Ida B. Wells Media (MDN) Defense Network

Compromiso de Resistencia:
Defender los Medios Independientes y Populares

Nosotros, los abajo firmantes, nos comprometemos a solidarizarnos con todos los locutores independientes y comunitarios comprometidos con la verdad, la justicia y la liberación. En un momento en que los medios corporativos ahogan la disidencia y la presión gubernamental busca silenciar las voces radicales, afirmamos que las ondas pertenecen al pueblo, no a los poderosos.

El legado de la radiodifusión independiente y no comercial —desde la fundación de la red Pacifica en oposición a la guerra y al racismo, hasta las luchas actuales en el frente por la justicia económica, racial, de género y ambiental— debe ser protegido y expandido, no socavado ni privatizado.

Por lo tanto, nos comprometemos a:

  • Afirmar que la libertad de expresión y el decir la verdad de forma radical son esenciales para la democracia, no privilegios que puedan ser revocados.

  • Defender a los medios independientes contra la censura, la interferencia política y la captura corporativa.

  • Apoyar las voces y los medios comunitarios que amplifican los movimientos por la paz, los derechos de los trabajadores, la justicia racial y las luchas de liberación en todo el mundo.

  • Resistir cualquier intento de silenciar o marginar a los locutores, periodistas y productores progresistas mediante la intimidación, los recortes presupuestarios o la manipulación administrativa.

  • Movilizar a nuestras comunidades —a través de peticiones, manifestaciones, recaudación de fondos y organización— para salvaguardar la integridad e independencia de los medios del pueblo.

Asumimos este compromiso con el espíritu de quienes creen que otros medios —y otro mundo— son posibles.

Si está de acuerdo, firme aquí:

Al firmar a continuación, usted o su organización firman El Compromiso y se convierten en miembros de Ida B. Wells MDN, que incluye beneficios adicionales de membresía, como una comunidad de base en línea completa, en caso de que opte por utilizarla.

Set your personal URL.
After submission, please check for a confirmation email.
Repeat your email address by typing it again here.
Enter your desired password.
Repeat your password.
Will be shown publicly; monikers may be acceptable.
When used publicly, will be shown as its initial.
Individuals and organizations require separate registrations.
That is registering OR that you are listing as an affiliation.
May be shown publicly according to your privacy settings.
May be shown publicly according to your privacy settings.
What would you like to say about the Ida B. Wells Pledge of Resistance?
Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.

Please check your email to verify your sign-up. You’ll soon be among the first in our new Grassroots Online Community!

New members are currently being added to a priority waitlist and will be granted access as soon as the community goes live.

–Coming Soon: More Member Benefits– Tools to Publish on the Site, Resources, and an Action-Oriented, Grassroots Online Community



Member Benefits, FAQ

What is the Ida B. Wells MDN Grassroots Online Community (GOC)

The Grassroots Online Community is an open-source platform designed to host a purpose-driven online space where members can interact with each other and, optionally, publish content publicly, to members only, or within groups. A Trial Online Community Membership will grant early access to edit pledge/registration data (on your profile page) and will provide a preview of forthcoming features, including participation in a staged launch.

What is Evolution Platform (EP) and what are its features?

Evolution Platform (EP) is a modular, open-source-enabled environment that hosts Grassroots Online Communities (GOCs). EPs are educational, non-profit, or community-owned, with democratically controlled GOC components. They facilitate true community work—education, collaboration, and problem solving—rather than mass social networking or data monetization.

Some features include (many of the links below will only work for approved members):

  • • No monetization of your data.
  • • Privacy controls (on your profile page or wherever you post content).
  • • Your Own Space, a fully featured profile page.
  • • Activity streams (community and mine).
  • • Multimedia posting capabilities (photos & albums, audio & video, docs & files) where you can publish to your profile, a group, or a page.
  • • Pages and tools for posting content.
  • • Integrated live notifications, private messages (real-time chat).
  • • The ability to interact with members (friends).
  • • Formation and participation in groups.
  • • Work integration (job/opportunity board).
  • • Member classifieds listings.
  • • Task management and reminder tools (shared and private).
  • • Polls.
  • • Events (posting and RSVPs).
  • • Video conferencing (under development; requires additional community resources and funding).
  • • Integrated Idea Channel (IC).
  • • Integrated Funding Channel (FC).
  • • Integrated Learning Channel (LC).
  • • Integrated Media Channel (MC) integrations.
  • And, much more!

