The AI driven Research and Learning Platform https://freeagora.org

"The natural can never be inferior to the artificial; art imitates nature, not the reverse. ... Now, all the arts move from the lower goals to higher ones. Won't nature do the same?". - Marcus Aurelius \ Meditations [11:10]

Let's build the next generation of software together.

Agora emerges at a pivotal moment in technology. As generative AI and similar technologies promise to boost productivity and foster novel connections and discoveries, their effectiveness hinges on crucial factors: the depth of context provided, the precision of our prompts, and their capacity to evolve from past interactions. These capabilities will further advance as these systems access our comprehensive knowledge and data. The race is on to build these new “operating systems” of tomorrow.

Recalling the rise of Web 2.0, we observed how select companies amassed vast wealth by capitalizing on our most valuable asset: our data. We feel that the best possible future is one where your data can be used to achieve the best results, without sharing or losing ownership. Agora's vision is to harness the transformative power of these technologies while upholding user privacy rights. Agora stands as a trusted, user-centric platform, delivering the benefits of data-driven tools with full user control. It prioritizes maximizing value, even for users who opt for complete data privacy.

Agora is more than just a platform; it's an open, free, cloud-based learning and research ecosystem. Conceived and constructed by educators, researchers, and students, it's a proactive venture into the future of technology. Agora is liberated from conventional constraints, forging a new path in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) through safe, private AI interactions with user data. Its architecture is streamlined, efficient, and adaptable, providing a robust foundation for ongoing exploration in semantic search and AI assistance. Agora aspires to become your cloud-based operating system of tomorrow. Help us build and support it today!

Agora's guiding principles:

• Accessible: Free and open source and will remain so forever
• Feedback: Agora will keep the loop closed, using visualizations and chain of thought reasoning.
• User Centric: Lifelong learners require a lifelong system - not the institutions they are affiliated with.
• Collaborative: Agora can help you make new connections based on the semantic meaning of your data, true connections with like-minded people working on related problems.
• 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.
• Smart: It can suggest helpful resources getting you closer to the answers you seek
• Listens: To its users, the sum of its parts, always remains a force for good.

  Above all: The mission must remain first.

Join the Agora Community Today!

Take the first step in revolutionizing your learning and research experience. Agora is more than just a platform; it's a community of forward-thinkers, innovators, and lifelong learners like you. By joining Agora, you're not just accessing a powerful tool; you're becoming part of a movement to shape the future of human-computer interaction.

Don't just watch the future unfold; be a part of creating it.

• 🧭 Explore the Possibilities: Visit freeagora.org to discover how Agora can transform your data into knowledge.
• 💡 Sign Up for Free: Get immediate access to Agora's features by signing up here.
• 👩‍💻 Contribute to Our Growth: If you're interested in contributing to Agora's development, check our Contribution Guide, List of work to do and Wiki. Empower yourself with control over your data and join a community committed to innovation and privacy. Be a part of Agora – where your ideas and data drive the future.

Code Installation / Development

Agora is open source, and easy to install if you want to manage a local installation or set up a development environment to contribute to its growth. Before working with Agora source please read the Contributor code of conduct and the security policy. Also be aware that the Agora source is protected by the BSD 3-clause License.

Dependencies:

• Postgres
• Node.js
• That's it!

Clone the repo

clone this git repo

git clone https://github.com/briangormanly/agora.git
cd agora

Database setup

You can either run /server/db/createDatabase.sql or create a copy and modify / comment out default data to your liking

• From the agora project home directory:

  psql -U postgres -f server/db/createDatabase.sql

• The script will try to create the agora database using your admin user, you can do this step manually if you prefer.
• Once the agora database and role are created the script will create the tables and data using the agora role. It will prompt you for the agora password, which if you did not change it in the script before running is 'agora'.

Quick start setup

After ensuring that Node.js and PostgreSQL are installed and working and your database is created, you need to create a .env file, configure, install dependencies and run.

1. Make a copy of the .env.example file and call the copy .env, save it in the project home directory
2. In the .env file:
   1. Note the FRONT_END_NAME in the future you can change this to use your own front end / Theme, set to agora by default. The theme is located in a folder of the same name in the client folder.
   2. Edit Postgres settings to connect to your database server (default shown)

      PG_USER = agora
      PG_HOST = localhost
      PG_PASSWORD = agora
      PG_DATABASE = agora
      PG_PORT = 5432
      PG_SSL = false

   3. Set a random session secret string

      SESSION_SECRET = EUOee33unt5haEAOUOMAKE_THIS_YOUR_OWNa34uei58355

   4. You can set email, stripe, GitHub and OpenAI integrations off by setting the following:

      EMAIL_TOGGLE = false
      STRPIE_TOGGLE = false
      GITHUB_TOGGLE = false
      OPENAI_TOGGLE = false

   5. To use any of these integrations (email is a good one as you will need it for user email verification and password reset) set the parameter to 'true' (lowercase without the single quotes). You must also then set all the affiliated settings for that integration.
   6. To use the openAI integrations you must apply your OpenAI API key, you should also provide a semantic scholar API key as this is used for semantic search and verification.

      OPENAI_API_KEY = YOUR_API_KEY
      SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY = API_KEY

   7. Make sure not to commit any of your keys to Git! the .env is in the .gitignore by default but the .env.example file will be committed!
3. Save your .env file
4. Install node.js dependencies

   npm i

5. Start the Agora service!

   npm start

----- output ------

Agora running... {localhost:4200}

6. Navigate your web browser to http://localhost:PORT (default port is 4200) if you are running on your local machine.
7. Enjoy!

API Documentation

API docs are managed in swagger and can be seen here. You can authenticate with your Agora user login.

Current Features

1. Fully functional Editor for notes, papers and more.
2. Innovative Workspace / Topic / Resource organizational pattern for data
3. User management / email verification / Google SSO
4. Sharing and Collaboration of
5. Automated Semantic and GenAI based productivity features
   • Keyword search assistance
   • Verified research and academic recommendations for current research
   • Web resource recommendations
6. AI generated avatar image / avatar upload
7. Basic Stripe integration to allow for community support
8. Fully responsive UI based on Bootstrap

What's next (very soon!)

1. ORCID integration (in testing)
2. Discussions (At global, workspace and topic level)
3. Recommendations regarding future work, literature to read.
4. Document formatting and grammar recommendations.