Under the hood
Midspan is a Kindling Pool host with two Pools on one domain, one public and one invite-only, and a reader of a third Pool that another college keeps. Here is how visibility, consent, proposals, messaging and block lists work, every setting and file, and what the v0.1 schema cannot say yet.
In plain words
Two Pools, two visibilities
Midspan Mentors is public: it is in our discovery file, and anyone, any college and any app can read it. Midspan Students is invite-only §3.2: it is in no discovery file and no registry, and we serve its file only behind the college sign-in, to the two coordinators. The protocol has no access control on a manifest §3.1, so “only the coordinators can read it” is a promise about where we serve the file, and we say so.
Two consent models
Mentors join a vouching-required Pool: a coordinator meets them and the college’s volunteer agreement is signed before the handshake. Students join a curator-only-adds Pool: only a coordinator invites, after meeting them at intake. Both models may add steps before the handshake, and neither removes the right to decline or leave §5.4.
A proposal, carried today
There is no proposal message type §6.3. Fina’s note goes as a system message through the Pool each person is in, each answer comes back as a reply, and Threshold keeps the two answers. The student is always asked first. Only after two yeses does an intro go, one to each person, sharing a thread header §6.2.
Reading a Pool we did not build
Cape Tarrow First-Gen Alumni is public, so we read it the way any client can §3.5. Reading copies nothing and adds nobody: we show each card from Cape Tarrow’s file, and to propose anyone in it, Fina first invites them into Midspan Mentors with a handshake of our own. Priya keeps a separate page for mentoring, and both Pools list that page; one identity, two Pools, two yeses.
Messaging rules
Every member of both Pools keeps accept_from: verified and no_cold_messages: true §7.2. So nobody writes first, student or mentor, until both have said yes to an introduction. We treat a coordinator’s own mail about a Pool as the Pool’s, which each member agreed to by saying yes; see the gap on this below.
Block lists, and money
Settings
| Setting | Value | Spec | Why Midspan chose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility, Mentors | public | §3.2 §8.1 | So a student can see who is out there, and any client can read them by the mentors’ consent. |
| Visibility, Students | invite-only | §3.2 | A list of first-generation students could be misused. Nobody browses it; only coordinators bring people in. |
| Where the students’ file is served | behind the college sign-in | §3.1 | The protocol has no access control. This is our choice of host, and a gap we name below. |
| Consent model, Mentors | vouching-required | §3.2 §5.4 | A coordinator meets every mentor, and the volunteer agreement is signed, before the handshake. |
| Consent model, Students | curator-only-adds | §3.2 §5.4 | Only a coordinator invites, after intake. The student still says yes or no, and can leave in a minute. |
| Who is asked first | the student | §7.2 | The mentor never hears about a student who said no. Governance text only; no field carries it. |
| Well-known file | lists Mentors only | §8.3 §10.1 | Crawlers and registries can find the mentors. The students’ Pool is left out on purpose. |
| Registries | Mentors may be listed; Students never | §8.4 §8.5 | Listing is the curator’s choice. |
| Curator verification | oauth | §4.3 | Both coordinators sign in with OAuth. Cryptographic identity is planned for v0.2 (§4.6). |
| Entry verification | curator-vouched | §4.4 §4.5 | Every entry in both Pools followed a meeting. The vouch counts in that Pool only. |
| Each member’s accept_from | verified | §7.1 §7.2 | Unverified senders are held back. Everyone else still meets no_cold_messages. |
| Each member’s no_cold_messages | true | §7.2 | Nobody writes first until both have said yes to an introduction. |
| Pool minimum sender verification | not set | §3.3 | Each member’s own rules already hold every first message. A higher floor would add nothing here. |
| Block lists | Kindling public · Circular consortium | §7.3 | Shared lists catch what one small program would not see. |
| Handshake window | 14 days, in each request’s expires_at | §5.2 | The default. v0.1 has no manifest field for it, so each request carries it. |
| Auto-accept | none | §5.5 | Every listing here was a decision someone made that day. |
| Withdrawal | one action, processed at once | §5.3 | The spec allows sixty seconds. Any proposal still waiting is withdrawn with it. |
| Proposals and answers | system message; reply | §6.3 | v0.1 has no proposal type. See below. |
| Introductions | intro, one per person, via_pool, email | §6.1 §6.2 §6.3 | Sent only after both said yes, each through the Pool that person is in. |
| Pools we read | Cape Tarrow First-Gen Alumni | §3.5 §8.3 | Public, so readable by any client. We copy nothing, and ask before proposing anyone in it. |
| kindling_noindex | false for every member | §2.7 | Privacy inside a Pool comes from its visibility, never from noindex, which means “not in any Pool at all”. |
| Money | none at the connection layer | §1.3 | A college foundation grant pays for a coordinator. Nobody pays to be listed or introduced. |
The files
Each file below validates against the repository’s JSON Schemas.
