Requests & Offers HC/MVP

A hApp hUpdate!

Excitement is building with our very own hApp, Requests & Offers HC/MVP!  We thought we’d give you an update on our progress and share some of what we’ve learned since our last article (8/25/23).

Update

For those cruising through, the vision of our hApp is:

 “to facilitate exchanges between Holochain Creators & Advocates!”  

It’s intentionally a simple app for our first Minimal Viable Product (MVP).  We wanted to build a hApp, experiment with facilitating virtual events, and have our code open-source so other projects could use and adapt it to their specific needs. (Check out our Litepaper for more!)

Over the last year, the part-time volunteer team (Anita Halcyon, Sam Turner, Sachet Pignot, Lynn Foster and Bob Haugen) have worked on how to incorporate hREA into our hApp.  We’ve worked on the following modules:

• Super Admin Role

• User Profile

• Status Management

• Designing the hREA mapping for agents and offers/requests

Our plan is to complete our MVP by Q1 of 2025!

Team Wisdom

We asked the team four questions to gather our individual perspectives on our project. The answers highlight where we align, diverge, and show the value of group wisdom!

There were 4 motivators for me:

1. To explore the process of creating a hApp as a non-developer. 

2. Our desire to collaborate with new hREA/Holochain developer, Sacha Pignot, and the amazing wisdom of Lynn Foster and Bob Haugen of Valueflows and hREA.

3. The deep yearning to participate with a team to create something different and useful to the wider Holochain community

4. The experiment of creating the offers/needs or requests/offers format online for a very specific small group.

My motivations: The project wants to use hREA, and I can help with design for that.  I think it will be very cool to have an offers/wants app for the holochain community, and very cool in general as a reference implementation for holochain and the open source code commons in general.  And it’s a pleasure hanging out with really nice people!

My motivation to build the Requests & Offers HC/MVP application is part of an ongoing exploration of app development, open source models and a passion for Holochain. The opportunity to contribute to something bigger than me, within a flourishing ecosystem, is both motivating and rewarding. I appreciate the way our group co-creates; we actively listen, clarify, reflect and collectively choose our direction - knowledge flows freely. The friendships formed, and the fun we're having while collaborating, makes it that much sweeter! It's not just about building software; it's about enjoying the journey, learning together, and knowing what we create will have potential beyond our small group.

I am a software developer specializing in local-first distributed applications using Holochain. I was looking for an opportunity to participate in a Holochain project and then I met Sam and Anita. This project is a very good opportunity for me to develop my skills in hApp development and learn a lot about Holochain through the hAppening Community.

Bob Haugen: (Context: Bob is very modest!)

I follow Lynn and try to help with whatever she is doing.

Anita Halcyon

As a non-developer, I bring:

• TimeBanking expertise 

• Co-creating an online exchange platform (early days/never launched)

• Holochain Advocate, HoloHost, and hAppenings.community

• Facilitator training with the Offers and Needs Market (OANM)

• See my resume on LinkedIn

Valueflows maintainer, and over 4 decades in the software industry (dev, business analyst, modeler, project lead, dev methodology, consulting, etc., so lucky to be retired and not have to market any more!).  But I do hope I've learned something to pass on.

I bring an enquiring mindset and, though it might sound flippant, a fluidity of thought. My eagerness to explore and understand new concepts, especially those that deeply challenge our heuristics, is particularly valuable in the emerging realm of local-first distributed patterns. Processes from ProSocial and Sociocracy deeply inform how we collaborate within our team. These frameworks aren't just abstract ideas, they actively shape the mechanics of our teamwork, fostering a cooperative environment that mirrors the decentralised, community-focused nature of the hApp we're building.

I am a full-stack software developer with four years of professional experience. My main areas of expertise are JavaScript/TypeScript, Svelte/Seveltekit, Rust, and Holochain. I completed the Holochain Dev Camp, and I am currently expanding my proficiency with the Holochain stack through this project.

I worked on 3 different ERP systems and lots of other economic apps over 45 years in software.

Here are a few thoughts:

• Local-first groups can use this hApp (with a few modifications) to create a Request/Offer element to their group.  With in-person connections (potlucks/meetups, etc.) and online. (High tech/High touch)

• Within Neighborhoods, small communities, etc.  

• Nonprofits who want to expand and nourish their volunteer base.

