IdeaLoom

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What IdeaLoom is

IdeaLoom is an open-source collective intelligence platform for communities working through complex issues. It pairs threaded forum discussions with a changing concept map of ideas participants identify. Members can pull quotations from messages or web pages, connect discussion threads to ideas, and edit an idea table together in real time. Voting options include token voting and multi-criterion sessions with multiple-choice, yes-no, and one- or two-dimensional scale questions. Communities can define participant roles and permissions, and choose public discussions, invitation-only access, or restricted self-registration. IdeaLoom supports email replies and notifications, imports from mailing lists, RSS/Atom feeds, Facebook pages, and Drupal sites, plus automatic translation and moderation by designated people. It is available under an AGPL license and can be installed on users’ servers with Docker or source instructions; Conversence also offers services around its use and adaptation. Documentation describes Cornice RESTful services and a traversal API. Installation guidance says it has been tested on Ubuntu, Debian, and Mac OS. The project was founded in 2016.

Who it suits

IdeaLoom suits large, diverse communities that need to discuss complex topics, organize ideas, and develop shared solutions. It is also relevant to groups that want community-defined access and voting methods.

What it does well

Combines threaded discussions with a concept map.
Supports multiple voting formats.
Imports mailing lists, RSS/Atom, Facebook, and Drupal content.
Communities can configure roles and access settings.
Open source under an AGPL license.

What to know first

Self-hosting requires installation on users’ own servers.
Nginx security guidance is marked TODO.
Installation guidance names Ubuntu, Debian, and Mac OS.

Getting started

Visit the IdeaLoom website.
Choose Conversence services or a self-hosted installation.
For self-hosting, follow the Docker or source installation instructions.
Set community roles, permissions, and access rules.
Invite participants to register by email or social network account.

Verdict

IdeaLoom links discussion, idea synthesis, and voting for community deliberation. Its open-source model and installation options suit groups prepared to manage their own deployment or work with Conversence.

Questions

Is IdeaLoom free?

Yes. IdeaLoom is free and open source under the AGPL license.

Where can IdeaLoom run?

Listed platforms are API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, and web. The installation guide says it has been tested on Ubuntu, Debian, and Mac OS.

Can a community control who joins?

Yes. Communities can make discussions public, invitation-only, or available through restricted self-registration, and can define roles and permissions.

What decision tools does IdeaLoom offer?

It supports token voting and multi-criterion sessions with multiple-choice, yes-no, and one- or two-dimensional scale questions.

What integrations and content sources are named?

The listed sources and integrations include mailing lists, RSS/Atom feeds, Facebook pages, Drupal, email, web annotation tools, and YouTube videos.

Can IdeaLoom be self-hosted?

Yes. It can be installed on a community’s own server using Docker or source instructions; Conversence also offers services and advice around the platform.

Facts from IdeaLoom's own pages

API: The technical documentation describes two major APIs: a Cornice-based API and a traversal API. · demo.idealoom.org, 11 Oct 2026
Community access: Discussions can be public, private by invitation, or allow restricted self-registration; participants can register with email or social network accounts. · idealoom.org, 11 Oct 2026
Community controls: Communities can define roles and permissions and set discussions to public, invitation-only, or restricted self-registration. · idealoom.org, 10 Oct 2026
Conversation structure: It combines threaded forum messages with a table of ideas that forms a concept map of conversation topics. · idealoom.org, 11 Oct 2026
Conversation tools: It supports email notifications and replies, imports from mailing lists, RSS/Atom feeds, Facebook pages, and Drupal sites, and automated translation services. · idealoom.org, 10 Oct 2026
Decision tools: It supports token voting and multi-criterion voting with multiple choice, yes-no, and one- or two-dimensional scales. · idealoom.org, 11 Oct 2026
Email and content imports: It can import conversations from mailing lists, RSS/Atom feeds, Facebook pages, and Drupal sites, and email replies to notifications can join the conversation. · idealoom.org, 11 Oct 2026
Founded: 2016 · idealoom.org, 28 Sept 2026
Hosting: Conversence offers services around IdeaLoom, and users can also install it on their own servers from a Docker image or from source. · idealoom.org, 11 Oct 2026
How it works: It combines threaded forum conversations with an evolving concept map of ideas identified by participants. · idealoom.org, 10 Oct 2026
Idea synthesis: Participants can extract quotes from messages or web pages, relate message threads to ideas, and collaboratively edit the idea table in real time. · idealoom.org, 11 Oct 2026
Integrations: The features page names mailing lists, RSS/Atom feeds, Facebook pages, Drupal, email, web annotation tools, and YouTube videos. · idealoom.org, 10 Oct 2026
Intended users: Conversence describes IdeaLoom as suited to complex problems involving diverse communities and offers advice and help getting conversations started. · conversence.com, 11 Oct 2026
License: IdeaLoom is open-source under the AGPL license. · idealoom.org, 11 Oct 2026
Platform requirements: The installation guide says IdeaLoom has been tested on Ubuntu, Debian, and Mac OS. · demo.idealoom.org, 11 Oct 2026
Purpose: IdeaLoom is a collective intelligence platform for helping large communities hold meaningful conversations, reach shared understanding, and develop solutions. · idealoom.org, 11 Oct 2026
Security and backups: The documentation describes encrypted Borg backups and advises keeping backup keys safe; it marks nginx security guidance as TODO. · idealoom.org, 11 Oct 2026
Support and services: Conversence says it can advise on platform use, help start an IdeaLoom conversation, and adapt the platform to a community’s needs. · conversence.com, 10 Oct 2026
Translation and moderation: It supports automatic translation of messages and moderation by designated individuals. · idealoom.org, 11 Oct 2026

Where IdeaLoom stands on Freedom251

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