[dsnp-interest] progressing on networks (formerly called groups)

[Adrian Thurston]

DSNP now supports named networks. I previously called these groups. 
There is one set of named networks in DSNP. Each network has a 
particular meaning and since the list is global, this meaning is 
identical across all users of DSNP.

Examples of networks:

Social
Family
Work
Professional
School

When you become connected to someone you can then classify your 
relationship with them by declaring that the connection is relevant in 
one or more networks. All of your activities in a particular network 
become visible only to people you have declared are in that network.

For example, if you are browsing the network called "Social" and you do 
something on a friend's site (say Sarah's), then only people who are 
connected to you and Sarah, with the connections declared as in the 
"Social" network, are able to see the activity.

This is useful because we all know people in one or more capacities. We 
  know people who are co-workers and also friends. Or friends and also 
family. The existence of these relationships shouldn't cause activities 
to leak outside their proper social boundaries. You don't want a friend 
seeing what should be private to your immediate family just because that 
friend works with your mother.

If you do not put a connection in a network, that person still has 
access to your profile, but they cannot see any activities that take 
place in any networks.

It's all still quite rough, but the basics work and it is progressing 
rapidly.

-Adrian