• And…so much more!

First to help people with offers and wants in the holochain ecosystem find each other, helping to build a more cohesive ecosystem.  Also as forkable code for others building in holochain, and especially on hREA.  And forkable code for others doing offers/wants UI for other purposes.  Some hopes:  Forkable code is wonderful, but I’d also really like to learn if/how we can move towards the “open app ecosystem” concept that’s been rattling around, where people can add pieces of code that can be connected with other pieces of code to build apps and suites of apps.  As a small example, the admin feature built by this team might be pluggable into the Carbon Farm Network app as a zome.  For this to work, we’ll need open vocabularies and protocols to help glue it all together.

The potential uses for this hApp and its underlying code are really myriad. Being open-source it can be forked and then changed and adapted as other hApp publishers need. Recently built onboarding and community management elements could be used in many applications.  Personally, I envision it facilitating community exchanges of all types, whether they’re resources, skills, or ideas. One idea that’s been floating around between us for a while is that It could become a key tool for ecosystem business discovery and networking, akin to a decentralised, more community-focused version of LinkedIn. Perhaps most interesting is its potential to be a part of an interoperable hREA economy, where the whole value of distributed systems can flow.

In line with our open-source approach, I would like to leverage the MVP "Requests and Offers" platform to develop a hApp template for similar marketplaces in other communities. For instance, while maintaining the original Holochain backend, we could create custom user interfaces and network parameters for other communities. Additionally, modules like the administration zome, which oversees administrative functions within the network, could be made more adaptable and reusable for other projects requiring similar administrative capabilities, such as entity status management (in our case, users, projects, and organizations).

I think some usable apps with open source code to copy will help move the ecosystem ahead.

Some reflections:

• The first build of a new type of application takes the time it takes.  If you can use open-source code from other projects for various modules within your app, go for it!  

• It’s a journey!  Enjoy the ride and the building of trust and relationships along the way.  What a gift!

• Write down your plan, keep it simple, and try to avoid “scope creep”!  

• Thoughts evolve and sometimes what felt stuck was just a good idea wanting to get discovered!

• Ask for help!  Sacha has been able to reach out on Dev.hc (Discord) and get some lovely advice.  Know that in the future, you will be that person to help others!

Hard but fun.  Share as much as possible, create code and documentation commons for all to make use of, to make the learning curves as short as possible.

Building innovative software, especially in the context of a Holochain project, requires an open mind and a willingness to let go of preconceptions. The process is dynamic, and adaptability is key. Listening is crucial, not just to your team but also to those who might one day use your hApp, listen to the pain points they have now and help resolve them. Engage with people who can provide insights into the real-world applications of your work. The process can be challenging and it most definitely isn’t linear so it's important to keep building, to persist even when you don’t know the solution. Every step, no matter how small, contributes to the larger vision. This approach turns the abstract into the tangible and helps transform innovative ideas into impactful solutions.

It's like opening Pandora's Box and unleashing a world of possibilities! When you start building something with cutting-edge technologies like Holochain or hREA, the doors to a new world of reinvention are opened. The best part? You get to do it in a better way! It's the ultimate fuel for creativity!

Work with end users as much as possible and improve their lives.

If you consider yourself a Holochain Advocate (willing to tangibly help others in the ecosystem in some manner), you can sign up for our public tests later this year.  And, if you are part of a Holochain project building hApps and tools, we want to hear from you, hear about what you are offering, and honor your requests for support!

And, if you have questions about the hApp, just ping Sam or Anita at the links below!

Thank you for all who’ve supported us with our MVP vision, and we hope that it will benefit many in the months to come!

If you would like to learn more about our hApp and code, here are the links:

Useful Links:

Contact Sam and Anita

Litepaper

Github Link/Requests and Offers

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🌟 Latest News from hAppenings.community

If you’re new to “What’s hAppening” and the hAppenings Community, WELCOME! We invite you to explore our website, hAppenings.community, our Holochain Project Database (searchable), and we would love if you would join our Discord Server!

On our website you can visit as someone who is Curious, or have more options to interact and get deeper information by deciding to be an Advocate for Holochain projects! hApp Creators are also super welcome!!! Come check us out!

Also, if you’ve you’d like to see a type of retrospective of Holochain projects, check out the back issues of this newsletter. It’s rather amazing! And we always appreciate new subscribers!

