CynicalAcerbicMay 27, 2022
Katerina Marchán

Hi fediverse! Boosts appreciated on this one.

I’m part of a co-op building a platform for artists to sell art without getting exploited. I’ve been working on it for a while but there’s a lot of work to do and I could use some help. A ton of the main features are in place, but there’s still some big gaps and a lot of polish left before it can launch.

The platform is fully open source and developed in the open. It’s built on Phoenix/Elixir and Tailwindcss. Our co-op is already incorporated and established and it’s open to members that want to actually commit but you don’t need to be a member to contribute or help.

Does this sound interesting? I’d love some help! I’m also happy to answer questions. And no, you don’t need to know Elixir already. It’s pretty easy to learn for the things you’d be using it for. Even some design help would be welcome. Feel free to reply here or DM me!

#noxp

May 26, 2022 at 7:23pmWeb
Show threadKaterina MarchánMay 31, 2022
/cc @Curator in case this is of interest to your folks? <3
Show threadMastodon•ART 🎨 CuratorMay 31, 2022
@zkat I've already boosted it :D
Show threadKaterina MarchánMay 31, 2022
@Curator bless u <3
Show threadMayelMay 26, 2022
@zkat Hi, I'm one of the developers of @bonfire a federated extensible framework also written in Elixir. Have you considered how federation could play a role in your project?
Show threadKaterina MarchánMay 26, 2022
@mayel @bonfire I'm not opposed to federating it, but federation would not benefit the most core features that I'm currently working on, imo. I think there's some interesting opportunities when it comes to discovery/art sharing, though.
Show threadMayelMay 26, 2022
@zkat @bonfire
Yeah that's the kind of stuff I was thinking about (as well as roaming identity). Have prototyped some topic/taxonomy based federated search and discovery...
Show threadK Lars LohnMay 26, 2022

@zkat I certainly agree that there is a need for a safe and effective way artists to sell their art. Galleries have never been a great deal and most of those that I've worked with went out of business during the pandemic. My own solo experience with online sales have been abysmal.

What is the end goal of your co-op's Web work? How does/will your platform support the members?

Show threadGreyshley May 26, 2022
@zkat hey @vriska this seem like it'd interest you if you do get back to art.
Show thread「VRISKAHAUSEN」May 26, 2022
@dhfir @zkat oh this does look interesting
Show threadStu May 26, 2022
@zkat damn sounds interesting to me but I don't know tailwind css
Show threadKaterina MarchánMay 26, 2022

@ogstu if you know frontend and css, tailwind is... really not that hard to just learn. It just works nice for our particular component-based architecture. I didn't know tailwind at all before this and it's grown on me.

And I really need help with design 😅

Show threadZillionMay 26, 2022
@zkat I'm not sure how much help I can be, but I'm interested. I'm barely a programmer, but I write and edit pretty well.
Show threadKaterina MarchánMay 26, 2022
@zillion I mainly need dev/design work right now, yeah
Show threadHuy NgoMay 27, 2022
@zkat why does it say on the website "LLC" and not "cooperative" though?
Show threadKaterina MarchánMay 27, 2022

@huy_ngo This is a really interesting question to answer! A "Cooperative corporation" is a _very_ specific kind of entity in the US, and comes with certain restrictions that make it very hard for a small business that's just starting up (notably, once incorporated, every single person working for it needs to be paid minimum wage. And we literally can't afford that and are doing volunteer work right now).

Many many _many_ small co-operatives actually choose to incorporate as LLCs because those provide enough flexibily to define an operating agreement that encodes the cooperative principles, without needing to stick to the restrictions of the formal cooperative corporation. https://www.theselc.org/cooperatives-resources has some great resources on this, particularly this guide: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_rgt0QdXUbycnprd3hhYzdWNnc/view

So we have an OA that baaaasically makes us a co-op, but we can still operate as a startup without needing to take on outside investors (and thus maintaining strict worker ownership)

Sustainable Economies Law Center

Find our worker centered cooperative projects and resources for starting, supporting, or cultivating worker cooperatives below.