Discovery
/.well-known/kindling-poolours
File: .well-known/kindling-pool · operator Midspan, the first-generation mentorship program at Ellery Coast Community College, midspan@ellerycoast.example
It lists Midspan Mentors. Midspan Students is left out on purpose, and is in no registry §8.3 §8.4.
| Pool | Visibility | Status | Intent | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midspan Mentors https://midspan.ellerycoast.example/pools/midspan-mentors.json | public | active | mentorship, first-generation | 24 September 2026 |
{
"schema_version": "0.1",
"pools": [
{
"manifest_url": "https://midspan.ellerycoast.example/pools/midspan-mentors.json",
"name": "Midspan Mentors",
"intent_tags": [
"mentorship",
"first-generation"
],
"visibility": "public",
"status": "active",
"geographic_scope": {
"city": "Port Ellery",
"country": "United States"
},
"last_updated": "2026-09-24T18:00:00Z"
}
],
"operator": {
"name": "Midspan, the first-generation mentorship program at Ellery Coast Community College",
"contact": "midspan@ellerycoast.example",
"url": "https://midspan.ellerycoast.example"
}
}Cape Tarrow’s /.well-known/kindling-poolread, not ours
File: cape-tarrow/.well-known/kindling-pool · operator The alumni office of Cape Tarrow College, a community college up the coast from Port Ellery, alumni@capetarrow.example
This is how any client finds the Pool we read, without asking anyone first §10.3.
| Pool | Visibility | Status | Intent | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Tarrow First-Gen Alumni https://alumni.capetarrow.example/pools/first-gen-alumni.json | public | active | mentorship, first-generation, alumni, careers | 12 September 2026 |
Manifests
Midspan Mentorsours
File: pools/midspan-mentors.json · served at https://midspan.ellerycoast.example/pools/midspan-mentors.json
midspan-mentorspublicvouching-requirednot setactive · created 20 August 2026 · updated 24 September 2026| Entry | Level | Consent proof | Added | Their messaging |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hieu Tran https://hieu-tran.example | Vouched for by the curator | curator-vouchinghs-midspan-midspan-mentors-hieu | 24 August 2026 | verified, no cold: true |
| Wes Adeyemi https://wes-mixes.example/mentoring | Vouched for by the curator | curator-vouchinghs-midspan-midspan-mentors-wes | 26 August 2026 | verified, no cold: true |
| Lorena Castañeda https://lorena-castaneda.carrd.example | Vouched for by the curator | curator-vouchinghs-midspan-midspan-mentors-lorena | 1 September 2026 | verified, no cold: true |
| Priya Raman https://docs.example/d/priya-raman-mentoring | Vouched for by the curator | curator-vouchinghs-midspan-midspan-mentors-priya | 2 September 2026 | verified, no cold: true |
| Maribel Soto https://maribel-soto.notion.example | Vouched for by the curator | curator-vouchinghs-midspan-midspan-mentors-maribel | 3 September 2026 | verified, no cold: true |
{
"schema_version": "0.1",
"id": "midspan-mentors",
"name": "Midspan Mentors",
"curator": [
{
"identity": "desmond@mail.example",
"display_name": "Desmond Oyelaran",
"verification_level": "oauth",
"primary": false
},
{
"identity": "fina@mail.example",
"display_name": "Josefina “Fina” Arriaga",
"verification_level": "oauth",
"primary": true
}
],
"intent_tags": [
"mentorship",
"first-generation"
],
"visibility": "public",
"consent_model": "vouching-required",
"curator_contact": "midspan@ellerycoast.example",
"charter": "People who were the first in their families to go to college, now working, who would like to meet one Ellery Coast student at a time. A coordinator meets every mentor before listing them. Mentors are public so students can see who is out there; nobody writes to anyone until a coordinator has asked both people and both have said yes. Everyone here is 18 or older.",
"geographic_scope": {
"city": "Port Ellery",
"country": "United States"
},
"governance_rules": "Vouching-required: a coordinator meets every mentor before listing them, and the college’s volunteer agreement is signed first; the vouch is local to this Pool. Every mentor keeps no_cold_messages on. Only a coordinator proposes an introduction, one student at a time, and the student is always asked first. Midspan is paid for by a grant from the Ellery Coast College Foundation. Mentoring is unpaid, and nobody pays to be listed or introduced.",
"messaging_preferences": {
"block_list_subscriptions": [
"https://protocol.kindling.foundation/blocklist.json",
"https://thecircular.example/blocklist.json"
]
},
"status": "active",
"created_at": "2026-08-20T09:00:00Z",
"updated_at": "2026-09-24T18:00:00Z",
"entries": [
{
"profile_url": "https://hieu-tran.example",
"parsed_profile": {
"schema_version": "0.1",
"profile_url": "https://hieu-tran.example",
"display_name": "Hieu Tran",
"pronouns": "he/him",
"location": {
