As a fairly recent addition to the ranks of Friar, I'd like to add some thoughts to this issue from the perspective of "Wow! What's this Nodes to Consider thing do?"

On the aspect of an author controlling the post's disposition, I think that maybe it could be kept, but maybe adjusted as a new level power, possibly in this manner.

• Approval: Hopefully, anyone at the rank of Friar knows what's going on well enough to write a node worthy of approval. I've posted a root node or two since becoming a friar, but even so I've felt weird approving my own nodes, so I leave it to someone else - but if you're sure it's a good node, may as well approve it. If someone seriously objects, they'll go ahead and consider it.
• Front-page: I've seen people approve their own nodes so far, but I don't think I've seen anyone front-page their own stuff. It seems a bit odd to give someone the power to put their own document to the front - maybe give front-paging to all friars, but move front-paging of your own nodes to level 7 or 8.
• Consider: Yeah, we should be able to consider our own nodes. When I first read this, I was like "What the heck? Why would you write a node and then consider it?" - then I read about considering an accidental dupe, and so it seems okay to me.
• Voting on your own node up for consideration: This issue I find a little bit odder - maybe make it so that if you're the one who put the node up for consideration, you can put a vote on it. Also, maybe if someone else is the one who put it up for consideration, you can post a vote, but also be required to add a small blurb stating as to why you voted as such. If someone accuses you of writing a bad node, or something with problems, it seems fair to me to allow for a rebuttal, and maybe even require it. Not sure if it'd make a big difference, but would be interesting to see.

Overall, I think that the approve/frontpage/consideration system is a very nice thing - I really didn't know much about it before I was a friar. It makes me feel like a more active member of the community, knowing that I have a stronger voice, now that I've progressed some.

I also think that the system works really well as-is now, because most people use their common sense about approving/frontpaging/considering their own nodes, seeing as attaining the rank of Friar takes more than just sitting around for months. =) Overall, we do a fairly good job of policing ourselves.

~Brian