Non-Profit Registration: Name suggestions.
It's been on the back-burner for a bit but it's time that I get on it and register our operation as a on-profit organization. We will be registering under the BC Societies Act. Completing this registration will allow for opening up a bank account under the organization's name and reopen donations and have the previously donated funds transferred from @[email protected] to the organization.
To this date since taking over operations of Lemmy.ca I have personally covered the costs and have not been reimbursed to keep accounting as clean as possible. This will continue until registration has been completed.
First step to this is picking a name to register the Society under. Requirements for the name can be found here.
While the initial main purpose of the society/organization will be operating Lemmy.ca we would prefer a name that would be fit for operations of other open communication platforms as well as other potential projects that we may want to participate in in the future. Something somewhat open ended.
Please give us some suggestions and we will take the suggestions under advisement when picking a name.
Further information on non-profit registration in BC can be found here.
Im gonna take a second and thank @smorks for taking responsibility to give us this server, then selflessly giving away control and the funds in his charge to the new foundation.
We are grateful for your hard work and transperency.
I would like to caution against opting for a name that may be too open ended as it may dilute the purpose of the foundation simultaneously; in what people may misunderstand/perceive its purpose to be, and the scope of actions the foundations takes to achieve that unclear or shifting purpose/goal.
Firstly, a general or vague name will not immediately define the organization and therefore require more explanations and time to always explain its purpose/mission so as to avoid misunderstandings and/or apathy.
Secondly, an open ended or general name may look convenient because we do not yet clearly know everything the foundation may need to do in the future so we settle for a “catch-all” and hope for the best.
However, a vague or general name also leaves open the possibility to have the foundation's initial purpose be diverted to something completely unrelated or maybe even counterproductive due to the nature of a changing context (original decision maker leaves, communities has diverging and incompatible priorities, takeover à-la-twitter, lopsided/frivolous legal threats, etc...).
Hence, we should first list all the goals and purposes we may have, wish and foresee for the foundation first. Then, vote on what make overall sense to include before selecting a name that succcintly and neatly encompasses those goals/missions.
Thank you for coming to my probably pointless Ted Talk™©® 🤣
This is sensible in the current social climate.
Your "pointless Ted Talk" is greatly appreciated.
OCC
Open Comms Canada
FCC
Federated Comms Canada
I like this one. People like three letter acronyms unless they spell something.
Awesome Speech Server
Kompletely Kanadian Komms...... uh, wait
Not even as a joke. Too many nazis abusing the benefit of the doubt.
Would be interested in knowing what kind of future projects we're thinking about? Do we want it focused on Federated projects? Or more open communication standards beyond the fediverse?
Something like Canadian Open-Source Communication Advocates (or Association) is very generic sounding
Other than a potential matrix server, I do not currently have anything in mind. The future is unpredictable.
An example of a non-profit effort that I took on in the past is COVID PPE 3D printing with volunteer community printers. If something like that was needed for pandemic or disaster relief again would be nice to not have to go through the trouble of spinning up a new non-profit.
I think we can definitely work with Canadian Open Source Communication Association. Maybe swap out Communication for Community.
I like it!
Wikipedia: "A cosca (Italian: [ˈkɔska]; pl. cosche in Italian and coschi in Sicilian), in Sicily, is a clan or Sicilian Mafia crime family led by a capo."
:D
FWIW I’m not sure I’d be excited that my donations to Lemmy.ca would be spent on disaster relief. Some related projects make sense (other federated communities, online Canadian content ,etc) , but I stopped donating to Wikipedia after getting tired of their tangential charity shit.
To that end, some ideas
I’m not sure if the name will make a huge deal if you can do “business” under another name. If the society name is “Lemmy.ca and associated project deployments for Canadians by Canadians” can you “do business” (receive donations to, brand websites as) Lemmy.ca? There’s nothing really unclear about “the Lemmy.ca matrix server” or “an instance of mastodon run by Lemmy.ca”.
This one sounds like a parody of America Online (which was later renamed and is now known as AOL).
COL, it's high.
Chat Across Canada - sounds catchy!
We could use the matrix commucations protocol to stage union protests ;)
There's been some interest in things like a matrix server, so it'd be good to leave us options for more.
Federated communications Canada (FCC)
Canadian Associated New Universal Communications Knowledgebase
CANUCK
Open to edits
Canadian Open Communication Knowledge Server.
Apologies but in my world we have to have a round of toilet humour before anything gets named.
What I see as unique about the service is that it's Canadian, it's focused on providing a social media function, and it's built on a federated platform...Federated Social Media Canada?
I can't believe nobody has proposed Lemmy McLemmFace yet
F*ck Spez Canada? /jk
On a more serious note, Federated Platforms Canada?
Just spitballing here, but how about "Canadian Communities Online"?
Northwest Passage
I don’t have a suggestion, but I want to thank you for all your hard work to maintain this community and everything you’ve done going above an beyond.
I’m not able to financially contribute, but I’ve UX/UI/usability and graphic design skills (I was a top 3 finalist for an Apple design award) – I’d like to offer that if you need those services.
Thanks so much for making this community a success!
Far and Wide Communications
Did you ever find a name you liked?
Is "Lemmy Canada" ineligible?
CanFederation
(just thought it was cute, probably not a good overall name)
Marmot Social
(Marmots being common in Canada. Beaver Social came to mind first, but I guess some folks might make false assumptions about that one.)
Open Conversation Canada - Democratic Open Conversation Canada
LEMMYS:
Lame Eccentrics Mostly Making Yapping Sounds
Local Ernest Morons Monologueing Yearningly Sometimes
Lighthearted Edgy Magnificent & Marvellous Youths Swearing
Lovable Ethically Mediocre Miscreants Yellowing Slowly
I could go on, but it's getting late.
A question regarding those of us who had signed up to make regular donations. Will this need to be redone once the paperwork is all sorted out?
Yes it will need to be redone.
Canada Communication Consortium
Not to be confused with another CCC: Chaos Computer Club.
(Association/Society of) Decentralized Web Denizens (of Canada)
Or some such arrangement
Marxist-Lemming Association
Or add some of the keywords to a random generator and pull a few options and make a survey.
You can add Co-op to any of them if you decide to form a co-op. Which I think you should, but that probably doesn't need to happen right this second, unlike the accounting and server cost reimbursement. Democratic workers co-op being the antidote to the centralized decision-making plaguing the companies whose services we're running away from.
Vouching for open social foundation of Canada or Canadian open social foundation
If Decent wasn't available I'd even settle for 'Not Terrible Things Canada'.
Open Things Canada is really good
Thanks for running this!
Canfeddi.
Canadian Common Sense Consortium
This would be awesome if "common sense" wasn't tarnished to the ground by various conservative entities over the last few decades. 🫣
I know. Trust, common sense, thoughtful have all lost their way. :(
Canadian Common Decency Consortium?
CCDC The Commons.
fedu.ca
21CommsCanada?
On second thought that won't pass. What about 21st Federated Comms Canada?
What's the 21?
21st century.
True north social association
Isn't 'True North' a far right conspiracy blog pretending to be a news site with murky sources of funding? i.e. propaganda network?
If it is, I’ve never heard of it. It’s literally from our natural anthem.
It’s also a fidelity mutual fund, since at least 20 years ago.
I just looked it up, and while I'm not going to link to it, it definitely a far right shithole propaganda site. I'd want to avoid any indication that could be mistaken as a relationship.
Cagora
(Based on Canada + agora)