Read our Privacy Policy, all of the Community Conventions and policies. These conventions are subject to change in the future, and members will be notified.

What are the core Community Conventions?

Community Conventions

You agree to:

  1. • Be just.

  2. • Be fair.

  3. • Be honest and of goodwill.

  4. • Keep all information here.

    – No posting / sharing of content from here to elsewhere without the full permission of those involved (authors and subjects), and with full transparency as to the authors, subjects, and the specific permission given. Any permission given may be revoked at any time by the authors (or possibly the subjects), and any external posts or data stores must be purged of that data if revoked by the author and/or subject. No list compilation or lead generation outside of approved, platform-residing, opt-in subscription systems. No search engine snippets allowed beyond Ida B. Wells MDN approved infrastructure. No tracking and no data mining, ever!

  5. • Be who you say you are.

    – You may use a nickname/moniker solely to protect your privacy and not to impersonate someone. If you are uncomfortable with what you are being asked, you may refuse to answer. Additionally, you agree not to share your credentials/account access with others. One individual, one account.

  6. • Respect privacy.

  7. • Be your word.

    – AKA, Keeping your word.

Read our Privacy Policy, all of the Community Conventions and policies. These conventions are subject to change in the future, and members will be notified.

What is Trial Online Community Membership?

A Trial Online Community Membership provides a preview of the upcoming online community and lets you edit the pledge and registration information you submit, helping you gauge participation before committing to full membership.

How can I earn Full Community Membership?

Full Community Membership will be earned after your Evolution Platform profile fields reach 80% completion and you have added an avatar and a cover image. The fields on this Pledge and Registration form are part of your profile, and additional fields are also located on your profile. From time to time, the community may add or change profile fields, which may temporarily limit your Trial Access privileges until your profile meets the required level of completion.

What data is collected and who can see it?

We will not sell or trade your private data. However, your username (personal URL), your first name, and the initial of your last name, along with any fields you choose to make public on your profile, will be publicly visible. All other content you publish (such as posts, replies, and comments you choose to make public) will follow the visibility options you select: Public, Site Members, Friends Only, or Only Me. All information you submit can be edited from your online community profile or from the form where you posted it. If you need help, please open a support request.

Read our Privacy Policy, all of the Community Conventions and policies. These conventions are subject to change in the future, and members will be notified.

Where can I manage privacy and visibility settings?

Privacy and visibility controls are available on your profile and apply to all content types you publish, such as posts, pages, media, and groups. You can set visibility to Public, Site Members, Friends Only, or Only Me.

Read our Privacy Policy, all of the Community Conventions and policies. These conventions are subject to change in the future, and members will be notified.

Why is there is a "username/Personal URL" field on The Pledge and Registration Form? What is a Personal URL, why do I need one, and can it be changed later?

Your username is a unique identifier that controls your location within our Grassroots Online Community (GOC). Our GOC uses usernames in user-profile URLs (personal URLs) — users usually want to have control over this.

As you type your username you will see a preview of what your GOC location will be below the username form field. That preview will look like…
Your URL will be this:
https://idabwellsmediadefense.org/goc/my-username

This helps protect your privacy by avoiding a user-chosen name you might not want publicly revealed. Your GOC profile page and activity stream URL will include your username. Some members prefer a custom, easy-to-share URL (a personal URL). After your membership is approved and you become a Full Community Member, you may change your username.

Note: You can change your username on your Profile page under the Account tab. Be aware that changing your username can break existing links you’ve shared and may cause temporary issues with search results as they re-index to the new URL.

Read our Privacy Policy, all of the Community Conventions and policies. These conventions are subject to change in the future, and members will be notified.

Why is the First Name field required and can I use an alias, nickname or moniker?

The First Name field is required because it will be shown publicly within the Grassroots Online Community (GOC) and on content you post. If you prefer, you may use a nickname or moniker in accordance with the Community Conventions, provided it does not impersonate someone else and remains appropriate for public viewing.

Read our Privacy Policy, all of the Community Conventions and policies. These conventions are subject to change in the future, and members will be notified.

Why is the Last Name field required and can I use an alias, nickname or moniker?

The Last Name field is required because, when displayed publicly, the last name will appear as its initial to balance attribution with privacy within the Grassroots Online Community (GOC) and on content you post. Monikers may be acceptable under the Community Conventions, as long as they do not impersonate someone else and align with policy.

