* * *
Seeking truth and tired of lies?
* * *
Yearning for freedom to communicate?
* * *
Tired of corruption and fraud?
* * *
Don't want to feed 'Big Tech' with your daily life?
* * *
Don't want to risk trusting random people
* * *
No desire for censorship?
* * *

... then why not build up your own little "network" and grow in a natural manner with people you care about, focus on things in your real life and environment, unplug and get off the grid! Be a part of the Movement!

Only dead fish go with the flow,
if you want to find the source
you have to swim upstream.


  • 2024-11-01 Added revision history.
  • 2024-08-22 Added Tribe interactive.
  • 2024-08-18 Initial version.

Table of content:

Footer
Project Tribe
Tribe features
Messaging
Filesharing
Audio / Video Broadcasts
Audio / Video Calls
Intaractive Snippets
Location Service
Planned features
Tribe features by app
App features
Tribe Apps
Chief Chief
Chief Wanderer
Chief Elder
Chief Servant
Chief Shaman
Chief Deed
Chief Colony
Chief Tribe Server
Tribe Explained
Apps by Operating System
FAQ
Glossary
Footer

Project Tribe

Project Tribe is a cross-platform solution simplifying the process of creating, organizing and managing pure P2P network groups (also called NetGroup or Mesh). Unlike common P2P platforms, Tribe does not utilize any server storing or holding data transfered between peers. Therefore, we call it a pure, (serverless), peer to peer system (P3).

A short digression: You might wonder why is there then a Tribe Server. A Tribe Server is only required if you tend to make your Tribe publicly accessible within the internet, besides that, a Tribe Server is a so-called Rendezvous Server which sole task is to connect peers with each other.
References: Tribe Server FAQ: Serverless

NetGroups can be established either in a safe, private local network environment ( LAN) or in the publicly accessible internet. A well-configured and with features equipped NetGroup is called a Tribe.

A tribe can be a single as well a structured formation of Meshes. Each Tribe has exactly one entry point, an initial NetGroup (The Gate); configured with some features forms the Gate Mesh.

A Tribe is represented and accessible by its unique Tribe Uri.

With the idea of simplifying and supporting the process of building self-sufficient and autarchic P3 communities, largely avoiding external dependencies to external resources, the developement and design of Tribe was kept as abstract as possible. Hence, Tribe is versatile and might be useful not only just for that.

Usage Examples:

Tribe Apps and their main purpose:
Chief Creating Tribes. Can visit other Tribes as well.
Wanderer For Tribe hopping, visiting other Tribes.
Elders For Tribe hopping, visiting other Tribes. (Reduced UI)
Servant Assists a Tribe's Chief with message delivery for offline users. Servants can visit other Tribes as well.
Shaman Assists a Tribe's Chief with auto-responding to queries. Shamans can visit other Tribes as well.
Deed Dedicated app for the 'Ias' feature. Deed has not the ability to join Tribes but a Tribe's Backstages.
Colony Dedicated app for the 'Locations' feature. Colony has not the ability to join Tribes but a Tribe's Backstages.
Tribe Server Makes Tribes accessible within the internet.

Note: For the ease of testing, Wanderer, Elders, Shaman and Servant have the same features as the Chief app, at this stage of development.

Note to dedicated apps: For convenience reasons, some of the Chief App features have been additionally externalized to individual and independently running apps (Ias -> Deed and Locations -> Colony). This allows a Chief to outsource some tasks not only to parallel running applications but also to other users, while focusing on the actual tasks or activities of his Tribe.

Tribe Features

Messaging

Message delivery types:

There are basically two different ways how messages get transmitted.

Message content types:

There are basically two different content types for messages. The Tribe chief determines which of the two is active. Each mesh can be configured individually.

Message attachments:

Enhanced messages facilitate authorized or all clients, depending on the Chiefs Mesh configuration, to embed, attach or link data. The Tribe owner (Chief) specifies limits and defines the kind of data or information which can be attached.

Type of attachments:

Audio / Video Broadcasts (Streaming)

You can stream flv, mp4 videos, your devices camera and/or microphone to other members within a NetGroup.
NOTE:
Every member within a mesh is able to subscribe to streams. In contrast to the calling feature, Braodcasts will be streamed over the mesh to all connected members. It is up to the Chief by configuring a NetGroup and enable, allow all or allow specific members only to stream. Each of the meshes can be configured individually.

Configuration options:
Scenarios:
News Channel, Radio Station (One to many), Podium discussion (inviting people onto the stage), ...

TIP:
Utilize the virtual cameras of your streaming Software for a more professional environment.

