A queue must be visible to everyone to be fair
Aliases: visible queue · procedural fairness · speaking order
What it is
Queue visibility means all participants can see who has requested a turn, the approximate order, and what was handled. A list visible only to a facilitator asks people to trust fair allocation without letting them decide whether to wait, add, or withdraw.
Why it happens
Procedural fairness depends on predictability. A visible queue shows that a waiter's bid was not lost, helps speakers know when to finish, and reveals arbitrary skipping. A hidden queue puts all judgment in the facilitator; delay or omission reads as favouritism. Fully public requests can also expose sensitive identity or intent.
Studying it
- Paradigms: compare hidden, self-only, and group-visible queues on waiting, trust, and speech.
- Variables: visibility scope, order change, wait, fairness, withdrawal, and participation.
- Methodological caution: compare fairness ratings to actual handling logs; publicity cannot repair persistent skipping.
Where it stops holding
Anonymous reporting or sensitive discussion may not reveal names. Rank, pseudonym, or status can be visible without exposing request detail.
Applying it
- Show order and handled state by default; explain changes.
- Let each person see their position and privately state access or urgency needs.
- Never use queue records as participation-performance data.
- Verification: audit handling against the shown rule and ask whether people predict their turn accurately.
Related
- Same group: V5.05.1 A hand-raise queue turns floor access from competition into waiting · V5.05.3 Queues trade away immediate response and natural follow-up · V5.05.4 Facilitators need mute and calling powers as a backstop · V5.05.5 Tools provide mechanisms; facilitators create order
- Nearby: V5.04 Turn-taking and interruptions · V7.04 Content governance
- Search terms:
queue visibility·procedural fairness·floor control