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Invented example · built on Kindling · Why Kindling · The library · The spec · The Circular

Roomfula dating app that hosts no Pools

Open in

No app loads this, on purpose. A dating app that hosts no Pools of its own. It opens full, reading the Pools you already said yes to.

The room · as Jonah sees it

Jonah’s room

Jonah Price builds boats in Port Ellery and keeps a date-me doc. He signed in to Roomful this morning and joined nothing. There are already 60 people in his room, from 8 Pools that other people keep. Here are the 23 who fit what his page says he’s looking for, grouped by the door each came through.

this is you

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Jonah, smiling softly, with short brown hair and a short beard, in a rust flannel shirt

Jonah Price he/him

Email verified

Port Ellery

From your page 34 · man · looking for women · long-term

My date-me doc. Boatbuilder, 34. I cook on Sundays, read on the ferry, and I am looking for something that lasts. Write to me if you like early mornings.

docs.example/d/jonah-price-date-me

Your Pools

None yet. Wren’s List has asked you in; you can answer below, at her door.

Joining is one button, and so is leaving. Leaving Roomful is a different thing, and costs you nothing.

What you’re looking for

Read from your page, the way we read everyone’s: man, looking for women. We use it only to leave people out, and we say how many. Change it on your page and the room follows.

The arithmetic

Why these 60, and who else Kit sees

Public Pools are readable by anyone, whoever keeps them: a curator or another app. An unlisted Pool is readable only by someone who was given its address. Invite-only Pools are never readable §3.2. Someone listed behind several doors counts once. Here is the same town, counted for two people.

Jonah Email verified

DoorListedNew facesRoom so far
Kept by curators · public
Many MoonsMany Moons: Harbor Counties7+77
Late SupperLate Supper Matchmakers1+18
Second Tide BooksThe Singles Shelf4+412
Wren’s ListDate-Me Docs: Cascadia4+416
Kept by apps for their own people · public
Card CatalogCard Catalog: Cascadia24+2137
HeartwoodHeartwood: Nearby23+1249
Face UpFace Up: Cascadia22+1160
SundialSundial: Cascadia20+060

60 people from 8 Pools on 8 sites: 16 through the curators’ doors, 44 more through the apps’.

Sundial adds no new faces: everyone on its list came in through an earlier door. Their cards say they are listed there too.

Kit Donovan Email verified

DoorListedNew facesRoom so far
Kept by curators · public
Many MoonsMany Moons: Harbor Counties7+77
Late SupperLate Supper Matchmakers1+18
Second Tide BooksThe Singles Shelf4+311
Wren’s ListDate-Me Docs: Cascadia4+415
Kept by apps for their own people · public
Card CatalogCard Catalog: Cascadia24+2136
HeartwoodHeartwood: Nearby23+1248
Face UpFace Up: Cascadia22+1159
SundialSundial: Cascadia20+059
Unlisted · Kit has the address, because Kit is in it
Queer HarborQueer Harbor: Dating3+059

59 people from 9 Pools: everyone in them once, less Kit.

Queer Harbor adds no new faces for Kit: Kit is on it, and Nell came in through Second Tide Books and Mae came in through Many Moons. What it adds is a way to say hello. Mae takes messages only from people in a Pool with them, and Queer Harbor is the Pool they share.

Kit’s page says Kit is nonbinary and looking for women and nonbinary people, so Kit’s room shows 12 of the 59 and leaves 47 out, by what each page says. Same Pools, a different room.

Then, what Jonah said he’s looking for

The v0.1 parsed profile has no age or gender, so we read them from each person’s own page §2.1. A person is shown when they fit what Jonah’s page says and he fits what theirs says. Nobody is scored or ranked, and nobody is hidden for good.

  • 60in the room, from 8 Pools
  • −31by what Jonah said he’s looking for: 24 men and 7 nonbinary people
  • −3by what they said: their pages don’t say they’re looking for men
  • −3not looking for a date: Tamsin and Anouk are here for friends and Nadia is Late Supper’s matchmaker
  • 23shown to Jonah, and the other 37 are one choice away

Who he can say hello to

Seeing someone isn’t the same as being able to write to them. Of the 23 he sees, each person’s own rules decide §7.2.

