Re: Discussion - more information on project pages

Robert Brockway <robert(at)spi-inc(dot)org> wrote:

> On Mon, 12 Sep 2011, Fabian Keil wrote:
>
> > I think a complete list of services SPI is currently providing
> > and instructions how a project can apply for them would be useful,
> > too.
>
> Hi Fabian. I've proposed a new version of the Associated Project Howto
> in another thread
> (http://www.spi-inc.org/drafts/associated-project-howto/) that includes
> a list of services that SPI offers.

I'm aware of that, but I always thought the list wasn't complete. Is it?

It also doesn't mention how a project applies for the services
(with a few exceptions) and the rules don't seem to be too clear
to me.

For example I'm currently trying to figure out how to best pay
the fees for a project domain with the funds SPI holds for the
project (Privoxy).

The options seem to be:

1) A project member owns the domain, pays the fees and gets
reimbursed by the treasurer. The process is documented
as far as SPI is concerned (talk to the treasurer),
but the domain owner becomes a single point of failure.

2) Like #1, but if the associated project is a legal entity
it could own the domain itself. Unfortunately that's not
the case for Privoxy.

3) The domain is transferred to SPI. The process doesn't seem
to be documented at all and I assume the domain counts as an
asset which may never be transferred back, or to another non-US
non-profit. It's also not clear what the costs would be or what
happens if the project's funds are suddenly diminished.

4) Maybe a "Signing Contracts" solution is possible without
the domain being transferred to SPI, but I'm not too sure
about this.

5) Maybe the domain could be transferred to one of the European
partner organization, but that's a wild guess.

While it seems like an issue many associated projects (or projects
considering to become one) would have, there doesn't seem to be
any documentation except for the rather vague list of services.

Therefore I think it would be useful to establish which services
are the most common ones, to document what a project has to do
to get them and what the rules and consequences are.

Fabian