"city": "Port Ellery",
"country": "United States"
},
"intent_tags": [
"mentorship",
"first-generation",
"trades",
"apprenticeship"
],
"about": "Diesel mechanic for the county road department. Diesel technology at Ellery Coast, then two years as an apprentice. First in my family to finish anything past high school. I did not ask my instructors for help, and I should have.",
"contact_methods": [
{
"type": "email",
"value": "hieu@mail.example",
"label": "Kindling identity"
}
],
"verification": {
"level": "curator-vouched",
"verified_at": "2026-08-24T17:30:00Z",
"verifier": "desmond@mail.example"
},
"messaging_preferences": {
"accept_from": "verified",
"no_cold_messages": true,
"minimum_curator_verification": "email"
},
"kindling_noindex": false,
"parsed_at": "2026-08-24T17:30:00Z",
"parser": "kindling-parser/0.1.1"
},
"parsed_at": "2026-08-24T17:30:00Z",
"consent_proof": {
"handshake_id": "hs-midspan-midspan-mentors-hieu",
"accepted_at": "2026-08-24T17:30:00Z",
"method": "curator-vouching"
},
"verification_level": "curator-vouched",
"added_at": "2026-08-24T17:30:00Z",
"added_by": "desmond@mail.example"
},
{
"profile_url": "https://wes-mixes.example/mentoring",
"parsed_profile": {
"schema_version": "0.1",
"profile_url": "https://wes-mixes.example/mentoring",
"display_name": "Wes Adeyemi",
"pronouns": "he/him",
"location": {
"city": "Port Ellery",
"country": "United States"
},
"intent_tags": [
"mentorship",
"first-generation",
"trades",
"audio"
],
"about": "Front-of-house sound at the Ferry Room. First in my family past high school: the audio technology certificate at Ellery Coast. Ask me about certificates, apprenticeships, and asking an instructor for help before you are behind.",
"contact_methods": [
{
"type": "email",
"value": "wes@mail.example",
"label": "Kindling identity"
}
],
"verification": {
"level": "curator-vouched",
"verified_at": "2026-08-26T20:10:00Z",
"verifier": "fina@mail.example"
},
"messaging_preferences": {
"accept_from": "verified",
"no_cold_messages": true,
"minimum_curator_verification": "email"
},
"kindling_noindex": false,
"parsed_at": "2026-08-26T20:10:00Z",
"parser": "kindling-parser/0.1.1"
},
"parsed_at": "2026-08-26T20:10:00Z",
"consent_proof": {
"handshake_id": "hs-midspan-midspan-mentors-wes",
"accepted_at": "2026-08-26T20:10:00Z",
"method": "curator-vouching"
},
"verification_level": "curator-vouched",
"added_at": "2026-08-26T20:10:00Z",
"added_by": "fina@mail.example"
},
{
"profile_url": "https://lorena-castaneda.carrd.example",
"parsed_profile": {
"schema_version": "0.1",
"profile_url": "https://lorena-castaneda.carrd.example",
"display_name": "Lorena Castañeda",
"pronouns": "she/her",
"location": {
"city": "Port Ellery",
"country": "United States"
},
"intent_tags": [
"mentorship",
"first-generation",
"accounting",
"transfer"
],
"about": "Bookkeeper for the harbor co-op. First in my family to go to college: accounting at Cape Tarrow, a transfer degree, and a bachelor’s finished online at thirty-four. I can read a financial aid letter with you line by line.",
"contact_methods": [
{
"type": "email",
"value": "lorena@mail.example",
"label": "Kindling identity"
}
],
"verification": {
"level": "curator-vouched",
"verified_at": "2026-09-01T16:45:00Z",
"verifier": "fina@mail.example"
},
"messaging_preferences": {
"accept_from": "verified",
"no_cold_messages": true,
"minimum_curator_verification": "email"
},
"kindling_noindex": false,
"parsed_at": "2026-09-01T16:45:00Z",
"parser": "kindling-parser/0.1.1"
},
"parsed_at": "2026-09-01T16:45:00Z",
"consent_proof": {
"handshake_id": "hs-midspan-midspan-mentors-lorena",
"accepted_at": "2026-09-01T16:45:00Z",
"method": "curator-vouching"
},
"verification_level": "curator-vouched",
"added_at": "2026-09-01T16:45:00Z",
"added_by": "fina@mail.example"
},
{
"profile_url": "https://docs.example/d/priya-raman-mentoring",
"parsed_profile": {
"schema_version": "0.1",
"profile_url": "https://docs.example/d/priya-raman-mentoring",
"display_name": "Priya Raman",
"pronouns": "she/her",
"location": {
"city": "Port Ellery",
"country": "United States"
},
"intent_tags": [
"mentorship",
"first-generation",
"nursing"
],
"about": "Nurse on night shifts at the hospital in Port Ellery. First in my family to go to college: prerequisites at Cape Tarrow College while I worked as an aide, then nursing school. Happy to talk about prerequisites, clinical placements, and studying around a job.",
"contact_methods": [
{
"type": "email",
"value": "priya@mail.example",
"label": "Kindling identity"
}
],
"verification": {
"level": "curator-vouched",
"verified_at": "2026-09-02T04:20:00Z",
"verifier": "fina@mail.example"
},
"messaging_preferences": {
"accept_from": "verified",
"no_cold_messages": true,
"minimum_curator_verification": "email"
},
"kindling_noindex": false,
"parsed_at": "2026-09-02T04:20:00Z",
