Tired of YouTube calling all the shots?
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GunChleoc WTL Good question—no, it doesn’t need to stay at 3 people after incorporation.
Under BC’s Co-operative Association Act, a co-op must have a minimum of 3 directors at all times, but it can absolutely expand beyond that. In fact, most co-ops add more directors over time as membership grows.
The key is to make sure your bylaws allow for board expansion, which they typically do by default (e.g., “the number of directors must not be fewer than 3, and may be increased by ordinary resolution”). If someone drops out, the co-op just has to appoint or elect a replacement to stay above the legal minimum.
So: start with 3 for agility, but you’re not locked into that number. Growth is expected and built into the structure.
@atomicpoet @WTL That's good news
I don't have the spoons for another project, but I wish you good luck.
One technical hint: If you want to allow synchronization to YouTube, make sure to add a cron job that will update yt-dlp frequently. It's an arms race. You will also need to use it with a JavaScript engine: https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/14404
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@atomicpoet @WTL That's good news
I don't have the spoons for another project, but I wish you good luck.
One technical hint: If you want to allow synchronization to YouTube, make sure to add a cron job that will update yt-dlp frequently. It's an arms race. You will also need to use it with a JavaScript engine: https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/14404
@gunchleoc @WTL I appreciate the well-wishes so much, and that technical advice is so much appreciated. -
@KitsuneVixi The main benefit is cost and sustainability. Video hosting is expensive, and most solo PeerTube servers shut down because one person is left carrying everything: storage, bandwidth, moderation, and their own time.
With a co-op, those costs and responsibilities are shared among member-owners, which makes the whole thing far more financially and operationally stable. The platform isn’t tied to one person’s wallet or schedule, so it’s much more resilient over the long run.
Self-hosting absolutely works if you’ve got the resources and time, and some people will choose that. But a co-op offers a different path: shared infrastructure, shared governance, and a collective structure that makes it easier to keep things running sustainably.@atomicpoet I think I'll keep it in mind. Is there anywhere I can find more info?
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Tired of YouTube calling all the shots? It’s time to build something better—together.
Here’s the slide deck for a proposal to launch a PeerTube co-op.
Right now, there are three of us ready to get this off the ground. I’m looking for two more founder-members to bring us up to five. With that core, we’ll have the resources to make a PeerTube server not just viable, but sustainable—and built to last.
This isn’t about joining someone else’s platform. It’s about creating one. As a founder, you’ll have a real voice in governance and a direct hand in shaping content policies, by-laws, moderation rules, and more.
We’re staying early stage by design. This is the moment to get in, shape the vision, and build something that actually challenges the status quo. If that excites you, message me.
Slidedeck in .odp format: https://drive.proton.me/urls/ZRRBNK4XBM#RmYXrnhKXx3C
Slidedeck in .pptx format: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LgJvocTe6hH8bCw-yy-2o5QWSYCABkyL/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=108163627088117284715&rtpof=true&sd=true
@atomicpoet I'd throw in a hundred bucks to help with hosting. I have way too much other stuff on my plate now to help found it though. #BC
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@atomicpoet I think I'll keep it in mind. Is there anywhere I can find more info?
@KitsuneVixi Not yet. We’re in the beginning stages. -
@atomicpoet I'd throw in a hundred bucks to help with hosting. I have way too much other stuff on my plate now to help found it though. #BC
@ddr That’s awesome. Let’s revisit after this gets established. -
@atomicpoet First of all, I should mention that I'm on Peertube, but it's awful. It doesn't work well for many reasons. One of them is the servers that open and close, leaving people stranded. The problem is money; you need a lot, no, a huge amount of money.
@juancho_me @atomicpoet
https://apps.yunohost.org/app/peertube
I assume bandwidth is the rate limiting step for those hosting off their own domestic internet connection!#peertube #yunohost #homelab #video #streaming #p2p #selfhosting #degoogle
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@juancho_me @atomicpoet
https://apps.yunohost.org/app/peertube
I assume bandwidth is the rate limiting step for those hosting off their own domestic internet connection!#peertube #yunohost #homelab #video #streaming #p2p #selfhosting #degoogle
doboprobodyne Juancho Exactly—PeerTube’s P2P functionality helps offset some of the egress costs, especially when multiple viewers are involved, since they share chunks of the stream with each other.
