AND WE’RE LIVE.
Thanks to Corina Stark for hotspotting her phone so I can use her data for this liveblog.
Rules as usual: I will be updating this post every few minutes once the meeting starts. Newest things will be at the bottom so this will eventually be chronological. Don’t be surprised if I interject opinions occasionally. There may be some misspelled or missing names as I go along, so this post may be corrected later. Apologies in advance if I miss your name the first go round!
The agenda is rather… robust this year. 69 pages. Already hearing a lot of comments about that.
We’ll be starting… soon.
AND HERE WE GO.
1009: Just going over parliamentary procedure for the meeting via a short video…
1016: Jared Dashoff calls the meeting to order and introduces everyone. Tim Illingworth, Linda Deneroff, Donald Eastlake, Lisa Hertel. Reminder that the meetings will be recorded and then loaded to youtube as quickly as possible.
1018: Point of parliamentary code, clarification on how we will be doing serpentines if necessary.
1019: Reminder today is the preliminary business meeting, going over what the next several meetings will be. If we are not done with the agenda on Sunday. we will be in this room UNTIL WE ARE DONE. Today we will be setting debate time for all motions. Any amendments are in order on new items, no amendments in this meeting for items already passed.
1021: We can vote on any resolutions coming out of committee today. Any motions coming from a committee report have to be voted on at the main business meeting. Reminder: we can postpone indefinitely today or object to consideration.
1022: On to business passed on.
1023: Kevin Standlee question of privilege: requests that all questions be spoken or repeated into the mic for recording purposes.
1023: Business passed on. Eastlake reminding us that there is a time dilation issue, so propose brief debate times.
1024: Yes, we can reorder items today.
1026: What if it’s a tie? Jared: Then I get to vote.
1027: Best Fancast. No objection to six minutes of debate.
1027: The 5% Solution. 10 minutes suggested. 4 minutes proposed and seconded. 6 proposed and seconded.
1028: Six minutes debate set for 5% solution.
1029: Kevin Standlee serves warning that he is planning to amend the 5% solution.
1029: 10 minutes suggested for Multiple Nominations. Several other times suggested.
1030: Time set at 8 minutes.
1031: Nominee Diversity suggested at 10 minutes. Time set at 8 minutes.
1032: Josh Kronengold moves to postpone Nominee Diversity definitely until after EPH is voted on. There is no objection to moving it until after EPH.
Everyone is being so agreeable so far.
1033: Electronic Signature has a 12 minute suggested debate time. Multiple objections.
1034: Someone suggested 20 minutes. Everyone else is opposed.
1035: Debate for Electronic Signature set at 10 minutes.
1035: Cliff Dun moves to postpone EPH definitely until after 4 and 6. Multiple objections. Cliff argues that 4 and 6 is the least destructive proposal and should be considered first.
1036: Mr Dejarden is one of the makers of 4 and 6 and argues that the effect cannot be considered until we know if EPH will be in or not. If EPH passes, he will be moving to amend his own proposal.
1037: Jason Spitzer seconds the least destructive point. Also points out that some amendments are much more difficult to implement. It would be a waste of our time to consider more complicated amendments when we could just pass 4 and 6 and end it there.
1039: Motion to postpone EPH definitely until after 4 and 6. Motion does not pass. Order remains the same.
1040: 20 minutes of debate time suggested for EPH. Multiple objections. Someone suggests 30. Oh sweet Jesus.
1041: Time set at 20 minutes anyway.
1041: David McCarty moves to locate 4 and 6, EPH, and Nominee Diversity to the Sunday meeting so we can see the Hugo data. They have a report ready for us (which they presumably can’t share til after the ceremony). EPH is being tested this year; the data is being run both ways.
1044: Gary Rob questions why Nominee Diversity is related to EPH and 4 and 6.
1044: They’re not actually related, but Nominee Diversity has already been postponed definitely until after EPH, so perforce it must move. Anyway, we have five data sets of EPH processed data we can look at on Sunday.
1045: Rick Kovalcik against: we have enough data now to shoot down claims.
1049: Call the question for postponing definitely. Objection because someone has remarks against. Some debate on how this works, moving to vote on the question.
1051: Motion to postpone definitely until Sunday passes. We’ll be looking at 4 and 6, EPH, and Nominee Diversity on Sunday.
(Missed a little bit of stuff here because I had to take a phone call.)
1057: Kate Secor argues that Nominee Diversity is an issue of itself and should be debated on its own merits rather than linked to other amendments that have no direct relation.
1058: I have no idea what just happened. We’re getting into the parliamentary stuff here, baby.
1059: Mr Bloom votes to suspend the rules so we can get ourselves out of this tangle and vote to just move Nominee Diversity back.
1100: We are now going to vote to move it back. Motion passes. Nominee Diversity is no longer on Sunday.
1101: Now we have to set debate time to 4 and 6. Much objection. Such suggestions. Wow.