  • 13
    Open to a hello from anyone verified, Jonah includedWren Alvarez, Itzel Cárdenas, Birgit Aas, Fiona MacLeod, Dahye Baek, Olena Kravets, Emi Watanabe, Jasleen Gill, Yolanda Greer, Amara Tesfaye, Paloma Quintero, Simone Laurent, Keisha Holloway
  • 5
    Both say yes first: they asked for no cold messagesMaya Lindgren, Farah Siddiqui, Grace Liang, Zainab Mohamud, Thuy Nguyen
  • 4
    Pool-mates only: he would join a Pool they are in firstMae Castellano, Nell Brody, Ada Quillon, Araceli Montoya
  • 1
    Vouched-for only: a curator vouches for him in a Pool with them firstKalani Akana

Across the whole room, 41 of 60 would take a hello from Jonah today. For Kit it is 44 of 59, because Kit shares a Pool with 3 people who take messages only from Pool-mates.

What Jonah can’t see, and why

Explained here for you, the reader. Jonah’s own screen shows none of this.

  • Queer Harbor’s dating list Unlisted. Nobody gave Jonah its address, so we don’t read it for him, don’t count it, and don’t hint that it exists. Its discovery file lists no Pools at all.
  • Late Supper’s tables The Tuesday Table and Second Chapters are unlisted. Late Supper says openly that its tables exist; the way in is to write to Nadia, its matchmaker. She is in the room, left out of Jonah’s view only because her page says she isn’t looking for a date herself.
  • The Orchard Street Household An unlisted Pool a household keeps at Many Moons, so the people they date can see how they are connected. Its address travels only from them.
  • Anything invite-only Never readable, by us or any app. Invite-only Pools are in no discovery file and no registry, and their own handshake is the only way in.
  • Solo Poly Supper Club and Heartwood: Friends nearby We can read these; they’re public. They are for friends, not dates, so a dating room leaves them be. Familiar Faces, a friendship app, reads Pools like them.

The room

Everyone, by the door they came through

The order is plain. Curators’ doors first, in town before further out, then the apps’ own Pools, then any unlisted doors you hold the address for. Within each, the Pool open longest comes first, and people appear in the order the curator lists them. Someone listed behind several doors appears once, at the first, and their card names the others. There is no “most compatible”. We don’t score anyone, so there is nothing to sort by except what you can see.

Who to show
Order inside each door

Showing the 23 people who fit what you said you’re looking for, and who are looking for someone like you. The other 37 are still in the room: 31 left out by what you said you’re looking for, and 6 by what they said. Choose “Everyone in the room” to see them.

The curators’ Pools four doors · 16 people

Kept by people who know the scene: a community, a matchmaker, a bookstore and a curator of date-me docs. Everyone on them said yes to that list.

Many Moons Many Moons: Harbor Counties

Kept by Lux Moreno Signed in with OAuthand Søren Aalto Signed in with OAuth

Public: anyone may read ituniversal-opt-in: everyone said yesnon-monogamy, community, friendship, datingThe manifest

“A community for people who practice consensual non-monogamy, or are learning to, in the harbor counties. Friends first, dating when both people want it. Describe how you practice in your own words. Nothing here tells anyone who you are dating.”

7 listed here, all new to your room. 1 of them fits what your page and theirs say.

via Many Moons

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Mae, grinning, with shoulder-length black hair, earrings and a nose ring, in a black T-shirt
Mae Castellano she/they
Signed in with OAuth

Port Ellery

From their page 35 · femme; she or they · looking for women, men and nonbinary people · something casual or friends

drumssubbanddating

Drummer. Jazz on weeknights, punk on weekends, whatever you need on Friday. Keeps sticks in the car.

maecastellano.bandcamp.example

Mae takes messages only from people in a Pool with them. Ask Lux to add you to Many Moons: Harbor Counties.

Late Supper Late Supper Matchmakers

Kept by Nadia Farouk Signed in with OAuth

Public: anyone may read itcurator-only-adds: the curator adds, each person says yesmatchmaking, datingThe manifest

“The matchmakers of Late Supper, listed so anyone can find one and ask for a first conversation. A matchmaker is a person who has met you, not a feed.”

