What sort of Web do you want?

What sort of Web do you Want?

What is OurNet?

In 2004, Michael Brodie imagineered a social network designed for community development - where you could meet like-minded people and enhance local life and democracy.

That was well before Facebook and Twitter, who he thought might save him a job when they arrived!

Now, in times of further social fragmentation, social exclusion and polarisation, there is also concern about the Internet giants dominating and intruding.

Now is the time to turn the OurNet vision into a reality.

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A former Facebook executive, Chamath Palihapitiya - ex Vice-President of User Growth, expressed regret for his part in building tools that destroy ‘the social fabric of how society works’.

Whilst offering some really great tools for communication, the existing social media offerings can bring out the worst, most competitive aspects of human nature. The design of OurNet is specifically created to enhance the social aspects that we all need and crave. We have developed the concept of Social Intelligence, as opposed to Artificial Intelligence, to encourage people to use the skills they have developed in normal life in the context of internet communication.

We're about to launch OurNet as a fully functioning site which aims to:

Create a web to encourage a world that works
Recognise & reward the best in us
Serve the needs of all, not just self-interest and centralised control

Download our Pitch Deck

Download our Scoping Document

Mock up of Beta version, launching February 2020

We'd really value your support. Please click the button to join the piONeers

Join the piONeers at OurNet

About

Mission:
To create a truly community-focused social media platform.

Vision:
OurNet empowers vibrant communities online, and transforms communication in the real world.

Values:

We encourage open hearts, open minds, open source, and open space.
We combine self-expression and social intelligence to edify human communication and understanding.
Everyone is doing their best, however strange it may seem to us.
No one has all the answers. We need each other.
Context is more important than control.
Fear makes us do funny things; Love brings out the best in us.
Ultimately, it’s all about Love...

Possibility:
A world that works, for all.

Culture

Every decision about the organisation, software or any other aspect of OurNet's development will explicitly address the question "How will this proposal enhance the maintenance or development of the communities that use the software?"
Ournet will live its democratic values in the way it relates to its employees.
It will use its own breakthrough social intelligence web technology to organise and facilitate organisational cohesion and direction.
Striking a creative balance between leadership and collaboration, OurNet’s team will be vision-driven, working beyond traditional models of work, jobs and remuneration.
Ultimately distributed globally as a multidisciplinary team, great emphasis will be placed on a nourishing organisational culture with a supportive team spirit.
Great results from open hearts and minds are anticipated, in an open-space environment that regularly checks in with personal and organisational integrity
Income of all employees will be constrained by a formula which relates to the poverty threshold in every country in which Ournet has a presence. There will also be a maximum differential between the lowest and highest paid employees in the whole organisation.
A bonus structure will be in place to reward staff/partners for contributing to the success of the business.
We encourage people to choose Love over Fear.

Donate

The 'alpha' version of the OurNet needs further financial and technical support to take it to the next stage. Do you recognise this analysis and want to help and we'd really like your help with that if

OurNet is dedicated to supporting communities and communication and gives users their own personal 'Virtual Village' magazine, tuned to their location and interests. Putting them in control.

The site we’ve got has worked well, as far as it goes, but it needs to be developed further to become a truly useful community website.

If you are concerned about the way the world is moving to more and centralised control, with populations feeling increasingly disenfranchised, and can envision a better way for us to organise and enjoy ourselves, then I would welcome your support.

A donation of any size will be regarded by OurNet as a vote for a true community-based social media platform that will revolutionise the way we consider and collaborate with each other on the Internet.