"parser": "kindling-parser/0.1.1"
},
"parsed_at": "2026-09-02T04:20:00Z",
"consent_proof": {
"handshake_id": "hs-midspan-midspan-mentors-priya",
"accepted_at": "2026-09-02T04:20:00Z",
"method": "curator-vouching"
},
"verification_level": "curator-vouched",
"added_at": "2026-09-02T04:20:00Z",
"added_by": "fina@mail.example"
},
{
"profile_url": "https://maribel-soto.notion.example",
"parsed_profile": {
"schema_version": "0.1",
"profile_url": "https://maribel-soto.notion.example",
"display_name": "Maribel Soto",
"pronouns": "she/her",
"location": {
"city": "Cape Tarrow",
"country": "United States"
},
"intent_tags": [
"mentorship",
"first-generation",
"teaching",
"transfer"
],
"about": "Fourth-grade teacher. Started at Cape Tarrow College at nineteen while working at the cannery, transferred, and came home to teach. Will talk about transfer, student teaching, and explaining to your family what you do all day.",
"contact_methods": [
{
"type": "email",
"value": "maribel@mail.example",
"label": "Kindling identity"
}
],
"verification": {
"level": "curator-vouched",
"verified_at": "2026-09-03T19:00:00Z",
"verifier": "fina@mail.example"
},
"messaging_preferences": {
"accept_from": "verified",
"no_cold_messages": true,
"minimum_curator_verification": "email"
},
"kindling_noindex": false,
"parsed_at": "2026-09-03T19:00:00Z",
"parser": "kindling-parser/0.1.1"
},
"parsed_at": "2026-09-03T19:00:00Z",
"consent_proof": {
"handshake_id": "hs-midspan-midspan-mentors-maribel",
"accepted_at": "2026-09-03T19:00:00Z",
"method": "curator-vouching"
},
"verification_level": "curator-vouched",
"added_at": "2026-09-03T19:00:00Z",
"added_by": "fina@mail.example"
}
]
}Midspan Studentsours
File: pools/midspan-students.json · served at https://midspan.ellerycoast.example/pools/midspan-students.json
midspan-studentsinvite-onlycurator-only-addsnot setactive · created 1 September 2026 · updated 22 September 2026In practice this file is served only behind the college sign-in, to Fina and Desmond, and no page of ours lists who is in it. We show it here because this is an example and every student in it is invented. The protocol itself has no access control on a manifest; that is the honest limit, and the gap is named below.
| Entry | Level | Consent proof | Added | Their messaging |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yesenia Robles https://yesenia-robles.carrd.example | Vouched for by the curator | curator-vouchinghs-midspan-midspan-students-yesenia | 9 September 2026 | verified, no cold: true |
| Shawna Pickett https://shawna-pickett.notion.example | Vouched for by the curator | curator-vouchinghs-midspan-midspan-students-shawna | 10 September 2026 | verified, no cold: true |
| Joaquín Salas https://joaquin-salas.carrd.example | Vouched for by the curator | curator-vouchinghs-midspan-midspan-students-joaquin | 14 September 2026 | verified, no cold: true |
| Destiny Walker https://destiny-walker.notion.example | Vouched for by the curator | curator-vouchinghs-midspan-midspan-students-destiny | 17 September 2026 | verified, no cold: true |
{
"schema_version": "0.1",
"id": "midspan-students",
"name": "Midspan Students",
"curator": [
{
"identity": "fina@mail.example",
"display_name": "Josefina “Fina” Arriaga",
"verification_level": "oauth",
"primary": true
},
{
"identity": "desmond@mail.example",
"display_name": "Desmond Oyelaran",
"verification_level": "oauth",
"primary": false
}
],
"intent_tags": [
"mentorship",
"first-generation",
"students"
],
"visibility": "invite-only",
"consent_model": "curator-only-adds",
"curator_contact": "midspan@ellerycoast.example",
"charter": "Ellery Coast students who are the first in their families to go to college, 18 or older, who would like a mentor. A coordinator meets each student at intake before inviting them, and only the coordinators can read this list. A coordinator proposes one mentor at a time, with reasons. The student is asked first. Leave any time, and nothing follows you.",
"geographic_scope": {
"city": "Port Ellery",
"country": "United States"
},
"governance_rules": "Curator-only-adds: only a coordinator invites, and only after meeting the student at intake. Invite-only: this Pool is in no discovery file and no registry, and its file is served only behind the college sign-in, to the two coordinators. No mentor and no app reads it. Every student keeps no_cold_messages on. A proposal goes to the student first; the mentor hears of it only after the student says yes. Leaving takes effect at once and withdraws any proposal still waiting. Nothing about a student’s grades, financial aid or enrollment is read or written here.",
"messaging_preferences": {
"block_list_subscriptions": [
"https://protocol.kindling.foundation/blocklist.json",
"https://thecircular.example/blocklist.json"
]
},
"status": "active",
"created_at": "2026-09-01T09:00:00Z",