1 listed here, new to your room. Nadia’s page says she isn’t looking for a date.

Nobody new through this door fits what your page and theirs say. Choose “Everyone in the room” to see the one person here.

Second Tide Books The Singles Shelf

Kept by Imogen Pratt Email verified

Public: anyone may read ituniversal-opt-in: everyone said yesdating, booksThe manifest

“Single readers in and around Port Ellery. Write a shelf-talker about yourself the way we write them for books; we pin it by the register and list it here with your yes. Nobody pays, and we do not sell anything to anyone because of it.”

4 listed here, all new to your room. 2 of them fit what your page and theirs say.

via Second Tide Books

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Nell, smiling, with long straight red hair, round glasses and freckles, in a plum sweater
Nell Brody she/her
Email verified

Port Ellery

From their page 33 · woman · looking for women and men · long-term

datingbooksqueer

Librarian’s assistant, 33, bisexual. Knits in the back row of every show at the Ferry Room.

nell-brody.carrd.example

Also listed by Heartwood

Nell takes messages only from people in a Pool with her. Ask Imogen to add you to The Singles Shelf.

via Second Tide Books

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Ada, smiling softly, with long straight black hair, in a cream sweater
Ada Quillon she/her
Email verified

Port Ellery

From their page 32 · woman · looking for men · long-term or figuring it out

songwritingdemosbanddating

Writes songs on a nylon-string guitar. Wants honest ears on her demos and will return the favor.

ada-quillon.bandcamp.example

Also listed by Sundial

Ada takes messages only from people in a Pool with her. Ask Imogen to add you to The Singles Shelf.

Wren’s List Date-Me Docs: Cascadia

Kept by Wren Alvarez Signed in with OAuth

Public: anyone may read ituniversal-opt-in: everyone said yesdating, date-me-docThe manifest

“Date-me docs from people in the Northwest, from British Columbia down the coast, who asked to be listed. A doc says who you are and what you want in your own words, on a page you keep. This list only points to it. No ranking, no scores, no paid placement.”

4 listed here, all new to your room. 3 of them fit what your page and theirs say.

Wren asked you in on 26 September

Wren is waiting for your answer. There’s no hurry, and a no is remembered.

The full request, with the log and the JSON, is on the introduction page. Your answer counts on both pages.

via Wren’s List

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Wren, smiling, with shoulder-length dark brown hair, square glasses and earrings, in a rust collared shirt
Wren Alvarez she/her
Signed in with OAuth

Portland, Oregon

From their page 38 · woman · looking for men · long-term

curatingdatingdate-me-doc

Keeps a list of date-me docs from the Northwest. Reads every doc before she asks. Thinks a good doc says what you are like on a Tuesday.

wren-alvarez.example

Also listed by Card Catalog

You can say hello. Wren takes messages from verified people.

via Wren’s List

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Maya, grinning, with a brown ponytail and freckles, in a forest-green tank top
Maya Lindgren she/her
Email verified

Seattle, Washington

From their page 36 · woman · looking for men · long-term

datingdate-me-doc

Date-me doc. Nurse practitioner, 36, climbs on weekends, wants kids someday. My doc has a section called “Things I will not pretend to like.”

docs.example/d/maya-lindgren-date-me

Also listed by Heartwood and Face Up

Maya asked for no cold messages, so you both say yes first.

via Wren’s List

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Farah, grinning, with long wavy black hair and earrings, in a mustard jacket
Farah Siddiqui she/her
Email verified

Portland, Oregon

From their page 31 · woman · looking for men · long-term or figuring it out

datingdate-me-doc

Date-me doc. Public-radio producer, 31. My doc links to three playlists and one strong opinion about breakfast.

docs.example/d/farah-siddiqui-date-me

Also listed by Sundial

Farah asked for no cold messages, so you both say yes first.

