[okfn-discuss] New crowdfunding system in the works exclusively for Free/Libre/Open resources

Sun Dec 16 18:13:33 UTC 2012

Hi

I would be very interested to be kept posted on this. Happy to help with
the publicity as I am currently working 100% in music at the moment which
is really hard to find funding for.  I am interested in putting together
inclusive projects released openly in this industry to benefit
disadvantaged communities etc.

Thanks

Jilly.

On Friday, December 7, 2012, Aaron Wolf wrote:

> Hi everyone,
>
> I have been working for several months (after years of general research
> and interest) on founding a new fundraising system dedicated to Free/Open
> works: software, data, research, art/music, etc.
>
> There are several things which distinguish our proposed system from the
> existing platforms:
>
> 1. We will require all listed projects to accept approved Free/Open
> licenses
>
> 2. We are not doing one-time fund drives. We are looking to slowly build
> broad communities of donors for long-term support of projects and authors.
>
> 3. We have designed a novel mechanism to address the problems with
> encouraging as many people as possible to join the community. A simplistic
> explanation is: each pledge starts near zero and increases only when more
> people pledge as well. Essentially, each donation is contingent on everyone
> else donating; like matching funds but achieved geometrically across
> everyone in the system, growing further with each new donor.
>
> Furthermore, we are going all the way with our ideals on this project. It
> will be run cooperatively, it will have an honor system, and it will focus
> on duty, freedom, and common good over calculated rewards to individual
> donors.
>
> We have a detailed proposal, a website and system in progress, and many
> partially-formed ideas for how the whole thing will eventually look and
> function.
>
> At this point, we are recruiting a steering committee to help us see the
> project through. We will have online discussions about the precise
> policies, the details of the site, and more. There is room for anyone
> supportive to be involved even if you cannot consider joining the
> committee. Feedback is appreciated. We're going to get the code on GitHub
> soon and are looking for extra contributors to that. We're also networking
> and trying to connect to anyone sympathetic to our values who could play
> any helpful part in the process.
>
> Please let me know if you are interested in even just learning more about
> the project at this stage, potentially to be involved in some way.
>
> The site is http://snowdrift.coop but you'll need to have me send you a
> personal invitation code to access anything right now, since we aren't
> public yet. We'll add a publicly accessible contact form ASAP, but until
> then you could let me know how to reach you by posting here or writing to
> me at aaron at wolfune.com <javascript:_e({}, 'cvml', 'aaron at wolfune.com');>
>
> Cheers,
> Aaron Wolf
> Ann Arbor, MI, USA
>
> --
> Aaron Wolf
> wolftune.com
>
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