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🌟 Latest Official News and Events from Holochain and Holo

Event: Token2049 Singapore - September 18-19, 2024

The Holochain team is set to participate in TOKEN2049 in Singapore on September 18–19. This renowned global conference series serves as a hub where key players in the crypto ecosystem convene to share ideas, build networks, and influence the industry's direction.

Full Video: Carbon Economies and Regenerative Investing with Adam Bumpus -an interview by Mary Camacho

I chatted with Adam Bumpus, Co-Founder at IOEN Tech, about Carbon Economies and Regenerative Investing. Check out the full chat.

Join Holochain.org’s Developer Portal: https://developer.holochain.org/

For a complete listing of all of the Holo Ltd and Holochain Foundation events go to their ‘Upcoming Events’ page!

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🌟Latest News from the Holoverse:

Update: VollaPhone Kickstarter

The crowd funding campaign on Kickstarter for the Volla Phone Quintus…(has successfully completed as of 8/22/24). Production of the hardware is underway. Beta tests of the software have started. Awesome accessory (has) arrived.

We thank all our backers, our community and our partners, in particular Holochain, The UBports Foundation, hide.me VPN, StartMail and Startpage for great support, motivation and inspiration.

Blog #1: adappt.io is now adaptive-emergent (part 1 of 3): history by Mike Gamble

This series of blog posts starts off a new direction for an organisation that went from a going concern to a passion project, and the realisation that the name outlived its purpose.  

The first post is a recap of adappt and how we got here.

Blog #2: adappt.io is now adaptive-emergent (part 2 of 3): what's in a name by Mike Gamble

In the previous blog post, we reviewed what was adappt.io, from 2015 to 2024. In this article we explain why the brand has been updated to focus on applying natural designs to communication networks.

Note: Mike has been deeply rooted in the Holochain Ecosystem since 2018. This article shares some great insights into the growth of Holochain development in Australia!

Update- Hylo Release 5.9.0 - More Powerful Roles & Responsibilities - Tibet Sprague

We recently released a significant update to our group Roles & Responsibilities! Previously we just had one system role, Moderator, which gave all powers of group administration. Now, groups now have multiple roles that have specific responsibilities, and members can have multiple roles in a group. Roles can be assigned to members by group Administrators (see below).

There are 4 built in system Responsibilities: 

• Administration: super admin that can do everything and change all group settings

• Manage Content: can remove posts from the group, and edit the Explore page

• Remove Members: Can boot members from the group

• Add Members: has the ability to send invitations to the group and manage join requests. 

There are 3 built in common Roles that all groups have: -

• Coordinators have full Administration powers

• Moderators can Manage Content and Remove Members

• Hosts can Add Members

Groups can also add custom Roles that can include system responsibilities alongside custom responsibilities defined by the group. You manage all this in the Group Settings using the Responsibilities tab and Roles & Badges tab. 

Note that to change the icon and name of a system role like Coordinator you just create a new Role with the name and icon that you like, assign it the Administration responsibility and add that Role to the members you want. 

Now the list of Group Stewards that appears in the right sidebar of the group will show all members who have a responsibility of Administration, Manage Content, or Remove Members. We don't show people there who have the Add Members responsibility because that could be lots of people and is less important to highlight. 

You can still change the word used in the sidebar to describe these special members from Stewards to anything you like in the main Group Settings tab. 

This is just the beginning of what we are excited to explore with how roles and responsibilities get distributed in a group in more Prosocial ways.

Note: See our previous feature article on Hylo from June, 2023

Blog: How Do Digital Product Passports Remediate Climate? An Analysis in SDG terms by Scott Frankum

Data reporting regulations like Digital Product Passports (DPPs) are becoming clearer about how they support climate remediation, strategic autonomy, consumer power, and investor risk management. Current use cases focus on marketing, which means we must default to business analysis tools to understand the potential future. Over time, I believe we'll find that data reporting supports climate action, improves quality of life, and creates corporate value.

For more, go to the blog.

Note: Scott’s project, Sustafy, is currently being built using Holochain and has been featured previously in “What’s happening?”

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Volla Shop Community Offer!

Volla Systeme has also kindly offered the community two discount codes for their online shop!

