Circle of chairs

Premise

The idea behind this site is to expose visitors to various forms of civil engagement—commentary, calls to action, activism, etc.—and put the power to sort the signal from the noise in the hands of the user, whether organizing a protest or workshopping a political belief.

Highlights

These are the key new features that we hope will facilitate thoughtful, intentional dialogue:

  • Roots and Branches: Each post should be a self-contained 2-3 minute read to encourage brevity and focus. To enable connected chains of thought, users can see which prior Dismantl posts are linked in the post they’re reading (roots), and which future posts link back to it (branches). Just as roots can grow and dismantle structural foundations, so too can ideas.
  • Splinters: Splinters are post-level replies that challenge, critique, or reframe someone else’s post. Unlike a simple link or citation, a splinter targets a specific idea, quotes it directly, and builds a response that’s structurally connected within the site ecosystem.
  • Tags: Tags are a common feature on blogging websites, and the concept will be familiar to many users. The purpose here isn’t just to categorize the content, but also the intent. For example, users may tag episodic activism stints with the same tag, creating “chapters” that future users can follow like a blueprint.

Join the conversation!

Respectful participation is heavily encouraged. The hardest step to civic activism is getting started—so request a contributor badge here, and start a discussion!