Thanks, all, for your input and comments. There's a lot of energy and smarts on this list.
I need to put this idea of the back burner for a while since my paying project management gig just got canceled. Will restart the discussion and/or reach out for more specific input when my schedule (and pocketbook) allows. Best, Karen On Oct 11, 8:48 am, MattCoop <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > 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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