Sustainable Economies Law Center
Show threadFidel DestroMay 27, 2022
@zkat Hey there. I'm a graphic designer / animator mostly working in logo design. I don't have much going on right now and this sounds like a neat project, so I might be interested in volunteering some work. If you're looking for that kind of stuff.
Show threadKaterina MarchánMay 27, 2022
@cjrando holy cow that would be amazing 🤩 we do have a logo now but I wonder if there’s a different idea that would be nice. In either case it would also be great to hear how you think a platform like this could benefit artists like you, since it’s primarily for digital art!
Show threadKaterina MarchánMay 27, 2022
@cjrando https://discord.gg/Z6WGcuWZ here’s a Discord invite if you wanna come chat with us.
Join the Digital Workers Guild Discord Server!

Check out the Digital Workers Guild community on Discord - hang out with 93 other members and enjoy free voice and text chat.

Discord
Show threadFidel DestroMay 27, 2022

@zkat I might hop on. I'm not big on Discord, unfortunately.

And yeah, logos tend to be pretty fluid in the early phases of anything. It's good to iterate, and also think beyond just a logo, to establish a visual identity and design aesthetic.

I don't know that the site would benefit me, per se. I don't really sell art. I do freelance (and pro bono) design. So, like, mostly I need places to find clients. :)

Show threadKaterina MarchánMay 27, 2022
@cjrando the whole point of the site is to basically freelance out custom work, not sell pre made art!
Show threadKaterina MarchánMay 27, 2022
@cjrando also if Discord isn’t your thing, does collaborating right on GitHub work?
Show threadana frango analógicoMay 27, 2022
@zkat design help 👋 hi!
Show threadPeter 🛰May 27, 2022
@zkat I'm a UX designer and could offer some help if needed. What's the expectation for the time commitment?
Show threadGrumpy Grimnir May 27, 2022
@zkat
Show threadDerek Caelin 🌱May 29, 2022
@zkat sounds like #JustSeeds, which I love. (https://justseeds.org.) Good luck!
Home - Justseeds

Artists' Cooperative

Justseeds
Show threadYour's Truly May 31, 2022

@zkat I've got some Tailwind experience, and have been dabbling in Phoenix and Elixir.

I'm terminally unemployed so i've definitely got the time. And I love the concept.

How do I get in on this?

Show threadKaterina MarchánMay 31, 2022
@somarasu https://discord.gg/P73m7kYE come on over to the discord :)
Join the Digital Workers Guild Discord Server!

Check out the Digital Workers Guild community on Discord - hang out with 101 other members and enjoy free voice and text chat.

Discord
Show threadYour's Truly May 31, 2022
@zkat Dig it~ :D
Show threadDeadly HeadshotJun 5, 2022
@zkat Just as long as there's no pretend-scarcity/blockchain included...
Show threadKaterina MarchánJun 5, 2022
@DHeadshot Absolutely, under no circumstances, will there be blockchain/NFT bullshit involved, no.
Show threadMoritz HeiberOct 28, 2022
@zkat @b_cavello I don’t know much about Elixir/Phoenix, but I know a lot about orchestration and running things. I’d love to contribute, maybe even join the co-op 😊 (and who knows, maybe I’ll end up learning Elixir, that’d be a bonus!)
Show threadKaterina MarchánOct 28, 2022
@moritzheiber @b_cavello come join the Discord, then! https://discord.gg/FUkTHjGKJF
Join the Banchan Art Discord Server!

Banchan Art is a co-operative art commissions platform co-owned by developers and artists! | 247 members

Discord
Show threadMoritz HeiberOct 29, 2022
@zkat @b_cavello done! I’ll try to look at some of the code this weekend/some time next week :)
Show threadcalebNov 1, 2022
@zkat 👋 not promising anything, but i’d love to help
Show threadKaterina MarchánNov 1, 2022
@calebjasik https://discord.gg/FUkTHjGKJF feel free to join the Discord server. That's where we coordinate dev work (also github)
Join the Banchan Art Discord Server!

