19 November 2021

BFG001: social network

Elements of a social network that is good for users rather than its operator.

• All identities are verified with legal documents. The network supports being an identity provider to third parties with fine-grained user control over what information gets released.
• There are no ads, the service is non-profit and funded by grants or subscription fees.
• The news feed is chronological and only shows posts from followed sources. It shows everything by default but can be filtered and configured by the user.
• Notifications can be filtered and configured by the user, and there is support for an email digest.
• Personal profiles are clearly distinguished from companies and public figures. The two categories have separate news feeds.
• There are no likes, reactions, or share buttons.
• Private groups and event pages are supported, but public groups and events are discouraged. For example, group and event organizers can only invite friends as members.
• The network facilitates encrypted messaging and group messaging.