But even with that, hosting video is still very cost prohibitive for solo operators. Egress adds up quickly once you have more than a handful of viewers, and most domestic upstream connections just can’t handle sustained traffic.
That’s exactly why we’re looking at this through a co-op model—pooling resources makes it possible to handle those costs collectively, rather than leaving individuals to carry the entire load on their own.
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Eelco That’s a fair point—but this isn’t about liking or disliking Google, or about picking the “perfect” tool from day one.
It’s about building something through consensus. I’m not the one setting tool policy. This is a co-op, which means decisions like what platforms or software to use aren’t mine to dictate.
If you want a say in that—whether it’s LibreOffice, Nextcloud, or anything else—that happens collectively, at the table, as a member-owner. Personally, I believe that process makes it better.
@atomicpoet @eelcoa I had the same question.
If I were a member I would advocate using open source tools for internal communications. I'm not a content creator now, but I was thinking of starting a YouTube channel. I don't anticipate it being popular enough to monetize it, so the $0 financial cost was a big draw. But I love the idea of co-ops and hate the idea of handing reams of free data over to Google in return for hosting my vanity project, so I might be interested. It's not a huge buy-in. -
@atomicpoet @eelcoa I had the same question.
If I were a member I would advocate using open source tools for internal communications. I'm not a content creator now, but I was thinking of starting a YouTube channel. I don't anticipate it being popular enough to monetize it, so the $0 financial cost was a big draw. But I love the idea of co-ops and hate the idea of handing reams of free data over to Google in return for hosting my vanity project, so I might be interested. It's not a huge buy-in.@cswalker21 @eelcoa That’s exactly the kind of thinking we need. The point isn’t to compete with Google dollar-for-dollar—it’s to build something where creators own the ground they stand on.
The buy-in is intentionally low because this should be viable for people like you: folks who want to experiment, maybe grow into something bigger, without feeding the ad machine in the meantime.
And I can say for sure: I absolutely want to use open source tools for internal comms. It just makes sense for what we’re trying to build. -
Tired of YouTube calling all the shots? It’s time to build something better—together.
Here’s the slide deck for a proposal to launch a PeerTube co-op.
Right now, there are three of us ready to get this off the ground. I’m looking for two more founder-members to bring us up to five. With that core, we’ll have the resources to make a PeerTube server not just viable, but sustainable—and built to last.
This isn’t about joining someone else’s platform. It’s about creating one. As a founder, you’ll have a real voice in governance and a direct hand in shaping content policies, by-laws, moderation rules, and more.
We’re staying early stage by design. This is the moment to get in, shape the vision, and build something that actually challenges the status quo. If that excites you, message me.
Slidedeck in .odp format: https://drive.proton.me/urls/ZRRBNK4XBM#RmYXrnhKXx3C
Slidedeck in .pptx format: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LgJvocTe6hH8bCw-yy-2o5QWSYCABkyL/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=108163627088117284715&rtpof=true&sd=true
@atomicpoet I would read your proposal, but not from google.
I don't understand why you would use google docs when your proposing an alternative to a google video service...
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@atomicpoet I would read your proposal, but not from google.
I don't understand why you would use google docs when your proposing an alternative to a google video service...️@greenpete Here’s the FAQ which contains even more information than what’s n the slide deck.
https://atomicpoet.org/notice/Ayi0LNA97iNUa8cdlo -
@greenpete Here’s the FAQ which contains even more information than what’s n the slide deck.
https://atomicpoet.org/notice/Ayi0LNA97iNUa8cdloFAQ? It seems to be simply the thread to which I replied to..?
To be clear, I like the idea, and am interested in there being a serious alternative to YouTube.
I also believe in coops.
