Exchange about "Rules", Manifesto, Values, History, Structure and the like

sooner or later we have to fill our org-page on rsi and maybe also have an introductory page here. while the handful of us certainly do not need a "manifesto" of any kind, let alone rules, we should come up with this stuff to let others know what we are about. actually writing this stuff up should be left to our native speakers, I am afraid ;-P but we could pool our ideas here.

some unorganized thoughts:

general tone:
I think we should aim for a professional and relaxed tone. by relaxed I mean the kind of relaxed that stems from competence, not the kind that stems from smoking pot ;-)

company history:
I would leave our past with SR out of our history description. not like SR with its imperium legend, "original 30" and such. after all, we have been members of SR, our in-game personae have not.
I would aim for something simple, down to earth. we could say we are guys who have been in the military together, scouts maybe, a navigator, a cartographer etc., and that upon honourable discharge we pooled our resources and founded a small exploration-firm together. something like that, maybe...

rules:

some unorganized thoughts:

we should state that rules are actually not really needed (yet)

we could call them agreements instead (rules can be above people, agreements are always between people. words are powerful)

all agreements should be phrased in simple English. that is not for krauts like me to understand them better, but to avoid slipping into a "official" sounding lingo. official language is designed to take the user out of the conversation and may lead to statements like "it is nothing personal, but you violated rule 15..."
I think, it SHOULD be personal. because a person can forgive, a person can compromise, a person can change. simple English is more personal than "officionese"

all agreements have to be explained as to their intended effect. that way everyone agreeing to it is on the same page. also we can evaluate if an agreement achieves it intended effect, and if not, we can drop it. also it will be easyer to forgive "transgressions", if an agreement was violated but its intentions were kept in mind.

if possible, agreements should have an expiration date/event. " we agree on this, but that becomes invalid if "x" happens", something like that (not really thought out yet)


structure:
I think our structure should aim at everyone becoming a partner eventually with equal rights. beyond that we should always aim for maximum transparency and participation for anyone involved with us. as an example: I would like to explicitly invite kal-nor, our first affiliate, to vote on matters we put up here for discussion, just like any one of us ;-)

"I would like to explicitly invite kal-nor, our first affiliate, to vote on matters we put up here for discussion, just like any one of us ;-)"

Thanks Frisian. I feel very honored. But I want to be fair to you guys and say SCA, takes a lot of my spare time and I may not be able to comment on everything or vote all the time. But I'll do my best.

Kal-Nor wrote:"I would like to explicitly invite kal-nor, our first affiliate, to vote on matters we put up here for discussion, just like any one of us ;-)"

Thanks Frisian. I feel very honored. But I want to be fair to you guys and say SCA, takes a lot of my spare time and I may not be able to comment on everything or vote all the time. But I'll do my best.

oh, sorry, kal, that was not well phrased. I didn't mean that I "expect" (as if I was to expect anything) you to get involved in any matter here. I am very happy that you spare some of your time to accompany us in our founding of this small company. i just wanted to say that if you happen to come along and there is something we vote on that you happen to have an opinion about, please vote or comment just as if you were a full time exodus member. one more brain to have ideas is a great thing to have, more so if its your brain, so its our gain weather you are exodus partner or affiliate. that's all. remember our motto? "no pressure" ;-)

I second the motion that Kal-Nor be able to vote on anything his heart desires. If he is at a meeting or sees a vote/poll on our website, he should be 100% willing to participate. My thoughts about limited voting rights was mostly so that if we have affiliates who are mostly absent (hopefully not many), a motion or proposal can move forward without having to hunt them down for their opinion. But I also think this kind of thing could also happen with a dull member, case in point, I am going to Berlin to be with my wife for a few days and won't be checking the forums much. If you guys vote on small matters, I trust your judgment to make the appropriate decisions in my absence. On big decisions (are we going to WAR with SCA!!!) i would prefer to be contacted so I can weigh in. Thoughts anyone?

