I noted that the idea that has resonated most in this discussion is the "unified set of tools". How do we overcome interoperability issues without building a central governing entity? How do we ensure that the nice folks who are paying to host those tools right now don't pull the plug, without just setting up another entity that can also die/be co-opted/turn evil?
I just happen to be working on a project that's solving similar issues: http://iyear.us Below is some text about how we're using a trust to keep the web platform completely community-driven. Trusts are funny legal entities, with a lot of space for innovation in how they're governed. Please do read on. I think the implications for this conversation will be clear, so I won't parse them myself. -Matt ------- The Independence Year Trust A trust is unlike any other legal entity authorized to hold assets: it's little more than a file in a trust company's office. The Independence Year Trust is an "Internet Services Irrevocable Non- corporeal Trust." Like most trusts, it has no management board and no managers but, unlike most trusts, the Trust is not permitted to hold tangible assets: no cash, bank accounts, nothing that's attractive to a potential buyer. So, while the Trust is the "owner" of the web service, there is no way it can pay for the service, and has no way to control it. Without a business or money or a management board, it has no way to sell itself. Like the Internet itself, the Independence Year Trust is not a "thing", it's simply an agreement. But the iYear Web Host(s) and Domain Name Registrar(s) must be paid or they will stop supporting it and the site will die. So each contractor has a payment page at iYear, where the iYear community can voluntarily donate in order to ensure that the site stays up. Because of the Trust's limitations, there's no profit in buying it (and no one to make an offer to). As long as its members pay its costs, the only way to shut it down would be if the Government seizes its servers or if the web Host violated its contract. By July 4th, 2009, the service will be mirrored so thoroughly that it will be virtually impossible for a single entity to shut down this American People's Government Management Service. On Oct 10, 1:00 pm, "Dawn C. Hayes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > LOL! Noted. > > -- dawn > im: > realrainmaker > > skype: unitedcommunityventurepartners > -- > > ...sent from my iPod Touch via wifi ;- ) > > On Oct 10, 2008, at 12:19 PM, "Tara Hunt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > One thing I would love to 'regulate' is that coworking does not have > > a hyphen. ;) Just a joke, but I do try to correct ppl when possible > > - especially reporters. Not that I'm the queen of naming or > > anything. It's just consistent. :) > > > T > > > On Fri, Oct 10, 2008 at 6:47 AM, Dawn Hayes > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I didn't have any exclusive vision on geographic locations, keeping > > in mind that this list is global and I'd love to be able to dialog > > and interact more with those outside of U.S. borders. Cross-border > > interaction is key to anything fostering collaboration (in my > > opinion) and by cross-border I mean it in the widest sense: from > > Philly to Seattle, Rochester to East London or Miami to Goa (India). > > > If the usual suspects are the first to show up, great. If others get > > involved from the start, even better. There's always got to be a > > place to begin with, no? In fact, it seems that there are a few > > regular voices on this list and some of their thoughts have clearly > > drawn in others to connect that might usually stick to quiet > > observation (that's usually me, really!). > > > I believe Co-working is shaped by the vision and efforts of its > > actors at large and will maintain that as I develop initiatives > > directly in line with it or at least parallel to it. With that said, > > I am less interested in fussing over titles, catch-phrases and > > whether something is actually "Co-working" or not. I'm much more > > interested in the results of folks working together (or not) to > > benefit their communities, whether it is simply providing a good > > space to work from or a bit more. > > > d > > > On Fri, Oct 10, 2008 at 9:12 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > wrote: > > > I'm with Tony, Alex and Tara (nothing new there) on the first reaction > > to Karen's post, starfish please. The parallel services approach seems > > interesting though and Karen's precisions do seem more in line with my > > thinking than the original understanding I had. > > > As for the potential non profit and the salon, I'd like to remind > > everyone that although people from spaces in the US are VASTLY more > > numerous and active here, this is still an international movement and > > non profits based in the US and salons held there are either > > (depending on structure) not useful (different laws/requirements and > > such) for others and wayyy more expensive to get to. The salon idea is > > interesting but will gather largely the same few people who are > > already traveling a lot and can match their travels with meetings or > > travel on points or whatever. I don't mind per se, I'll use the stream > > and keep an eye on northeast action in case I can make it but I just > > thought I'd throw it in there to keep in the back of your mind ;). > > > In the same vein, I'd encourage international coworking spaces to pipe > > up more often on the list, I know for those on different timezones on > > other continents it might feel like the discussion is over and > > everything's been said by the time you get to the messages but please, > > throw in your opinions and "votes" more often. > > > Patrick > > station-c.com > > > -- > > > "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, but we are > > spiritual beings having a human experience."--Pierre Teilhard de > > Chardin > > > -- > > -- > > tara 'missrogue' hunt > > > Book: The Whuffie Factor: Using the Power of Social Networks to > > Build Your Business > > (http://www.amazon.com/Whuffie-Factor-Capital-Winning-Communities/dp/0... > > ) > > Company: Citizen Agency (http://www.citizenagency.com) > > Blog: HorsePigCow: Marketing Uncommon (http://www.horsepigcow.com) > > Twitter:http://www.twitter.com/missrogue > > phone: 415-694-1951 > > fax: 415-727-5335 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. 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