Audio / Video Calls

Other than broadcasts, a call will not utilize the mesh to connect two clients with each other but establish a direct connection between these two peers.

NOTE:
A call can only be made if the two clients join at least one of the same Tribes.
NOTE/TIP:
I'm considering to setup a dedicated public call center Tribe where people can subscribe if they want to be reachable by anyone. Of course, you can as well create a call center by yourself.

Filesharing

With filesharing enabled, members or authorized clients are able to share files of any size. It is also called 'Object replication'. Object replication uses the full transitive connectivity of the group’s self-organized structure. It replicates objects through the group from nodes that have the objects to nodes that need the objects.
Tribe uses different ways of sharing files. Global filesharing allows users to prepare files for sharing and reuse them within different meshes. Whereby meshed shared files are only available for that specific mesh. You may consider global filesharing if you often share the same file or intend to share a big file within more than one mesh.
This feature can be set and configured by the Chief for each mesh separately.

Configuration options:

Interactive Snippets

An interactive snippet (Short: Ias) is a static shared and responsive document. Like a form sheet, it can contain different kind of input fields. Once published to one of the Chiefs Tribe Meshes, Users are empowered to interact with it and submit their data. The Chief can configure the Ias so that data is sent either only to him, to authorized clients or to all members of a NetGroup. An Ias can not only contain input fields but controls for displaying the submitted data too. The data can be displayed either by charts or tables. The received data will be stored in so-called data providers and can be used for further processing. Furthermore, the Chief can decide which of the fields and controls are visible to whom. He can choose between: 'Chief only', 'Members only', 'Both' or 'None'.

NOTE: However, interactive snippets can of course also be used as simple non-interactive snippets.

Available controls:
INFO: Ias'es can not only be created out of the Chief app but with the dedicated app called Deed, as well.

Example usage scenarios:

Locations

Locations is a feature allowing a Chief to share virtual or real-world places to members within a Mesh. Spots can be visualized as points, paths or areas. Real-world or virtual locations, both of them are always bound to real-world longitude/Latitute encoded locations. It is especially usefully if you use the location feature in real world scenarios; visitors are then able to use their GPS (Global Positioning System) to be directly linked and shown on the map.
In case of virtual locations your visitors have to navigate manually.

Scenarios:

Planned features

Marketplace

A marketplace where you and your visitors are able to share any kind of things.

Intended features:
  • Create your own tribe wide currency.
  • Features supporting optimized demand and supply control.
  • Exchange by valued objects.

Web3 Bridge

An integrated bridge from Tribe market to Web3.

Intended features:
  • Sell / Buy / Exchange Tribe wide currencies to a global coin.

Tribe features by app

Feature / App
Chief Chief
Wanderer Wanderer
Elder Elders
Servant Servant
Shaman Shaman
Deed Deed
Colony Colony
Tribe Server Tribe Server
Multiple Badges
Backstage Sharing
Create, Manage, Tribes and Lodges
Messaging
File Sharing
Broadcasting
Calls
Create Locations
Locations
Snippets
Create Interactive Snippets (Ias)
Events
Contacts

App features

Features all Cokkoc apps share.

Unified User Interface

The unified user interface shall give you a kind of familiar feeling to intuitively find the things you are looking for. The user interface is mainly split up into the following areas:

Common features

Tribe Apps

Chief Chief

The “Chief” app could be described as the main app of Project Tribe. It does not only have all the features the other Tribe apps have, but is particularly designed for creating and running tribes. Creating a tribe is the process of configuring a Gate Mesh and publish or sharing the automatically generated Tribe Uri with others. You can create and run as many Tribes in parallel as you desire. Nonetheless, a Chief can as all the other Tribe apps, visit other Tribes.

Chief specific features

Wanderer Wanderer

Wanderer is made for visiting Tribes. It is a relatively thin app and therefore ideal for mobile devices. With Wanderer you have all the features you need to visit your favourite Tribes.

Elder Elder

Elders is the thinest of all Tribe Apps and therefore ideal for mobile devices. In contrast to the Wanderer, the Elders has a reduced (less stressful) UI and implemented feature set. It is optimized for Users likely to stay within a single Tribe at a time.

Servant Servant

Servant is an assistive client to the Tribe. It's an entity within a Mesh serving other members relay direct message or synchronizing missed messages. It integrates a sync and / or relay service. As Tribe is a P3 Solution, there are no intermediate data servers involved. A servant is a kind of data holder and act like a post office if you will. By default, without assigning a Servant, direct message will be simply queued and transmitted when both parties, sender and recipient are online.

NOTE: You can take your own servant with you while hopping around.

