Kindlingfor peopleThe protocol siteThe specificationThe libraryThe Circular
KindlingAn open protocol for finding people
PreambleThe library

The library of use cases

What becomes possible when the pool is shared.

Invented organizations, each built on Kindling to show one thing that changes when the pool is a commons: people finding a friend, a mentor, a bandmate, a date, a game, a ride or a hand on a storm day. They share one specification, read the same kinds of files, and each has its own look, so you can see the protocol does not decide how an app feels.

Everything in the library is invented. Every organization, person and place is made up, and nothing in it runs. Kindling itself is real: the specification is published, and each site links the sections it uses.

Each card says what the site is for, who runs it, how you join and where, then the shifts it shows (numbered as on the Why page) and the design language it is built in.

The apps

Seven web apps to get around these Pools: four that read many kinds of Pool, one for friends and groups, one for asks and offers, and a desk for the people who keep Pools. Each card below says which of them read that site’s Pools, from the table of who reads what.

The apps

One Pool, many doors

To start: one public Pool from the library, read by Roomful, by an email digest and by The Circular, side by side; one mentoring Pool as a page, as a file and as a card in four apps; and one person who switches apps and loses nothing.

See it

The library21 sites

Every site, by what it is for.

Pick any mix: within a group a site needs one of your picks, and across groups it needs all of them. Nothing is ranked; the sites are in alphabetical order.

The Ada Quillon homepageThe Ada Quillon homepage

A creator’s audience · 4 Pools

Ada Quillon

A songwriter’s listeners as a Pool on her own site, so the people in it can find each other by town and at shows, and the audience is not locked to one platform.

For
Friends and neighbors, Music
Run by
A person
Join
Open to anyone
Where
Port Ellery and across the Northwest

In the demo Marisol wrote back to Liner Notes from Tacoma and asked to be listed. Ada put her page forward, and the Pool sent the request to the address on Marisol’s page. Nothing happens until she answers.

Read in Face Up, Heartwood, Sundial, Card Catalog and Familiar Faces. Pool by Pool

Design language K1 Inner Sleeve · The library

Visit Ada Quillon

The The Board at Port Ellery Free Library homepageThe The Board at Port Ellery Free Library homepage

Public library · 7 Pools

The Board at Port Ellery Free Library

A library’s notice board. Every card was pinned up by the person on it, and a quiet chess Pool is choosing a new keeper.

For
Friends and neighbors, Games, Letters and languages, Mutual aid
Run by
A library or school
Join
Open to anyone, or a curator asks or vouches
Where
Port Ellery

In the demo Bram pinned up a carpool and Rosa, at the desk, submitted Theo’s page.

Read in Face Up, Heartwood, Sundial, Card Catalog, Familiar Faces and Bellows. Pool by Pool

Design language B1 Notice Board · Yellow and Scarlet

Visit The Board

The The Circular homepageThe The Circular homepage

Consortium newspaper · 1 Pool

The Circular

A newspaper that reads every public Pool in its consortium from each site’s own well-known file, and prints it on Mondays.

For
Friends and neighbors
Run by
A group, co-op or nonprofit
Join
Open to anyone
Where
Across the Northwest

In the demo Ruth asks June whether she would write the garden column.

Read in Face Up, Heartwood, Sundial, Card Catalog and Familiar Faces. Pool by Pool

Design language B3 Circled · Yellow and Scarlet

Visit The Circular

The Correo Lento homepageThe Correo Lento homepage

Letter co-op · 4 Pools

Correo Lento

A language-exchange co-op in Oaxaca: one slow letter a week, in two languages, over email. Classes pay for the letters.

For
Letters and languages
Run by
A group, co-op or nonprofit
Join
Open to anyone
Where
Anywhere

In the demo Valeria asks Samuel into the French and English Pool. No letter can be written to him until he says yes, and then until someone he has also said yes to writes first.

Read in Face Up, Heartwood, Sundial and Card Catalog. Pool by Pool

Design language A3 Postmark · Purple and Silver

Visit Correo Lento

The Drip Line homepageThe Drip Line homepage

Climbing gym · 5 Pools

Drip Line

A climbing gym whose staff belay check is a vouch in one Pool, so checked climbers can find a partner for Saturday, and a run anyone can join.