This sounds good with me. I just didn't want to hold up any voting.

greenlance wrote:I second the motion that Kal-Nor be able to vote on anything his heart desires. If he is at a meeting or sees a vote/poll on our website, he should be 100% willing to participate. My thoughts about limited voting rights was mostly so that if we have affiliates who are mostly absent (hopefully not many), a motion or proposal can move forward without having to hunt them down for their opinion. But I also think this kind of thing could also happen with a dull member, case in point, I am going to Berlin to be with my wife for a few days and won't be checking the forums much. If you guys vote on small matters, I trust your judgment to make the appropriate decisions in my absence. On big decisions (are we going to WAR with SCA!!!) i would prefer to be contacted so I can weigh in. Thoughts anyone?

yes, I like the idea. it could also be the one and only difference between shareholder and partner. affiliates can vote on most things (maybe kal wouldn't want to vote on the best attack strategy in our total war with sca), shareholder can vote on most things and partner are just shareholder with no special privileges who volunteered to come online at least every other day and who promised to vote on ALL things. partner would become shareholder again when they have little time, then partner again when they have more time to spare again, it would be fluent. since it is not status, rank or privilege, its just folks who volunteered to put in some extra time when they have it and the partners guarantee that there are at least always SOME of us keeping things afloat. at all other times I could not agree more with green: if I am busy I can be sure your decisions are just as good or bad as mine would have been ...

greenlance wrote:I second the motion that Kal-Nor be able to vote on anything his heart desires. If he is at a meeting or sees a vote/poll on our website, he should be 100% willing to participate.

 by the way: bernd (tangalur) joined as a friend today, and I would say its pretty much the same with him

Exactly Frisian. It's kind of how a real business works. Shareholders have an investment (financial, emotional, etc) that they entrust to a board of directors/partners who actively manage that investment. When a partner goes away on a hiatus (family move, work situation, other org activities taking up a lot of time, etc) they entrust the active partners with looking after Exodus Inc.

Gabriel (greenlance) wrote:Exactly Frisian. It's kind of how a real business works. Shareholders have an investment (financial, emotional, etc) that they entrust to a board of directors/partners who actively manage that investment. When a partner goes away on a hiatus (family move, work situation, other org activities taking up a lot of time, etc) they entrust the active partners with looking after Exodus Inc.

so we'll look just like a respectable business then ;-)

I think, when we write all this up (I have lots of thought and no idea how to phrase them properly) we should stress that "partner" is in no way a position of power or rank. that there is no difference between partner and shareholder. we'd have the differentiation only so potential customers or shareholders coming back after a while on hiatus know whom to ask/talk to for a partner is most likely to be in the loop on current affairs ...

(my angle is this: I feel that in any group where any kind of position, rank, influence or prestige can be gained, people (even the most well intentioned) change their behaviour (and be it ever so slightly). its in our blood, I guess. whatever we say - to others or to ourselves - at least a little bit we strive for prestige. we are the offspring of monkey-men who managed to become top-monkey in their monkey-horde and thereby gained the admiration of all the monkey-girls ... or something like that ;-)  I think its best to try to remove that factor entirely, so that the only thing to be gained in our group is fun and the friendship of the others ... but that's just my angle on these things, of course)

I will start working on more of this tonight...after and during the RED event.

History

Drawing on the expertise of their UEE Engineering Corp training, plus the balance of their discharge payouts, a close group of military colleagues joined together to found Exodus Incorporated. Since then it has remained a partnership of highly skilled consultants from various disciplines who pool their collective knowledge to solve our client's most challenging and pressing problems. Though our past holds the foundation of our expertise, let us journey with you into the future, and there make history together.

Charter

Chartered as a private equal share incorporated partnership, the board members of Exodus Inc are the same scientists and engineers who conduct the field surveys, lab analysis, risk assessments, and put their signature on the dotted line below all of our deliverables. No cutting corners. No untested sub-contractors. No gimmicks.

With personnel at the cutting edge of cartographic, optical, analytical, xenobiological, hydrologic, astrophysical, and geological sciences, Exodus Incorporated offers a comprehensive array of services to clients as large as governments and as small as multi-family frontier colonies. We aim to provide high quality services and results in simple and complex environments, both off and on world, in protected space and null sec zones.

At the end of each planet's day, it is our fondest wish that our clients can rest with the peace of mind and clarity of vision that Exodus Inc can bring to any venture.