A such I am interested in participating in something like this.
The seed has less likelihood of germinating, if the infrastructure I would like to see replaced, (yes, I know that's unlikely) is used to platform the replacement. -
FAQ? It seems to be simply the thread to which I replied to..?
To be clear, I like the idea, and am interested in there being a serious alternative to YouTube.
I also believe in coops.
A such I am interested in participating in something like this.
The seed has less likelihood of germinating, if the infrastructure I would like to see replaced, (yes, I know that's unlikely) is used to platform the replacement.Greenpete :dustSprite: Sorry, this is the FAQ:
Chris Trottier (@atomicpoet@atomicpoet.org)
📺 PeerTube Co-op FAQ: Building a Member-Owned Alternative to YouTubeThe future of video doesn’t belong to platforms. It belongs to people.We’re building a PeerTube co-op: a member-owned, democratic...
(atomicpoet.org)
I’ve explained elsewhere why I’m using Google Docs for now: I don’t have access to a NextCloud server, and I haven’t tested the other options yet. And just because something is libre doesn’t mean it’s “free as in beer.”
If you want different infrastructure, the path is clear: join as a member-owner and help fund it. Nothing’s set in stone. This isn’t a dictatorship. With consensus, we can absolutely use something else.
Better yet—if your passion is building a co-op alternative to Google Drive or Docs, I genuinely encourage you to make that happen.
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Greenpete :dustSprite: Sorry, this is the FAQ:
Chris Trottier (@atomicpoet@atomicpoet.org)
📺 PeerTube Co-op FAQ: Building a Member-Owned Alternative to YouTubeThe future of video doesn’t belong to platforms. It belongs to people.We’re building a PeerTube co-op: a member-owned, democratic...
(atomicpoet.org)
I’ve explained elsewhere why I’m using Google Docs for now: I don’t have access to a NextCloud server, and I haven’t tested the other options yet. And just because something is libre doesn’t mean it’s “free as in beer.”
If you want different infrastructure, the path is clear: join as a member-owner and help fund it. Nothing’s set in stone. This isn’t a dictatorship. With consensus, we can absolutely use something else.
Better yet—if your passion is building a co-op alternative to Google Drive or Docs, I genuinely encourage you to make that happen.
@atomicpoet Thanks, that is interesting.
I assume it's possible to be a member without uploading, and thus not pay the monthly fee, just the membership fee?Have you heard of https://riseup.net/ ?
Not the same, but a good resource for people that are ethically opposed to the big platforms. -
@atomicpoet Thanks, that is interesting.
I assume it's possible to be a member without uploading, and thus not pay the monthly fee, just the membership fee?Have you heard of https://riseup.net/ ?
Not the same, but a good resource for people that are ethically opposed to the big platforms.Greenpete :dustSprite: I haven’t modelled a scenario for members to not upload and therefore not pay a monthly subscription. It’s something to consider.
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Tired of YouTube calling all the shots? It’s time to build something better—together.
Here’s the slide deck for a proposal to launch a PeerTube co-op.
Right now, there are three of us ready to get this off the ground. I’m looking for two more founder-members to bring us up to five. With that core, we’ll have the resources to make a PeerTube server not just viable, but sustainable—and built to last.
This isn’t about joining someone else’s platform. It’s about creating one. As a founder, you’ll have a real voice in governance and a direct hand in shaping content policies, by-laws, moderation rules, and more.
We’re staying early stage by design. This is the moment to get in, shape the vision, and build something that actually challenges the status quo. If that excites you, message me.
Slidedeck in .odp format: https://drive.proton.me/urls/ZRRBNK4XBM#RmYXrnhKXx3C
Slidedeck in .pptx format: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LgJvocTe6hH8bCw-yy-2o5QWSYCABkyL/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=108163627088117284715&rtpof=true&sd=true
@atomicpoet oh that is exciting. we have too much on our plate to be directly involved, though we're tempted because you're local. good luck, and please keep us posted on how it goes.
