Some clarification on the future of the London Commons

Following the previous blog post from Thomas and the subsequent discussion I realized that the situation might not be as clear as it could be. Here is my attempt to explain things.

For those that don't already know, I am the other half of Figure and Ground New Media. The company belongs to Thomas and I, where for over a year we have been hosting the London Commons website at no charge.

The announcement that the site would be closed and reopened under private management was due to miscommunication between Thomas and I. That's our fault, and we're very sorry for it.

I think it's important to note that Thomas took these actions with the best interest of the site and the community at heart. Under the circumstances he did what he thought was best for everybody, and this should be remembered before anyone criticizes him.

For now the status quo will be maintained. No major changes will happen without first being discussed and approved by consensus at a meeting.

Read more for some additional information about the status and future of the London Commons.

I thought you quit the London Commons? Why are you suddenly involved in making decisions again?

I did leave my role as a moderator and organizer with the London Commons, but I kept my account so that I could eventually participate as a regular user. Along with Thomas I am a part owner of the company that has been hosting the London Commons website for over a year. My responsibilities in that company include maintaining the server hosting the LC site. This role does not require me to have any special moderator-type privileges on the site itself.

My participation at this point will be limited to that of a regular user on the site, and as a worker for the company that provides hosting services to the London Commons.

Why is the address changing to LondonCommons.ca?

Originally LondonCommons.net was hosted at a company called Suso.org. As part of their service they registered the domain name LondonCommons.net for us. The site has since been moved to a server run by Figure And Ground New Media. Suso however has claimed that they are still owed money and will not relinquish control of the LondonCommons.net domain to us.

Thomas registered a new Canadian domain, LondonCommons.ca, so that the site would still be available albeit under a different address. It's only fair that the London Commons reimburse Thomas for the cost of registering that domain, which should be about $20.

Will Figure And Ground continue to host the London Commons?

The answer for right now is yes. There is no immediate threat to the London Commons and any changes to hosting that need to be done will happen slowly enough for input and a smooth transition.

That said, Figure and Ground can't afford to keep paying for the site forever. We need to work something out between our company and the site/community. Thomas and I still need to talk this over more. We will do our best to be open about this and other issues here on the site and at London Commons meetings.

What happens if nobody shows up for meetings?

Nothing drastic will happen if not enough people show up at the meeting to make quorum.

If interest in running the site continues to decline, I imagine the site will whither and die.

It seems however that there is renewed interest in making the site work. We'll have to see what happens when we meet.

Are you going to be a moderator again?

No. Flat out no. I'm still not sure what kind of a committment I can make to the London Commons, but whatever it is I will not be a moderator again.

I may be able to help with both organizational development and software development, but I don't know for sure and a lot will depend on how things go for me and the site in the future.

Where should I direct further questions?

Questions about the London Commons can and should probably get posted to the site itself. Or email who ever you want, but out in the open is probably best.

Questions can also be brought to the meeting(s) when they eventually happen.

I can't guarantee that there will be answers for all questions, at least right away. Some of it I don't know until I talk more with Thomas. Some questions probably aren't for me to answer. Some things we'll have to work out as an organization.

Once again, our sincerest apologies for any controversies we may have caused.

If someone could rate this or promote it to the front page so more people can see it, I'd appreciate it. I don't have moderator powers to do that on my own anymore.

Jeremy McNaughton