For
Climbing and running, Friends and neighbors
Run by
A business
Join
Open to anyone, or a curator asks or vouches
Where
Seattle

In the demo Halima came to her first Tuesday night at Drip Line last week, and Pilar checked her belay. The check is a vouch in Belay Partners only. The Pool asked her that evening, and nothing is listed until she says yes.

Read in Face Up, Heartwood, Sundial, Card Catalog, Familiar Faces and Bellows. Pool by Pool

Design language K3 Hang Tag · The library

Visit Drip Line

The Familiar Faces homepageThe Familiar Faces homepage

Friendship app · hosts no Pools

Familiar Faces

A friendship app that reads the groups you already belong to, like the Tuesday walk that leaves from the library steps.

For
Friends and neighbors
Run by
An app
Join
Open to anyone
Where
Anywhere

In the demo Theo uses Familiar Faces. Maggie, who keeps the Tuesday walk at the library, asks him in; Familiar Faces shows him the request beside the groups he is already in.

Design language G3 Crosshatch · Teal and Marigold

Visit Familiar Faces

The Ferry Room Players homepageThe Ferry Room Players homepage

Musicians’ collective · 5 Pools

Ferry Room Players

Musicians finding bandmates and Friday fill-ins. Auto-accept rules can answer for them, and never silently.

For
Music
Run by
A group, co-op or nonprofit
Join
Open to anyone
Where
Port Ellery

In the demo Friday’s bill lost its horn player. Kofi has no auto-accept rule, so the ask reaches him by hand, with 48 hours on the clock.

Read in Face Up, Heartwood, Sundial, Card Catalog, Familiar Faces and Bellows. Pool by Pool

Design language B2 Matchbook · Yellow and Scarlet

Visit Ferry Room Players

The Foul Weather Friends homepageThe Foul Weather Friends homepage

Mutual-aid network · 4 Pools

Foul Weather Friends

Who can lend what, who can drive, who will cook, and who would like a knock on a storm day, kept as plain files anyone can copy and reached by email, so the list stays up when the power doesn’t.

For
Friends and neighbors, Mutual aid
Run by
A group, co-op or nonprofit
Join
Open to anyone, or a curator asks or vouches
Where
Port Ellery

In the demo Bet met Ida at her door on Saturday and asked whether she would like someone to check on her on storm days. The invitation reaches Ida alone, at the address on her own page.

Read in Face Up, Heartwood, Sundial, Card Catalog, Familiar Faces and Bellows. Pool by Pool

Design language J1 Laminate · The library

Visit Foul Weather Friends

The Hearthhold homepageThe Hearthhold homepage

Introductions · 3 Pools

Hearthhold

Introductions for chosen family: platonic partners, co-parents and later-life housemates. Stewards meet people before they vouch for them.

For
Chosen family and home, Friends and neighbors
Run by
A group, co-op or nonprofit
Join
Open to anyone, or a curator asks or vouches
Where
Port Ellery

In the demo Mireille met Anton on a call last week and vouched for him. The invitation reaches him alone.

Read in Face Up, Heartwood, Sundial, Card Catalog and Familiar Faces. Pool by Pool

Design language G5 Half Door · Slate and Brass

Visit Hearthhold

The Late Supper homepageThe Late Supper homepage

Matchmakers · 3 Pools

Late Supper

Matchmakers who meet you first, then propose one introduction at a time. Both people say yes, or nothing happens.

For
Dating and relationships
Run by
A business
Join
A curator asks or vouches
Where
Port Ellery

In the demo Nadia met Gideon for coffee and asks whether he would like to join the Tuesday Table.

Read in Face Up, Heartwood, Sundial and Card Catalog. Pool by Pool

Design language G1 Place Card · Purple and Red

Visit Late Supper

The Many Moons homepageThe Many Moons homepage

Community · 3 Pools

Many Moons

A community for consensual non-monogamy. You can be out in one Pool and private in another, and a household can show how it is connected, with every member’s yes.

For
Chosen family and home, Dating and relationships, Friends and neighbors
Run by
A group, co-op or nonprofit
Join
Open to anyone, or a curator asks or vouches
Where
Port Ellery

In the demo Rafa came to the new-to-this workshop. Lux asks whether he would like to be listed in the community.

