[HCoop-Discuss] Cracking down on negative balances

[Michael Potter]

On Mon, 2008-02-18 at 18:55 -0500, docelic wrote:
<SNIP>
> A member should only be concerned with whether HCoop is fulfilling his
> technical needs. (All other good aspects of HCoop being extra pluses, of
> course).

I don't think it's up to you to decide what concerns members SHOULD
have. In any case, it's unlikely 100+ members will have the same needs
and goals. 

> Also, to keep HCoop structurally and technically healthy, not buying
> into "blackmails" or individual people's unacceptable behavior should be
> a matter of principle. And I also think that HCoop has managed to do that
> with impecable record, thanks primarily to Adam Chlipala.
> 
> If you take a look at the individual members who have left HCoop, few
> of them left on technical grounds. Others were trying to exert power
> that neither them nor any other member have over HCoop. Then, after
> seeing that there was absolutely no interest from HCoop in buying into
> their games, they threw the whole "unwelcome" story, they tried to bring it
> to a personal level, and they (in)directly claimed they left "because of
> this or that particular person". When in fact, they left because they filed
> a Bugzilla request to close their account.

Some have left because they couldn't play games and usurp power, maybe
they thought a co-op would be an easy conquest, who knows. This kind of
stability in the face of aggression is desirable. However, I think
others have left because of the "our way or the highway" approach John
mentioned. I personally find it very frustrating. 

With a standard company there is a certain faceless aspect for
customers, but I think it matters whether an open-format place like
Hcoop is a hostile or a friendly environment. 

Michael Potter