Manifesto

Company Structure Summary

As a private equal share partnership, every active member sitting on our board of directors has the ability to cast an undiluted vote on all proposals and motions concerning Exodus Inc projects, client operations, and policies. Policy votes require 100% unanimity whereas projects & client operation votes require 75% majority for the sake of expediency.


Company Standings

Shareholder – Active member who has % stakes in the profits from ongoing Exodus Inc operations and has a vote on the board of directors if present at a board meeting. During periods of absence a shareholder should nominate a partner to delegate their vote for them.

Partner – All rights of shareholders plus additional responsibilities: (1) Must vote on policy votes. (2) Must maintain contact with clients for ongoing operations. (3) Should they agree, must be willing to act on Exodus Inc’s behalf as a representative of the board.

Affiliate – Shareholder with main membership in another org.

Client – Customers who can attend board meetings where they may discuss operations related to their contracts with Exodus Inc.

Contractor – Parties who are being paid by Exodus Inc for a specific service.


Company Core Values

1. Wheaton's Law

• Don’t be a dick.
  

2. Frisian’s Law

• Nothing should be said in private that members do not have the courage to eloquently and fairly say in public.
  

3. Whiskey Law

• Like a fine spirit in an oak cask, member ideas should be matured in the barrel of discussion.
  

4. Privilege Law

• All affiliates, partners, and shareholders are of equal value. For a time some graciously volunteer to take on more responsibility for the good of the whole.
  

5. No Pressure Law

• Enjoyment of your valuable free time should be a top priority. If you are not having fun, take a break. We are gamers playing videogames together, no hard feelings, no pressure.
  

Joining Exodus
Come spend time with us on our TS, post with us in our forums, and play games with us when you can. There are no tests to pass and no hoops to jump through. We are honored that you are interested in our little Star Citizen org. Any active member of Exodus Inc can be contacted to address any specific questions, comments, or other inquiries.

updated manifesto, let me know what you guys think!

wow, thanks a lot, green. thats great (and probably quite a piece of work to put together). I read a lot that I liked and some that made me grin
please forgive that I will not be more detailed now. i'll write more on another day, but I am pretty tied in with work right now (gotta do taxes. PLEASE someone shoot me!) but I read it and I like it.4

P.S.: I know that writing these things are a pain in the ass. I am SOOOOOOO happy that I have the "i not speak englisch goot. I no native speaker!"-card to play ...

hey green, i'll try to comment in some ideas, thought or possible additions. I hope it stays readable but beforehand: thanks a lot for that time and effort  its pretty cool!  

disclaimer: what i'll write is not gonna be polished. please bare with me. after all, that why we rely solely on you for phrasing, green ;-)

Gabriel (greenlance) wrote:History

<<I like this, but I feel it starts rather abrubtly. maybe 1 or 2 lead-in sentances could be added. something like:>>

Exodus Inc. was founded in 2944 by a group of discharged UEE navy long range recon specialists and (add some more geology sounding military occupations here) who had met through their service in the (add some imaginary military unit that sounds like recon, exploration, astrography etc.) and properly established in (add suitable UEE planet/city here. maybe some old earth city with a large spaceport).

<<needs a lot of refinement, of course. I know you basically wrote this (just more eloquently) but if a reader knows nothing about X-I (is that a good short for exodus inc.?), the text seems to be missing its beginning. just a gut feeling.>>

Drawing on the expertise of their UEE Engineering Corp training, plus the balance of their discharge payouts, a close group of military colleagues joined together to found Exodus Incorporated. Since then it has remained a partnership of highly skilled consultants from various disciplines who pool their collective knowledge to solve our client's most challenging and pressing problems. Though our past holds the foundation of our expertise, let us journey with you into the future, and there make history together.

Charter

Chartered as a private equal share incorporated partnership, the board members of Exodus Inc are the same scientists and engineers who conduct the field surveys, lab analysis, risk assessments, and put their signature on the dotted line below all of our deliverables. No cutting corners. No untested sub-contractors. No gimmicks.

With personnel at the cutting edge of cartographic, optical, analytical, xenobiological, hydrologic, astrophysical, and geological sciences, Exodus Incorporated offers a comprehensive array of services to clients as large as governments and as small as multi-family frontier colonies. We aim to provide high quality services and results in simple and complex environments, both off and on world, in protected space and null sec zones.