"updated_at": "2026-09-22T16:30:00Z",
"entries": [
{
"profile_url": "https://yesenia-robles.carrd.example",
"parsed_profile": {
"schema_version": "0.1",
"profile_url": "https://yesenia-robles.carrd.example",
"display_name": "Yesenia Robles",
"pronouns": "she/her",
"location": {
"city": "Port Ellery",
"country": "United States"
},
"intent_tags": [
"mentorship",
"first-generation",
"nursing"
],
"about": "First year at Ellery Coast, taking nursing prerequisites two classes at a time and working evenings at a grocery on Pier Road. First in my family to go to college. I would like to talk to a nurse who did it while working.",
"contact_methods": [
{
"type": "email",
"value": "yesenia@mail.example",
"label": "Kindling identity"
}
],
"verification": {
"level": "curator-vouched",
"verified_at": "2026-09-09T22:40:00Z",
"verifier": "fina@mail.example"
},
"messaging_preferences": {
"accept_from": "verified",
"no_cold_messages": true,
"minimum_curator_verification": "email"
},
"kindling_noindex": false,
"parsed_at": "2026-09-09T22:40:00Z",
"parser": "kindling-parser/0.1.1"
},
"parsed_at": "2026-09-09T22:40:00Z",
"consent_proof": {
"handshake_id": "hs-midspan-midspan-students-yesenia",
"accepted_at": "2026-09-09T22:40:00Z",
"method": "curator-vouching"
},
"verification_level": "curator-vouched",
"added_at": "2026-09-09T22:40:00Z",
"added_by": "fina@mail.example"
},
{
"profile_url": "https://shawna-pickett.notion.example",
"parsed_profile": {
"schema_version": "0.1",
"profile_url": "https://shawna-pickett.notion.example",
"display_name": "Shawna Pickett",
"pronouns": "she/her",
"location": {
"city": "Port Ellery",
"country": "United States"
},
"intent_tags": [
"mentorship",
"first-generation",
"accounting",
"returning-student"
],
"about": "Back in school at twenty-nine after eight years in fish processing. Business and accounting, one class at a time. Two kids, one old laptop, and a lot of questions about transfer.",
"contact_methods": [
{
"type": "email",
"value": "shawna@mail.example",
"label": "Kindling identity"
}
],
"verification": {
"level": "curator-vouched",
"verified_at": "2026-09-10T18:05:00Z",
"verifier": "desmond@mail.example"
},
"messaging_preferences": {
"accept_from": "verified",
"no_cold_messages": true,
"minimum_curator_verification": "email"
},
"kindling_noindex": false,
"parsed_at": "2026-09-10T18:05:00Z",
"parser": "kindling-parser/0.1.1"
},
"parsed_at": "2026-09-10T18:05:00Z",
"consent_proof": {
"handshake_id": "hs-midspan-midspan-students-shawna",
"accepted_at": "2026-09-10T18:05:00Z",
"method": "curator-vouching"
},
"verification_level": "curator-vouched",
"added_at": "2026-09-10T18:05:00Z",
"added_by": "desmond@mail.example"
},
{
"profile_url": "https://joaquin-salas.carrd.example",
"parsed_profile": {
"schema_version": "0.1",
"profile_url": "https://joaquin-salas.carrd.example",
"display_name": "Joaquín Salas",
"pronouns": "he/him",
"location": {
"city": "Port Ellery",
"country": "United States"
},
"intent_tags": [
"mentorship",
"first-generation",
"trades",
"welding"
],
"about": "Second year in welding and fabrication. First in my family to go to college. Wants to know how an apprenticeship actually starts, and whether to finish the associate degree first.",
"contact_methods": [
{
"type": "email",
"value": "joaquin@mail.example",
"label": "Kindling identity"
}
],
"verification": {
"level": "curator-vouched",
"verified_at": "2026-09-14T20:30:00Z",
"verifier": "desmond@mail.example"
},
"messaging_preferences": {
"accept_from": "verified",
"no_cold_messages": true,
"minimum_curator_verification": "email"
},
"kindling_noindex": false,
"parsed_at": "2026-09-14T20:30:00Z",
"parser": "kindling-parser/0.1.1"
},
"parsed_at": "2026-09-14T20:30:00Z",
"consent_proof": {
"handshake_id": "hs-midspan-midspan-students-joaquin",
"accepted_at": "2026-09-14T20:30:00Z",
"method": "curator-vouching"
},
"verification_level": "curator-vouched",
"added_at": "2026-09-14T20:30:00Z",
"added_by": "desmond@mail.example"
},
{
"profile_url": "https://destiny-walker.notion.example",
"parsed_profile": {
"schema_version": "0.1",
"profile_url": "https://destiny-walker.notion.example",
"display_name": "Destiny Walker",
"pronouns": "she/her",
"location": {
"city": "Port Ellery",
"country": "United States"
},
"intent_tags": [
"mentorship",
"first-generation",
"teaching",
"transfer"
],
"about": "Undecided, leaning toward teaching. First in my family to go to college, and the first to leave town for anything. Would like to talk to someone who transferred and came back.",
"contact_methods": [
{
"type": "email",
"value": "destiny@mail.example",
"label": "Kindling identity"
}
],
"verification": {
"level": "curator-vouched",
"verified_at": "2026-09-17T17:15:00Z",
"verifier": "fina@mail.example"
},
"messaging_preferences": {
"accept_from": "verified",
