Loomio
Tue 27 Mar 2018 2:40AM

Should we switch Open Collective "hosts" to Sarapis?

NS Nathan Schneider Public Seen by 399

This is a thread to discuss a potential transition of our Open Collective host organization.

NS

Poll Created Tue 27 Mar 2018 2:44AM

Should we switch Open Collective "hosts" to Sarapis? Closed Mon 2 Apr 2018 2:01AM

Outcome
by Nathan Schneider Mon 2 Apr 2018 3:41AM

Since this proposal has been approved by more than 50% of voting members, it has passed. I will begin the process of transferring our OC host to Sarapis.

In the meantime, we need someone to represent Social.coop in the IoO project council. I'll post a separate proposal about that.

Currently, Social.coop uses the legal structure of Open Collective (OC)'s company Open Source Collective. We pay 5% on all income for this, in addition to a 5% service fee. But OC also allows groups like ours to use a separate "host" legal structure, if it is registered to provide that service on OC.

It turns out that one of our new members, Devin Balkind (@devin, I believe), runs an organization, Sarapis.org, which acts as a host on OC. Devin has offered to let Social.coop operate on this host—at no cost, as long as the operating complexity remains relatively low. This would save us 50% of our overhead.

He has also asked that, if we do this, we do it through the governance structure of the Internet of Ownership Project Council, by making Social.coop an affiliate project of IoO and having a representative in the council (also a Loomio group). So if we move forward with this change, we should also choose someone to play that role. It can't be me because I am already on the council through my work running the ioo.coop website.

This proposal has already passed in the Finance Working Group, and I am now bringing it here for final approval.

Results

Results Option % of points Voters
Agree 93.3% 14 NS MC MN D ST MB J LO BMH JH NS JB DM T
Abstain 6.7% 1 P
Disagree 0.0% 0  
Block 0.0% 0  
Undecided 0% 56 KF ST JD CG GJ SH C AM AW ELP TB SC PA RB JG IMS DB D SJK MS K TMG LS MK MDB AW EM JB GIM TD NP WM A L @ CG JT CW JI ED CS JW M DM R M GSF DVN MAS F C ES NRV W G

15 of 71 people have voted (21%)

ST

Sam Toland Tue 27 Mar 2018 9:33AM

Any links to good info on the new sponsor? :)

I approve in principle - but would like to do a little due diligence.

NS

Nathan Schneider Tue 27 Mar 2018 5:19PM

Of course: http://sarapis.org/

MN

Matt Noyes Sun 1 Apr 2018 8:21AM

Alex Rollin - why?

NS

Nathan Schneider Sun 1 Apr 2018 7:24PM

@alexrollin I'm curious too.

RB

Robert Benjamin Sun 1 Apr 2018 7:48PM

Sorry coming into this late and looks like this will pass regardless but do have a couple questions. 1: Did Devin say why he stipulated it go through the governance structure of IoO? Doesn't seem to be a downside to this but curious if that is a marketable change from how things are governed now? 2: I thought I saw something about this making capital contributions tax deductible or at least allowing for tax deductible donations? If that is the case does that mean the platform (business entity) is now considered a non-profit and beholden to any extra 501(c rules? Not that they are of particular concern at this stage I assume.

NS

Poll Created Mon 2 Apr 2018 3:46AM

Who is willing to serve as the Social.coop representative on the Internet of Ownership Project Council? Closed Thu 5 Apr 2018 3:01AM

Outcome
by Nathan Schneider Thu 5 Apr 2018 4:48AM

Based on this response, I think it's fair to nominate @mattnoyes as the initial representative.

Following the recent decision to switch Open Collective "hosts" to Sarapis, which will proceed through the Internet of Ownership co-governance framework, we need to appoint a representative for Social.coop to the IoO Project Council. This is a very low-intensity role; it mainly just involves some occasional participation in the Loomio group. Details are here and here.

All are welcome, but people who are part of groups historically underrepresented in dominant structures of power are especially invited to join. If there are multiple self-nominations, we'll hold a Ranked Choice vote.

Will you nominate yourself?

Results

Results Option % of voters Voters
Yes 3% 2 RB MN
No 10% 7 NS MC ST LS MK WM J
Undecided 88% 63 KF ST JD CG GJ SH C AM AW ELP TB SC PA JG D IMS DB D SJK MS K TMG MB MDB AW EM JB GIM TD NP A LO CB L BMH JH @ CG JT CW JI ED CS JW NS M DM R M GSF DVN MAS F JB C P ES DM NRV W G T

9 of 72 people have voted (12%)

NS

Nathan Schneider
No
Mon 2 Apr 2018 3:47AM

I cannot nominate myself because I am already on the IoO Project Council.