Shaman Shaman

A Shaman is an assistive client to the Tribe. It's an entity within a Mesh serving other members with automated tasks. It integrates a trigger service.
A Shaman is meant to be a wise entity within a Tribe who has answers for everything.

Backed by a Database you can build up a collection of snippets to feedback to the mesh when triggered by a request in form of a keyword.

Scenarios:
  • Introduction purposes.
  • Sharable knowledge base (e.g. Wiki).
  • Help replies.
  • ...

Deed Deed

Deed is the dedicated app for creating Interactive Snippet feature section. Creating Interactive Snippets is an exclusive feature implemented within the Chief app. Deed might be helpful if you want to outsource the process of creating snippets or simply want to do it in a parallel running app still being able taking care of your other tribe activities.

Colony Colony

Colony is the dedicated app for the Locations feature. Creating fiktive or geographical bound location objects is an exclusive feature included in the Chief app. Colony might be helpful for a Chief to outsource the process of creating locations.

Tribe Server Tribe-Server-Manager

Tribe Server is a so-called Rendezvous Server. Its sole and only job is to connect peers with each other. No data is floating over or through the server! For this reason it consumes minimal server bandwidth and system resources.
Tribe itself does not rely on a rendezvous server as long as you run your Tribe in a local area network (LAN). Tribe has the ability to automatically locate peers and connect them with each other. It's called local discovery or LAN peer discovery.
If you decide to make your Tribe publicly accessible within the internet, you either utilize one of the public Tribe Server's available or simply run your own.
Whether or not running a publicly accessible Tribe you can utilize a Tribe server as well in your private local network environment. Tribe Server has some additional useful features you might want to consider.
  • Web-Server
  • Media-Server, (supported formats: MP4 FLV, F4V TS HLS ADTS, AAC, MP3 SubRip, VTT)
  • Supported protocols: HTTP/S, WebSocket (TLS), STUN, RTMP(E), RTMFP, SRT, RTP
  • Highly customizable by LUA script applications.

NOTE: Tribe Server sits on top of MonaServer, the excellent work of Mathieu Poux and Thomas Jammet.
Websites:
https://www.monaserver.ovh
https://github.com/MonaSolutions/MonaServer2

Tribe Explained


Apps by Operating System

Desktop = Linux, MacOS, Windows;
Mobile = Android, iOS;
All = Desktop, Mobile;
Note to Linux: Ubuntu only, at the moment.

App OS Remarks
Chief All Recommended: Desktop
Wanderer All Reduced feature set
Elders All Reduced feature set, Reduced UI
Servant All Recommended: Desktop
Shaman All Recommended: Desktop
Deed All Recommended: Desktop
Colony All Recommended: Desktop
Tribe Server Desktop

FAQ

Note to the nerds: Please do understand, I try to explain some terms in a non-technical way for the broader audience.

Local Discovery or also called LAN peer discovery is the ability to automatically locate peers within a local area network (LAN) and connect them with each other.

A Peer, sometimes also called Node or Client is a member of a NetGroup, a Tribe or Lodge mesh.

A P2P Network, Mesh or NetGroup is the compound structure of peers. It's a topology used to organize nodes into a network, so they can transmit data between each other. There is a path between every peer in a NetGroup. There may not be a direct connection between two peers, but there is always a path through other peers.
In contrasts to a client-server model, there is no central server dealing with all kinds of stuff. E.g. data does not need to be sent to the server to be distributed to each client.

Tribe is meant to be a space for keeping a group of things connected and allow them to interact with each other without restrictions. Things can be literally just anything. You can just link up your devices, keep your family connected, people with same interests, ... it't just limited by your imagination.

Lodges are simply subgroups within a Tribe but only accessible via the gate of a Tribe, otherwise they have the same functionality.

A Tribe Uri is similar to what you usually enter in your web browser's address field navigating to a website. Tribe has its own style. It looks something like that:

tribe://tribe-server.cokkoc.com/?GS=...

To allow others to join your Tribe you usually share your Tribe's uri.

Glossary

Cross-platform
Cross-platform is the ability of software applications to operate on multiple operating systems (OS) or hardware. Pleas check Tribe Apps by OS for an overview of all the Cokkoc Apps.
Peer, Node, Client, Member
Are interchangeable terms for an actively participating item within a Peer to Peer Mesh.
P2P
Stands for Peer to Peer.
P3
Stands for Pure Peer to Peer.
NetGroup, Mesh
Are interchangeable terms for a group of Peers connected virtually directly with each other.
Ias
Abbreviation for 'Interactive Snippet'.