About the app
Friends from the groups you’re already in
Familiar Faces is a friendship and groups app built on Kindling, an open protocol for finding people. It hosts no groups. It reads the Pools you already said yes to, at the library, a music venue, a songwriter’s own site, a festival, a mutual-aid network, and shows you the people who are in more than one of them, each under their own rules.
Who runs it
Familiar Faces is a small company in Port Ellery. Its site, with why we made it and what it won’t do, is at Familiar Faces’ site; the Monday email is shown there too. This page is the app’s own: what it reads, where its money comes from, and how to leave.
Contact: hello@familiarfaces.example. A person reads it.
In one line each
- Your groups. Every Pool that lists your page, from every place that keeps one.
- Your mutuals. People in more than one of your groups, with the groups named.
- This week. What your groups’ charters and hosts say happens, by date.
- The Monday email. One email a week §6.1. That’s the only thing Familiar Faces sends.
Where the money comes from
Free to use. Paid for by the libraries and clubs whose groups it reads. Nobody pays to be introduced, and nobody pays to be shown.
Libraries, clubs and co-ops already spend money on bringing people together. When their groups are easier to find, they get more of what they pay for, so they chip in, each a yearly amount it chooses. That money never buys a place in line: a group is read and shown the same way whether its host chips in or not. Nothing is charged at the connection layer §1.3.
If Familiar Faces helped you find a friend, you can say thanks afterward, with a note or a few dollars. Only after, never before, and never to see someone. The same words are on Familiar Faces’ site.
What is never for sale
- Being shown first, or at all.
- Seeing who looked at you. Nobody can, including us.
- Writing to someone whose rules say no.
- More than one email a week.
- Undoing, leaving, or starting over.
Compatibility
Which sites and Pools Familiar Faces reads
Every Pool in this world, by the site that keeps it, and what Familiar Faces does with it. 47 are read and 23 are not. Any client may read a public Pool §1.2 §3.5; these are the ones Familiar Faces chooses to, and why.
The rule, in five lines
- Every Pool that lists one of your pages is one of your groups, unless it is for dating or its keepers ask that no app read it.
- A page you keep under your own address counts as yours: theo-lindqvist.carrd.example/meals is Theo’s. v0.1 has no way to say so, so this is our reading.
- Unlisted Pools appear only if you give us the address. Invite-only Pools appear only to their own members. In this example nobody has given us either.
- Public friendship and community Pools nearby are shown as groups you could join, in a list that ends. We don’t guess what you’d like.
- Where a host has told app builders which apps should read a Pool, we follow it. v0.1 has no field for that either; the notes live outside the manifests.
| Pool | Visibility and tags | In Familiar Faces | In this example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindling · 5 Pools | |||
| Founding Curators | public · curating, founding-cohort | Read Read only for the people in it, never suggested: the Kindling project’s own working Pools. | · |
| Client Builders | public · building, open-source | Read Read only for the people in it, never suggested: the Kindling project’s own working Pools. | · |
| Spec Readers | public · spec-review, indieweb | Read Read only for the people in it, never suggested: the Kindling project’s own working Pools. | · |
| Toward a Working Group | public · governance | Read Read only for the people in it, never suggested: the Kindling project’s own working Pools. | · |
| Writers and Researchers | public · research, writing, journalism | Read Read only for the people in it, never suggested: the Kindling project’s own working Pools. | · |
| Many Moons · 3 Pools | |||
| Many Moons: Harbor Counties | public · non-monogamy, community, friendship, dating | Not read Tagged dating: Familiar Faces is for friends, so dating Pools stay out, public or not. | · |
| Solo Poly Supper Club | public · non-monogamy, solo-poly, friendship | Read public, and a friendship or community group. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | One Theo and June could join |
| The Orchard Street Household | unlisted · household, non-monogamy | Not read Unlisted: only if a member gives us its address, and none has. | · |
| Hearthhold · 3 Pools | |||
