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Removing some open questions that have been closed

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inference-admin committed 2026-11-09 06:28:34 +00:00
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open-questions.md
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# Open Questions for Member Discussion # 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.
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## Privacy & Infrastructure ## 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? ### 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. 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? **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? ### 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. 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? **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.)
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## Governance & Membership ## 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? ### 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. AI Potluck's "government-as-contributor" framing suggests a path for institutions (universities, municipalities) to contribute compute or data without owning the whole.