diff --git a/open-questions.md b/open-questions.md index 7a63639..f829f9a 100644 --- a/open-questions.md +++ b/open-questions.md @@ -1,20 +1,11 @@ # Open Questions for Member Discussion -A living list of decisions the cooperative needs to make. Each question is framed for discussion on [Loomio](https://forum.inference.coop). As questions are resolved, they move to a "Decisions" log (to be created) rather than being deleted. +A living list of some of the decisions the cooperative needs to make. --- ## Privacy & Infrastructure -### Search: self-managed or Tinfoil's encrypted search? - -We currently run our own [SearXNG](https://searxng.github.io/searxng/) instance (`search.inference.coop`) to power web search in the chat. Tinfoil also offers a `websearch` model — a private, encrypted search that runs inside their enclave. - -- **Self-managed (SearXNG):** full control, no external dependency, but search queries are visible to our own infrastructure (and to the search engines SearXNG queries). -- **Tinfoil's encrypted search:** queries are encrypted end-to-end, but it's a third-party dependency and may cost per-query. - -**Question:** Do we prioritize self-hosting (control, no external deps) or encrypted search (stronger privacy, but a dependency on Tinfoil)? - ### Green energy vs. privacy — when we can't have both? Our inference runs through Tinfoil (TEE-protected, verifiable privacy), but Tinfoil's energy mix is not disclosed. Self-hosting on renewable-powered hardware (e.g. Hetzner hydropower, Scaleway wind+hydro) would be greener but would lose the TEE privacy guarantee at our current scale. @@ -24,12 +15,6 @@ Our inference runs through Tinfoil (TEE-protected, verifiable privacy), but Tinf **Question:** When the two conflict, which value wins? Is there a threshold (e.g. member count, cost) at which we'd switch? -### Should we adopt Tinfoil's other models (embeddings, private search, audio)? - -Tinfoil's catalog includes `nomic-embed-text` (embeddings), `websearch` (private search), and audio models (Whisper, TTS). We currently use Open WebUI's bundled local embedding model for file uploads. - -**Question:** Do we standardize on Tinfoil for all model needs (consistency, privacy), or keep the local embedding model (no per-token cost, no dependency)? - ### Which models should we offer? We currently expose three chat models: DeepSeek V4 Flash (default), GPT-OSS 120B, and GLM-5.3 Flash. Tinfoil's full catalog also includes GLM-5.3 (full), Kimi K3, Llama 3.3 70B, Gemma 4 31B, and others. @@ -57,22 +42,11 @@ Members currently pay dues on a sliding scale (from $5/month) with a flat $15/mo **Question:** What pricing model best balances fairness, simplicity, and the cooperative's solidarity values? How do we handle a member who consistently exceeds their budget? -### What happens when a member's budget runs out mid-month? - -Members have a **flexible balance**, not a hardcoded $15/month. The balance starts at $15 but can be topped up by payments (via Open Collective or another system) through the portal's `/admin/set-balance` endpoint, which pushes the new cap to the member's LiteLLM team budget (chat + API draw from the same balance). LiteLLM enforces the cap — requests stop when it's exhausted. - -**Question:** Should members be able to top up self-serve? Should there be a grace period? Should the co-op pool surplus to cover light users? (The *mechanism* is built — these are now governance decisions, not technical blockers.) --- ## Governance & Membership -### What does "member-governed" mean in practice before 50 members? - -The charter says the General Manager (Nathan) has full governance until 50 members, then transitions to member governance. But members can already deliberate on Loomio. - -**Question:** Which decisions should be opened to member input *now* (even if non-binding), versus reserved for the General Manager during the pilot? - ### How do we handle institutional members? AI Potluck's "government-as-contributor" framing suggests a path for institutions (universities, municipalities) to contribute compute or data without owning the whole.