This social networking system presently revolves around campaign groups, who register on the system, and can then advertise their events and actions. Each group is also able to link to the companies that they campaign against. Company profiles shall be editable by any user, since many companies will have several campaigns interested in their conduct. A searchable and location-aware events browser is intended to offer a simple way for activists to find out what things are happening in their area.

There are two basic purposes to this system. Firstly, it is hoped it will help campaign groups discover imaginative collaborations for their protest organising (such as environmentalists and anti-war campaigners working together on oil/energy issues). Secondly, company data - bolstered by large-scale datasets such as Companies House XML Gateway - can be subjected to network analysis, thus unravelling the often complex and hidden relationships between various firms. For example, we would be able to answer questions like: which corporations profiting from war are the subject of the greatest number of British protest campaigns? It could be used to target second-line providers, with questions such as: which bank is most heavily financing the destruction of the environment?

A prototype codebase exists for this system, as does a fairly comprehensive introduction document with background information and screenshots:

 http://activistlab.org.uk/projects/grassroots

A discussion forum has been set up to discuss this project (and other social software projects, if you like):

 http://chatter.activistlab.org.uk/

The project (presently code-named "Grassroots") is seeking skilled, progressive, volunteer PHP developers interested in a novel social networking approach to anti-corporate activism. The project is based in the UK but international respondents are welcome. Sadly, no pecuniary rewards are on offer, but nevertheless you'll be able to bask in the satisfaction of having a damn good go at making the world a better place. More information on the requirement for programmers is here:

 http://chatter.activistlab.org.uk/read.php?3,6

If you want to get in touch via email rather than on the discussion forums, use the email address on the project home page:

 http://activistlab.org.uk/

If you've any questions, or if you would like to volunteer, get in touch!