place to do it. In addition, since the folks
> reading this mailing list are mostly those responsible for both day to day operations of the forums,
> and those responsible for maintenance, and handling that interface, this is the place for input as
> to what ought or ought not be done, and when. 

The fact is that WP is not and never has been a democracy. It's closer
than Mussolini's Italy but it's probably in here somewhere. I asked for
feedback because at WordCamp I was told the forums were not friendly to
new people - I disagreed but said it would come to the list. It did. The
issue died.
I again pushed the idea of any changes because I believe that there may
be useful information from people other than the mods. Mods are there a
lot and like vkaryl has said we learn to get around things to make it
better for us.
Arguably we are also the wrong people to decide what is and is not good
for newbies - we need to ask them. But you can't ask someone whose blog
has just thrown an error - their attention is distracted. So ideas
thrown around here are the only way we can go. But just because we think
it is best does not make it best. If 10 people on this list say Yes, 2
say No and the other 70 abstain does that make the vote valid? Whatever.

If changes are proposed and those changes do not happen then a reason
will be given - that's only right. But nowhere in any thread here does
it say change _will_ happen.

I have said before that I do not think structural changes are needed.
What IS needed are small but effective changes.
And more people willing to help.

P.