Read our Privacy Policy, all of the Community Conventions and policies. These conventions are subject to change in the future, and members will be notified.

I see that there are City and Country fields on The Pledge and Registration Form. What about location privacy?

The Pledge and your participation represent a public stance against media oppression. We may publicly display your first name, last name initial, city, and country as part of this stance. However, sharing your location could put you at risk in regions ruled by authoritarian regimes, so the city and country fields are optional and you can control their visibility on your profile page. If disclosing your general location could jeopardize your safety, you may choose not to enter data for these fields. Note: The country field defaults to United States; if you do not want to share your country, select “None (no selection made)” at the top of the dropdown.

Likewise, you may use a nickname or alias to protect your privacy, as long as you are not impersonating someone else.

Read our Privacy Policy, all of the Community Conventions and policies. These conventions are subject to change in the future, and members will be notified.

Explain why there is an "Organization" and "Individual" "Membership Type", how they are used?

For privacy and data separation, organizations and individuals require separate registrations. Organization memberships must be created with an organizational email address that cannot be the same as any other email address used to register other members. If you are registering yourself and your organization (as authorized by the organization), please create two memberships. This is important because if an individual leaves an organization and their personal email address is used, or personal content is published, there would be no way to separate the data. While multiple individuals affiliated with an organization can each be Grassroots Online Community members, there can be only one account for the organization that they are all a part of.

Read our Privacy Policy, all of the Community Conventions and policies. These conventions are subject to change in the future, and members will be notified.

What is the "Organization/Affiliation" field and how do I use it?

This field serves two related purposes. If you are an:

  • • Individual wanting to state your affiliation with an organization, in the prior field “Membership Types” you will select “Individual”. Then, in this “Organization/Affiliation” field, you will enter the name of the organization you are affiliated with. This helps show that you are the signer in contexts such as petitions (e.g., Signed. First Name Last Initial, Organization).
  • • Organization wanting to have an organizational membership, in the prior field “Membership Types”, you will select “Organization”. Then, in this “Organization/Affiliation” field, you will enter the name of the organization seeking membership. This helps show that the organization is the signer in petition contexts (e.g., Signed. Organization, by First Name Last Initial).

What is the significance of the Public Endorsement?

The Public Endorsement field provides a space to share a personal statement or endorsement of the Ida B. Wells Pledge of Resistance. This is your opportunity to take a public stand. This endorsement may be published publicly with your profile and content, depending on your visibility settings. Endorsements should be respectful and in keeping with the Community Conventions.

Read our Privacy Policy, all of the Community Conventions and policies. These conventions are subject to change in the future, and members will be notified.

Isn't an Online Community just another kind of Social Media?

No. Online Communities predate modern social media and were not designed to monetize participation or extract personal data. Ida B. Wells MDN Grassroots Online Community aims to empower members to collaborate, solve problems, and build true community without selling or exploiting personal data.

Read our Privacy Policy, all of the Community Conventions and policies. These conventions are subject to change in the future, and members will be notified.

What could cause GOC login, registration, or password reset to fail, and what should I try first?

Grassroots Online Community (GOC) login, registration, and password reset issues without an error code are often related to browser, device, or network conditions. If you’re unable to log in or reset a password, try these first steps before contacting support:

  • • Use a modern, up-to-date browser (latest versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari). Avoid outdated browsers.
  • • Temporarily disable VPNs or proxies and test again.
  • • Clear your browser cache and cookies, then reload the page.
  • • Ensure cookies are enabled as required by the site.
  • • Check that your device clock/time is accurate; an incorrect time can affect secure sign‑in processes.
  • • Disable browser extensions that block scripts or tracking (ad blockers, privacy shields) and try again.
  • • If you’re on a, public, corporate or school network, test on a home connection to rule out network blocks.

If the issue persists after these steps, please open a support request with details (device, OS, browser, any error code, and approximate time) so we can investigate further.

What should I do if I’m having trouble with the Password and Verify Password fields?

To set your password, you must meet the minimum length and ensure both fields match exactly. Here are common tips to avoid issues:

  • • Passwords must be at least 10 characters long.
  • • Use the eye icons to verify what you’re typing, then confirm that both fields match exactly.
  • • You can copy/paste your password from a password manager into both fields, but be careful to avoid leading/trailing spaces or hidden characters.
  • • If paste causes issues, try typing the password manually once to confirm correctness, then paste again if needed.
  • • If problems persist, disable any browser extensions that might interfere with form inputs and try again (or test in a different browser).

