Micro Voting toward Non-Binary Consensus Building Jeroen Lapre' © 19 Dec 2K7 Problem Traditional voting systems tend to be binary results based. i.e. yes, no, all or nothing. They often degenerate to whom speaks the loudest, whom has the most charisma, mud slinging, etc. A problem that is thousands of years old. Proposed Solution If an Object-Oriented Grammar, or Controlled English were adopted by a community, real, virtual, or augmented, then non-binary consensus-building could be adopted. Benefits avoids stale mates avoids all or nothing outcomes Shape of the N-dimensional voting model represents more accurate representation of the true interest of the group, with the environment as a participant. Technology based on the above may enable Getting To Yes, sooner and more accurately. Model Based Status Quo An incremental society maintains an N-dimensonal model of their society. When the community needs to make a decision on an issue, they take a "snap shot" of their society model. The direction of the issue in question gives a more accurate respresentation of needs, as apposed to a binary-outcome vote. News Worthiness In an incremental consensus society, weighted values would give a more accurate indication of the news worthiness of issues / articles. Granularity The system dynamically load-balances to the granularity of the context of the area that needs a just-in-time consensus snapshot of the system. Other Phenomena If parties in a wide range of activities adopted incremental consensus, then semi-automated emergent behaviour could occur. i.e. as they interact, their interfaces, represented each parties incremental consensus, would automatically interact. Combined with agent delegation, you could have multiple levels of emergent behavior. External References Getting to Yes From opencollabnet website: Incremental Consensus This is a conversational-dynamics pattern that can be used to help a discussion move from brainstorming to consensus and decision. The most elaborate implementation of this general philosophy can be found in RFC 2418 (also known as BCP 25), IETF Working Group Guidelines and Procedures. Mad Meme Labs A Division of  Distant Galaxy. PO Box 817 Forest Knolls CA 94933 USA Business license number: 023379. Registered in the county of Marin. Contact: madmemelabs@distant-galaxy.com