At the end of each planet's day, it is our fondest wish that our clients can rest with the peace of mind and clarity of vision that Exodus Inc can bring to any venture.

Manifesto

Company Structure Summary

As a private equal share partnership, every active member (Shareholder) sitting on our board of directors has the ability to suggest motions and to cast an undiluted vote on all proposals and motions concerning Exodus Inc projects, client operations, and policies. Policy votes require 100% unanimity whereas projects & client operation votes require 75% majority for the sake of expediency.


Company Standings

Shareholder – Active member who has % stakes in the profits from ongoing Exodus Inc operations and has a vote on the board of directors if present at a board meeting. During longer periods of absence a shareholder should nominate a partner to delegate their vote for them.

Partner – All rights of shareholders plus additional responsibilities Basically a Shareholder who volunteers his time and work to run the day to day business of the company. Partners volunteered to: (1) Must vote on policy votes. (2) Must maintain contact with clients for ongoing operations. (3) Should they agree, must be willing to act on Exodus Inc’s behalf as a representative of the board. Movement between Partner- and Shareholder-position if free, voluntary and completely self decided.

Affiliate – Shareholder with main membership in another org, a member yet undecided weather to fully join Exodus or a fellow explorer who prefers to work with us on a regular basis but just does not like to formally join any organisation. Affiliates are seen just like shareholders or partners in almost any respect and enjoy almost the same rights. Movement between Affiliate- and Shareholder-position if free, voluntary and completely self decided.


Client – Customers - especially regular ones - who can attend board meetings where they may discuss operations related to their contracts with Exodus Inc.

Contractor – Parties who are being paid by Exodus Inc for a specific service.


Company Core Values

1. Wheaton's Law

• Don’t be a dick.
  

2. Frisian’s Law

• Nothing should be said in private that members do not have the courage to eloquently and fairly say in public.
  

3. Whiskey Law

• Constructive and friendly dispute is a good and valuable thing. Like a fine spirit in an oak cask, member ideas should be matured in the barrel of discussion.
  

4. No-Privilege Law

• All affiliates, partners, and shareholders are of equal value. For a time some graciously volunteer to take on more responsibility for the good of the whole. In Exodus no rank, prestigious position, power or titles can be gained. Fellow citizens whose ambition is to gain rank or title might be happier in another organisation, still we would be very happy to have them join and play with us anyways - that's one reason for Exodus to have the affiliate status in its charter.
  

5. No Pressure Law

• Enjoyment of your valuable free time should be a top priority. If you are not having fun, take a break. We are gamers playing videogames together, no hard feelings, no pressure.
  

Joining Exodus
Come spend time with us on our TS, post with us in our forums, and or play games with us when you can. There are no tests to pass and no hoops to jump through. Sure, when you start out with us, some of us might invite you to chat on TS, be it one by one or in a group. But that will be no "application interview" but simply a way to get to know each other better. And we'll be introducing ourselves to you just as much as the other way around - after all, an "application" is always mutual. You might want to start our as an affiliate and you can stay that as long as you wish. And if you like our org and its members, you'll stick with us and sooner or later it becomes clear that you have been a shareholder or partner all along. You or someone else will suggest then to make it "official"  We are honored happy that you are interested in our little Star Citizen org. Any active member of Exodus Inc can be contacted to address any specific questions, comments, or other inquiries.

okay, what I added in is quite rough and needs rephrasing IF we would want to keep any of it. what do you think? wold these suggestions improve the text? or are they utter nonsense and we should never mention it again? ;-)

Frisian, getting around to looking at these edits. You're awesome. I'll integrate them into some of what I have and post an edited one, feel free to keep editing until you're satisfied. Also, anyone else around feel free to do the same.

Updated history, charter, and manifesto can be found below:

History

Exodus Inc was founded in 2910 by a group of honorably discharged UEE Navy reconnaissance comms operators, resource specialists, and navy liaisons to the Trade & Development Division (TDD) on Keene in the Kilian System. Since entering the private sector, the Exodus Inc founders have leveraged their military experience as well as their contacts in system wide TDD offices and UEE outposts. In 2915, Exodus Inc moved their HQ to Bremen II, in order to better serve both UEE clients and non-citizen clientele.

