User Guidelines

To work this inter-active site and use your time effectively you need to know this stuff.

Updated 10/1/22 to incorporate changes to voting system.

The simple protocol is that clicking any Article or Section Number moves to the next level of detail - and finally, in a new tab, to the interactive page dedicated exclusively to that Section. At any time use your back arrow of your browser to go back or forward within the tab.

Tip: Older amendments are on view longer than more recent ones and so may accumulate more votes than newcomers (irrespective of merit). Use the Sort by button (shaded pink) to rank Amendments. 

The fixed content of interactive pages is at the top and the first active element is an opportunity to vote for the Original Model Section. This is identified by its pale blue shading and is followed by space to publish Amendments to the Section. Each has a facility to publish any number of Comments below – but you have to register/sign in before these triggers appear.

The Comments are the  debating platforms and in due course may lead to someone proposing an Amendment to the Section. 

N.B. The Comment areas are displayed only after you click the small black symbol    This is to reduce clutter and keep focus on the amendments.

Every registered User may vote once only for any of the accumulating Amendments. These votes are automatically dated and counted and by clicking the Sort by button may be viewed as Most Voted, Oldest or Newest first. Please see Voting protocol below.

At the end of the Consultation period the most popular options will be clearly ranked and thus provide a valuable element in a future Constitutional Convention.

Registration: To participate fully you will require to Register and have your email verified by a return link and this ensures that the voting process is meaningful and multiple voting is precluded. For help with registering click Guide at the top of the panel.

Comments: Comments are the debating platform for each Section – the building blocks of Amendments. They may include an internet web link provided it is directly relevant.

Please observe these conventions (otherwise your Comment will not publish).

• Comments & web links must relate directly & exclusively to the Constitution.
• Comments are limited to 100 words (600 characters). 
• You may include a directly relevant external link or an internal link to a comment or amendment (but no links within an amendment) by hovering over its reference number e.g. 2020-09-21 19:33:51, copying the link which this generates and pasting it into your comment.

Tip: Short snappy comments are the most often read. If you think you need more use a web link.

AMENDMENT: Proposed Amendments are the heart & soul of the Consultation and so deserve your serious attention. They are distinguished by their pink background.

Please observe these conventions (otherwise the voting system will not recognize your work). 

• Build a debate by exchanging Comments before posting an Amendment. (otherwise the area gets cluttered with half-developed proposals)  
• The Headline (max 6 words) is a required field and without it you cannot publish. (It is an ‘at a glance’ summary to stand out among others as proposed Amendments accumulate).
• Your Amendment must be a replacement for the WHOLE  Section. (It cannot exceed 75 words (450 characters – as do all the Model Sections)).
• Try to follow the style/format of the Original Wording. Strictly NO web links but references to other Sections are permitted.(Constitutions don’t have web links!)

Tip: Before proposing an Amendment scan the Headlines of existing proposals: also use both the Search-boxes near the top of the main CfS Constitution page. The first searches the Model Constitution and the second all the Comments and Amendments  – the subject may be covered in another Section...

Please ignore spelling or grammatical errors and avoid submitting a separate amendment which is only marginally different from the original Section or a pre-existing proposal because this will split the vote and result in both being down rated within the automatic vote count. Remember we are dealing with important matters of principle here – not a legal document!

Tip: The narrative boxes may appears small, and although you can “stretch” them we strongly recommend drafting & editing offline and then pasting into the box. 

Flags: Below each post there is a flag. Use it to draw a Moderator’s attention to any inappropriate or irrelevant content for removal. Click the wee flag, it drops down then click again and it will turn red. All Users can do this once per post and the frequency is recorded. This is not a general blog so Users are requested to Flag items not meeting these conditions to be removed by Monitors. There is a separate tab with the Moderation Policy.

Voting: NB A modified form of voting was introduced on 10/1/22 but votes cast before the change are unaffected. 

Now you have only one vote per Section – either for the Original Version (shaded pale blue) or one only of the proposed Amendments (shaded pink) - the system won’t let you vote more than once!)

 

The good news is that your vote is now fully transferrable within each Section. So as amendments accumulate you can transfer your support and the vote counts and rankings will adjust automatically. A pop-up will ask you to confirm and your vote location is indicated by a pale green bar – this is personalised and visible only to you as a reminder of where your single transferrable vote is presently located. You can try it and see the bar move to and fro with your selection! This will be useful when you revisit the site over the months to review how the debate is developing – many more proposals may have been added.

Finally if,  having used both the Search boxes on the Constitution page, you are convinced that an important matter of principle remains missing from the model Constitution and the published proposed amendments you may propose an entirely New Section observing the 6 word headline and 75 word content limit and address it to admin@constitutionforscotland.scot . Viable proposals for New Sections will be considered by the Trustees for adding to Article X of the Model Constitution with the same facilities for comment, amendment & voting. Again, before proposing an entirely new Section please scrutinise all existing Sections & amendments as you are will require to demonstrate why it cannot be dealt with by amendment to an existing Section or amendment.

Occasionally Sections may be superseded or combined and require deletion. This is an editing function of the Administration at periodic reviews.

Thank you for reading this through – enjoy participating.