How to Vote for a Project

[jklrunswithscissors]

Right now, we have two potential projects for the playa – one is the Shake House, one is the Lighthouse. I feel like both of them need refinement and depth prior to construction, and I feel like a lot of people are chomping at the bit to start working on those refinements – but it doesn’t make sense if there’s a 50/50 chance that the one you chose to work on is the end project.
 

I had initially intended to break for the holidays and to have a CORE Kick Off Party in Mid January, where the two ideas would be voted upon and we would bolster interest and do a bit of fundraising at the same time… but I’m getting a lot of push back on that. I feel that the push back is rooted in the feelings that we (the people who have worked so far and want to be leads) should have a weighted vote because we will put more work into it than any random party goer, and that some of us just aren’t into parties – we’re into building.


I know that there are a lot of people who did the brunt of work on the Starfish whom I have not seen in meetings. Many of them plan to get involved after the holidays or after we’re done making concepts. Those people deserve to vote too.


Right now, I’m thinking of changing our direction on the voting process to resolve both of those at the same time. If you’d like to change how this is going, this is your chance to say so.

This is how I’m thinking about doing it:

1. We set up some information that gives an overview of each project in the near future, online. There’s material out there that we could just consolidate.

2. From now until the first Tuesday in January, we have open voting. If one person can help me by being the person who collects votes, I would appreciate that. I don’t know how to establish a voting system that is anonymous, and I think that would be a lot of work. I’d prefer a voting system that works like: Tell Windy (or whomever else would help with this), and he will write your name down on one spreadsheet (so you only get one vote) and your vote down on another.

3. We would need to communicate this on the CORE Google group, as well as directly reach out to people who have been involved over the years and SDCAP Board Members.


For this process to work I need someone to take up the role of collecting votes.

[windy]

I think possibly some of the sentiment behind your first reason is that we may not want to weight 'fly by' voters as heavily as people who are going to contribute significantly to making the sculpture. Is it sensible philosophically to give equal weight to someone who votes and doesn't contribute either time or money against the folk that really do? Not opening a point for debate but more recapitulating the idea as I experience it.

Also, your second point is spot on. I will figure out how to get the word out to the remaining lists etc (after I have looked over Abraxas's stuff in an intelligent way) and get on that in the next 1-2 days. Updates as I get it done. (:

[jklrunswithscissors]

I'm thinking that the best way to move forward is to do a simple vote among the people who have been at meetings and already seen one concept or another. If we're mostly leaning one way or another, then we go that way. If we're divided, then open up a wider voting process.

Sound good?

[Jeff Makey]

I'd like to wait until the official Burning Man theme is announced before making any kind of decision about what to build.

[jklrunswithscissors]

Jeff: I'd like to continue moving. We need a concept so that we can start to develop budgets and marketing material - In order to mobilize ourselves and make things come to life, I'd like to not wait until the BMORG announces the theme.

I did poke around the interwebs a bit, and this year is running a little late. If you'd like to support eplaya, they're proposing this theme: eplaya.burningman.com/viewtopic.php?t=63284

Really, we have an obstacle ahead of us, maybe. We don't know what the CORE guidelines are for this year, and when that becomes available information, and when the theme comes out, and when we find out if we have been accepted as a CORE project - or not - we can dance to keep on our feet.

Not every project meets every theme. I also feel like any project could be modified to meet a theme - for example, if we wanted to make the Lighthouse and Earthquake house meet cargo cult, we could make the house be post-alien invasion, or the house of a crazy something-or-other worshiper! We could make the lighthouse be a tower to some bizarre cultish god or perhaps the last safe light and refuse in the storm of madness! The fish, last year, just so happened to work out well, as it became a rocket fish. (I am unsure if that was just cooincidence, or if the fins became rockety in response) but! My point is, no theme or CORE project guidelines should hold us back. My point is, also, regardless of whether we make a CORE project, we're making something awesome, end of story. ...even if the BMORG creates a rule would prevent us from even applying to be a CORE project (like: San Diego, you're too awesome, do something bigger or something else - so.... No city can do a CORE project 2 years in a row.) (I just made that up, there is no actual rule as yet... but we don't know them.)

[jklrunswithscissors]

And now, after that rant, this is what I'm doing: I'm taking a vote of people who have been involved thus far. If you're following things or know what the concepts are, you're involved.

How you vote: email me with what you want ([e-mail]) I'll try to email people and just ask them, but it would help if you emailed me as well.

If it's starting to look like one is weighing out the other by more than 2/3 the votes in one favor, or if I have 4/5 leads (Fin / Alpy / Me / Andrew / Windy) supporting a project, I'll end the voting after a week (or when I have input from all leads) and announce it then. (Jan 3)

Otherwise, on January 7, I'll go to the Red Wing and do a presentation of both ideas. (If JP or someone who has supported it would like to present the Earthquake House, that would be ideal, but I think I can handle it and do my best at being neutral.) I'll communicate it to the wider community and invite anyone who wants to come and see what the ideas are to see a presentation and vote.

About the designs: I expect that they will change and be modified as we finalize them. I expect that budgets are estimates. But, the two projects are still going to be a house on springs or a lighthouse with a ramp. There are huge differences between the two and I think that those should be enough to govern a vote. One is simple, and never been done before, but many of us can't even go in. One is complex and really pretty. I'd recommend reading the pros and cons that I wrote up the other day if you need more info on them - but I feel like many people have already made up their mind.