I remember signing up for the newsletter for this a while ago. They've come a good way since then, and I appreciate how much thought and planning they've put into this. There's value to having a clear road map of how they intend to put it all together.
This page seems to have the most information: indiegogo.com/en/projects/bonfire/community
I've pulled out the parts I thought were relevant:
Welcome to the open social web: a growing constellation of people and interconnected apps reclaiming the web.
But most people aren’t here yet. They’re trapped in mainstream social media platforms controlled by billionaires, where [...]
The solution isn’t another winner‑takes‑all platform, but a resilient, diverse web of interoperable services built on open protocols like ActivityPub, with bridges to other networks (AT Protocol/Bluesky) where useful. [...]
After several years of tireless work, we’ve just launched Bonfire Social 1.0, built on our modular toolkit that's fully customisable and extensible by design, which powers federated spaces that connect with Mastodon and the wider fediverse, balancing local autonomy with global conversation.
Then about the campaign:
This campaign aims to strengthen what we've built and unlock what comes next: federated groups, events, and governance tools; shared moderation and end‑to‑end encryption; mutual aid networks; Bluesky interconnection and mobile applications; living memory and Gaia.
The code is a public good (no investors, no ads), so rewards honour the craft and invite participation.
They then list out their plans for each step, as well as who they are collaborating with already:
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For example, for federated events:
co‑created with LAUTI, interoperable with Mobilizon, Gancio, and Gathio. Follow groups and places and make event discovery and participation spread across the fediverse
For E2E Encryption:
Standards‑based MLS encryption for DMs and group chats, developed in partnership with the Social Web Foundation and another federated plaform, with usable key management and an interoperability path for the wider fediverse.
Messages are encrypted on devices and readable only by intended recipients—even by instance operators. We’ll focus on usable, federated key management and a path toward interop across the fediverse, setting a stronger baseline for privacy, especially for at‑risk communities.
Mutual Aid:
Local gifting and mutual aid: location-based offers/requests and resource matching, co‑designed with Mutual Aid Networks and local BuyNothing communities to strengthen solidarity and local resilience.
BuyNothing‑style gifting and mutual aid features support everyday sharing and crisis response: offers, requests, matching, and interoperable accounting with ValueFlows.
We’ll work with gifting and mutual aid communities to migrate from closed platforms, and explore bridges to connect existing networks (e.g., TrashNothing) where useful, so care and resources can flow without surveillance or lock‑in.
Gaia:
Environmental sensor and open data can appear in feeds as stories, visuals, and alerts. Co‑created with ecologists, artists, and sensor networks to turn data into dialogue and stewardship, taking Citizen Science to a whole new level.
Streams of environmental data, such as sensors, citizen science, open datasets can become understandable and actionable signals. Communities can contribute local data, listen with place, and turn awareness into care. The network of life is already federated, Gaia helps us listen and respond together.
