Agora

Hello 👋 and thanks for stopping by!

Learning is at our core, we do it everyday. The artifacts of what we learn, our notes, papers, links we find, videos we watch, blogs we read, spreadsheets, test results, assignments, books, and our lifetime of interactions with teachers and mentors are spread across the physical and digital world.

When we graduate, finish an online course, complete a training seminar, attend a conference or even just switch to a new method of managing our notes and documents we lose something, pieces of our hard work scattered, unorganized, out of reach and eventually lost. Often years later we find ourselves frustrated and retracing our steps though a past learning or research journey only to realize a crucial piece cannot be located or reconstructed.

Agora is an open, collaborative and forever free environment where we can conduct our learning, research our ideas, and remember all the lessons we learn, forever. An environment that is not owned by an academic institution or corporation but by everyone. Guided only by virtue and principles.

We at Agora believe that cloud based user centric learning and research platform is long overdue. This platform's main workspace is to provide a robust platform built around the individual and their data. Data you add to the system will always remain yours, never marketed or sold. We at agora believe a better future is one in which data ownership is your protected right. We believe that the only way this can happen successfully is if not-for-profit public service based institutions are custodians. Funding to these institutions can not come with strings attached.

In addition to making the user the owner of their data, the platform should include the best new approaches to online pedagogy, collaboration and sharing of resources. Agora strives to become the ultimate friend of any student, teacher or researcher by helping them find the resources, connections and lessons they need as they are working.

Agora is a single, open, collaborative and forever free environment where we can conduct our learning, research our ideas, and remember all the lessons we learn, forever. An environment that is not owned by an academic institution or corporation but by everyone. Guided only by virtue and principles:

The perfect learning platform:

• Is accessible: Free and open source and will remain so forever.
• User, not institution centric: Lifelong learners require a lifelong system that follows them.
• Is flexible: So different types of learners can work however they do best
• Is social: Opening a safe central hub of learning means collaboration and sharing of information can be easier than ever.
• Is safe: Your data will never be used against you, only for you. it will not be sold or used for marketing and is only seen by people you authorize.
• Is smart: It is intuitive to use and can suggest helpful resources getting you closer to the answers you seek
• Listens: To its users, remaining a force for good.

Be a part of the change, own your own data for life, starting today!

To join, create an account and explore free resources and get acquainted with our community. We look forward to seeing you! Please understand that this community is currently brand new and growing. There will be plenty of dust around this construction site, please pardon it!

About the Founder

My name is Brian Gormanly, I am an educator, researcher, computer scientist, and an open source practitioner. I am just another computer scientist working hard to make a significant contribution to the world while doing what I love.

I am a passionate advocate for a return to a more decentralized World Wide Web, individual data rights, and creating educational opportunities for all looking to learn. As an individual whose life has been transformed by my own education, there is no higher calling for me than providing every opportunity I can to others.

Connect with me on LinkedIn