Since its founding Exodus Inc has remained a partnership of highly skilled consultants from various disciplines who pool their collective knowledge to solve our client's most challenging problems.

Though our past holds the foundation of our expertise, let us journey with you into the future, and there make history together.

Charter

Chartered as a private equal share incorporated partnership, the board members of Exodus Inc are the same scientists and engineers who conduct the field surveys, lab analysis, risk assessments, and put their signature on the dotted line below all of our deliverables. No cutting corners. No untested sub-contractors. No gimmicks.

With personnel at the cutting edge of cartographic, optical, analytical, xenobiological, hydrologic, astrophysical, and geological sciences, Exodus Incorporated offers a comprehensive array of services to clients as large as governments and as small as multi-family frontier colonies. We aim to provide high quality services and results in simple and complex environments, both off and on world, in protected space and null sec zones.

At the end of each planet's day, it is our fondest wish that our clients can rest with the peace of mind and clarity of vision that Exodus Inc can bring to any venture.

Manifesto

Company Structure Summary

As a private equal share partnership, every active member (Shareholder – see below) has the ability to suggest motions and to cast an undiluted vote on all proposals and motions concerning Exodus Inc projects, client operations, and policies. Policy votes require 100% unanimity whereas projects & client operation votes require 75% majority for the sake of expediency.

Delegation of the votes of shareholders on hiatus is a sensitive topic that the current board is working on developing and balancing. Please check back at this space for further information regarding our delegation policies.


Company Standings

Shareholder – Active member who has % stakes in the profits from ongoing Exodus Inc operations and has a vote on the board of directors if present at a board meeting. During long periods of absence a shareholder should nominate a partner to delegate their vote for them.

Partner – Essentially a shareholder who volunteers his or her time to run the day-to-day business of the company. Partners volunteer to (1) vote on policy votes, (2) maintain contact with clients for ongoing operations (3), and to act on Exodus Inc’s behalf as a representative of the board. Movement between the role of “partner” and “shareholder” is a free, voluntary, and personal decision.

Affiliate – Shareholder with main membership in another org who has yet to decide whether to fully join Exodus. An affiliate could also be a fellow explorer who works with Exodus on a regular basis but for their own reasons prefers to keep their main in another org. Affiliates are seen just as shareholders and partners in nearly every respect and enjoy nearly identical rights. Movement between the role of “affiliate” “partner”, and “shareholder” is a free, voluntary, and personal decision.

Client – Customers – especially regular ones – who can attend board meetings where they may discuss operations related to their contracts with Exodus Inc.

Contractor – Parties who are being paid by Exodus Inc for a specific service.


Company Core Values

1. Wheaton's Law

•Don’t be a dick.

2. Frisian’s Law

•Nothing should be said in private that members do not have the courage to eloquently and fairly say in public.

3. Whiskey Law

•Constructive and friendly disputes are a valuable exercise for any social group. Like a fine spirit in an oak cask, ideas should be matured in the barrel of discussion.

4. No Privilege Law

•All affiliates, partners, and shareholders are of equal value. For a time some graciously volunteer to take on more responsibility for the good of the whole. In Exodus Inc no rank, prestigious position, power or titles can be gained. Citizens with ambitions to gain rank or title over their fellows may be happier in another organization. Of course we would be happy to have them play with us regardless of their ambitions outside of Exodus. To join with us in this capacity, please see the above “affiliate” standing for more information.

5. No Pressure Law

•Enjoyment of your valuable free time should be a top priority. If you are not having fun, take a break. We are gamers playing videogames together, no hard feelings, no pressure.


Joining Exodus

There are no tests to pass and no hoops to jump through. Exodus members hope to gain familiarity with new faces via interactions on TS, our forums, and by playing games with you when we can. We will be introducing ourselves to you just as much as you will be meeting us.  The idea is that “interviews” can feel one sided whereas in reality all relationships should be two sided. If with time you decide you like Exodus and its members enough to stay, you will probably have spent enough time with us that it will be clear you have been a shareholder in our operations all along. At this time you or one of the acting members will make it “official”.

We are happy that you are interested in our little Star Citizen org. Any active member of Exodus Inc can be contacted to address any specific questions, comments, or other inquiries.