The apps’ own Pools four doors · 44 more people

Four other apps keep a public dating Pool for their own people: Card Catalog, Heartwood, Face Up and Sundial. A public Pool is readable by anyone, so we read theirs, just as they can read the curators’ Pools and each other’s. Many people here said yes to several; each shows once, at the first door.

Card Catalog Card Catalog: Cascadia

Kept by Ambrose Achterberg Signed in with OAuth

Public: anyone may read ituniversal-opt-in: everyone said yesdatingThe manifestThe app

“A drawer of cards, one for each person in Cascadia who asked for one, filed under every field they chose to fill in: city, age, faith, children, languages, height, what they are looking for, and any word on their own page. Search the way you like and sort the way you like; we rank nobody. When you find someone, mark their card. If they mark yours too, you can write.”

24 listed here. 21 are new to your room; 3 came in through an earlier door. 10 of the 21 new fit what your page and theirs say.

via Card Catalog

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Itzel, smiling, with shoulder-length dark brown hair, round glasses and earrings, in a rust blouse
Itzel Cárdenas she/her
Email verified

Salem, Oregon

From their page 44 · woman · looking for men · long-term

dating

Middle school vice principal, 44, divorced, with two kids who are ten and thirteen and entirely on my side. Bilingual, Catholic, good in a crisis. I would like to be taken to dinner by a grown man who reads.

itzel-cardenas.notion.example

Also listed by Face Up

You can say hello. Itzel takes messages from verified people.

via Card Catalog

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Birgit, smiling softly, with a white bob and round glasses, in a forest-green sweater
Birgit Aas she/her
Email verified

Bellingham, Washington

From their page 68 · woman · looking for men · long-term or friends

datingfriendshiplater-life

Retired geology professor, 68, widowed six years. New knee, same old walking habit: I use a cane on the steep bits and will still beat you to the top. Quaker, quietly. I would like a companion for ferry rides, long dinners and arguments about rocks.

birgit-aas.notion.example

Also listed by Sundial

You can say hello. Birgit takes messages from verified people.

via Card Catalog

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Fiona, smiling, with shoulder-length auburn hair, square glasses and freckles, in a navy collared shirt
Fiona MacLeod she/her
Signed in with OAuth

Olympia, Washington

From their page 47 · woman · looking for men · long-term

dating

Forty-seven, divorced, two teenagers half the week and a dog named Senator the rest of the time. I work for the legislature, which means I read bills for a living and still enjoy it. Looking for a grown-up with a sense of humor and hobbies of his own.

fiona-macleod.example

Also listed by Sundial

You can say hello. Fiona takes messages from verified people.

via Card Catalog

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Grace, smiling, with a gray pixie cut, round glasses and earrings, in a cream blouse
Grace Liang she/her
Signed in with OAuth

Vancouver, British Columbia

From their page 52 · woman · looking for men · long-term

dating

Dentist, 52, divorced, with a grown son who calls on Sundays. I took up ballroom dancing at fifty and it has made me braver about everything else. Looking for a gentleman who is not afraid of a waltz or of a professional opinion about flossing.

graceliang.example

Also listed by Sundial

Grace asked for no cold messages, so you both say yes first.

via Card Catalog

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Dahye, grinning, with a black bob, square glasses and a nose ring, in denim-blue overalls
Dahye Baek she/her
Email verified

Vancouver, British Columbia

From their page 29 · woman · looking for women and men · long-term

datingqueer

UX researcher, 29. I watch people use things and write down where they sigh. Bi, Korean-Canadian, and an extremely competitive board gamer who is also a very gracious loser, I promise.

notes.example/dahye-baek

Also listed by Heartwood

You can say hello. Dahye takes messages from verified people.

via Card Catalog

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Olena, smiling softly, with long wavy blonde hair, in a plum sweater
Olena Kravets she/her
Signed in with OAuth

Portland, Oregon

From their page 41 · woman · looking for men · long-term

dating

Software developer, 41, and mother of one eight-year-old who narrates everything. I swim in the river from May to October and in a pool the rest of the year, and complain about both. Looking for a calm, funny man who likes children and dill.

olena-kravets.notion.example

Also listed by Face Up

You can say hello. Olena takes messages from verified people.