Banchan Art is a co-operative art commissions platform co-owned by developers and artists! | 247 members

Discord
Show threadkeeps vis.social runningNov 2, 2022
@zkat This sounds fantastic! would love to learn more about it.
Show threadKaterina MarchánNov 2, 2022
@kristinHenry happy to answer questions! The current site is at https://banchan.art and it talks a bit about what’s up
The Co-operative Commissions Platform

The co-operative commissions marketplace.

Banchan Art
Show threadkeeps vis.social runningNov 2, 2022
@zkat are you going to have auction options? I'd love to be able to list a piece, set minimum bid, and time limit on bidding.
Show threadAus.Social AdminNov 2, 2022
@zkat This is amazing. I buy a lot of art, so this is of interest to me from the other side..
Show threadMeaKitty - Commissions OpenNov 2, 2022
@zkat Something I'd definitely be interested in checking out and helping with if I can.
Show threadKaterina MarchánNov 2, 2022
@MeaKitty check out https://banchan.art, then! (and the link to Discord, which is where we coordinate dev and talk to artists/community members)
The Co-operative Commissions Platform

The co-operative commissions marketplace.

Banchan Art
Show threadSimon BrookeNov 2, 2022
@zkat Got a link? Code repository? Published specification? User stories? Anything we can look at/explore?
Show threadKaterina MarchánNov 2, 2022
@simon_brooke https://banchan.art is the current site, pending the closed beta release we’re working on getting ready. There’s a link there to our Discord where we do all our dev coordination and community stuff too
The Co-operative Commissions Platform

The co-operative commissions marketplace.

Banchan Art
Show threadSimon BrookeNov 2, 2022
@zkat This one? https://github.com/BanchanArt/banchan
GitHub - BanchanArt/banchan: The Co-Operative Commissions Platform

The Co-Operative Commissions Platform. Contribute to BanchanArt/banchan development by creating an account on GitHub.

GitHub
Show threadKaterina MarchánNov 2, 2022
@simon_brooke yea
Show threadjamesNov 3, 2022

@zkat Hello, are you still looking for help?

I've started to learn Elixir on Exercism and would love to get some meaningful experience.

Let me know if / how i can help

Show threadKaterina MarchánNov 3, 2022

@zillophane happy to get any help! We coordinate dev over on https://discord.gg/FUkTHjGKJF, and the repo is at https://github.com/banchanart/banchan! You can also follow @banchan in general :)

But yeah, I'm happy to onboard anyone who wants to help out.

Join the Banchan Art Discord Server!

Banchan Art is a co-operative art commissions platform co-owned by developers and artists! | 247 members

Discord
Show threadjamesNov 3, 2022
@zkat @banchan Awesome! I'll take a look!
Show threadPEEPOOPEEPOONov 4, 2022
@zkat this is how a ton of businesses should work. It's wild that someone hasn't made a federated version of a lot of these publicly traded unicorns like Uber (workable product in SF/NYC made with 2/3 engineers in a year). Rev share between operators and drivers and nothing bled out to uncaring shareholders
Show threadDennisNov 5, 2022
@zkat How does your project relate to @comradery ?
Show threadKaterina MarchánNov 5, 2022
@d2ns @comradery we’re about discrete commission sales, they’re about a subscription model for ongoing sponsorship/patronage. We serve the same folks (creators), but our products don’t really overlap
Show threadDennisNov 5, 2022
@zkat Thanks for the clarification and good luck!
Show threadJared 🇦🇺🏳️‍🌈⚧️👽Nov 6, 2022
@zkat what is your stance on the #aiart side of things?
Show threadKaterina MarchánNov 6, 2022
@jared it can go to hell :)
Show threadesthiNov 6, 2022
@zkat
Is this something for you, @Curator ?
@torstentorsten
Show threadMastodon•ART 🎨 CuratorNov 6, 2022
@esthi I've already boosted it :D
Show threadesthiNov 6, 2022
@Curator
oh, sorry... There is so much at the moment, I've lost my overview 🤔
Show threadTorsten TorstenNov 6, 2022

@esthi @zkat @Curator Possibly, I'm just reading about it & trying to understand what it's about exactly.

Anyway, thanks very much for the hint @esthi