Re: Idea: 'ethical hosting' [formerly mailman service (free for FOSS projects)]

[ng0 <contact.ng0@cryptolab.net>]

Pjotr Prins transcribed 2.2K bytes:
> On Tue, Apr 18, 2017 at 06:11:41PM +0000, ng0 wrote:
> > > I don't think we should offer VPS (at first). But we can offer the
> > > choice of using other VPS'. The VPS marked is overcrowded and very
> > > competitive - I would not want to compete with that. I want to compete
> > > with companies that offer hosting, but do not provide the software
> > > stack. I also want people to have access to their own VPS. That is the
> > > ethical part.
> > 
> > Okay, then I do not understandand completely where you are going with this.
> > For a hosted service you need a host first. Do you want to offer consulting
> > work, so that this can be deployed at service (which furthermore would
> > require some legal annoyance), as a service? In other words, some of us
> > probably to cover the legal part with a contract at Guix Europe e.v. (if
> > the registered association law in France works similar to the ones in Germany)
> > will set up services on demand for interested people and organizations?
> 
> This is one example for hosting mailman: https://www.mailmanhost.com/.
> They host it on some other VPS service.
> 
> What I want to do is provide something similar with a slick web
> interface where people click on a service, say a VPS with mailman,
> configure it and launch it on a VPS hoster of their choice - we can
> offer multiple solutions on multiple hosting parties. Then the client
> has a running and configured server. We charge a fee on top of the VPS
> fee.
> 
> No consulting required unless something goes wrong. So we need to
> probably factor in monitoring and minimal support for paying clients.

Okay, thanks for making it more clear.

> That is the general idea. Guix Europe is a non-profit, I don't think
> that would be a suitable vehicle. Better to set up a limited liability
> company when dealing with clients.

(I am not a lawyer, and I haven't read every bit and piece of the German Vereinsrecht
so far)
With a registered non-profit under the Vereinsrecht in Germany it would not
conflict with the non-profit status as long as the work supports the mission
and structures of Guix Europe.
I haven't read the charta of GE in a while and haven't compared the two countries.

> I believe in fairness, so we'd have to come up with a way of
> distributing any income fairly and giving some back to Guix. But that
> is a separate discussion with the people who want to do this. That
> does probably not belong on the mailing list. It needs thought.

It's difficult. Maybe where you have your permanent residence it is easier,
I've had some expedition into legal entities in Germany for the last few
weeks with the result that I delayed it for now (TL;DR: get professional
advice offered by the state). Still some useful outcome in the process,
you can contact me off list if you are interested.

> The software is all FOSS, so anyone can fork of any time and start a
> business. If we make some money together or separately that is
> cool because we can sustain our efforts that way. Be nice to share
> knowledge, build up on that, and grow Guix.
> 
> Anyway, just an idea that may or may not work.
> 
> Pj.
> 

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