Standard Change - Proposed Transfer of Spoke application to ProgCode

[stephenscapelliti]

Spoke App - Transfer under Project Lifeboat

Description

Spoke has been curated in the ProgCode Slack since September 11th, 2017, under a cooperative arrangement. On November 19th, 2023, MoveOn transferred stewarship of the Spoke repo to State Voices, a network partner of ProgCode. State Voices adapted Spoke for a mobile application. For various reasons, State Voices decided to retire its mobile app and end its stewardship of Spoke. It contacted ProgCode staff in mid-November 2025 to determine the community's interest in taking over stewardship of Spoke. State Voices simultanously considered another organization. State Voices obtained the approval of MoveOn, and, during a discussion between State Voices and three members of ProgCode staff on December 15, 2025, leadership of State Voices indicated the organization intended to do an immediate transfer of the Spoke repository to the ProgCode Github account. To avoid the loss of opportunity to secure Spoke for the ProgCode mission of public access to social technology, the staff allowed the transfer to the ProgCode account.

The following summary is provided in accordance with Project Lifeboat Issue #225.

Project Identification and Required Considerations: Spoke

• The project is mission-aligned.

• The project is/has been active in the ProgCode community in Slack and Github.

• The Spoke app is accompanied by the following assets:

  • Existing repository.
  • Logo

• Spoke utilizes the GNU General Public License - Version 3, 29 June 2007, without known restrictions.

• Optional assets will be determined as the change from public-facing to org-facing is instituted and could include:

  • New hosting.
  • Other web-related services as Spoke development may recommend.
  • New domains.

• Costs associated with the project

  • Twillio account - for deployment
  • Google phone numbers - for deployment

• Tech stack:

  • React Native
  • React-redux
  • Twilio
  • Heroku
  • RethinkDB
  • Thinky
  • React
  • Node.js

• Known users and associated obligation to the users:

  • App end users - no known obligations

• Known possible risks:

  • spam complaints from text recipients, addressed by option to opt out of future communications
  • opponents of First Amendment rights

• Original Project Development Team:

  • Members of Progressive Coders Network
  • Members of MoveOn
  • Members of State Voices

• The transfer of the Spoke app does not require a change in team member access or authority.

• Legal structure: none.

• Current funding source: None

• Changes in ProgCode Staff duties:

  • None expected, but staff will monitor and evaluate the expenses and renewals for subscriptions and domains and will be responsible to notify the ProgCode community of needs and developments.
  • Staff will safekeep access codes and logins within ProgCode resources and provide access as needed by authorized team members.

• Additional notes: None.

• Staff recommendation: ProgCode staff members discussed the possibility that State Voices might tender the app to the ProgCode community, and they recommend that the Community approve and accept the transfer of the project to ProgCode.

Repository

• https://github.com/ProgressiveCoders/Spoke

Plan

• Post this pilot initiative and notify the ProgCode community in the #team-announcements channel at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to seeking community consent to implement. Suggestions and comments may be offered in the comment sections below this issue, for future reference.
• Present the issue for discussion at the 2025.12.22 Community Operations meeting, and seek consent to implement.

Decision Making

The decision making process, whether consent to continue or implement by standard change process is set forth in the Change Process linked below.

Additional Information

Reference link(s)

• Change process - Standard Change
• Project Lifeboat - Issue #225