1103: 10 minutes of debate set for 4 and 6.
1103: Now for the new items.
1105: Meeting back in order after a brief recess.
1106: Best Series. Motion to amend by Mr Kronengold. He wants to add a Best Epic category and some other portions.
1107: Mr Buff says this is the best compromise they were able to work out.
1107: PoI from Ms Seacourt question if this creates two new categories?
1108: Mr Kronengold says this would not create a second category, but would open it up for works in other categories that get substantially longer.
1109: Amendment fails.
1110: I object to the re-eligibility portion of the amendment and move to remove that.
1111: Someone from the committee speaks for.
1112: Kate Secor shares my concerns.
1114: Speech against. Mr Kronengold points out that he wants to strike the thing that prevents the same work from being nominated again.
1115: Question of intent. If we strike this part, will that mean the series can’t be eligible again or will be every year.
1116: Striking this would make it eligible endlessly? I would hope not.
1117: Mr Olson moves to return this to committee and return tomorrow with an up or down motion showing different consequences. Colin Harris will be chairing committee. (I’m going to try to get on that.)
1118: Now we’re actually going to set debate time.
1119: Ben Yalow brings up that the motion has been referred to committee and is no longer under the meeting’s control. Eastlake points out that we are still in control of our own agenda.
1120: How can we set debate time if we don’t know what the actual item will be?
1121: Motion to set debate time independently for the amendment and the motion.
1122: Colin Harris plans to come back with something simple and concise to clear up the intent of the motion.
1124: Setting debate time for the main motion. 10 minutes set.
1126: Setting debate time on my amendment. 6 minutes.
1127: Move to postpone Best Series and amendment definitely to after EPH. On Sunday. (WHY?) Points out that series are particularly subject to slate voting; he cannot vote well without knowing how the slate voting has been addressed.
1128: Rick Kovalcik says there should be as little as possible to do on Sunday. Motion to call the question.
1129: Motion fails. Best Series stays put.
1130: 10 minute recess.
1142: Meeting called back to order. Committee about series will meet after this meeting. Informal discussion of EPH, etc, will occur after the meeting tomorrow
1144: December Is Good Enough.
1144: Motion to suspend the rules to limit debate time per person so if there is 10 minutes, you only get one minute of speaking time. Etc.
1145: Ben Yalow points out that motions are sometimes complex, “I’d rather hear a really good two minute speech than a bunch of really lousy 30 second speeches.”
1146: Kate Secor points out that a motion to extend the entire debate can be made.
1147: Gary Blog wants to hear more opinions rather than just one person dominating the debate time.
1148: Warren Buff moves to amend so that debate time is automatically extended by 30 seconds until five people get a chance to speak.
1149: Kronengold moves to amend so that if fewer than five have spoken on a given side, the voting threshold to extending debate drops to 50% rather than 2/3.
1151: Ben Yalow brings up germaneness. Jared Dashoff rules it is germane.
1151: Question is called. Motion fails.
1153: Okay, now we’re voting on the limitation of debate times per person. This motion fails as well.
1154: Back to December Is Good Enough. Time set at 8 minutes.
1155: Two Years Are Good Enough. 10 minutes debate time set.
1157: This Year’s Hugos, This Year’s Nominators. Ben Yalow speaks for it.
1158: Colin Harris is against. The future year is a moving target with new members being added all the time. The future voters only add a few hundred to an already huge pool. Makes things more game-able(?). Believes it exposes the awards to being much more easily gamed in smaller years.
1201: Mr Kovalcik is for. This would have caused more supporting member income for MidAmeriCon.
1204: I speak against. I’m interested in more participation.
1204: Kate Secor for. Very valid point that it allows nomination, not voting.
1205: Speech against; point that this cuts off people who join after the deadline and they get no shot at nominating ever even if they bought the full membership.
1206: Warren Buff for; Getting people to join early and encouraging that is very good for the planning of the WorldCons.
1207: Adrian Foster against; the reason we started the two year process is because of the cut-off date. If we take the previous years nominators off, we should remove the cut-off date as well.
1208: Ms Rudolph acknowledges that the nomination process is broken/has some serious deficits. This will help focus the nominations on the people who care the most about the outcome of the Hugos. This only impacts nominations, not voting. This will discourage people who are not invested in the process.
1211: Ms Hayes against. Anyone who joined the day of should get something for that membership. (They didn’t get a chance to nominate/vote this year, so…)
1212: Mr Kovalcik when we went from one year to two years, it was hard to buy a membership. It’s easier to buy a membership now.
1213: Debate time has expired. Vote on the amendment by substitution. The amendment fails. This Year’s Awards, This Year’s Nominators FAILS. So we will be considering “Two Years Are Enough” rather than the stricter version.
1216: Three Stage Voting comes up. There is a seconded motion to postpone indefinitely.
