How do we share ownership online? I want this website to be shared, but it’s currently locked up inside my head and inside my user’s privileges. I am the admin of this website, I have all the keys and can turn all the nobs. Each subsequent admin must go through me, pass my test of trust, to join me at this seat (or little stool) of power.

This is how you end up with a whole bunch of people just like me in power. What if all of us, the users of this site, granted the power? It wouldn’t totally solve the problem (the server, for instance) but it would dramatically increase the amount of possible co-ownership.

I had the idea to simply show everyone’s user privileges, sort of like this:

Each member giving or taking away any number of privileges, almost like an up or down vote. You kept the power if you maintained the right ratio of up votes to down votes.

Then, while reaching out for ideas on the subject, I received this nugget of insight:

Conditional rights (Of course!). The community sets the conditions for any user to wield responsibility in the space.

• They could be technical, e.g. must know how to SSH into a remote server or have completed try.github.com.
• Is recognized as a Facilitator by nother Facilitators.
• Went to ALF Summer.
• etc.

With the proper level of community trust and some foresight in how conditions are set you could submit blog posts to satisfy most conditions. Some conditions might require other people comment on your blog or write posts about you.

I could envision a system that starts out as YAML inserted into posts, like so:

—-
confirm-user: @tomis
role: Facilitator
—-

Then Tom would have my endorsement and be closer to filling the proper condition. Rather than what happened in real life where I simply made him a super admin!

What would be really snazzy is if people could write and submit formulas (code) that would perform these tasks.

I think this would make a great WordPress plugin.