Read in Face Up, Heartwood, Sundial, Card Catalog and Familiar Faces. Pool by Pool

Design language G4 Phases · Indigo and Brass

Visit Many Moons

The Midspan homepageThe Midspan homepage

First-generation mentorship · 2 Pools

Midspan

A community college’s first-generation students meet people who were once where they are, only when both say yes, with an alumni Pool up the coast to draw on.

For
Mentorship
Run by
A library or school
Join
A curator asks or vouches, or invite-only
Where
Port Ellery

In the demo Fina met Rubén at intake in the Welcome Center last week and asks whether he would like to be in Midspan Students. The invitation reaches him alone, and no mentor learns it was sent.

Read in Face Up, Heartwood, Sundial, Card Catalog, Familiar Faces and Bellows. Pool by Pool

Design language J3 Bascule · The library

Visit Midspan

The Rain Check homepageThe Rain Check homepage

Board-game community · 6 Pools

Bring your Discord

Rain Check

A chat server’s members as a Pool they keep, readable by any app, whatever happens to the server. Kindling has no affiliation with Discord.

For
Friends and neighbors, Games
Run by
A group, co-op or nonprofit
Join
Open to anyone
Where
Port Ellery and across the Northwest

In the demo Juni followed the link Fern posted in the server on Saturday and gave the address of their own page. The Pool emailed the question to the address on that page. Nothing is listed until Juni says yes.

Read in Face Up, Heartwood, Sundial, Card Catalog, Familiar Faces and Bellows. Pool by Pool

Design language K4 House Rules · The library

Visit Rain Check

The Roomful homepageThe Roomful homepage

Dating app · hosts no Pools

Roomful

A dating app that hosts no Pools of its own. It opens full, reading the Pools you already said yes to.

For
Dating and relationships
Run by
An app
Join
Open to anyone
Where
Anywhere

In the demo Jonah uses Roomful. Wren’s list asks him in; Roomful shows him the request, and nothing else happens until he answers.

Design language G2 Open House · Sage and Walnut

Visit Roomful

The Scattered Light homepageThe Scattered Light homepage

Nonprofit peer network · 2 Pools

Scattered Light

Adults with a rare condition finding the few others who share it, in an invite-only Pool that stewards vouch people into.

For
Peer support
Run by
A group, co-op or nonprofit
Join
A curator asks or vouches, or invite-only
Where
Anywhere

In the demo Clare met Devika on a video call and vouched for her. The invitation reaches Devika alone.

Read in Face Up, Heartwood, Sundial and Card Catalog. Pool by Pool

Design language A2 Constellation · Purple and Silver

Visit Scattered Light

The Seen Work homepageThe Seen Work homepage

Trades referral circle · 2 Pools

Seen Work

A referral circle for the trades, where members vouch only for work they saw with their own eyes, and a curator asks you before any contractor learns your name.

For
Work and trades
Run by
A group, co-op or nonprofit
Join
A curator asks or vouches
Where
Port Ellery

In the demo Marcus nominated Ximena after the Pilot House refit. Delphine went out to the breakwater to look at the railings, and asks whether Ximena would like to be listed in Harbor Trades, with the vouch in Marcus’s words.

Read in Face Up, Heartwood, Sundial, Card Catalog, Familiar Faces and Bellows. Pool by Pool

Design language M5 Hi-Vis · The library

Visit Seen Work

The Slack Water homepageThe Slack Water homepage

Festival · 5 Pools

Slack Water

A folk and maritime music festival whose badge asks whether you would like to be in its Pool, so everyone who said yes is still findable after the weekend ends.

For
Friends and neighbors, Music
Run by
An event
Join
Open to anyone, or a curator asks or vouches
Where
Port Ellery and across the Northwest

In the demo Theo picked up his badge at the gate on Friday afternoon, his first Slack Water. The QR on the back opens the same handshake the Pool has just emailed him.

Read in Face Up, Heartwood, Sundial, Card Catalog, Familiar Faces and Bellows. Pool by Pool

Design language M3 Signal Flags · The library

Visit Slack Water

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