I'm in the process of setting up a social media website, based -at the moment- on a chopped up combination of Druple and Elgg (an open source Social media CMS type app.)

It'll be a platform for people to discuss eco-village type projects, sustainable technologies, direct actions and to network with similar individuals and groups, nationally and yet I want it to still retain a locally orientated feel to it, by allowing people to set up on-site groups and to -on-request- create limited sized sub-domain versions or indeed mini websites of their own, all in an environment as secure and anonymous as tehInterwebs can provide.

Facebook eco-village groups exclude those with a paranoid, conspiratorial worldview and the anti-socialite (crowd?!) I know exactly why they refuse to use the site, because I did for years, then I only connected to it via TOR for months... paranoid?!, I'd expect indymedia to know better. Irrespective of how rational the increasingly common fear of facebook is, no activist/ campaigner can deny its potency as a medium for communication. So do we continue to "use the masters tools" or do we seek to build our own tools to serve the same purpose?

I believe this fear and distrust creates an opening, a need for a trusted, anonymous and secure site that offers the same social media/ networking features. I want to include most of facebooks -useful- features, realising that we'll be competing for -can't believe I'm saying this- market space... [eeew, saying that always makes me feel dirty] with the monolith that is fciabook, I think we'll have to offer something extra too- not exactly sure what yet though, something locally orientated and powerful- live swoop/action call-outs- maybe something fancy with p2p, I haven't narrowed it down much yet.

If you'd like to get involved in this project, I've got a VPS ubuntu server running a host of social media and CMS systems that I've been experimenting with, trying to decide which would be the best to use for this project. I'm still undecided, however Elgg and druple seem to be winning the CMS race presently, however I'm still very much open to suggestions.

I could do with another mind, and another keyboard- maybe even a small group of people willing to share the reigns of this project with me- I'm working on another land rights/ eco-village project currently and it's taking up quite a lot of my time. I think having someone else working on the site, coming up with interesting and challenging ideas, nagging me to finish pen testing the databases and whatnot would really inspire me to focus on this project more.

It'll be relaxed, there's no fixed deadline for completion or anything. I don't really want it to be one of those projects that takes months and months to get off the ground though. Beta launch within the next two-three months should be an easily achievable target, even if we slack off to enjoy the sun for a few weeks here and there. The more complex features can be fine tuned once we have a few Guinea pig users.

I understand you'll have other commitments, I'm not looking for absolute dedication or anything, but if you could help for a few hours a week- it would be really appreciated. Get involved as much as you like though, I'd love to find someone wanting to make it their project too- someone that sees and shares the vision behind it.

Looking forward to hearing back from you, with any ideas you have- I really think there is, and will be an increasing demand for this type of site soon.

Email

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