We’re all a bit traumatized when it comes to dealing with people. We need to change that.
RINGs are designed to be welcoming and low-pressure. You can start by joining a state-level CES exchange to participate quietly. When you feel ready, you can attend your first RING meeting at your own pace, with the support of the group. You don't have to know anyone to join a Neighborhood RING; we can match you with people who live near you.
No. Cryptocurrencies try to create wealth that is not attached to real goods and services. Crypto coins of all kinds are simply get-rich-quick pyramid scams that only further harm, atomize, and divide society. The currency used in the RINGs network uses a time bank model—everyone's hour is worth the same amount. The value does not fluctuate to create bubbles, the way conventional fiat or crypto currency does. Everyone has a limit to how many hours they can "bank" in the CES time bank. Unlike cryptocurrency scams, RINGs is not about hoarding wealth; it is about giving to the community and ensuring everyone's needs are met.
No. You do not need to pay anything to join, and you are not selling anything. There are no get-rich-quick promises, and in fact, RINGs is not about pursuing wealth at all. We just want to help each other meet our basic material needs, so nobody falls into precarity. Solicitation of any kind, whether MLM's, religions, causes, or any other kind of solicitation, is not allowed in the RINGs.
No. None of the above. This is not a high-control network. There is no central leader. There is no loyalty pledge or pressure. You do not pay anything to join. There is no required belief system, except the beliefs:
RINGs simply exist to try to get people in community again.
No. You will meet neighbors with a wide range of political opinions. Some people may join the RING with very strongly-held beliefs, and some people may not be very interested in politics at all. It is important to get along with each other, whatever we believe, so the RING network is explicitly apolitical. That said, politics is extremely important, and you should be civically engaged! But in the RINGs, our mission is to take care of each others' material needs. That's it. Political engagement happens elsewhere. The RINGs just keep us safe so we can do so.
Not in the commonly-used sense of the word. We aren't going to scare you to death with stories of the end of the world. We won't sell you giant tubs of air-dried food, or tell you to build a bunker in your basement. Each Neighborhood RING will prepare for emergencies, but we encourage the "Three-Bad" model, promoted by Dr. Emily Schoerning, a science education specialist who runs the nonprofit, American Resiliency. This model encourages a healthy, calm relationship with thinking about an uncertain future. Instead of telling people to live off the grid and be completely independent, this model encourages a community-based, social approach. Instead of trying to prep for the apocalypse, the "Three-Bad" model encourages you to prepare for more realistic scenarios: "Three bad days, Three bad weeks, Three bad months." All that said, you do not need to do any "prep work" to join the RINGs network. You can engage at any level you wish: low, medium, or high! The main point is to get people in community— engaging with and helping each other.
There are 4 levels of involvement. You can be as engaged as you wish. If you decide to join a Neighborhood RING, we ask for a commitment of about 2-4 hours per week, for the duration of a year. During the year, you are learning with your group, and getting paid to do so. But you do not have to join a Neighborhood RING; you may simply exchange goods and services on the CES, which takes very little time.
Anything that people can trade in time is fair game—childcare, tutoring, repairs, errands, meal prep, emotional support, pet walks… the only limit is your imagination (and skills that someone else needs!)
Right now every hour counts the same, no matter what service is traded. Balances are capped, so folks don’t bank too many hours without giving back—or fall too far behind. The goal is mutual care, not hoarding or debt.
If someone engages in malicious patterns (which is extremely rare), we take steps to remove them from harming the community. This almost never happens, because you can't get wealthy via the CES. There's no benefit to behaving criminally.
Yes. RINGs are flexible. Life happens— people move, problems arise, schedules change... If you're in a Neighborhood RING, just let your group know you're stepping back, and work it out with them. You’re always welcome to rejoin when things settle.
RINGs isn’t an item or service, it’s how we support each other. The whole idea is to keep your dollars for things that only dollars can get, while helping each other with the rest. There is no cost to join; however, the CES does charge a 2% levy on each transaction, to help maintain the digital infrastructure. This occurs in the CES platform, and is separate from the RING Network. (CES existed long before RINGs. We are just using their system as part of ours.)
The RING network runs on volunteers. We have no grants, no benefactors, no dues. We just believe that neighbors can help each other get through the tough times we are currently facing.