Beginning this year significant work was necessary to transform civ.works (our ad-free, subscriber-supported, civic social network) from a very rough early platform to a pilot.
Some of you reading this understand the project’s potential to radically disrupt existing social networks and have provided support. Some of you have been advocates and benefactors since the very beginning.
Here’s what we’ve been able to build and/or integrate into the pilot Web, iOS, and Android platforms over the last few months:
The integration of Preemptive Content Moderation. (This was vital. Because our mission is to strengthen democracy through civic, economic, and educational actions, as we grow we would attract trolls, bots, and others working to minimize our impact. PCM is key to defending against bad actors and offensive content).
A new and simple method to reconnect with your friends when you move to social.civ.works.
Biometric logins for iOS and Android devices.
A new Activity Dashboard for our subscribers.
A simple method for subscribers to prioritize their main content feed.
The new civic action system -distributing effective civic, economic, and educational actions to our subscribers -to inform societal “flash mob” responses in reaction to harmful governmental or corporate actions, or to provide support for positive changes.
How to help us:
Register and subscribe to https://social.civ.works
Tell journalists and media about us (https://civ.works/moonshot).
Spread the word across colleges, universities, and others in the academic world.
Share our explainer film and story with your friends, family, and social networks.
Donate to us (we are a 501c3 non-profit organization).
Especially in this election year, the spread of propaganda and disinformation on Zuckerberg’s Facebook/Meta and, Musk’s former Twitter and whatever he’s calling it now, are corrosive to democracy.
Furthermore, as we are advertising-free, and we do not sell or share subscriber data -there are no marketers, no “Cambridge Analytica/Emerdata”, or sinister political operatives performing psychometric analysis of your posts, comments, and likes and therefore determining how to manipulate your political perspectives and potential vote.
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The road ahead:
I will be producing a series of small videos about how to use civ.works and some of the new features we’ve implemented.
Over the next few months I plan to schedule some “Ask Me Anything (AMA) events.” We intend to be far more than a trusted civic social networking platform and it’s important to know what we intend to be part of our technology foundation and roadmap.
I also believe there is an overall hybrid business operations strategy where we can exist as both an active non-profit organization, and a public benefit corporation (with a perpetually protected mission) to provide value to all stakeholders, subscribers, and partners.
I’m continuing to work with PlaceSpeak.com -a very important B Corp. focused on geo-validated constituent engagement.
We continue to work with the London School of Economics and Political Science (and incredibly grateful to them) and hope to engage with other colleges and universities around the world as we evolve the civ.works effort.
Personally I remain dedicated to the Civic Works project and continue to be inspired through every new donation, subscription, and advocate for our mission. Knowing I have far more yesterdays than tomorrows (the words of Clarence Clemons in my head), if fully implemented, a trusted civic social network built for democracy can be a very important tool for people all over the world to improve the quality and dignity of their lives while, together, bending the moral arc of the universe toward justice.
I hope you’ll join us.
Brilliant!
"Biometric logins"? What if a poster wants anonymity?