While this was never codified, one of the ways I tried to get decisions
made at FnF meetings was to:

  Introduce the given point

  Ask for alternatives

  Discuss the relative merits of the various alternatives

  This usually produced a candidate

  If no one in the group was 'strongly opposed' to the candidate, it was
  selected

  next point.

Seems to work pretty well. I know at times we've not left everyone totally
happy, but I think it's also been very rare that we've left people totally
pissed off.  Though historically people have left group because it no
longer reflected well enough their particular interests, desired
organizational structure, or whatever. All in all, this kind of splintering
is probaly both the most natural evolution and the best solution for groups
that become to large or diverse to achieve concensus...
 

take it easy
ethan

--
You're only paranoid if they're not really watching you...