| Platonic Life Partners | public · platonic-partnership, chosen-family | Read Read only for the people in it, never suggested: not a friendship or community group. | · |
| Intentional Co-Parents | unlisted · co-parenting, chosen-family | Not read Unlisted: only if a member gives us its address, and none has. | · |
| Later-Life Housemates | public · housemates, later-life, friendship | Read public, and a friendship or community group. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | One Theo and June could join |
| Late Supper · 3 Pools | |||
| Late Supper Matchmakers | public · matchmaking, dating | Not read Tagged dating: Familiar Faces is for friends, so dating Pools stay out, public or not. | · |
| The Tuesday Table | unlisted · dating | Not read Tagged dating: Familiar Faces is for friends, so dating Pools stay out, public or not. | · |
| Second Chapters | unlisted · dating, second-chapters | Not read Tagged dating: Familiar Faces is for friends, so dating Pools stay out, public or not. | · |
| Scattered Light · 2 Pools | |||
| Scattered Light Stewards | public · peer-support, stewarding | Not read Peer support for a rare condition, with its own home. The stewards and the Heron circle are not a friends app’s to read. | · |
| The Heron | invite-only · peer-support | Not read Peer support for a rare condition, with its own home. The stewards and the Heron circle are not a friends app’s to read. | · |
| Foul Weather Friends · 4 Pools | |||
| Lend and Borrow | public · mutual-aid, lending, tools | Read Read only for the people in it, never suggested: asks and offers, which is Bellows’ kind of Pool. | In June’s groups |
| Rides to Appointments | public · mutual-aid, rides, carpool | Read Read only for the people in it, never suggested: asks and offers, which is Bellows’ kind of Pool. | In Theo’s groups |
| The Check-In Circle | unlisted · mutual-aid, check-ins, neighbors | Not read Its keepers ask that no app read it, and its address travels by hand. | · |
| Meals When It’s Hard | public · mutual-aid, meals, cooking | Read public, and its host names Familiar Faces. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | In Theo’s groups; One June could join |
| Midspan · 2 Pools | |||
| Midspan Mentors | public · mentorship, first-generation | Read Read only for the people in it, never suggested: asks and offers, which is Bellows’ kind of Pool. | · |
| Midspan Students | invite-only · mentorship, first-generation, students | Not read Invite-only: no app reads it for anyone outside it. If one of its members gave us its address, we would show it to its members only; none has. | · |
| Seen Work · 2 Pools | |||
| Seen Work: Harbor Trades | unlisted · trades, referrals, work | Not read Unlisted: only if a member gives us its address, and none has. | · |
| Seen Work Curators | public · trades, referrals, curating | Read Read only for the people in it, never suggested: asks and offers, which is Bellows’ kind of Pool. | · |
| The Board · 7 Pools | |||
| Tuesday Morning Walkers | public · walking, friendship | Read public, and a friendship or community group. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | In June’s groups; Asked Theo in |
| Seed and Cutting Swap | public · gardening, friendship | Read public, and a friendship or community group. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | In June’s groups; One Theo could join |
| Conversation Partners, Any Language | public · conversation, language-exchange, friendship | Read public, and a friendship or community group. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | One Theo and June could join |
| Carpool to the Coast | public · carpool | Read Read only for the people in it, never suggested: asks and offers, which is Bellows’ kind of Pool. | Asked Theo in |
| Chess After Close | public · chess, friendship | Read Read for its members, with a notice that it is resting. Nobody can be asked in while it has no keeper. | In Theo’s groups |
| New in Town | public · new-in-town, friendship | Read public, and a friendship or community group. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | In Theo’s groups; One June could join |
| Fix-It Friday Volunteers | public · repair, volunteering | Read public, and a friendship or community group. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | In June’s groups; One Theo could join |
| Ferry Room Players · 5 Pools | |||
| Friday Subs | public · sub, drums, bass, keys, guitar, music | Read Read only for the people in it, never suggested: asks and offers, which is Bellows’ kind of Pool. | In Theo’s groups |