Using ‘4EARLYBIRD’ at the checkout will give you:

10% discount on the Volla Tablet, including Volla OS! - (currently on pre-sale delivery is planned for October & November),

Using ‘4HOLO’ at the checkout will give you:

• 5% off the Volla Phone 22 (available for immediate delivery)

• 5% off the rugged Volla Phone X23 (deliveries restarting in August)

Note:  By using the 4HOLO code, you save an additional 5% and help to support hAppenings.community with the kind affiliate program from Dr. Wurzer and Volla Systeme GmbH.

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🌟Other Related News & Events

Key Moments - DWeb Camp 2024 (from Holochain’s Facebook Feed)

DWeb Camp 2024 wrapped up last week, and we're still thinking about migration and what distributed tech means in this context. Some key moments:

Eric Harris-Braun, demoed Moss from Lightningrod Labs.

Great conversations during Jarod Holtz and Rosalind Marino's workshop, "Solarpunk Stories: What is the DWeb For?"

We loved learning about our peers building projects like: BraidFS braid.org, Quiet tryquiet.org, Social Layer sociallayer.im, FarmOS farmos.org, Nos nos.social, ​​LinkedClaims linkedtrust.us, Identikey identikey.io, and Sprightly spritely.institute.

Article: Why are ‘green’ projects unattractive to capital? by Jon Stogan

(Shared by the Holochain Foundation on LinkedIn. Photo courtesy of Holochain 2024)

As the green movement gains momentum, it is crucial to examine the factors that make sustainability efforts seemingly unattractive to capital and to find solutions to the reliability and auditability of current regenerative approaches.

Through the insights of experts like Pete Corke, Director of Vision & Leadership at Kwaxala,  Professor William McCarthy at Michigan State University, and Arkology Studio co-founders Ross Eyre and Che Coelho, this article explores the complexities of the current economic paradigm and discover the opportunities for regenerative economics — all enabled by innovative accounting and new technical developments in data validation systems.

Announcement: Humane Intelligence is excited to announce an upcoming nationwide AI red-teaming exercise supported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

We are recruiting: 

• Individuals interested in red teaming models online OR in-person 

• Model developers building generative AI office productivity software, including coding assistants, text and image generators, research tools, and more.

• Our goal is to demonstrate capabilities to rigorously test and evaluate the robustness, security, and ethical implications of cutting-edge AI systems through adversarial testing and analysis. This exercise is crucial for helping to ensure the resilience and trustworthiness of AI technologies.

This event will demonstrate:

• A test of the potential positive and negative uses of AI models, as well as a method of leveraging positive use cases to mitigate negative. 

• The use of NIST AI 600-1 to explore GAI risks and suggested actions as an approach for establishing GAI safety and security controls. 

Why Participate? 

• Contribute to the advancement of secure and ethical AI. 

• Network with leading experts in AI and cybersecurity, including in U.S. government agencies. 

• Gain insights into cutting-edge AI vulnerabilities and defenses. 

• Participants in the qualifying red teaming event may be invited to participate in an all-expenses paid CAMLIS, scheduled for October 24-25, 2024 in Arlington, VA.

If you're a model owner or a red-teamer, sign up here. And, get more details and registration information here.

Learn more about ARIA

Event: Responsible Tech Summit: Ensuring Our Tech Future Is Aligned With Democracy on Monday, September 16, 2024, at SVA Theatre in New York City.

All Tech Is Human’s Responsible Tech Summit brings together stakeholders from across industry, civil society, academia, and government to discuss strategies to strengthen and broaden the Responsible Tech movement with a particular focus on how technology that is aligned with the public interest can strengthen democracies and human rights, especially for vulnerable populations.

 

Event: Zebu Live 2024 - October 10-11, 2024 - London, UK

“The highly anticipated Zebu Live, the UK’s largest Web3 conference, is returning 10th-11th October 2024. Organized by Flight3, a renowned Web3 marketing agency owned by Dragons' Den star Steven Bartlett, this year’s event promises to be an unparalleled experience, featuring industry giants like Coinbase, Solana, and Blockchain.com. Attendees can look forward to an inspiring lineup of speakers, including Steven Bartlett, Raoul Pal, Lord Holmes, and John Lilic.

The Holochain Foundation will be a sponsor of Zebu Live - London Web3 Conference, once again!

Also, here’s an article about the conference from CryptoDaily!

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Do You Have News & Updates?

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