Local Web Values

Welcome

Participants should feel welcome and included as they join a Local Web network. As participants are welcomed to a network, they should extend the same welcome and inclusion to others present. For everyone’s safety, a Code of Conduct should be readily accessible and applied equally.

Self-Determination

Aside from a name, personal profiles should have no required data. People are free to represent themselves however they wish. The name given does not need to be a legal name, nor does not need to be consistent between different networks. People are also free to accept or refuse participation in any of the activities of a Local Web.

Authenticity

Joining a Local Web network should be a deliberate action. People should ensure the network they are joining is authentic before presenting their name or profile. In turn, networks should ensure people are not hindered from representing their authentic selves. Personal authenticity may look different from day to day and network to network.

Decentralization

Communication over a Local Web should happen directly between participants. While the establishment of the network may need some level of centralized coordination (e.g., a conventional WWW site for signaling and directory assistance), individual networks should be independent of each other. One network should not rely on content shared in another network.

Privacy

A Local Web network is not automatically available to the entire public world. While participants may join a network through a public venue (e.g., coffeeshop, non-profit organization, etc...), that venue may not necessarily receive everyone who attempts to join. Participants must be a part of a specific network before accessing the data within it.