Breakdown of Questions here

[Guest Saint Cad]

I've been lurking on this board for a while, too busy in real-life to pursue my RP, discuss the difference between NAP & AIP and ponder why Mason's Manual is not mandatory for certification.  But I do have one question I do have from being a lurker.  It seems to me many questions on this board are unnecessary if the poster simply read through RONR or at worst RONR In Brief.  Coincidentally(?) these are the same questions that get asked over and over again like "The Chair got angry and adjourned the meeting.  Was that legal[sic]?" or "Our bylaws say ..." or "The Chair says I cannot vote on the motion to suspend me from the club."  Now I'm not talking about technical interpretations like what happens when members of the Board resign and never show up denying a quorum to accept the resignations but the ones that can be looked up very easily AND are fairly definitive such as whether or not the Body must vote to "approve" the minutes. 

 

What percentage of questions on this Board do you think the poster could easily answer for themselves simply by skimming RONR In Brief or looking up the issue using the index of RONR and reading the page?

 

What one to three questions/answers would you put in a sticky at the top of the forum so when that question comes up you can simply say "Read sticky #7" similar to some responses I've seen of "Read FAQ #18"?

[Josh Martin]

What percentage of questions on this Board do you think the poster could easily answer for themselves simply by skimming RONR In Brief or looking up the issue using the index of RONR and reading the page?

 

Probably 60-70%, and then another 10% are questions about bylaws/state law/etc.

 

What one to three questions/answers would you put in a sticky at the top of the forum so when that question comes up you can simply say "Read sticky #7" similar to some responses I've seen of "Read FAQ #18"?

 

• Can the chair vote/make motions/etc?
• How do we remove (insert officer here)?
• What does this section of our bylaws/state law/etc. mean?

[Edgar Guest]

It seems to me many questions on this board are unnecessary if the poster simply read through RONR or at worst RONR In Brief.

 

Here's the ugly truth: Many (if not most) of the visitors to this forum do not own, and will never own, a copy of either RONR (any edition) or RONR in Briefs.

 

Further, many (if not most) will post a question without first reading the FAQs (let alone the Official Interpretations).

 

That said, I think the FAQs could use a few, shall we say, amendments? Spouse on board comes immediately to mind.

 

On the other hand, if all the questions are answered here, no one will buy the book (though, as noted, I think most won't buy the book anyway).

[Chris Harrison]

I would say that a good 60% of the questions here could be answered if the poster read RONR/IB, the FAQs, and the Official Interpretations.  Of course, in all fairness to those who are less adept at parl pro trying to find answers in RONR can be a bit daunting at times.  However, if the posters knew of the FAQs and OIs existence they might be more likely to look there first (or maybe not). In fact there is already a "sticky" directing posters to the FAQ and OIs here though it is located in the "Questions or Comments about the Message Board" forum so unless they go looking around before asking their question they won't be able to find it.  Maybe it should also be made a "sticky" in the other 2 forums.

 

Or as an alternative create a sticky in all 3 forums "READ THIS FIRST" with the actual question (for the FAQs) and description (for the OIs) linked.  Then the poster can read the question or description and click directly to it.

[Edgar Guest]

I've been lurking on this board for a while . . . 

 

Then it's probably time to become a member. And I think this topic more properly belongs in the "Questions or Comments about the Message Board" forum.

[jstackpo]

RONR in Briefs.

 

And it's a short(s) book, too.  And reveals much essential ParlProc.  (But not quite all)

[Gary c Tesser]

But people can't look up everything they need , need, need, to know.  We need to desperately, desperately, just shout out need into the wilderness, and hope somebody hears it who can help.

 

"-Hi, I need to know this parliamentary issue, about my club or fire department, and I'm not even sure what parliamentary means, or if you can help me; and I can't spend a stinkin' week reading the FAQ's or OI's, and notwithstanding that quite a few of you regulars still can't thoroughly differentiate between the applicability of OI 17 and OI 18; sometimes I ask desperately about a meeting a few hours from now, or maybe in a week or two; but please, if you think a moment, you bloody well know you're nuts if you think a neophyte, however well-intentioned and diligent (I mean me, perhaps immodestly) can start from scratch and learn what I need to know.-"

 

To the point:  some of you might remember that when this website Q & A thing was established a little over ten years ago, the average question was, indeed, can the president vote.  And does it take a 2/3 vote, or yadda yadda, to cut off debate.

 

And that was fine with everyone.  I don't imagine any of the founders expected it would have such depth:  the Advanced Discussion sub-forum is a recent development, yes?

 

So.  Generally the tenor of the website has evolved; indeed, we didn't even have the temerity to call it a "forum" for a few years.  Let me ask Saint Cad, what do you think the percentage of people who are involved in their PTA's or kennel clubs, or City Councils and volunteer fire departments, or Nostradamus fan clubs (leave out me and my crocodiles and science-fiction) think they might have to find a 900-page book and familiarize themselves with its contents to function competently?  (Don't bother me about RONR - IB, I'll bet 300 people on Earth have heard about it at all, and that includes the 4-or 500 people Shmuel and me have foisted it on.)

 

I'll give you a tangential example of how people need to know stuff that they can't take the time even to look at the FAQ's.  It's perhaps a little gross and refers to corporeal matters, so those of you unable or disinclined to consider clinical matters should look away.  About two years ago I stepped in some dog poo.  On the spot I took off my shoes and put them in a plastic bag I had with me.  And immediately spoke to neighbors.  Who knew nothing. "Throw the shoes away."  I looked on the Internet, on household hints.  Guess bleedin' what.  My late mother's library has a book called "How to Clean Everything"  -- but you know what "Everything" does not include?

 

So two damn years those shoes are wrapped in three plastic bags sitting there in the freezer.

 

I'm not givin up.

 

I'm young yet.

______________

 

N.B.  My apologies for saying "damn" and "poo" and whatever bleedin' else.

-- Oh yeah, "bleedin'".