singular-particular-space/ToolsnToys/Meshagora

Meshagora

A social platform simulator for teaching digital literacy. Runs as a local web server on an Android phone (via Termux), participants join through their browsers over WiFi — no internet required, no app install, no persistent data.

Designed for workshop facilitation. Every session starts clean. All data lives in memory and is destroyed when the server stops.

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What it teaches

Meshagora recreates the mechanics of real social platforms in a controlled, observable environment:

• Tiered posting access (who gets amplified, who gets restricted)
• Pseudonymity vs. identity (session labels vs. confirmed friends)
• Community reporting and auto-restriction
• Algorithmic feed ordering (invisible vote weights)
• Handshake-based friend networks and friends-only feeds
• Flood attacks (bot accounts)
• Admin surveillance — the platform sees everything participants don't

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Requirements

Python 3.8+
flask
qrcode[pil]

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Quick Start — Termux (Android, recommended for sessions)

pkg install python git
pip install flask qrcode[pil]
git clone https://github.com/JL-Kruger/meshagora.git
cd meshagora

1. Enable the Android mobile hotspot before running the script.
2. Run:

   python3 meshagora.py
   

3. The startup banner prints the join URL, QR code link, and all post keys.
4. Participants connect to the hotspot WiFi and open the join URL in any browser.

See DEPLOY.md for the full pre-session checklist, admin panel guide, and troubleshooting.

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Quick Start — Desktop (testing)

pip install flask qrcode[pil]
python3 meshagora.py

Server runs at http://127.0.0.1:5000. Open multiple browser tabs or incognito windows to simulate multiple participants.

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Architecture

Single-file Flask application (meshagora.py). No framework, no database file, no external assets. SQLite runs in-memory. threaded=False is mandatory — do not change it.

Post tiers

Tier	Key length	Who has it
ADMIN	4 emoji	Facilitator only
TRUSTED	2 emoji	Promoted users
DEFAULT	2 emoji	All registered users (rotates on restriction events)
RESTRICTED	co-sign	Users restricted by admin or community report

Feed ordering

1. Highest-score post pinned to top
2. Middle posts ordered newest-first
3. Lowest-score post pinned to bottom

Auto-restriction

When unique reporters exceed 51% of a user's total posts, that user is automatically restricted and the Default Post Key rotates silently.

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Files

File	Purpose
meshagora.py	Complete implementation
meshagora_spec_v2_3.md	Full design specification
DEPLOY.md	Deployment guide, troubleshooting, pre-session checklist

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Stopping the Server

Ctrl+C in the terminal. All session data is gone immediately. This is intentional.