[Linux-aus] Why Didn't You Vote?

[Andy White]

You'd know a state representative? I for one don't often engage with  
the Linux community locally (for a variety of reasons, including lack  
of time and inclination) and tend to participate in communities online  
much more frequently.

Your implication seems to be (and I apologise if I'm putting words in  
your mouth) that if you've met someone physically, you "know" them in  
a way you can't if you only know them "virtually". I disagree with  
this notion.
Most of the candidates have fairly active online lives - with a bit of  
research, I've no doubt that you could discover who they are and what  
they stand for.

As for LA WA being disconnected from the eastern states - I thought  
that went for just about anything in WA? You guys should just secede  
and become your own nation already. :P

Andy White
e: andy at lgsolutions.com.au
m: +61 411246100

PS. Oops, helps to send it to the LA list, not directly back to Bret.  
Sorry Bret for the double-up here.


On 28/01/2009, at 2:10 AM, Bret Busby wrote:

> On Tue, 27 Jan 2009, James Purser wrote:
>
>> Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:21:58 +1100
>> From: James Purser <james at jamespurser.com.au>
>> To: Linux Australia List <linux-aus at linux.org.au>
>> Subject: [Linux-aus] Why Didn't You Vote?
>>
>> This article does raise a valid point even though it seems to  
>> contain a
>> kernel of snark:
>>
>> http://www.itwire.com/content/view/22871/1141/
>>
>> Why do we get low voter turnouts when we obviously have a much larger
>> membership? If you didn't vote, I would like to hear why, no blame
>> attached, just would be interesting to see the reasons.
>> -- 
>>
>
> Don't know the candidates.
>
> Previously said (but, surprise, surprise, just got derogatory  
> criticism
> of the suggestion) that we should have state-based representation.
>
> Perhaps, that way, we might have some idea of who is standing and  
> thus,
> for whom to vote.
>
> The Linux Australia Council, or Committee, or whatever, seems oriented
> around the conference, and, unless a person attends the conference,  
> the
> person is unlikely to know anything much of any of the candidates.
>
> And, in not knowing anything much of the candidates (how many went
> doorknocking amongst potential voters?), what is the point in
> preferential voting?
>
> That is probably the ultimate question - with the way that it is done,
> what is the point? Really?
>
> A simplified system, with state or regional based representation, so
> that potential voters can have some real idea of who are the people
> who are candidates, other than what we have now; virtual beings, of
> whom, most of us have not seen nor met nor heard, and thus, we could
> have some real idea of for whom to vote, and, knowing that the vote
> really mattters, and that the council or committee is more than just a
> conference venue selection body, may inspire more people to vote.
>
> Perhaps, what would be better, might be for the Linux Australia
> committee to comprise of the presidents of state and territory, or,
> similarly, regigional based organisations, perhaps like the mediaeval
> system of a parliament consisting of the headman of each village.
>
> It would more likely give members more of a feeling of representation,
> and belonging, rather than just being part of an online, virtual
> community.
>
> As it is now, Linux Australia, in WA, is as far removed, as "second
> Life", as at http://secondlife.com/whatis/ .
>
> So, Linux Australia needs to become something real for its members,
> rather than just a virtual community, to get its members to  
> participate.
>
> And, what is "a kernel of snark"?
>
> Is that something that fell off the jabberwocky, after "The vorpal
> blade went snicker-snack!"? (See
> http://www.jabberwocky.com/carroll/jabber/jabberwocky.html )
>
> It certainly sounds like that.
>
> --
> Bret Busby
> Armadale
> West Australia
> ..............
>
> "So once you do know what the question actually is,
> you'll know what the answer means."
> - Deep Thought,
>  Chapter 28 of Book 1 of
>  "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
>  A Trilogy In Four Parts",
>  written by Douglas Adams,
>  published by Pan Books, 1992
>
> ....................................................
>
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