discuss: Should LDP apply for non-profit status (was Re: VolunteerMatch ...)
Subject:
Re: [discuss] Should LDP apply for non-profit status (was Re: VolunteerMatch
...)
From:
Bradley Hook ####@####.####
Date:
20 Apr 2007 17:46:37 -0000
Message-Id: <4628FC5F.9030700@kssb.net>
Rick Moen wrote:
> Pretty damned grandiose for computerist organisations, which for good
> and compelling reasons tend to be run as lean do-ocracies[1] staffed by
> small groups of active participants.
>
> In that realm, it's my experience that gratuitous bureaucracy (e.g., the
> SFpcUG Steering Committee) can be the last straw. You presumably have
> different views. Good luck with that.
I agree that committees can create burdensome bureaucracy, and prevent
things from getting done. I have seen this sort of bureaucracy cause
harm to more than one non-profit computerist organization, but I have
also seen it work. But, as I see it, with a democracy you can at least
try to change the organization for the better. With a do-ocracy
the few early "do-ers" generally end up with authoritarian power, and
your only choice to create change is to fork the project. In my opinion,
this happens a little too often in the open source communities and slows
progress rather than promoting it.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying a do-ocracy can't work or is
inferior. It's just that in my experience, a democracy has more
continuity and organization, and therefor I prefer the democratic model.
> Many people would use "seeking legal recognition" to mean "seeking to be
> able to have the status of an entity recognised by the courts". You
> seem to have decided to use it to mean "seeking a determination letter
> from Internal Revenue Service that the group will not be assessed for
> income taxes".
>
> Far be it from me to criticise your definitions, but you might wish to
> be a bit more explicit in the future.
In my understanding, "seeking legal recognition" would mean to "seek to
be recognized according to law by an authority of that law." Any entity
recognized by an authority of the law as a legal entity should be
recognized the the courts of that law. As the subject of the email
directly states that the topic was if LDP should "apply for non-profit
status," then the legal recognition I was referring to involves Title 26
of the USC, not Title 17 (copyright) or other various sections of
federal law. To attempt to be recognized as a legal entity in every
possible portion of the USC would be impossible, aside from the fact
that it would be silly. For example, you wouldn't have a "natural
person" attempt to be recognized as an "artificial person," or
vice-versa, even though both are broad forms of legal entities under
different portions of law.
In my view, you are implicitly criticizing what you believe to be my
definitions. However, I will attempt to be more explicit, and use more
legalese, if I ever decide to express my thoughts on this mailing list
in the future.
~Bradley
