Structure & funding
How do we 'structure' so that we avoid the who syndrome and concentrate on the why & what? How do we secure grants and funding in a non hierarchical structure?
The pull platform is an open source project built from pulling together and further developing and interfacing a pertinent set of tools most of them existing or already in development. Its initial community of developers would be part of the project's community of practice (partners), which would also include its users: the 'social entrepreneur' networks and communities that would use the tools to expand their conversations, engagement base and actions.
We would have to make sure the developments and modules created and/or aggregated remain at any time under a free licence for further open source development, and that the conversations within and between communities of practice generated around prototyping work remain as part of the platform project and independent from any specific institution.
Funds collected from partners and donators would be allocated to the open source development of the project, and in particular, convening architecture and development and user teams in one place. They will help sustain development teams during the various phasis of development of prototype, constitute a community of practice.
The funds would need to be channeled through a not for profit structure. To be set up for the development of the platform or an existing one temporarily.