"no_cold_messages": true,
"minimum_curator_verification": "email"
},
"kindling_noindex": false,
"parsed_at": "2026-09-17T17:15:00Z",
"parser": "kindling-parser/0.1.1"
},
"parsed_at": "2026-09-17T17:15:00Z",
"consent_proof": {
"handshake_id": "hs-midspan-midspan-students-destiny",
"accepted_at": "2026-09-17T17:15:00Z",
"method": "curator-vouching"
},
"verification_level": "curator-vouched",
"added_at": "2026-09-17T17:15:00Z",
"added_by": "fina@mail.example"
}
]
}Cape Tarrow First-Gen Alumniread, not ours
File: cape-tarrow/pools/first-gen-alumni.json · served at https://alumni.capetarrow.example/pools/first-gen-alumni.json
first-gen-alumnipublicuniversal-opt-innot setactive · created 1 April 2025 · updated 12 September 2026| Entry | Level | Consent proof | Added | Their messaging |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Priya Raman https://docs.example/d/priya-raman-mentoring | Email verified | email-linkhs-cape-tarrow-first-gen-alumni-priya | 10 April 2025 | verified, no cold: true |
| Lorena Castañeda https://lorena-castaneda.carrd.example | Signed in with OAuth | oauthhs-cape-tarrow-first-gen-alumni-lorena | 12 April 2025 | verified, no cold: true |
| Maribel Soto https://maribel-soto.notion.example | Signed in with OAuth | oauthhs-cape-tarrow-first-gen-alumni-maribel | 2 May 2025 | verified, no cold: true |
| Cormac Doyle https://cormac-doyle.carrd.example | Email verified | email-linkhs-cape-tarrow-first-gen-alumni-cormac | 19 October 2025 | verified, no cold: true |
| Abebe Girma https://abebe-girma.example | Signed in with OAuth | oauthhs-cape-tarrow-first-gen-alumni-abebe | 8 February 2026 | verified, no cold: true |
{
"schema_version": "0.1",
"id": "first-gen-alumni",
"name": "Cape Tarrow First-Gen Alumni",
"curator": [
{
"identity": "bertrand@mail.example",
"display_name": "Bertrand Lomax",
"verification_level": "oauth",
"primary": true
}
],
"intent_tags": [
"mentorship",
"first-generation",
"alumni",
"careers"
],
"visibility": "public",
"consent_model": "universal-opt-in",
"curator_contact": "alumni@capetarrow.example",
"charter": "Graduates of Cape Tarrow College who were the first in their families to go to college, and who are glad to talk to students who are. Public on purpose, so any college on the coast can show students who is out there. Each person decides who may write to them. No recruiting, no selling, nothing to pay.",
"geographic_scope": {
"city": "Cape Tarrow",
"country": "United States"
},
"governance_rules": "Anyone who finished a certificate or degree at Cape Tarrow College and was the first in their family to go to college may say yes to being listed. Any college or program may read this Pool; each person’s own rules decide who may write to them, and Cape Tarrow proposes nobody. Leave any time and your line is gone within a minute.",
"messaging_preferences": {
"block_list_subscriptions": [
"https://protocol.kindling.foundation/blocklist.json",
"https://thecircular.example/blocklist.json"
]
},
"status": "active",
"created_at": "2025-04-01T12:00:00Z",
"updated_at": "2026-09-12T15:00:00Z",
"entries": [
{
"profile_url": "https://docs.example/d/priya-raman-mentoring",
"parsed_profile": {
"schema_version": "0.1",
"profile_url": "https://docs.example/d/priya-raman-mentoring",
"display_name": "Priya Raman",
"pronouns": "she/her",
"location": {
"city": "Port Ellery",
"country": "United States"
},
"intent_tags": [
"mentorship",
"first-generation",
"nursing"
],
"about": "Nurse on night shifts at the hospital in Port Ellery. First in my family to go to college: prerequisites at Cape Tarrow College while I worked as an aide, then nursing school. Happy to talk about prerequisites, clinical placements, and studying around a job.",
"contact_methods": [
{
"type": "email",
"value": "priya@mail.example",
"label": "Kindling identity"
}
],
"verification": {
"level": "email",
"verified_at": "2025-04-10T03:15:00Z"
},
"messaging_preferences": {
"accept_from": "verified",
"no_cold_messages": true,
"minimum_curator_verification": "email"
},
"kindling_noindex": false,
"parsed_at": "2025-04-10T03:15:00Z",
"parser": "kindling-parser/0.1.1"
},
"parsed_at": "2025-04-10T03:15:00Z",
"consent_proof": {
"handshake_id": "hs-cape-tarrow-first-gen-alumni-priya",
"accepted_at": "2025-04-10T03:15:00Z",
"method": "email-link"
},
"verification_level": "email",
"added_at": "2025-04-10T03:15:00Z",
"added_by": "bertrand@mail.example"
},
{
"profile_url": "https://lorena-castaneda.carrd.example",
"parsed_profile": {
"schema_version": "0.1",
"profile_url": "https://lorena-castaneda.carrd.example",
"display_name": "Lorena Castañeda",
"pronouns": "she/her",
"location": {
"city": "Port Ellery",
"country": "United States"
},
"intent_tags": [
"mentorship",
"first-generation",
"accounting",
"transfer"
],
