The power is with the people.polezaivsani wrote: ↑Thu Aug 13, 2020 9:55 amI haven't had much to do with Steepster, but have seen the same fate striking almost all grass roots endeavors elsewhere on the Internet, with ad hoc governance built on enthusiasm and advertising. Once the community get past some size, commercial interest will have a say at how it's being run. To a dissatisfaction of community that built it, as it happens usually.
You might have purest intention in mind building another out a new place to have tasting notes at, but somehow the bills however big or small still would need to be payed. Counting on someone's altruism doesn't seem like a sustainable model in the long run. Would people who have had their time and energy burnt having the database taken hostage, be willing to start it all over again or migrate to a new place ran by the same principle (or lack there of)?
It seems to me that building on by community and for community principles might be a better route in the long run. I don't have proofs to turn it into a solid claim, might as well be my wishful thinking. Still, just couple points which i believe have a longer shelf life - 1) supporting the operation financially by the community itself and 2) having all the data in the open (think wikipedia, where anybody could literally take all the data and do anything with it). These two points seem like providing a good protection against any kind of takeover or lock down, which could mean me having more trust in it
"When government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny."