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Proposal

Definition​

Used when: the source argument is suggestion for the group or for a non-speaker to do something or to take a course of action. A proposal is open to the possibility of being rejected by the addressee.

Distinctions​

note

Offer, Commit, and Propose all carry the potential to commit someone to a course of action.

  • Both Offer and Commit potentially commit the speaker to some course of action:
    • In an Offer, commitment of the speaker is conditioned on the agreement of the addressee.
    • For a Commit, this agreement is not required.
  • Some Proposals are for a course of action, possibly committing the group or different parties. If it is unclear from the context whether the taker of the action is the speaker, then Proposal can be used. Similarly, Proposals can be used for courses of action taken as a group, or for a particular party that is not the speaker.

Conventions​

note

It is often appropriate to label a slash-unit as both a Proposal and Task-Management or as an Action-Directive and Task-Management, when the proposal or imperative is part of a future goal or task, not immediately achieved by the next actions.

For example, "let's click the round button next" is both a proposal for a next course of action, and manages status in a longer running task. Including Task-Management is appropriate for proposals or imperatives that can be interpreted as being part of longer running tasks with steps in the future, beyond the immediate next actions.

Examples​

(124) T: Alright, let's hit next.
---
(124) -- Proposal --> (124)

T makes a proposal for a course of action for the group to take.

(238) Pilot: I'd probably shore up as much as you can
(239) Engineer: Ok.
(240) Messenger: Uh yeah so move (--)
(241) Engineer: So I can move
(242) Pilot: Mmhmm. And like shore up those two.
---
(242) -- Proposal --> (238)

The pilot suggests a course of action for the Engineer to take. Qualifiers like "probably" indicate the speaker is open to the proposal being rejected.

<in a collaborative board game: Forbidden Island>

(148) Messenger: Temple of the Moon. You have that one Ok.
(149) Pilot: So I'll do the Helicopter lift, move you guys to the Crystal?
---
(149) -- Proposal --> (148)

The Pilot proposes a course of action for the group to take. While many of the actions in the course are undertaken by the speaker (e.g. an Offer to use the Helicopter lift), there is also implicitly a proposal for the entire groups trajectory in the cooperative game.