If the issue persists after these steps, please open a support request with details (device, OS, browser, any error code, and approximate time) so we can investigate further.

What should I do if I’m having trouble with Email and Verify Email fields?

You can paste an address into the Email field, but Verify Email requires you to type the address manually to confirm accuracy.

  • • If the two addresses do not match, you will not be able to submit. Re-type carefully, or paste the address into Email and type the same address in Verify Email.
  • • Make sure there are no leading/trailing spaces and that the email format looks valid (name@example.com).
  • • If your clipboard manager or autofill inserts extra characters, disable it for the Verify Email field and type the address yourself.

If the issue persists after these steps, please open a support request with details (device, OS, browser, any error code, and approximate time) so we can investigate further.

What should I do if I can’t submit because the "Sign The Pledge and Register as a Member" button is disabled (greyed out)?

The form requires you to agree to both the Community Conventions and the Privacy Policy before submission. If the “Sign The Pledge and Register as a Member” button is disabled (greyed out) or shows a cursor: 🚫, make sure both checkboxes are checked:

  • • I agree to the Community Conventions.
  • • I agree to the Privacy Policy.

If you’ve checked both and the button remains disabled, try the following:

  • • Refresh the page and re-check both boxes.
  • • Disable browser extensions that might block script events.
  • • Try a different browser or device to test compatibility.
  • • Clear your browser cache and cookies, then try again.

If the issue persists after these steps, please open a support request with details (device, OS, browser, any error code, and approximate time) and steps to reproduce so we can investigate further.

Can I export or delete my data?

Members may request data export or deletion in accordance with community policy and platform capabilities.

Export Your Community Data

• You can download a complete copy of all the data you have shared in this Grassroots Online Community (GOC). This includes posts, messages, photos, videos, comments, etc. The data will be compiled automatically and delivered to you in a machine-readable JSON format. Please note that depending on the amount of data to be compiled, preparing your download might take a while. We cannot assist or advise you on methods or applications to read your machine-readable JSON format ZIP file. There are presently no mechanisms to port your data to another GOC.

• To export your community data, go to your profile page. Click on About > Account and scroll down to Export Your Community Data. Click on the “Export my Community data” button and follow the authentication process.

Profile Deletion

• Deleting your account is instant and permanent. Most of your information will be deleted. Your profile will be disabled, and your name and photo will be removed from most things you’ve shared. Some information may still be visible to others, such as your name in their friends list and messages you sent. Some information related to donations that you’ve made or items that you’ve purchased may still be retained as required for accounting/legal purposes.

• To delete your account (cannot be reversed), go to your profile page. Click on About > Account and scroll down to Profile Deletion. Click on the “Delete” button and follow the authentication process.

If you need assistance, please open a support request.

How can I participate in governance or decision-making?

Governance participation may include ballots, surveys, or moderated discussions. Grassroots Online Community (GOC) members can contribute ideas, propose changes, and vote on matters according to the community’s governance rules. Participation opportunities will be announced through official channels (notifications, groups, all within the GOC) and are optional unless otherwise required by Community Conventions or policy.

What onboarding resources exist for new members?

There are a few resources available at this time. In the near term, new members will be able to access onboarding materials, including tutorials, policy summaries, and best-practice guidelines. Look for a Welcome/Onboarding space and periodically released resources. If you need direct help, you can open a support request.

Is the Pledge open to edits or amendments by the community?

The Pledge text provided for signing reflects the community’s stance and is not edited by individual members. Changes to the Pledge, if considered, would follow the community’s governance processes and require broad agreement among members. For now, the pledge text remains as a guiding principle, with policy updates handled through official channels.

How can I report violations of Community Conventions or policies?

For Users: How to Report Violations

Grassroots Online Community (GOC) members can report content directly through the GOC interface.

  • • Reporting a Post: Click the dropdown icon (it looks like three horizontal dots, “…”) located in the top right corner of the post in the activity stream.
  • • Reporting a Comment: Similar to posts, members can report individual comments.
  • • Reporting a Member: Navigate to the member’s profile and click on the cog icon to find the reporting option.

The above actions are fastest and preferable. However, if the above instructions don’t meet your use case, and you witness violations of Community Conventions or platform policies, please submit a support request with details and any relevant links or screenshots. The community will review reports in accordance with established moderation and governance procedures and take appropriate action.

How do I get help or contact support?

If you need assistance, please open a support request.