What is consensus?

[Douglas Lucas]

Hi Edward,

Consensus is agreement by means of votes. It's a hierarchy where those
who win the vote impose on those who lose the vote (although sometimes
the dissenters just exit altogether).

One no-voting method of collaboration is stigmergy:
https://georgiebc.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/stigmergy-2/

See also:
https://georgiebc.wordpress.com/2017/02/23/a-societal-singularity/

On 12/07/2017 06:19 PM, g2s wrote:
> 
> -------- Original message --------
> From: Edward Low <edwardlow at riseup.net>
> Date: 12/7/17 5:03 PM (GMT-08:00)
> To: cypherpunks at lists.cpunks.org
> Subject: What is consensus?
> 
> There is a question I would like to send to the list and get some feedback.
> 
> As far as I was told, consensus is a way to reach a decision without the
> need of voting, so there is no majority nor minority, no one can impose
> their ways even if they are majority so no lobby and no forcing.
> Clearly, education is needed for that, so everyone understands the need
> of giving up a little bit in order to make it work for the common project.
> 
> Lately I've been seeing consensus described as voting system, with
> majorities and minorities. My english is short, so maybe there is a word
> to describe consensus as a no-voting system to reach a common solution?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> E. Low
> 
> -- 
> Edward Low
> edwardlow at riseup.net
> Libertalia (Madagascar)
> 
> Consensus implies everyone agrees. Using OccupyWallStreet as example of
> how it fails when there isn't some sort of at least general agreement,
> the the BLOCK in the consensus system they used was based on Spanish
> anarchist unions who were in general avreement on a goal, and a block
> STOPPED the process until whatever issue the blockung party brought up
> was resolved.
> 
> 
> At Occupy there were so many political interests represented that the
> BLOCK, it was felt, was being used to disrupt, and it was modified to
> basically mean you were voting yourself out of the process unless you
> withdrew the block...
> 
> Which turned the process into mob democracy where the largest faction
> won in spite of problems perceived by people blocking, and OFC, the
> largest factions were typically scumbag prog-libs.
> 
> Rr