1217: Mr Blog really LOATHES this amendment. Points out this will just make Approval Wars basically. Additional stage of voting gives the administrators even more to do.
1218: Colin Harris asks that this at least gets open debate.
1219: Mr Kronengold moves to call the questions. Seconded. Question is called.
1222: Motion to propose indefinitely fails. Three Stage Voting stays on the agenda.
1224: Mark Protection committee nominations. Three retiring members re-nominated.
1228: Moving on to Additional Finalists. Motion to propose indefinitely. There’s some scrambling.
1230: Now a speech against Additional Finalists as anti-democratic.
1231: Ms Hayes as maker of motion. It has numerous flaws. It deserves the chance to at least be debated.
1231: Kate Secor in favor of postponement. This is completely antithetical to the spirit of the Hugos and does not even deserve open debate.
1232: Question of postponing Additional Finalists indefinitely is called. Hands are unclear. IT’S SERPENTINE TIME, KIDS. BUCKLE UP.
1236: 36 Against to 81 For. Additional Finalists is postponed indefinitely.
1236: EPH+ is next. Mr Blog moves that EPH+ is moved definitely to be after EPH and 4 and 6 on Sunday.
1238: Mr Blog declines to give a speech in favor of his motion. Ms Hayes against. Because if EPH+ is better than EPH, let’s just talk about that first.
1239: Mr Quinn even if we pass EPH+, for this year EPH still matters.
1239: Question is called. Mr Dashoff reminds us that the way to show there is no objection is with silence.
1240: Motion passes. EPH+ will be on Sunday. Now time is set for debate. 16 minutes of debate time set.
1242: Defining North America. 2 minutes of debate time!
1243: Retrospective Improvements. Ben Yalow stands to move that the question be divided. He believes that 3.13.1 and 3.13.2 are sufficiently different that they should be divided. Seconded.
1248: Parliamentary scrambling, the conclusion is this is not debatable so let’s vote. The division passes.
1249: Kevin Standlee proposes dividing so it’s three parts and now two. He asks unanimous consent. Mr Buff objects. “I tried!” –Standlee. Then we devote anyway and the division goes through.
1250: Dashoff proposes six minutes per. Objection. Dashoff says debate time will be all three at once though. Four minutes.
1251: Universal Suffrage. Six minutes is adopted with no objection.
1251: Non-transferability of Voting Rights. Eight minutes adopted with no objection.
1251: Young Adult Award. Mr Blog moves to postpone indefinitely. Seconded.
1252: Mr McCarty says he has been opposed to YA awards in the past, but he thinks this should be debated. Applause for him.
1253: Question is called. Motion fails. YA is not postponed. We set debate time now. 14 minutes set.
1254: Motion to adjourn. Seconded. Meeting comes in just under the wire.
I’ll write a summary of this a bit later, time for my committee meeting. Thanks for following!
Thanks for live blogging. Those of us unable to attend greatly appreciate it.
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I was the member of the committee speaking in favor of the Best Series.
Holy moley! Thanks for the blogging! Gak, I wish I was there/am glad I’m not. ;-) Good luck.
Thank you so much for doing this; it’s great to have more perspectives on the meeting than just your personal one.
A few (minor) corrections on intent (although not necessarily well communicated):
1044: EPH and Nominee Diversity are actually related (which was why we pushed ND to after EPH last year)–EPH partially addresses nominee diversity in cases where the same group is responsible for said lack (as is reasonably common). In point of fact, my part of EPH (ie, SDV) was largely based on ideas germinated when I talked over a nominee-diversity like proposal with a friend who objected that it was undemocratic. On the other hand, obviously we didn’t need the Hugo data for Nominee Diversity (except maybe to see whether EPH would have made the Best Dramatic Presentation and Best Short Story (or was it best Novelette?) categories more diverse in recent-ish years where there was an explicit diversity issue that wasn’t slate-caused).
1106: I unwisely relied on commitee reports that people hadn’t necessarily read, but my motion (detailed in the agenda) was to replace the entire best series category ammendment with measures to add “best epic” (which might not necessarily be multiple books, which was why I used a different name, but otherwise is the same length as best series) , and a measure to allow re-nomination for the max-length categories at more or less the same criteria as best series allows.
1114: this wasn’t a speach for or against; it was pointing out (to a speaker who semed confused) that the constitution explicitly prohibits that works be nominated multiple times, even if they seem to be eligible extra times. This is the section that has generally prevented a series from being nominated in its entirety if any of it has previously been nominated for Best Novel (but not if parts have been nominated for a shorter category). If this was an argument (rather than an attempt to answer a speaker’s question) it would have been one for (your ammendment), as dropping the re-eligibility provisions in Best Series would simply revert to the constitutional requirements that a work couldn’t be nominated more than once.
Thank you for the clarifications!
Thank you for doing this!
Spelling notes: Kate Secor; Rick Kovalcik .