2
$\begingroup$

Is it encouraged that all users must vote for a moderator, like in a democracy?

The only time I ever voted was on this site, a few months back. I had no idea about any of the users, so I just voted for the heck sake of doing so. I picked up the nominees with the Top 3 rep and voted them. I guess that was a bit immature, but I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of inexperienced users do exactly that.

It is really hard for a user to tell the true motives as well as skills of a person they have only met online, unless the spend some time researching (past meta posts, etc.). I suspect only people with atleast a few thousand rep bother to do that. Should voting be encouraged for users like me (and with less rep than me)?

P.S. Don't ask me to spend time researching; I'd rather not. If such an election happened now, I would personally prefer not voting at all, rather than making an ill-informed decision.

$\endgroup$
3
  • 8
    $\begingroup$ Frankly, I'd rather that in order to cast a vote users would have to go through hoops. Many hoops. Some lit with fire, other above a shark tanks, and some with ill-tempered sea bass. People voting based on random choices or reputation is bad bad bad. It's more than bad, it's terrible. $\endgroup$
    – Asaf Karagila Mod
    Sep 25, 2015 at 18:16
  • $\begingroup$ My ideal democracy would be that everyone "in the community" informs themselves adequately well (which entails experience with the site as well as the candidates) and votes accordingly. Given that I can't have both, I'd rather have "every voter is informed and ernest" than "everyone votes". (So, basically, I agree with Asaf) $\endgroup$
    – Milo Brandt
    Sep 25, 2015 at 21:20
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ @MiloBrandt "The importance of being informed and Ernest" $\endgroup$
    – user147263
    Sep 25, 2015 at 22:55

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
4
$\begingroup$

Is it encouraged that all users must vote for a moderator, like in a democracy?

First, it is rather the exception than the rule that people must vote in democracies. (It is still more exceptional that such a regulation is enforced, if it exists.)

Second, here and elsewhere, I think one should vote in an election if and only if one has some (at least moderately educated) opinion on the subject that is vote on.

Finally, whether or not you consider it as important enough a subject who is moderator on this site to be worth your while to get informed about it is up to you. Only if you don't, please don't complain if you do not like the outcome.

$\endgroup$
4
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Although it's not the majority, compulsory voting doesn't seem to be the exception either. Apparently 13 countries enforce it for real (and some of them apparently enforce it but only for men...). $\endgroup$
    – Najib Idrissi
    Sep 25, 2015 at 18:27
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Thanks for the data. I will acknowledge freely that these are more than I would have thought. But 13 are how much of all? Around 10 percent rather less. So I think I stand by the assertion that it is "rather the exception than the rule." $\endgroup$
    – quid Mod
    Sep 25, 2015 at 18:44
  • 5
    $\begingroup$ @Najib: At least one of these countries that enforce voting is not really democratic. To quote John Oliver, "All dictators should know. Approval in a rigged election should be like a spring day. High sixties. Low seventies.", and in some of these countries the voting is usually around the 98% marks. :-) $\endgroup$
    – Asaf Karagila Mod
    Sep 26, 2015 at 0:24
  • $\begingroup$ @NajibIdrissi @ quid I was not referring to compulsory voting, I just meant that voting is considered a fundamental duty of all citizens in many countries (even if you are an illiterate and have no knowledge of local politics). $\endgroup$
    – ghosts_in_the_code
    Sep 28, 2015 at 17:01

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .