Wikipedia:Today's featured list proposal/Proposal 3

This proposal is an attempt to get a List of the Day (LOTD) system off the ground. Prior proposals can be found at Original proposal and Revised proposal. Changing the main page requires overwhelming support. Both prior proposals received majorities, but not the overwhelming support required to change the main page. I propose that we run a trial List of the Day that is not committed to the main page and thus can begin with a modest majority and vote on whether the results of the experiment should go to the main page afterwards. If it proves to be a bureaucratic mess we can scrap it.

Almost all of the reserved support and opposition to the proposals have been based on the fact that certain problems might happen. Let’s run an experimental LOTD and see if such problems happen. Then, let's vote on whether the experiment is moved over to the main page. Let's run the Original proposal and nominate lists between November 15 and November 31. Then interested users would comment on their preferred lists from among the nominees between December 1 and December 20. From December 21 to December 30 we determine whether the results of the experiment should go to the main page after seeing the experiment run.

The reserved support and opposition that would be solved include:

1. The format of the list has been pretty well resolved given changing the proposed format from the original proposed main page layout to the revised layout (User:Mr.Z-man, User:17Drew, User:Espresso Addict).
2. I like the idea although I am skeptical about the beaurocracy (User:Chwech, User:The Placebo Effect). Let's give it a try and see what happens.
3. The proposal is too complicated/bureaucratic (User:Atropos, User:OhanaUnited, User:Titoxd). If it is too beaurocratic people will not attempt to participate and the system will fail by lack of active support.
4. The proposal requires voters to review too many lists (User:Colin). If no one wants to review the candidates and express their preferences this will be apparent by lack of participation.
5. The proposal needs an administrator/bureaucrat/dictator to run correctly (User:Thedemonhog, User:Gran2, User:Judgesurreal777, User:Nil Einne, User:Todd661, User:Shudde). If it needs an admin to run correctly, we will see it run incorrectly in the experimental period and be able to point to the problems that can’t be solved without one.
6. The system can only work if we do it like TFA/I would prefer the TFA method: This is the same argument as the preceding argument
7. The proposal should be part of TFA (User:Spebi, User:SEWilco)
8. I prefer the WP:POTD non-selective calendar method (User:The Transhumanist, User:Jeffrey O. Gustafson)
9. I am not so sure about voting.(User:Chris huh, User:Espresso Addict)
10. The system will result in no good lists/too little variety/too many pop culture lists (User:Awadewit, User:Shudde, User:Ridernyc). If the list ends up with 15 discographies and 15 sports list, we will see the results and be able to close the process before it hits the main page. If the lists are uninteresting or undeserving of main page exposure for other reasons we can vote the experiment down.
11. The voting will result in ties like commons did (User:Colin). Let’s see if this is a big problem and if the tie breaking is controversial rather than saying it will be in advance.

P.S. in a somewhat related note you may have noticed my proposal to get lists added to project quality logs has finally been approved.

Voice comments on the talk page.