via Card Catalog

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Zainab, smiling, with a hijab, in a plum blouse
Zainab Mohamud she/her
Signed in with OAuth

Seattle, Washington

From their page 28 · woman · looking for men · long-term

dating

Accountant, 28, Somali-American, practicing Muslim. I am here to find a husband, which I say plainly because it saves us both time. I love long walks, spreadsheets, my many cousins and a good thriller.

zainab-mohamud.example

Also listed by Heartwood

Zainab asked for no cold messages, so you both say yes first.

via Card Catalog

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Araceli, laughing, with short curly gray hair and earrings, in an olive jacket
Araceli Montoya she/her
Email verified

Salem, Oregon

From their page 58 · woman · looking for men · long-term or friends

datingfriendshiplater-life

I run the plant nursery my father started. Fifty-eight, widowed, three grown kids, two grandbabies, and a nursery cat named Jefe who thinks he owns the place. I would like a companion who likes to be outside and doesn’t mind dirt under my nails.

montoya-nursery.example/araceli

Also listed by Sundial

Araceli takes messages only from people in a Pool with her. Ask Ambrose to add you to Card Catalog: Cascadia.

via Card Catalog

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Emi, grinning, with shoulder-length dark brown hair and round glasses, in a gray hoodie
Emi Watanabe she/her
Email verified

Portland, Oregon

From their page 39 · woman · looking for men · long-term

dating

Graphic designer, 39. I am Deaf and I sign: ASL first, English in writing, and I read lips about as well as you read minds. Looking for a kind man who will learn to sign “coffee” and “again” and see where it goes from there.

emi-draws.example

Also listed by Heartwood

You can say hello. Emi takes messages from verified people.

via Card Catalog

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Jasleen, smiling, with long wavy black hair and earrings, in a coral blouse
Jasleen Gill she/her
Signed in with OAuth

Vancouver, British Columbia

From their page 31 · woman · looking for men · long-term

dating

Physiotherapist, 31, Punjabi and Sikh, from a big loud family that will like you if you take seconds. I teach a bhangra class on Thursdays and will absolutely get you onto the floor at a wedding. Looking for a kind, ambitious man who wants a family.

jasleen-gill.example

Also listed by Face Up

You can say hello. Jasleen takes messages from verified people.

Heartwood Heartwood: Nearby

Kept by Harriet Lund Signed in with OAuthand Bashir Rahimi Signed in with OAuth

Public: anyone may read ituniversal-opt-in: everyone said yesdatingThe manifestThe app

“Heartwood: Nearby is for people in Cascadia who would rather read the whole person than judge a face. Your page, your words: your prompts, your answers, what you are looking for and the other rooms you belong to, all on one long card. The like button sits at the end, after you have read. When two people like each other, they can write. Nobody pays to be seen here, and nobody pays to be read.”

23 listed here. 12 are new to your room; 11 came in through an earlier door. 4 of the 12 new fit what your page and theirs say.

via Heartwood

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Yolanda, laughing, with short curly gray hair, square glasses and earrings, in a navy collared shirt
Yolanda Greer she/her
Email verified

Tacoma, Washington

From their page 56 · woman · looking for men · long-term or friends

datingfriendship

Fifty-six. Twenty years in the Army, twelve more carrying mail, and I still walk faster than you. Two grown kids and a grandbaby I will show you pictures of. Choir alto. Looking for a good man to fish with and grow old beside.

docs.example/d/yolanda-greer

Also listed by Sundial

You can say hello. Yolanda takes messages from verified people.

via Heartwood

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Amara, smiling, with a black afro and earrings, in an olive jacket
Amara Tesfaye she/her
Signed in with OAuth

Seattle, Washington

From their page 33 · woman · looking for men · long-term

dating

I drive a city bus, the route with the hill. Thirty-three, Ethiopian-American, the oldest of five, and the one at the party making coffee the long way. Looking for someone steady who is kind to strangers when nobody is watching.

amara-tesfaye.example

Also listed by Face Up

You can say hello. Amara takes messages from verified people.

via Heartwood

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Paloma, grinning, with a dark brown ponytail and freckles, in a rust flannel shirt
Paloma Quintero she/her
Email verified