"about": "Bookkeeper for the harbor co-op. First in my family to go to college: accounting at Cape Tarrow, a transfer degree, and a bachelor’s finished online at thirty-four. I can read a financial aid letter with you line by line.",
"contact_methods": [
{
"type": "email",
"value": "lorena@mail.example",
"label": "Kindling identity"
}
],
"verification": {
"level": "oauth",
"verified_at": "2025-04-12T18:40:00Z",
"verifier": "google"
},
"messaging_preferences": {
"accept_from": "verified",
"no_cold_messages": true,
"minimum_curator_verification": "email"
},
"kindling_noindex": false,
"parsed_at": "2025-04-12T18:40:00Z",
"parser": "kindling-parser/0.1.1"
},
"parsed_at": "2025-04-12T18:40:00Z",
"consent_proof": {
"handshake_id": "hs-cape-tarrow-first-gen-alumni-lorena",
"accepted_at": "2025-04-12T18:40:00Z",
"method": "oauth"
},
"verification_level": "oauth",
"added_at": "2025-04-12T18:40:00Z",
"added_by": "bertrand@mail.example"
},
{
"profile_url": "https://maribel-soto.notion.example",
"parsed_profile": {
"schema_version": "0.1",
"profile_url": "https://maribel-soto.notion.example",
"display_name": "Maribel Soto",
"pronouns": "she/her",
"location": {
"city": "Cape Tarrow",
"country": "United States"
},
"intent_tags": [
"mentorship",
"first-generation",
"teaching",
"transfer"
],
"about": "Fourth-grade teacher. Started at Cape Tarrow College at nineteen while working at the cannery, transferred, and came home to teach. Will talk about transfer, student teaching, and explaining to your family what you do all day.",
"contact_methods": [
{
"type": "email",
"value": "maribel@mail.example",
"label": "Kindling identity"
}
],
"verification": {
"level": "oauth",
"verified_at": "2025-05-02T20:05:00Z",
"verifier": "google"
},
"messaging_preferences": {
"accept_from": "verified",
"no_cold_messages": true,
"minimum_curator_verification": "email"
},
"kindling_noindex": false,
"parsed_at": "2025-05-02T20:05:00Z",
"parser": "kindling-parser/0.1.1"
},
"parsed_at": "2025-05-02T20:05:00Z",
"consent_proof": {
"handshake_id": "hs-cape-tarrow-first-gen-alumni-maribel",
"accepted_at": "2025-05-02T20:05:00Z",
"method": "oauth"
},
"verification_level": "oauth",
"added_at": "2025-05-02T20:05:00Z",
"added_by": "bertrand@mail.example"
},
{
"profile_url": "https://cormac-doyle.carrd.example",
"parsed_profile": {
"schema_version": "0.1",
"profile_url": "https://cormac-doyle.carrd.example",
"display_name": "Cormac Doyle",
"pronouns": "he/him",
"location": {
"city": "Cape Tarrow",
"country": "United States"
},
"intent_tags": [
"mentorship",
"first-generation",
"forestry",
"returning-student"
],
"about": "Forestry technician with the state. First in my family to go to college; I went back at twenty-six. Good on field jobs, summer crews, and what to do when the first semester goes badly.",
"contact_methods": [
{
"type": "email",
"value": "cormac@mail.example",
"label": "Kindling identity"
}
],
"verification": {
"level": "email",
"verified_at": "2025-10-19T16:30:00Z"
},
"messaging_preferences": {
"accept_from": "verified",
"no_cold_messages": true,
"minimum_curator_verification": "email"
},
"kindling_noindex": false,
"parsed_at": "2025-10-19T16:30:00Z",
"parser": "kindling-parser/0.1.1"
},
"parsed_at": "2025-10-19T16:30:00Z",
"consent_proof": {
"handshake_id": "hs-cape-tarrow-first-gen-alumni-cormac",
"accepted_at": "2025-10-19T16:30:00Z",
"method": "email-link"
},
"verification_level": "email",
"added_at": "2025-10-19T16:30:00Z",
"added_by": "bertrand@mail.example"
},
{
"profile_url": "https://abebe-girma.example",
"parsed_profile": {
"schema_version": "0.1",
"profile_url": "https://abebe-girma.example",
"display_name": "Abebe Girma",
"pronouns": "he/him",
"location": {
"city": "Port Ellery",
"country": "United States"
},
"intent_tags": [
"mentorship",
"first-generation",
"health-care",
"returning-student"
],
"about": "Respiratory therapist. Came to the coast for work on a fishing boat, took one night class at Cape Tarrow, then another. First in my family to go to college. Ask me about the science prerequisites, and about being older than your classmates.",
"contact_methods": [
{
"type": "email",
"value": "abebe@mail.example",
"label": "Kindling identity"
}
],
"verification": {
"level": "oauth",
"verified_at": "2026-02-08T21:10:00Z",
"verifier": "google"
},
"messaging_preferences": {
"accept_from": "verified",
"no_cold_messages": true,
"minimum_curator_verification": "email"
},
"kindling_noindex": false,
"parsed_at": "2026-02-08T21:10:00Z",
"parser": "kindling-parser/0.1.1"
},
"parsed_at": "2026-02-08T21:10:00Z",
"consent_proof": {
"handshake_id": "hs-cape-tarrow-first-gen-alumni-abebe",
"accepted_at": "2026-02-08T21:10:00Z",
"method": "oauth"
},
"verification_level": "oauth",
"added_at": "2026-02-08T21:10:00Z",
"added_by": "bertrand@mail.example"
}
]
}Block lists
Messages and handshakes from anything on these lists are refused §7.3.