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@atomicpoet oh that is exciting. we have too much on our plate to be directly involved, though we're tempted because you're local. good luck, and please keep us posted on how it goes.
@ireneista Totally understandable—everyone’s plates are full these days. I’ll definitely keep you posted as things progress. And who knows… maybe down the road, when the co-op’s more established, there’ll be a way to collaborate that fits your bandwidth. -
Tired of YouTube calling all the shots? It’s time to build something better—together.
Here’s the slide deck for a proposal to launch a PeerTube co-op.
Right now, there are three of us ready to get this off the ground. I’m looking for two more founder-members to bring us up to five. With that core, we’ll have the resources to make a PeerTube server not just viable, but sustainable—and built to last.
This isn’t about joining someone else’s platform. It’s about creating one. As a founder, you’ll have a real voice in governance and a direct hand in shaping content policies, by-laws, moderation rules, and more.
We’re staying early stage by design. This is the moment to get in, shape the vision, and build something that actually challenges the status quo. If that excites you, message me.
Slidedeck in .odp format: https://drive.proton.me/urls/ZRRBNK4XBM#RmYXrnhKXx3C
Slidedeck in .pptx format: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LgJvocTe6hH8bCw-yy-2o5QWSYCABkyL/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=108163627088117284715&rtpof=true&sd=true
@atomicpoet I have thought a little about this previously and came up with an objection to a content creator co op.
The potential for different audience sizes in a creator co op is nigh unbounded. In the event of extreme success a co op member can be lured by for-profit models, leaving the co op to absorb start up costs but paradoxically not have any security of income in the event their members are successful. You can try to manage this with governance sure, but maybe there are alternative models.
By contrast a consumer co op, or watcher co op in that the peer relationship can be the focus of collaboration, can be that lure through crowdfunding grants on the terms of the audience. The snowdrift funding model is an idea I find compelling, for example, and I think it would suit a content consumer co op quite well.
Do you have any thoughts about crowd funding a vehicle for a consumer co op, and seeding it with content creators want to make, rather than relying on creators to wear platform risk as well as creative risks? A co op art collective patronised by a much larger audience co op feels like a more sustainable idea. The art collective providing leadership to the consumer co op even makes sense in that model.
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@atomicpoet I have thought a little about this previously and came up with an objection to a content creator co op.
The potential for different audience sizes in a creator co op is nigh unbounded. In the event of extreme success a co op member can be lured by for-profit models, leaving the co op to absorb start up costs but paradoxically not have any security of income in the event their members are successful. You can try to manage this with governance sure, but maybe there are alternative models.
By contrast a consumer co op, or watcher co op in that the peer relationship can be the focus of collaboration, can be that lure through crowdfunding grants on the terms of the audience. The snowdrift funding model is an idea I find compelling, for example, and I think it would suit a content consumer co op quite well.
Do you have any thoughts about crowd funding a vehicle for a consumer co op, and seeding it with content creators want to make, rather than relying on creators to wear platform risk as well as creative risks? A co op art collective patronised by a much larger audience co op feels like a more sustainable idea. The art collective providing leadership to the consumer co op even makes sense in that model.
@octarine_wiggle That’s a really thoughtful comment, and I think you raise some good points about governance, scale, and platform risk.
That said, I think there’s a bit of a misconception in how you’re framing the co-op model. A co-op isn’t a non-profit or a crowdfunding vehicle. It’s a for-profit business—the difference is who owns and benefits from it. In a co-op, the surplus goes back to members (or gets reinvested), rather than to outside shareholders.
So if a creator joins a co-op, they’re not leaving a for-profit model for a non-profit one—they’re moving from a shareholder-owned for-profit to a member-owned for-profit. The incentives can actually be stronger, since the platform’s value accrues to its members instead of external investors.
Also, this doesn’t have to be “creator vs consumer.” Multi-stakeholder co-ops exist, where different groups (e.g., creators, viewers, workers) each have roles and representation. That structure can handle the kinds of scale and governance questions you’re raising without defaulting to a grant-funded or donation-based model.
