Witam wszystkim, A computer has been bought for the TCfA cosmology group! :) This is a big investment and I would like to try to apply modern management methods - specifically, consensus decision-making techniques - for deciding on how to use and run it, rather than just one or two people deciding. Please comment, criticise this proposal. (If you think it's fundamentally against what we are here for, you could argue to veto the proposal itself!) Next message: concrete proposals for the machine. boud ########## PROPOSAL for a decision-making method V0.01 ################## First, a reminder on the AIM of our group: * research and education-leading-to-research in observational cosmology * Second, background reading on what consensus is and why it's effective: flow chart: http://www.consensus.net/flowchart.html word description: http://www.consensus.net/ocac2.html Third, a simplified consensus method: DEFINITION: "anyone" is defined here as undergrad students, masters/PhD students, postdocs or faculty studying or teaching at TCfA/CAMK-Toru� in cosmology related fields. (I will put a proposal for "cafe+" type meetings on http://www.astro.uni.torun.pl/sympa/cosmo-spotka/2002-10/ soon...) PROPOSALS: WHO - anyone (the proposer) can make a proposal for use of the computer, but hopefully it should be someone willing to do the work once the decision is made! HOW - the proposal is made on the most appropriate mailing list, e.g. cosmo-torun HOW - anyone can make comments, constructive criticisms, to try to improve the proposal HOW - the proposer writes successive versions of the proposal based on the comments DECISION - after discussion seems to have converged, the proposer (or other moderator) sends an email to the same list with Subject: PROPOSAL <name of proposal> DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS/VETO <deadline>, where the deadline is X days after the date of the email. X = 2 if the decision is essentially a matter of taste X = 7 if the decision is more serious X = 1 if there is some unexpected really urgent decision to be made STEPPING ASIDE - anyone who is against the proposal, but accepts that his/her criticisms have been listened to and are not important enough for a veto, can "step aside", and these criticisms are added to the proposal. This way, others are aware of the (claimed) weak points. VETO - anyone can veto the decision, but only based on the aim of our group (see AIM: above), i.e. not for trivial reasons. He/she should explain the reason for the veto. #######################################################################