Eugene, Oregon

From their page 26 · woman · looking for women, men and nonbinary people · something casual or figuring it out

datingqueer

Forestry grad student, 26. I measure trees for a living and for fun. Bi, easygoing, new to Eugene, and not sure yet what I am looking for, which I think is allowed.

paloma-q.carrd.example

Also listed by Face Up

You can say hello. Paloma takes messages from verified people.

via Heartwood

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Simone, smiling, with long curly black hair, round glasses and earrings, in a mustard sweater
Simone Laurent she/her
Signed in with OAuth

Portland, Oregon

From their page 34 · woman · looking for women, men and nonbinary people · long-term or figuring it out

datingqueer

Architect, 34. I design small public buildings: a branch library, two fire stations, and a bathhouse I am still proud of. Grew up in Montreal speaking French with my mother and Creole with my aunts. Bi. I bike everywhere and I am always slightly overdressed for it.

simonelaurent.example

You can say hello. Simone takes messages from verified people.

Face Up Face Up: Cascadia

Kept by Adaeze Nwosu Signed in with OAuthand Brody Kaleikini Signed in with OAuth

Public: anyone may read itvouching-required: vouched for, then yesdatingThe manifestThe app

“Face Up is for people dating in Cascadia, from Eugene to Vancouver, who like to see a face first. Right if you would like to hear from someone, left if you would not, and when you both go right, you can write. Every face here has been checked by our trust desk against a live selfie, so the person in the photos is the person who said yes. Photos stay on your own page and we show them from there. Nobody pays to be seen, and nobody pays to see who liked them.”

22 listed here. 11 are new to your room; 11 came in through an earlier door. 3 of the 11 new fit what your page and theirs say.

via Face Up

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Keisha, laughing, with black braids and earrings, in a coral jacket
Keisha Holloway she/her
Vouched for by the curator

Tacoma, Washington

From their page 38 · woman · looking for men · long-term

datingdate-me-doc

My date-me doc. Respiratory therapist, 38, and mom to an eleven-year-old who is funnier than me. Church most Sundays, the waterfront path most mornings. I want a grown-up partner who keeps his word and likes a loud kitchen.

docs.example/d/keisha-holloway-date-me

Also listed by Sundial

You can say hello. Keisha takes messages from verified people.

via Face Up

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Thuy, grinning, with long straight black hair, in a cream T-shirt
Thuy Nguyen she/her
Vouched for by the curator

Seattle, Washington

From their page 31 · woman · looking for men · long-term or figuring it out

dating

Pastry chef, 31. I start work at four in the morning, so I am very good company from noon to eight. My grandmother thinks I should be married by now. I think I should find someone who appreciates laminated dough first.

thuy-bakes.carrd.example

Also listed by Sundial

Thuy asked for no cold messages, so you both say yes first.

via Face Up

Illustration: head-and-shoulders portrait of Kalani, laughing, with black hair in a bun, in a forest-green T-shirt
Kalani Akana she/her
Vouched for by the curator

Tacoma, Washington

From their page 30 · woman · looking for men · long-term

dating

PE teacher and girls’ soccer coach, 30. Grew up on O‘ahu, moved here for college and stayed for the mountains. I laugh loud, I say sorry fast, and I am looking for a man who wants a family and can take a joke.

kalani-akana.carrd.example

Also listed by Sundial

Kalani takes messages only from people a curator has vouched for in a Pool with her.

Sundial Sundial: Cascadia

Kept by Ottilie Varga Signed in with OAuth

Public: anyone may read ituniversal-opt-in: everyone said yesdatingThe manifestThe app

“Sundial introduces you to one person a day, at seven in the evening, and introduces them to you at the same moment. You each see one card. Like or pass; if you both like, you can write. There is no second card to reach for and nothing to buy for more. This is the Pool Sundial keeps for people in Cascadia who asked to be introduced this way.”

20 listed here, all already in your room through an earlier door.

Everyone on this list is already in your room, through an earlier door. Their cards say they are listed here too.

That’s everyone.The room has an end, and this is it. It will be here tomorrow, and so will you.