| Start a Band: Port Ellery | public · band, music, friendship | Read public, and a friendship or community group. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | In Theo’s groups; One June could join |
| Horns and Strings for Records | public · horns, strings, session, music | Read Read only for the people in it, never suggested: asks and offers, which is Bellows’ kind of Pool. | · |
| Songwriters’ Demo Swap | public · songwriting, demos, music | Read public, and a friendship or community group. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | One Theo and June could join |
| Door and Sound Crew | public · crew, sound, volunteering, music | Read public, and a friendship or community group. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | One Theo and June could join |
| Correo Lento · 4 Pools | |||
| Español ↔ English | public · language-exchange, spanish, english, letters | Not read Letters between pen pals have their own home at the co-op. A friends app would add nothing but noise. | · |
| Português ↔ English | public · language-exchange, portuguese, english, letters | Not read Letters between pen pals have their own home at the co-op. A friends app would add nothing but noise. | · |
| Français ↔ English | public · language-exchange, french, english, letters | Not read Letters between pen pals have their own home at the co-op. A friends app would add nothing but noise. | · |
| Tagalog ↔ English | public · language-exchange, tagalog, english, letters | Not read Letters between pen pals have their own home at the co-op. A friends app would add nothing but noise. | · |
| The Circular · 1 Pool | |||
| Circular Correspondents | public · writing, editing, volunteering | Read public, and a friendship or community group. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | In June’s groups; One Theo could join |
| Drip Line · 5 Pools | |||
| Belay Partners | public · climbing, belay, partners | Read Read only for the people in it, never suggested: asks and offers, which is Bellows’ kind of Pool. | · |
| Tuesday Regulars | public · bouldering, climbing, friendship, regulars | Read public, and its host names Familiar Faces. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | · |
| The Saturday Run | public · running, friendship, regulars | Read public, and its host names Familiar Faces. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | · |
| New to Climbing | public · climbing, new-to-climbing, friendship | Read public, and its host names Familiar Faces. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | · |
| Thursday Night: Women and Nonbinary Climbers | unlisted · climbing, bouldering, women-and-nonbinary, friendship | Not read Its keepers ask that no app read it, and its address travels by hand. | · |
| Ada Quillon · 4 Pools | |||
| Ada Quillon’s Listeners | public · music, listening, friendship, songwriting | Read public, and a friendship or community group. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | In Theo’s groups; One June could join |
| Release Night: Kitchen Light at the Ferry Room, Friday 16 October | public · music, show, kitchen-light | Read public, and a friendship or community group. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | In Theo and June’s groups |
| House Show in Tacoma, Saturday 17 October | public · music, show, house-show, kitchen-light | Read public, and a friendship or community group. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | · |
| Portland, Friday 23 October | public · music, show, kitchen-light | Read public, and a friendship or community group. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | · |
| Rain Check · 6 Pools | |||
| Rain Check: Everyone | public · board-games, game-night, tabletop, rain-check, friendship | Read public, and its host names Familiar Faces. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | In Theo’s groups; One June could join |
| Port Ellery Thursdays | public · board-games, game-night, rain-check, port-ellery | Read public, and its host names Familiar Faces. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | In Theo’s groups; One June could join |
| Olympia Thursdays | public · board-games, game-night, rain-check, olympia | Read public, and its host names Familiar Faces. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | · |
| Tacoma Thursdays | public · board-games, game-night, rain-check, tacoma | Read public, and its host names Familiar Faces. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | · |
| Portland Thursdays | public · board-games, game-night, rain-check, portland, role-playing | Read public, and its host names Familiar Faces. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | · |
