We should form a Bitshares Cooperative. Take the merger to the next level.

[luckybit]

If there is any confusion as to the model of Cog Cooperative then here are more details:

Learn how COG works & how to get involved.

In the digital age, many notable web-based companies have generated billions of dollars in yearly revenue from advertisements alone. These companies are able to earn this revenue because they control enormous networks made up of millions of users like you and I. Users provide value by signing in millions of times a day, but until now haven’t seen a dime of the revenue that they have played an integral role in building. COG is changing that. Our business model is centered on giving back to the people that are responsible for our success: you, the users that make our network valuable.

How does COG work?

COG members are part owners in the cooperative. All members are entitled to & will receive a portion of COG’s revenue in bitcoin. How much bitcoin you receive is based on the number of COG Patronage Points you earn.

Patronage Points are something Bitshares should adopt. For example the donors to AGS were patrons and the Bitshares Cooperative could reward these people with Patronage Points which mirrors 1:1 with AGS as we currently know it. These Patronage Points would also allow future DACs to ask for donations and the patrons (donors) would receive Patronage Points from the Bitshares Cooperative entity as well as receive whatever gifts on the blockchain.

Patronage Points could be used to track who donated, and then gift tokens could be rewarded to them. Additionally if members of the Bitshares Cooperative have Patronage Points they could get all the real world benefits as well.  To clarify I'm not a lawyer so check with them first but I see this as a way to bridge the gap and benefit the community by consolidating resources both on the blockchain and in the real world simultaneously.

Comments from Stan/Fuzz/Bytemaster/Toast and anyone else who understands what is possible are welcome. If these ideas are bad or flawed please let me know but in my own case study of the Cog Cooperative they successfully managed to get their app on Apple's IOS platform during a time when Apple banned anything Bitcoin. Apparently being a cooperative gives unique benefits to the users/owners of the cooperative.

Reference
http://cogcoop.com/#/education

[luckybit]

I think the sooner we do this the better off we'll be.

The Cog Cooperative shows us how to do it and I think we should structure a Bitshares Cooperative based on the Cog Cooperative.

How does this work?

The network effect. We’re all familiar with it. The internet, social media, and telephones are all networks at their core. As more members join the network, its value increases for all.

The same is true of COG. As COG’s numbers grow, its network becomes more valuable to advertisers. This revenue is then distributed in bitcoin to COG members. The more members in COG, the more revenue all members can potentially earn.

If we are going to have a SuperDAC then we should have a Bitshares Cooperative. Every shareholder would be a member of the Bitshares Cooperative. Decentralized reputation and trust, while also providing a legal entity for people to join.

If designed right people could join it pseudo-anonymously. Being in this entity would allow members to receive all sorts of revenue share benefits, and if the cooperative can own equity then the owners of the cooperative can as well.

Consider this idea and run it by your lawyers. I think a Bitshares Cooperative is a better institution than a bunch of separate non-profits or centralization around Invictus. A Bitshares Cooperative would basically represent the SuperDAC in the real world. It also would keep things decentralized  and pseudo-anonymous while allowing us to enjoy the full benefits of a decentralized reputation system.

COG is a cooperative that provides members with the best applications and services in the Bitcoin marketplace. COG members receive free access to world class Bitcoin applications, revenue sharing, and exclusive discounts with partner merchants.

Reference
Cog Cooperative: http://cogcoop.com/#/