Kindling public block listsubscribed
Copy: blocklist.json · published at https://protocol.kindling.foundation/blocklist.json · version 3, 20 September 2026
The block list the Kindling project will publish under SPEC.md §7.3, for identities and implementations with confirmed abuse. The entries here are illustrative until the registry opens. No personal details are ever published.
| Type | Target | Reason | Detail | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
implementation | scrapekit/0.3 | scraping | Ignores kindling-noindex and robots signals. | 2 July 2026 |
identity | promo-blast@mail.example | spam | 14 August 2026 |
The Circular consortium block listsubscribed
Copy: circular/blocklist.json · published at https://thecircular.example/blocklist.json · version 8, 27 September 2026
Shared by every member of the Circular consortium. Each member subscribes; any member may propose an entry, and two others must second it.
| Type | Target | Reason | Detail | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
curator_identity | listed-them-anyway@mail.example | consent_violation | Submitted other people’s pages, a whole household’s among them, to Pools without asking any of them. | 27 September 2026 |
pool_url | https://free-friends-now.example/pools/everyone.json | consent_violation | Listed profiles that never accepted a handshake. | 26 September 2026 |
identity | bulk-intros@relay.example | spam | 3 September 2026 | |
implementation | scrapekit/0.3 | scraping | Also on the Kindling public list. | 3 July 2026 |
Honest limits
Where the specification text and a schema disagree, our JSON follows the schema. These are the gaps that touch Midspan.
§6.3 lists four types; the schema has six, adding withdrawal and system. Neither has a proposal. We send a coordinator’s note as a system message and each answer as a reply to it, then an intro after two yeses. The schema accepts all three, but another client would see two ordinary messages, not a proposal.
Midspan always asks the student first, so a mentor never hears about a student who said no. That rule lives only in governance_rules and in how Threshold behaves. A client reading the JSON could not check it, or know to follow it.
no_cold_messages needs “confirmed mutual interest” §7.2, but no field carries it. We keep the two replies on the coordinators’ desk and check them before the introduction goes.
Yesenia is in Midspan Students and Priya in Midspan Mentors. The envelope’s via_pool names a single Pool §6.2, and its recipient a single identity, so we send two intro envelopes, each through the Pool its reader is in, sharing a thread header.
§3.2 names invite-only but does not say who may read such a Pool, and §3.1 says a Pool must be retrievable as a JSON document. We serve the students’ file only behind the college sign-in, to the two coordinators. The spec does not say whether a host may do that, or how a client would sign in.
Every member keeps no_cold_messages on. A strict reading of §7.2 would hold back the coordinator’s own invitations and proposals, which are first messages too. We treat mail from a Pool’s curator about that Pool as the Pool’s own, which each member agreed to by saying yes. The protocol does not say.
Our governance text says every member keeps no_cold_messages on. The manifest’s messaging_preferences holds only block lists and a sender minimum §3.3, so the rule lives on each member’s own page, and we check it at intake.
Midspan is for adults only. The charter says so and a coordinator checks at intake, against the college’s own records. Nothing in the protocol carries an age or an eligibility rule, and nothing in a manifest should be read as having checked one.
Priya learns only Yesenia’s first name and what Yesenia chose to share, written into Fina’s note as prose. A parsed profile is all or nothing, so there is no way to say “share these fields with this person, for this proposal”.
A handshake request’s pool object names the curator, charter, intent and visibility §5.2, but not consent_model. Rubén’s letter says “only a coordinator proposes” in words; a client reading the JSON could not.
§4.5 names email-verified, oauth-verified, curator-vouched and unverified. The schemas say email, oauth, curator-vouched, unverified and cryptographic, and a curator can only be email, oauth or cryptographic. Our JSON follows the schemas; our pages use the words.
§6.2 calls the Pool reference pool_ref; the schema calls it via_pool. §12.1 names kindling_version; every schema uses schema_version. §10.2 names pool_url and a per-Pool curator_contact; the well-known schema uses manifest_url, with one contact on operator. Our JSON follows the schemas.
§2.3 names extraction_source, but the parsed-profile schema has no such field and forbids extra ones. Our cards cannot say which lines were marked up and which were inferred.
§5.2 says the 14-day window is “configurable per Pool”. There is no field for it, so each request carries it in expires_at. We use the default.