Possible WSFS Proposals

[ronboakes_87114]

First, a proposal I’m very tempted to tack onto B.1.4:

I move to amend B.1.4 by adding {somewhere} “provided that the Hugo Award Subcommittee of a Worldcon can elect to continue the previous process of counting nominations until one of the following conditions is met:
– A prior Worldcon has used the revised method.
– They have received and accepted (1) pusedo code, programming code, or mathematically rigorous formal specifications for the program to count the nominations, and (2) a set of sample data that contains sample nominations from at least 2/3 of the number of people to cast nominating ballots in the largest category over the last three years.

Second, some year in the future, I’m tempted to make the following motion:

I move to amend the WSFS constitution by making the following changes:

Add:

1.5.x: Members of the immediately preceding Worldcon, or the immediately following Worldcon shall be allowed to purchase a Hugo Award Nominating Membership for no more than a regular supporting membership, and for no more than $20.00 USD or the equivalent in local currency, adjusted upward by inflation as reported by the United States Department of Commerce.  These memberships shall only grant the right to participate in Hugo Award Nominations, and shall grant no other rights.

3.7.1 The Worldcon Committee shall conduct a poll to select the nominees for the final Award voting. Each member of the administering Worldcon granted full voting rights, the immediately preceding Worldcon, or the immediately following Worldcon as of January 31 of the current calendar year and persons with Hugo nominating memberships shall be allowed to make…

 

Comments

[billroper]

I think I see what you're trying to do here (i.e., make it cheaper for semi-regular Worldcon members to nominate for the Hugo), but isn't it self-defeating by making it cheaper for people who are sympathetic to Sad Puppies to do the same?

[rono-60103.livejournal.com]

Actually, I'm wanting all of the persons nominating having at least a bit of a stake in the outcome. Since the nominating only memberships are available only to the same people who can nominate now without some kind of membership in the administering Worldcon, it doesn't really make it any easier for anyone to nominate.

Personally, I'm torn between two, almost mutually incomparable, desires: making it easy for more people - especially the largely younger crowd at anime cons, gaming cons, pop-culture events, who read and enjoy SF but don't feel that they can participate because of the costs involved (ignoring the chunk that feel any cost is too high); and to ensure that the process is not as subject to hijacking by outside influences for their own purposes. This proposal addresses the second at the expense of the first.

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

Interesting! Note that I've tried to point out to people that have grumbled about any proposals that reduce the franchise by removing Hugo-nominating rights from the members of the previous and following Worldcons that those people are not WSFS members unless they also happen to have a membership in the current Worldcon. They are people who either were or will be WSFS members and who WSFS is granting a privilege (not a right) as a courtesy. Thus, IMO removing that privilege is different from, say, allowing only attending members the right to vote.