Re: IBM i in the cloud (was social media)

[Nathan Andelin <nandelin@xxxxxxxxx>]

> From: Henrik Rützou
> Gent's - use your network - it is a matter of trust!

That reminds me of another form of organization that we haven't fully explored. 
 A co-op.  Co-op is short for "cooperative", which is a type of organization 
that small independent farmers join, to purchase and share equipment that would 
otherwise be out of reach for individuals.  It's also the form of organization 
used in the credit union industry.  We also see it among small K-12 public 
schools.  Have the co-op purchase IT resources, then share them among members. 
 Members have voting rights according to the size of their shares.  But they may 
collaborate in other ways depending on the level of trust.  Administrators may 
be paid, depending on the size of the operation.  Perhaps one side of the 
cooperative is for developers, another side for hosting commercial applications. 
 Perhaps the developer side applies for IBM's Partner In Development program.

-Nathan