bDIP-02: Coordinated Timing Across BanklessDAO

Governance
1

Title: bDIP-02 : Coordinated Timing Across BanklessDAO
Scope: Minor Change
Draft Author: Rowan (chunz)
Working Group: Operations Department
Link to Working GDoc

BDIP SUMMARY

The BanklessDAO Constitution doesn’t specify a single timezone around which we can all effectively coordinate. This may seem inconsequential most of the time, but twice each year confusion manifests as some regions observe “Daylight Savings”, while others do not. This bDIP will establish Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) as the single reference timezone for meetings and events across BanklessDAO.

BDIP BACKGROUND

BanklessDAO is a global community, collaborating across countries and timezones. So far, we haven’t identified a single reference timezone for scheduling calls and events, and most of the time it’s not an issue. Twice each year, however, some regions shift their clocks by an hour, while others do not. Further, this shift isn’t coordinated across regions and occurs on a different date depending on where you live.

As UTC is the time standard by which most countries regulate clocks and time, it makes sense that bDAO would use this standard as well. UTC is not subject to “Daylight Savings” and most of the DAO already rely on it as a reference to avoid potential confusion resulting from timezone math.

BDIP SPECIFICATION

This bDIP introduces new content but is compatible with previous versions and can be considered a minor change.

Proposed Form

It is proposed that a new section of the Constitution is created:

DAO Coordination

BanklessDAO coordinates around Universal Coordinated Time (UTC). Wherever possible, meeting and event times are expressed in this timezone.

EXPECTED IMPACT

bDAO will officially have a single, coordinated reference timezone (UTC).

ANALYTICS

None.

NEXT STEPS

  1. Collect feedback and make any necessary changes to the proposed bDIP.
  2. Get Forum consensus (quorum: 51 votes)
  3. Update the Constitution

WORKING GROUP BACKGROUND

Rowan was the Coordinator for the Operations Department in Season 5 and continued in Season 6.
Operations Department includes many folks who meet to discuss aspects of bDAO function, developing solutions to improve DAO functions and operations.

POLL - Do you accept this bDIP change?

  • Yes.
  • No, and I will comment below.
0 voters
8 Likes
2

How about calling it bDAO Time (bDT)? :nerd_face:

10 Likes
3

Really appreciating us being explicit about this.

6 Likes
4

Seems like a minor change, but it will make a major impact on the efficiency of DAO ops and contributor expectations. Also a great step away from North American hegemony! (seriously, and I’m in the US)

10 Likes
5

Giving this a bump on the cc!

4 Likes
6

Thank you so much for this initiative.
I have voted yes already, but I would like to suggest that the wording in the second sentence should be:
Wherever possible, meeting and event times are set and expressed in this time zone.

My reasoning is that it is not enough to express a meeting time in UTC. If the sesh event is produced using a different time zone, the meeting time will change when that zone changes. We need to set the meeting times in UTC, so that even when other zones change the time stays unchanged.

6 Likes
7

So, how does this work - without the 51 votes this just disappears and chaos continues to reign?

3 Likes
8

Posting to the announcement channel!

2 Likes
9

Well, chaos will reign until we get 51 votes. I don’t think bDIP proposals are time-limited. Just need to get over that voter apathy hump.

10

Agreed. I’ll include the revised wording you suggested. Thank you!

I’ve added a link at the top of the post to a working GDoc so we can see changes as they’re suggested/made.

2 Likes
11

Okay, good. I was wondering about that. For some reason I thought we had a time limit but I couldn’t figure out what it was.

12

There are minimum time requirements but not maximums. Larger impacts to the Constitution and larger BANK asks require longer public scrutiny.

13

Good start. Good idea. Glad you’re taking this up.

1 Like
14

Did we do it? I think we did it! I mean, now to snapshot?

1 Like
15

Yep, TO SNAPSHOT!
Party time!

2 Likes
16

Sorry, I’m the one asshole who voted “no”, and I felt I should explain why.

I totally understand the problem around the community call and twitter spaces - it’s chaotic every time daylight savings time happens. I don’t know if moving to UTC will actually SOLVE this problem, but I DO believe that it will provide a base upon which we can eventually solve this problem. So I am for booking these kinds of meetings in UTC.

That being said…do we really need to standardize this in ALL meeting and event times? I run some project meets at 9am eastern…whether EST or EDT. It doesn’t make sense for me to set the project for 14:00 UTC and then change it twice a year to follow this rule.

Does this rule really need to be in the constitution? Who will enforce it? Couldn’t the people responsible for scheduling the CC just start booking in UTC?

What I’m getting at is…I don’t believe every “rule” belongs in the constitution. I hope that bDAO doesn’t develop the reflex to put every solution to a problem we’re having in the constitution. To do so would reduce our ability to be flexible and experiment.

4 Likes
17

You’re definitely not an asshole and I appreciate the points you’re making.

I agree that this is a step towards solving the problem but may not be the solution.

Do we need to standardize this for all meeting and event times? Probably not. For meeting times that are centered around North America (NA), this move will likely add to administrative burden. With that said, there are many who live outside NA and are likely already subject to similar administrative burden. Part of the intent behind this change was to help the DAO become less partial to the NA time zones.

Does this rule need to be in the Constitution? Probably not, and I think you’re raising a great point. Right now we lack something like a Suggested- or Best Practices document that carries some level of formality. I agree with what you’re saying and think the Constitution could become bloated and reduce flexibility in the DAO. Until we figure out some form of semi-formal administrative guidance document, we may see more bDIPs like this one.

As for enforcement, I think each member of the DAO has the ability to do so via reference to the Constitution. If meeting times aren’t set and/or expressed in UTC, a DAO member can point it out to the meeting organizer and ask that they correct it. Maybe it will manifest as etiquette. I don’t see the DAO needing to create a body responsible for the enforcement of the Constitution (or a possible future Best Practices document).

I think there’s value in attempts at administrative alignment, like this bDIP, and I can see Ops playing a role in developing some kind of semi-formal administrative guidance document. The ball is already rolling on this one but it would be a simple bDIP to change once it’s implemented.

3 Likes
18

Snapshot Link:

bDIP-02: Coordinated Timing Across BanklessDAO

3 Likes
19

“Minor Change”, it says right there at the top of this voted on and passed bDIP in the “Scope” section.

The belief was that by using UTC would alleviate time change issues. Yet here we are today dealing with a time change issue that affected a CC. Unless I am mistaken, the bDAO calendar shows that the CC should have started at 15:00 UTC.

If we can’t get something “minor” like this straight, there’s not much wonder as to why we are spinning our wheels on so many other proposals.

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20

From my comment above you can gather I wasn’t in favour of this change, but I really take issue with this kind of communication.

Being a proposal champion is hard, and comments like this can easily demotivate people who are giving the DAO their attention and energy. If we thank them for their efforts, they may continue to push the experiment forward. If we attack them they probably won’t.

bDAO is an experiment in massive decentralized human coordination. We aren’t going to get everything right on the first try. It’s not important that we ALWAYS succeed, just that we seek to be better each day.

4 Likes