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

I like the idea, but I'm puzzled at the same time.

You want to get rid of #Youtube (aka #Google ) calling the game and you like to talk about the #fediverse .

But you present it in a #microsoft #powerpoint document that you share on #googledocs ?

There are #opensource alternatives for that. Why not use #libreoffice for a start?

@atomicpoet

狐ヴィクシー Good question—and I think there might be a bit of a model mismatch here, so let’s clear that up.

This isn’t like YouTube, where some outside group of creators shows up after the fact because the platform already has reach or monetization baked in. This is a co-op. The people who join as member-owners are the ones who will be uploading.

There’s no separate “them.” The early adopters are the community. You’re not uploading to someone else’s platform—you’re building it, governing it, and using it. That’s the incentive.

If you want a space that aligns with your values, gives you a real say in how it’s run, and isn’t at the mercy of a corporation, this is where that starts.

@atomicpoet Then my next question is what are the pros and cons over uploading to a self hosted instance (like I've been thinking of)?

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

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 think I'll keep it in mind. Is there anywhere I can find more info?

@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

@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

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.

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... ‍️

@atomicpoet

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.

@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.