The #Nextcloud server for the Federated Video Co-op Initiative is now fully online.

This marks a major step toward building the kind of organization we set out to create.

From the beginning, the core requirement was clear. Our infrastructure has to be open source. It cannot rely on Microsoft or Google. It cannot depend on any service with vendor lock-in. And it must be hosted entirely in Canada from top to bottom. That meant choosing a platform we can operate ourselves on Canadian hardware under Canadian law with no hidden dependencies. Nextcloud fits that mandate perfectly.

Here’s what this entails:

Nextcloud now serves as the central home for our governance work, documentation, file storage, onboarding, collaboration, project management, and video conferencing. It also includes an excellent email client.

For communication, we are currently testing Nextcloud Talk. At first glance it covers most of our needs. If it ends up falling short, Mattermost is our fallback option. Regardless of where we land for chat, Nextcloud remains the backbone for everything else.

One important clarification. The Signal group chat will not be retired. It continues to serve an important role for quick coordination and informal updates. Nextcloud is the system of record. Signal remains the fast lane for day-to-day back-and-forth.

Everyone who volunteers on an advisory basis will receive a Nextcloud account. These seats are free during the testing period. After three months, there will be a $5/month hosting cost per seat. This keeps the service sustainable and fully operated on Canadian infrastructure rather than relying on the large US tech stacks we are deliberately avoiding.

Most documents within Nextcloud will be made public once finalized. Exceptions will be limited to privacy and monetary matters. For transparency, we now have an open directory where the community can see our publicly viewable documents as they evolve:

cloud.fedeo.org/s/Wdt8LDMaE64g…

Now that the server is up and running, email updates will resume.

#VideoCoOp #OpenSource #CommunityOwned #Fediverse