Board Thread:Site Discussions/@comment-5215338-20130916005314

We need to clarify the process of nominating and determining Featured Articles. Sure, we have a few guidelines, but we say nothing about how many people need to vote or how long a discussion stays open, and it isn't even stated that a consensus needs to be reached in order for a nomination to succeed! That's how vague this system is. So I have a couple of suggestions: Support? Oppose? Comment below. Questions? Concerns? Comment below. Other ideas? Comment below. 
 * 1) Every discussion stays open for 3 weeks. Why so long? Well, the ideal time period between Featured Articles should be a month or two. Besides, not many people participate, and it's usually a long while before a user thinks to check the nominations page. Which brings me to my second point:
 * 2) At least five users must participate. Sounds reasonable enough, right? It's about enough considering participation at the moment.
 * 3) A positive consensus must be reached in order for a nomination to succeed. No vote weighs more than another, even the vote of an admin or a bureaucrat. It wouldn't make sense.
 * 4) Nominations must be closed by an admin, so he can enforce the result of the vote.
 * 5) A Featured Article must stay a Featured Article for at least 30 days. If a new Featured Article is determined before the 30 days are up, then wait until the 30 days are over before enforcing the results of the discussion.