[HCoop-Discuss] Financial situation

[Tanveer Singh]

On 4/29/07, Michael Potter <mpotter at hcoop.net> wrote:
> On Sat, Apr 28, 2007 at 02:21:17PM -0400, Nathan Kennedy wrote:
> > The answer to this is very simple.  Split monthly charges among members
> > as they accrue, and bill out the back charges among all members over the
> > next few months.  All members are willing members, because nobody is
> > being held a member against their will.
>
> This is a straightforward solution and will maintain the equality of
> the group. What is the bottom line, the cost-per-member, for doing it?
>
> I've been uneasy about the push for rapid expansion because such
> growth can quickly destabilize an organization, especially a
> cooperative one. It also appears to be costing quite a lot.
>
> Isn't this a consumer co-op which exists to provide cost-effective
> resources to its members?

I may be wrong here, but AFAIK, the motivation to be in a coop and not
in a shared webhosting package like the ones from dreamhost etc., is
the costs.
If I am with something like dreamhost, something with 15-20GB of
diskspace and lot of bw will cost me 10-15$/month.
With hcoop, there is this motivation of 8$ a month or whereabouts.
I would be very interested in knowing what will be the cost per member.
Over the past 2 years or so hcoop has provided me with low cost
hosting. So even if the costs are high for a short period I will be
okay for a couple of months to give out high costs.
I guess other people also who have been with the coop for many years
will do the same.
But then there will be many who may feel going to a commercial third
party guy will be cheaper and you get more diskspace too, apart from
huge BW quotas.
If people start leaving because of this, the existing members will be
in more soup.

Apart from all this it makes me uncomfortable that Adam has so much
invested. It is just not right it is a coop, and it should be like
one.
Somewhere on the way I feel expansion etc., took priority without
looking at ground realities.

Before I can pitch in let us know how much money does the coop need
from the members, and how many members.

regards
Tanveer