This vision is in the Exploration & Feasibility stage of Materialization & needs a lot of development, feedback, reflection, refinement!

The Stack

Draft v0.3 | 2025-Oct-09

Our social network will run on its own, community-governed version of the same open technology that powers Bluesky. By building an independent version, we can shape it around our values, strong privacy, fair moderation, democratic decision-making, and real community accountability. This independence means we’re not dependent on any single company’s servers or policies, and we can connect freely with other like-minded networks. It’s the foundation for a safer, more transparent, and more cooperative online space, built by and for its members.

What's with all the domain names?

Home & Hub

erefugia.com

Erefugia’s public hub. This is where the world meets the cooperative — a welcoming front door that connects visitors to all Erefugia spaces. It showcases member work, features items for sale through the cooperative storefront, and shares updates and initiatives with the broader public.

The Network

erefugia.net

The cooperative’s digital backbone. This domain houses the internal systems that keep Erefugia running, secure infrastructure, worker–member accounts, networking services, and email. It’s the quiet engine room of the cooperative’s online presence.

The Cooperative

erefugia.org

The home of the Erefugia Cooperative itself. This site focuses on our mission, membership, governance, and community resources, where people learn who we are, how we operate, and how to join or collaborate in building the commons.

Our Federation

erefugia.social

The address for our federated social network, powered by the AT Protocol. Here, members connect, collaborate, and share within a community-governed environment that values integrity, creativity, and care over algorithms and advertising.

Our commitment to access & accessibility

Accessibility is a core principle of Erefugia. We believe everyone should be able to participate fully, regardless of ability, bandwidth, or access to technology. Our digital spaces and tools are designed to work well with assistive technologies, limited or low-speed internet connections, and a wide range of devices. We are committed to meeting or exceeding recognized accessibility standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) from the W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), and we will continue to work closely with our members and accessibility advocates to ensure that inclusion is built into everything we create.

What is the technology stack composed of?

Personal Data Servers

erefugia.social

The PDS authenticates you against your account and stores your profile, the place where posts, connections, and preferences live securely. As there might be multiple PDS servers active, this address functions as an PDS Entryway to all of them, so you don't have to remember exactly where you parked.

Accounts & Profiles

Profiles are stored in a way that keeps them portable and persistent, so you can move freely between communities without losing your identity or history. Your profile is your anchor in the commons, stable, secure, and self-owned.

Relays

Relays help share information across the wider network. Like community couriers, they make sure that posts, updates, and ideas flow smoothly between different spaces, connecting local communities into a larger cooperative web.

Labelers

Labelers help keep the network safe and trustworthy. They review and tag content according to community guidelines, not to censor speakers, but to make sure you can choose what kind of material you want to see or avoid.

App Views

Appviews are like windows into the network. They shape how posts, profiles, and conversations are presented, allowing each community or application to highlight what matters most to them while drawing from the same shared ecosystem.

Feed Generators

Feed generators curate what you see, but instead of hidden algorithms, they’re transparent and community-built. Members can create or choose their own feeds, ensuring that discovery is guided by shared values rather than engagement tricks.

Indexers

Indexers organize and catalog the network’s public data so it can be found easily. They help connect information across communities, making it possible to search, discover, and follow what’s happening across the wider federation.

Caches

Caches act as the network’s memory, keeping frequently accessed information close at hand for speed and reliability. They make everything run smoothly while reducing the strain on individual servers and users.

Governance & Moderation Platform

Instead of top-down control, the network is guided by collective governance and peer-based moderation through a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) system that is integrated into the fabric of our social network. Members work together help shape the rules, resolve disputes, and keep spaces healthy,fair, and respectful.

Federation Agreements & Mechanisms

Federation is how our network cooperates with others. Through shared agreements, independent communities like ours can connect with others, exchange, and collaborate, staying autonomous while being part of something bigger.

API Server

api.erefugia.social

The API is what allows different tools, apps, and services to talk to the technology stack. It’s how developers build new interfaces, automate tasks, or extend the system’s capabilities while respecting security, privacy, and cooperative governance.

API Client SDK

The API Client SDK is the toolkit that lets developers and partners safely connect their applications to the Erefugia ecosystem. It provides simple, well-documented ways to access data, interact with the social network, and integrate cooperative services — all while respecting privacy, security, and democratic governance.

Management Portal

management.erefugia.net

The Refugia Management Portal is the social network's control room. It provides members and administrators with a clear, user-friendly interface for managing accounts, monitoring system health, and overseeing governance, moderation, and resource use across the stack.

Web Client

erefugia.app

The main web application for accessing Erefugia’s social network. It’s where members log in, participate in discussions, manage profiles, and experience the cooperative’s digital commons through an intuitive, accessible interface.

Android & iOS Clients

Mobile companions for the Erefugia network. Designed for accessibility and ease of use, the apps bring the cooperative’s digital commons to your pocket — letting members connect, collaborate, and govern wherever they are.

iOS Client

Erefugia: The Federation of Seven Erefugium

Each Erefugium functions as a holon, a self-contained, autonomous whole that is also part of a greater whole. Each operates its own Personal Data Server (PDS) under the AT Protocol, giving its community full control over data, governance, and moderation. These independent nodes connect together as the Erefugia network and can also federate with other AT Protocol servers across the wider ecosystem. When speaking of multiple ecological refugium, you are speaking about refugia; it is through our interconnection of otherwise independent and self-governing communities that the Erefugia itself takes form and has meaning. This structure creates a resilient, pluralistic system with no single point of failure, each Erefugium governs itself through a DAO while participating in a broader federated DAO that coordinates shared principles and decisions. In essence, Erefugia is a living network of interconnected holons, communities that sustain their own values and autonomy while practicing solidarity across the federation.