Communication Channels
Our communication is structured to balance deep, asynchronous work with fast-paced, real-time coordination. To achieve this, we use two primary tools for different purposes. This page is your guide to navigating our digital campus.
| Tool | Purpose | Accessibility |
|---|---|---|
| The Commons | Asynchronous Discussion & Proposals (Zulip) | Public. Anyone can join. |
| Private groups | Real-time Coordination & Chat (Signal) (Important decisions must be summarized in Commons) | Private. Invite-only within specific teams. |
The Commons: Our Asynchronous Hub
Section titled “The Commons: Our Asynchronous Hub”All formal proposals, long-form discussions, and async team updates happen on our self-hosted Zulip instance. It is our “town square” — the permanent, public record of our work.
➡️ Join the W3PN Commons: commons.w3pn.org
Why Zulip?
Section titled “Why Zulip?”Zulip’s threaded topic model is perfect for focused, asynchronous work. It prevents important conversations from being buried, making it the ideal place for decisions that require thought and an auditable history.
Key Streams
Section titled “Key Streams”This is not a complete list, but these are the most important streams for new contributors to know. Private streams are only visible to Members or specific roles.
| Stream | Purpose |
|---|---|
| #general | Your starting point. Introduce yourself, ask general questions, and engage in casual conversation. |
| #proposals | The primary venue for discussing active Formal Proposals submitted by community members. |
| #governance | For broader meta-discussions about our constitution, processes, and how we work together. |
| #comms | For the Communications Guild. Used to coordinate public announcements and social media. |
| #events | For planning and coordinating community events, both online and offline. |
| #infra | For the Infrastructure Guild. Used for public updates and discussion about our shared tech resources. |
| #labs | For experimental ideas, R&D, and projects that are in their earliest stages. |
| #merch | For coordinating the design and creation of W3PN merchandise. |
| #partnerships | For discussing potential collaborations with other organizations and projects. |
| #research | For the core research team to discuss findings, papers, and data-driven projects. |
Ops Rooms: Real-Time Coordination
Section titled “Ops Rooms: Real-Time Coordination”For fast-paced, day-to-day coordination and informal real-time chat, individual teams use private Signal groups. These are our “workshops” — secure, ephemeral spaces for teams to stay in sync.
How to Join
Section titled “How to Join”Access to these private groups is not public. You will be invited to the relevant Signal group(s) after you officially join an Internal Working Group or a Recognized Ecosystem Project.