MN

Matt Noyes
Yes
Mon 2 Apr 2018 4:34AM

To get the ball rolling, yes. BUT despite my own precarious economic status my people have been and continue to be over-represented in dominant structures of power. So consider me a possible last resort.

RB

Robert Benjamin
Yes
Mon 2 Apr 2018 3:51PM

I would like to be considered after those that have been involved with social.coop longer have been tapped. I've been interested in what the council does for a while.

MK

Michele Kipiel
No
Mon 2 Apr 2018 8:08PM

As a white, cis-het male I'm possibly the most over-represented demographic on the planet :)

MC

Matthew Cropp
No
Tue 3 Apr 2018 1:00AM

I am pretty flat out right now, and don't have capacity right now. Would consider a future rotation if it becomes a rotating role.

WM

William Murphy
No
Wed 4 Apr 2018 11:02AM

As we already have volunteers, I'm putting "no" to not complicate the selection process, but I am willing to serve future terms of this role

WM

William Murphy Mon 2 Apr 2018 4:03AM

Would the project council allow us to change our representative? If so, I would like to discuss setting this up as a volunteer position with a fixed term such that various social.coop members would cycle through the role over time. I think we'll see similar situations where a single community representative is needed for which establishing such a process would be valuable, e.g. the private discussion group privilege that comes with Mastodon patronage

NS

Nathan Schneider Tue 3 Apr 2018 3:10AM

Yes, the Project Council would absolutely allow a rotating position, though it would be good to have some length for the term so there is at least some institutional memory. Perhaps 6 months or a year or so. When we make the final proposal for appointing someone, we can include the term length in the proposal.

Any thoughts about the appropriate term length?

MC

Matthew Cropp Tue 3 Apr 2018 3:13AM

I think a year sounds good, and perhaps there could be an alternate who fills in if the normal rep is unavailable, and replaces them upon their terming out, so there is always a mentor/mentee relationship for institutional memory?

RB

Robert Benjamin Mon 2 Apr 2018 3:44PM

I am in agreement with William that the position should have a revolving element if there are more than few willing to do it.

NS

Poll Created Thu 5 Apr 2018 4:51AM

URGENT: Appoint Matt Noyes as Social.coop's rep on the Internet of Ownership Project Council Closed Sun 8 Apr 2018 4:02AM

Outcome
by Nathan Schneider Sun 8 Apr 2018 9:08PM

I will submit a formal application for Social.coop's admission to the IoO project council, and then proceed with switching Open Collective hosts.

Based on this poll the most willing candidate for the Social.coop rep for the IoO Project Council is @mattnoyes. Based on previous discussion, I propose that he serve a one-year term, after which we will cast the net again for additional volunteers.

I have labeled this URGENT, per the bylaws, to move this process forward more quickly, since it has already taken several weeks.

Results

Results Option % of points Voters
Agree 100.0% 19 NS MC ELP RB ST MS MK AW WM J LO CB JH R GSF F JB DM T
Abstain 0.0% 0  
Disagree 0.0% 0  
Block 0.0% 0  
Undecided 0% 55 KF ST JD CG GJ SH C AM AW TB SC PA MN JG D IMS DB D SJK K TMG LS MB MDB EM JB GIM TD NP A L BMH @ CG JT CW JI ED CS JW NS M DM M DVN MAS C P ES NRV W G DU DU

19 of 74 people have voted (25%)

ST

Sam Toland
Agree
Sat 7 Apr 2018 5:31PM

Thank you for stepping forward. I hope that you will feedback to the group regularly on your engagement of IOO. :)

WM

William Murphy
Agree
Sun 8 Apr 2018 1:31AM

I wonder if 1 year is too long. I've seen a 1 year term work well in in-person volunteer organizations, buy it feels like an eternity in online time. I'd favor 6 months, but am not going to impede this appointment for my opinion.

NS

Nathan Schneider Sun 8 Apr 2018 9:01PM

@williammurphy at this point I'd rather not re-write the proposal, but we can certainly revisit after 6 months. The trouble is that from the IoO perspective, it would be good to have some continuity.

MN

Matt Noyes Mon 9 Apr 2018 5:31PM

Hi all, sorry to be out of the loop this week -- busy with meetings and Labor Notes conf. with my group of 28 from Japan. Will be back at it tomorrow. Six months with rotation seems wise to me...

NS

Nathan Schneider Tue 17 Apr 2018 4:19AM

Update: Social.coop is now officially part of the Project Council. We will continue discussions about switching the Open Collective host.