Working with a Shared Document

Each document is like a shared chapter where anyone can purpose changes/additions/deletions.  A document is meant to provide a means for the group to collaborate on the creation of a common statement, chapter, white paper, or essay.

Voting:
Proposals must be read and voted on by a majority of the group.  Your vote is only counted once.  You can click on the 'yea' or 'nay' as often as you like, but only your most recent click is counted.  Most documents are set up to require 50% of those voting to accept a proposal.  There is a quorum - 50% of the group has to have read the proposal before the vote takes effect.  There is also a duration.  If a quorum is not reached with 72 hours, the results is simply to majority of the votes cast.  


Usually, someone proposes a new paragraph or section by clicking an 'insert' link.

The insert form has space for the proposed text and a second field for comments about the proposal (e.g. justification or background information).  

The author of an insertion is automatically recorded as voting for the proposal.

When someone sees a 'proposal' in the right column, they can click on it to see what the document would look like if the proposal was accepted.  The new section appears marked with a red stripe.  In this view, they can vote yea or nay on the proposal.



Any section can be replaced.  Someone else might suggest a different way of writing the section and proposal to 'replace' it.   

Clicking on a 'replace' proposal shows the new section (marked with red stripe).  You can vote yea or nay on the proposal.



Another person likes a new section but wants to change the last two lines.  Anyone can request a section be divided into smaller units.  The Colloquy tries to find breaks in the section.  You can click on any break to 'divide' the entry.  Then the smaller sections can be replaced or deleted or moved.  Divisions do not require voting.


 


Anyone can propose to move a section to a different location in the document.  Clicking on 'move' opens a page allowing you to indicate where the section should be moved.  Clicking on a 'move' proposal shows the document with the section in its proposed location (marked with red stripe).  You can vote yea or nay on the proposal.