Re: Coop Peering Fabric??

[Mike Hughes <mike () smashing net>]

--On 12 August 2008 08:32 -0400 "Patrick W. Gilmore" <patrick () ianai net>
wrote:

> People are.  I (and others) mentioned SIX & TorIX, plus I mentioned
> PaNAP.  Then there's AtlantaIX, although that recently got slurped by
> TelX.  (Hrmmm, could one of the "dangers" of a coop be "borg'ed by
> for-profit entity looking to rip out every cent they can"? :)

Interesting point.

Speaking from experience for a minute, firstly one would hope that the
co-op members would have to majority vote (hopefully with a reasonable
margin) in favour of the borging to happen.

If the members of the co-op value it's existence and the services they get
from the co-op, they won't vote in favour of a blatantly commercial offer. 

There is always the threat of the wolf in sheep's clothing, though.

One option to avoid that situation, or one where "Turkeys vote for
Christmas" (or Thanksgiving, given this is NANOG) could be to put a "poison
pill" into whatever legal basis the co-op has, e.g. in the Mem & Arts, to
basically kill the thing off if someone tries to carpetbag it.

I remember Kurtis telling me about some similar provision in the Foundation
which runs Netnod in Sweden, to avoid capture of the organisation.

Mike
(no hat)