We’re not suggesting you have to deactivate your Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest accounts. Kin Valley integrates with these sites to make it easy to invite Kin, and share content that you have already posted. But we believe that sharing something meaningful, personal or relevant requires a unique space for the people you actually care about.
Kin Valley is safe for Adults. We think of adult safety a bit differently than we do kid safety. It means having a place that only includes the people you care about; eliminating the ability for you (and your content) to be searchable by people outside Kin Valley; creating the ability to communicate with the kids in your life without worrying about breaking the law (or communicating without the consent of a parent); and integrating with other social networks in a simple, obvious way so that you always know what is coming into or going out of your valley.
Kin Valley is really safe for kids. We exceed the standards of the Child Online Protection and Privacy Act (COPPA). We go beyond being COPPA Compliant. Our permission system is designed for the way parents need to parent. Parents decide:
Most importantly, your Valley only includes the people you care about and trust. Kin care about looking out for and encouraging the children in your Valley.
The Internet is typically very segregated. Kids use kid sites and adults use sites that are illegal for kids to use (i.e. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc.). There are legitimate reasons for this dynamic, but it makes it difficult to create an online space where adults help kids (mentoring, guidance, sharing, fun) and kids help adults (every adults needs to be reminded to see the world through the eyes of a kid). Kin Valley is the first truly multi-generational social network.
Have you noticed the difference between sitting at a table with a bunch of casual friends and sitting at a table with your best buddies? The dynamic is always better when it is you and just the people you care about. You are more relaxed, you talk more freely, you come up with better ideas, and you act like yourself. That is the dynamic you will find in Kin Valley.
Over time you will be able to look back and see all of the important interactions and memories. And it will be easy to find what you are looking for when you don’t have the clutter of hundreds of meaningless relationships and messages.
The reality is that we are all multi-dimensional. And sometimes we need to keep certain interests, affinities, thoughts and friendships separate from one another. Kin Valley provides an environment that works for everyone. Everyone’s valley is unique to them, so you can have a wide variety of Kin in your valley and interact with them in very different ways.
Your Kin who aren't on Facebook and Twitter will use Kin Valley. The idea that everyone is using sites like Facebook is a myth. We all have meaningful relationships with people that will not use social networking sites that open them up to random people seeing what they are doing. Other people are either overwhelmed by the sheer number of things happening on Facebook or underwhelmed by the triviality that flows from people you don’t care about.
You can integrate your non-family “Kin” like teachers, coaches, troop leaders, trainers, and mentors into your valley. These people play a vital role in the lives of you and your family. They have access, but only on the terms you define. And when they interact with your kids, you know about it.
Kin Valley is a better place to learn and experience social networking. We all need some help with things throughout life (learning to ride a bike, learning to drive, and various other life lessons). It is always best to learn these things in a safe environment from people who are looking out for your best interests. Kin Valley is a great place to start (and stay) whether you are a 5 year old newbie or a grandparent learning a new set of tricks.
Do you have a great Kin Valley story to share? Submit yours here.
To see more examples of Kin Valley in use, click the owl in your valley. Start a valley now.
