We're going to end up with sexy John Oliver posts, aren't we?

All kidding aside, I think this is a great idea. I would put in another caveat though, that only users from this instance can vote for rule changes. But we should definitely invite ideas from everyone across the fediverse.

I can't say I'm particularly thrilled about decision making by committee. I'd feel a lot more reassured if I knew the server in good and competent hands, rather than a "mob rules" system of governance. I'll certainly prepare to move elsewhere if it becomes clear that the instance moves in a direction I'd feel uncomfortable with (such as overmoderation or willy-nilly defederation that'd rob me of content).

Is it just me or is the overal vibe here on lemmy incredibly positive ?

I think this is a well-intentioned but horrible idea. I'd much rather have a benevolent dictator who is willing to listen to suggestions than someone who is controlled by whatever majority of users is voting today.

It’s up to you to come together, discuss, and reach a consensus. If you wish to add, remove, or modify a rule, make a post, garner support from other members, and I’ll implement the change. This invitation extends beyond our immediate community - I welcome input from everyone across the fediverse. Again to be clear, I gave an example of modifying rules but this applies to anything that I have the ability to do on this instance.

@TheDude@sh.itjust.works what constitutes "consensus"? A majority, a supermajority? 100% buy-in on most important topics is simply not on the table, and setting a bar too high for action is tantamount to predetermining that action will not be taken.

(I have no problem with the tyranny of the admin, either, as long as it's clear what direction the site is headed in so I know whether to stick around or not.)

Agora (ἀγορά) is a great name for a community! I'm looking forward to seeing the posts in it.

I do have a question about the donations. Some projects/sites have a donation "goal" to keep a project going for a certain amount of time. Will you be doing something similar? Along the lines of a goal of X amount of $CAD to maintain the instance's running costs for one year.

The dude abides. I don't know about you, but I take comfort in that

This is a great step towards a sustainable future for the instance, amazing work.

That's a phenomenal idea. We won't let you down.

Interested to see how agora works out this is good stuff!

I haven't been across a lot of the discussions, but if this continues to grow and donations increase, have there been talk of founding a non-profit?

I agree with the spirit of this 100% and will support any way I can. I only hope the implementation is free of trolls, bots, and other bad actors.

Community-voted rules are a nice idea, but you need to have at least veto power, as bad actors may propose and vote-brigade intentionally exploitable rules or rules that marginalize vulnerable communities.

Use your best judgment to protect your community against those who desire bringing hatred and abuse. Just be prepared to explain the reasoning behind your decisions, and be prepared for vote-brigading (however unlikely it may be) when you veto.

If you haven't heard of it before, you should definitely check out backed.by. It's a web 3 version of Patreon that's privacy focused and has lower fees. The more we pull away from web 2 platforms like reddit and Patreon, the weaker that ecosystem will get

This is a beautiful idea. I continue to be impressed with how you're handling this place.

sounds like an excellent idea in theory, hopefully it's the same in practice!

I'd back a patreon supporting the instance. No problem.

TheDude abides.

Out of curiosity, will you be pocketing the excess of donations over any running costs? Because I think we all understand that profit motives can introduce corruption (see how Reddit changed with VC profit motives). If I may offer a suggestion, would you be willing to donate any excess in your donations to other Lemmy instances for the health of the fediverse in general? Or perhaps distribute some of those donations to compensate moderators for key communities on your instance?

Awesome. Thank you for running this!

This sounds like exactly the sort of reason I came here, a laid back approach and a good community vibe...good work.

Definitely seems like an interesting way too take the instance, hope the funds donating can help support you and maybe a staff of people running the community if/when it gets big enough

Thanks Dude. Merci Le Dude.