Support Us
Keep Common Ground independent, ad-free, and focused on people.
Who is “Us”?
Hi, I’m Brandon.
Right now, “us” is just me. I’m a solo developer with no team and no funding. I work a day job as a systems manager, and I like to build things in my free time.
I’m building Common Ground because I thought it up and it felt like something worth building.
But “us” also means everyone who chooses to use this project, since the goal is to make this a tool anyone can use someday.
It’s for communities who want their products to be driven by ads, algorithms, or profit motives.
What Was the Idea?
Common Ground started with a simple thought: what if the goal of this tool was not to make money, but to bring back communities, giving us a map and an opportunity to get back to real-world connection?
The idea is to make it easier to signal who you are, what you stand for, and share ideas with people near you.
All without an algorithm you have to fight with, and without having to share your personal details to do it.
Why Make This?
Most online spaces are built around engagement metrics, not human well-being. Common Ground exists because I think there’s more value in helping neighbors meet, helping ideas spread locally, and helping friendships form than just getting rich.
This isn’t a way to get anyone rich.
It’s a way to give people the opportunity to not be divided and sold for their differences, but instead to come together and grow based on commonalities like where you live and what you like.
What Makes It Useful?
- Your Area: You’ll only interact with people nearby; they share your roads, weather, and community issues.
- No Algorithm: Your ideas are shown fairly alongside others; there’s no system that promotes anything.
- Community-Driven: Your name isn’t attached to an idea. Once an idea is in the area, the community decides what’s worth discussing or promoting.
- Human Nuance: Profiles provide context so people can better recognize commonalities and differences (nuance that’s usually lost online).
Aren't all social sites free?
Not exactly. Most sites collect and sell your data, then subtly adjust what you see and who you interact with to keep you predictable and valuable to the buyers of that data.
No tracking. No paywalls. This site is designed to give you maximum usefulness with no data used for anything beyond core functionality. What you see is what everyone else sees.
That said, because there’s no revenue model, if people like the idea, together we’ll need to cover a bit of server cost. So if you want a world where this exists without paywalled dating apps, companies tracking and manipulating you, or meeting people so far away you can’t actually meet them, please consider helping support this idea.
Help Us Support This Idea
There are three ways you can help keep this project alive. Help me as a creator and maintainer of the project. Help the servers stay online. Or just share this idea and site with other people to get the word out. I don't have a network of people or money to advertise this idea.
Support me
Say thanks and help me keep building tools that strengthen human connection.
Support the Project
Keep the servers running and the platform alive for everyone. 100% goes toward infrastructure.
Share the Idea
Help this reach more people by sharing a link with friends or in your community.
Your support, whether a kind word, a recurring contribution, or a one-time boost, makes the difference between Common Ground staying small or growing into something that truly serves whole communities.