Since 1989, FidoNet Policy 4.07 has remained a stagnent and vritually
unchangable document, which maintains restrictive requirements on the
mechanism in which change is accomplished.  Many radical and extensive
amendments have been presented in the past, but have failed.  Also, the
Coordinator structure has historically demonstrated an unwillingness to
consider changes to Policy.  Todays Coordinators have shown a greater
interest in bringing Policy more in line with current technological and
geo-political changes.  This proposed amendnemt will afford them those
opportunities.

During the past year, many concerned nodes have gathered in the FIDOPOLS
echo to discuss and debate an amendment which facilitates futures changes
to Policy.

Following is a summery of proposed changes to Policy 4.07, as discussed
and agreed upon by these and other contributors:

Gordon Lewicky         1:153/307       Frank Vest             1:124/6308
Martin Foster          2:250/333       Carol Shenkenberger    6:730/275
Steven Horn            1:17/67         Dale Shipp             1:261/1466
Kay Shapero            1:102/0         Jack Sargeant           1:379/12
Scott Little           3:712/848       Michiel Van Der Vlist  2:280/5555
Wolf Szczypiorkowsk    1:249/308       Douglas H Connor       1:132/500
Michael Grant          1:134/11        Jos Huijnen            2:280/4312
Jan Vermeulen          2:28/0          Ross Cassell           1:18/0
Renato Zambon          4:4/0           Vlad Hrusca            2:53/558
Janis kracht           1:1/0           Brenda Donovan         1:10/0
Jerry Schwartz         1:16/0          Dallas Hinton          1:153/715
Joe Delaheye           1:249/303       Werner Dworak          2:2487/0
Warren Bonner          1:103/401       Paul Williams          1:387/710

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- Removing specific contact info for the FidoNews editor, to allow for an
  editor outside of Zone one:

- Removing specific numbers from the opening historical preamble

- Several changes to, and a clearer formatting of, section 8, including:

Enumeration of the 3 stages of policy change (Initiation, Referendum,
and Ratification).

Adding minimum votes required in each stage to validate each one.  IE:
5% for initiation, 10% for referendum, and 10% for ratification.

Designating "abstain" as a validating vote only, yet not counted either
as "yes" or "no".

Allowing the IC to name a delegate(s) to conduct the process of policy
change, and adding provisions for cases where the IC position is empty
during policy change proceedings.

Changing the requirements for referendum to a majority of responding
RC's, instead of all RC's.

Adding that initiations to policy be accompanied by a sysopsis of the
proposed changes, with reasons why they are desired, and suggesting it
be preceeded by informal debate and agreement among the drafters.

Placing specific lengths to periods of debate and voting during the
initiation and ratification stages, and minimum time periods for voting.

Removing the "voting on multiple documents" reference, and calling for
separate ballots for each proposal, yet allowing for sequential ballots
within a voting period.

Requiring that any proposal include amendents to all relevant sections,
to avoid inconsistancies to a ratified document.

Re-referencing pointers in 8.7 (Impeachment) to pertinent sections.
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--- GEcho 1.00