#Oops. #Mastodon opens 503(c) in the US and invites controversy with its board member:"Biz Stone is an entrepreneur best known as a co-founder of Twitter, one of the world’s leading social media platforms."https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2024/04/mastodon...

Jan Wildeboer 😷:krulorange:

@mapache Where did I say I think it is wrong? I specifically said that I will wait and see and hope for th best but prepare for a switch should things get worse.

Maho Pacheco 🦝🍻

@jwildeboer sorry, I may misinterpreted/expanded the "dent in my trust", a part I did not understood.

Jan Wildeboer 😷:krulorange:

@mapache I need to do some research first. How will this affect the operations of mastodon.social? Will it stay in Germany or could this new structure mean it potentially falls under the US PATRIOT act? What does this move mean for data protection and access? Will the software stay Open Source? Etc. I simply don't know about all implications, hence there is a dent in my trust. Does this help?

Maho Pacheco 🦝🍻

@jwildeboer you don't need to explain yourself, that is fine. I was trying to start a discussion about the specific correlation of having Biz Stone in the board with the dent of trust, but if that was a misrepresentation on my side, then I don't have any comments.

Jan Wildeboer 😷:krulorange:

@mapache Oh, it definitely worries me to see Biz Stone and this formerly blockchain now AI person as board members. I wasn’t prepared for Mastodon deciding to create a foundation in the US and thought they’d stay true to their European origins, which added a lot of trust of handling personal data in better ways.

Maho Pacheco 🦝🍻

@jwildeboer if I would bet I would say not much will change in terms of operations. I am guessing this change is for mastodon software not, the mastodon.social instance, so I don't expect this to have any implications on data privacy and stuff. 1/

Maho Pacheco 🦝🍻

@jwildeboer I can provide a perspective from a current Board member and volunteer of a US 503(c) non-profit.

I don't think much will change except for funding, and managing of that funding.

I can see two reasons why mastodon decided to "not stay true to their European origins", or just to find funding in other places ... 2/

Maho Pacheco 🦝🍻

@jwildeboer the first one, is that after exhausting all avenues, and in need of more funding to continue supporting, maintaining and developing Mastodon at the pace the community requires it was necessary to open another avenue of funding in the US.

Another reason would be a pre-commitment from some entity (e.g.. Meta/Threads) to pledge some funding, and the necessity of having an US entity.

In both cases, a board is necessary to form, and it is not always easy to do it. 3/

Maho Pacheco 🦝🍻

@jwildeboer it could have been that some advisors suggested these names, or that it was required to find a profile like these people, in any case, there is only a few short-list that could get those seats.

In any case, it is good news to Mastodon to have more funding. Either for survival or for development, it is good news, I rather have that than a stalled or inexistent product.

The only question, would be, if there is extra funding, who will decide how to invest it?

4/

Maho Pacheco 🦝🍻

@jwildeboer that is a case where the board plays a crucial role in.

Marketing, operations, development, etc. All of those require money. Is Mastodon going to decide in base to the US board or to the global team? Is the funding going to be managed separate? Is the US money going to fund US board suggestions?

Andy Nortrup :cascadia: 🌳

@mapache but funding to non-profits comes with expectations that you will do specific things with it. And the people on your board to a lot to make introductions to people with money that are willing to donate, but also frames who you are introduced to, what interests they have and what conditions they place on the money they give you.

Maho Pacheco 🦝🍻

@andy exactly.