| Big Game Day | public · board-games, game-day, rain-check, rides, lending | Read Read only for the people in it, never suggested: asks and offers, which is Bellows’ kind of Pool. | · |
| Slack Water · 5 Pools | |||
| Slack Water 2026 | public · festival, slack-water, folk, maritime-music, friendship | Read public, and its host names Familiar Faces. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | In June’s groups; Asked Theo in |
| Slack Water 2025 | public · festival, slack-water, folk, maritime-music, friendship | Read Read for its members, with a notice that it is resting. Nobody can be asked in while it has no keeper. | · |
| Session Players | public · session, folk, fiddle, shanties, music | Read public, and its host names Familiar Faces. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | One Theo and June could join |
| Crew and Volunteers | public · volunteering, crew, sound, festival-crew | Read public, and its host names Familiar Faces. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | In June’s groups; One Theo could join |
| Rides Home | public · carpool, rides | Read Read only for the people in it, never suggested: asks and offers, which is Bellows’ kind of Pool. | · |
| Wren’s List · 1 Pool | |||
| Date-Me Docs: Cascadia | public · dating, date-me-doc | Not read Tagged dating: Familiar Faces is for friends, so dating Pools stay out, public or not. | · |
| Second Tide Books · 1 Pool | |||
| The Singles Shelf | public · dating, books | Not read Tagged dating: Familiar Faces is for friends, so dating Pools stay out, public or not. | · |
| Queer Harbor · 1 Pool | |||
| Queer Harbor: Dating | unlisted · dating, queer | Not read Tagged dating: Familiar Faces is for friends, so dating Pools stay out, public or not. | · |
| Face Up · 1 Pool | |||
| Face Up: Cascadia | public · dating | Not read Tagged dating: Familiar Faces is for friends, so dating Pools stay out, public or not. | · |
| Heartwood · 2 Pools | |||
| Heartwood: Nearby | public · dating | Not read Tagged dating: Familiar Faces is for friends, so dating Pools stay out, public or not. | · |
| Heartwood: Friends nearby | public · friendship | Read public, and a friendship or community group. Shown to its members, and to people nearby as a group they could join. | One Theo and June could join |
| Sundial · 1 Pool | |||
| Sundial: Cascadia | public · dating | Not read Tagged dating: Familiar Faces is for friends, so dating Pools stay out, public or not. | · |
| Card Catalog · 1 Pool | |||
| Card Catalog: Cascadia | public · dating | Not read Tagged dating: Familiar Faces is for friends, so dating Pools stay out, public or not. | · |
| Cape Tarrow Alumni · 1 Pool | |||
| Cape Tarrow First-Gen Alumni | public · mentorship, first-generation, alumni, careers | Read Read only for the people in it, never suggested: asks and offers, which is Bellows’ kind of Pool. | · |
What Familiar Faces will never do
- No streaks, no red dots, no badges. Nothing counts the days you opened it, and nothing on the screen asks to be cleared.
- No feed. Each screen is a list that ends: your groups, the people in more than one of them, this week, one email.
- No ranking and no score. People sit in the order they joined. Nobody is a percentage.
- No paid boosts, no paid placement. No person and no group can pay to be shown first, or at all.
- No countdowns or made-up deadlines. The only dates are the ones in a Pool’s charter or a request’s own window.
- No new profile, and no copied photos. Your page stays where you keep it. Portraits are drawn from what each person’s own page says, and never stored.
- No dating. Dating Pools stay out of Familiar Faces, even public ones, and nothing hints that they exist.
- No selling or sharing who you know. Familiar Faces keeps your email address and your page’s address, and nothing else.
How to leave
Leave a group: one button, wherever the group is named in the app, and one link per group in every Monday email. Familiar Faces sends the withdrawal to the group’s keeper §5.3; it takes effect within sixty seconds, and nobody is told why.
Leave Familiar Faces: one button, on the You screen. We delete your email address and your page’s address. Nothing else was ours.
What stays with you
- Your page, wherever you keep it.
- Your groups. They live with the places that keep them, and you stay in every one until you leave it.
- Your mutuals’ addresses. They are on their own pages, not in Familiar Faces.
- Your conversations. They went by email §6.1, so they are in your inbox.