IdeaLoom

Spec sheet

Purpose

IdeaLoom is a collective intelligence platform for helping large communities hold meaningful conversations, reach shared understanding, and develop solutions.Read 11 Oct 2026 · idealoom.org

Intended users

Conversence describes IdeaLoom as suited to complex problems involving diverse communities and offers advice and help getting conversations started.Read 11 Oct 2026 · conversence.com

API

The technical documentation describes two major APIs: a Cornice-based API and a traversal API.Read 11 Oct 2026 · demo.idealoom.org

Integrations

The features page names mailing lists, RSS/Atom feeds, Facebook pages, Drupal, email, web annotation tools, and YouTube videos.Read 10 Oct 2026 · idealoom.org

License

IdeaLoom is open-source under the AGPL license.Read 11 Oct 2026 · idealoom.org

Founded

2016Read 28 Sep 2026 · idealoom.org

Community access

Discussions can be public, private by invitation, or allow restricted self-registration; participants can register with email or social network accounts.Read 11 Oct 2026 · idealoom.org

Community controls

Communities can define roles and permissions and set discussions to public, invitation-only, or restricted self-registration.Read 10 Oct 2026 · idealoom.org

Conversation structure

It combines threaded forum messages with a table of ideas that forms a concept map of conversation topics.Read 11 Oct 2026 · idealoom.org

Conversation tools

It supports email notifications and replies, imports from mailing lists, RSS/Atom feeds, Facebook pages, and Drupal sites, and automated translation services.Read 10 Oct 2026 · idealoom.org

Decision tools

It supports token voting and multi-criterion voting with multiple choice, yes-no, and one- or two-dimensional scales.Read 11 Oct 2026 · idealoom.org

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.Read 11 Oct 2026 · idealoom.org

Hosting

Conversence offers services around IdeaLoom, and users can also install it on their own servers from a Docker image or from source.Read 11 Oct 2026 · idealoom.org

How it works

It combines threaded forum conversations with an evolving concept map of ideas identified by participants.Read 10 Oct 2026 · idealoom.org

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.Read 11 Oct 2026 · idealoom.org

Platform requirements

The installation guide says IdeaLoom has been tested on Ubuntu, Debian, and Mac OS.Read 11 Oct 2026 · demo.idealoom.org

Security and backups

The documentation describes encrypted Borg backups and advises keeping backup keys safe; it marks nginx security guidance as TODO.Read 11 Oct 2026 · idealoom.org

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.Read 10 Oct 2026 · conversence.com

Translation and moderation

It supports automatic translation of messages and moderation by designated individuals.Read 11 Oct 2026 · idealoom.org

Where Specifiction places it

• Idea Management Software#24 of 337.5