> would secret voting here make sense? I don't think so. When people are not afraid to speak their mind - then a real consensus can be faster found.

You are swapping cause and effect and are implying that making voting secret creates fear. This is plain wrong.

Maybe you misread something there? I merely stated, that there is no need for complex secret voting mechanisms - when the group is small and trusting.

Or do you practice secret voting in decision making among your friends?

> Maybe you misread something there?

I didn't.

> Or do you practice secret voting in decision making among your friends?

Now you are making a strawman. But I'll answer anyways. If I had a simple way to do anonymous polls with friends (e.g. an app) I would certainly use it because it would be a fun experiment.

But this is besides the point. Social pressure exists amongst coworkers, volunteers, friends, families and even couples. A lot of it.

That's why secret voting is useful in many environments even where people trust each other.

"I didn't."

So can you explain then, where I implyed "that making voting secret creates fear"?

By stating, that there is no need for secret voting, when people are not afraid?

If so, you might want to study basic logic (again). You cannot just reverse statements and implications and jump to conclusions

There can be secret voting, with people scared to speak their minds and secret voting with people not afraid to speak their minds.

And there can be open voting with people scared to speak their minds and open voting with people not afraid to speak their mind.

I think secret voting is only useful, for situations with fear involved. No more, no less.

Voter intimidation can happen in volunteer communities too.

Oh, for sure. Which is why I said, I would not judge on debian, as I do not know their dynamics etc.

  > but for example a group of friends making a decision on where to party, make
  > sports, vacation, etc. - would secret voting here make sense?

"Hey Bob, if you vote for having the party at Dave's house, I'll not suggest to Mary that the cigarettes were anything but tobacco, whaddayasay?"

Friendship over, immediately. (Group of friends is a completely different situation from what's being discussed here.)

That's not so easy when the wives are friends or sisters.

Why not? If someone tries to coerce me like that, they're no longer my friend, because I cannot trust them, nor feel comfortable around them anymore.

But they can still be my wife's friend's husband, and that's how I am going to treat them.

What would be the point in pretending that there were any democratic principles involved though?

So you do have secret votes, when making group decisions with family and friends?

Sounds impractical.

I don't. But I am addressing the fact that there exist situations in which it would be beneficial.

Maybe, but if you have those situations with friends/family, then there is probably something else horrible wrong in the first place. (even though it might be common)

Agreed.