As the Cardinal Flies

Thanks for sharing these thoughts and analysis! I didn't know about the different forms non-profits often take, and yeah, it does seem like the OTW has elements of all three. They absolutely need to restructure the organisation to better suit its needs, and be easier to volunteer for (definitely could use some paid positions too).

I'm not sure that comparing AO3 to a brick-and-mortar archive or library makes sense... For one, I don't think it's inherently a good thing that archives are only used by a small subset of the populace or that some archives limit access to people with certain qualifications. The openness of access AO3 allows is a great thing, and indeed one of its core principles. Maybe it could be comparable to a digital library, if there are any that offer unlimited copies and never make items unavailable, but then libraries are curated, whereas you can post anything that isn't against the TOS and the collection keeps growing without oversight. Hmm.