# GridPilot — Social Features  
*The social layer that connects drivers, admins, teams, and leagues in one unified platform.*

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## 1. The Purpose of GridPilot Social

Sim racers today are split across:
- Discord servers  
- Reddit threads  
- scattered DMs  
- league-specific chats  
- spreadsheets with usernames  

There is **no central place** where drivers, admins, and teams discover each other or keep in touch.

GridPilot adds a lightweight, modern social layer designed specifically for the league racing world.

Not a full “social network,” not noisy, not chaotic —  
just the tools needed to help people connect efficiently and meaningfully.

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## 2. Unified User Identity

Every user has one identity across the entire platform:

- profile picture  
- username  
- country & time zone  
- teams  
- leagues they race in  
- bio (optional)  
- links (Twitch / YouTube / Discord / social media)  
- availability preferences (days/times they race)  

**Admins, drivers, team captains — all the same user type.**

There are no separate accounts or roles.  
Roles are permissions, not different identities.

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## 3. Messaging (Lightweight)

A minimal message system designed for utility, not noise.

### **Driver ↔ Driver**
- send quick messages (questions, coordination, friendly chatter)

### **Driver ↔ Admin**
- ask about sign-ups  
- clarify rules  
- discuss incidents (if needed)  
- handle roster or team questions  

### **Team Messaging**
- team chat for coordination  
- optional channel for setup sharing or strategy  
- not meant to replace Discord, but acts as a unified fallback  

### **League Announcements**
- admins can broadcast updates  
- drivers receive notifications (web/mobile)

This is *not* a Discord replacement — it fills the gaps Discord cannot cover.

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## 4. Discoverability Between Users

GridPilot makes it easy for users to find the right people.

### **Find Drivers**
Admins or team captains can filter by:
- region  
- time zone  
- car classes driven  
- experience level  
- incident trends  
- availability  
- open-to-team-invite flag  

### **Find Leagues**
Drivers can filter by:
- region  
- event time  
- car class  
- competition level  
- team / solo format  

### **Find Teams**
Drivers can see:
- teams recruiting  
- team bios  
- roster  
- history  
- available seats  

This enables a healthy “social marketplace” inside the platform — not chaos, but structure.

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## 5. Social Timeline (v1: Very Light)

A simple, platform-wide activity feed such as:

- “User X joined League Y”  
- “Team Z registered for the new season”  
- “Driver A scored P1 in Race 3”  
- “Season standings updated”  

No memes, no fluff, no spam — just relevant racing activity.

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## 6. Profiles for Leagues & Teams (Social Extension)

### **League Profiles**
- followers  
- announcements  
- pinned messages  
- season previews  
- open sign-ups  
- links to streams  

### **Team Profiles**
- roster  
- captain  
- recruiting status  
- achievements  
- highlights  
- invites/private chat  

This creates a natural social ecosystem around competition.

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## 7. Notifications (Non-Intrusive)

Users get updates for:
- sign-up confirmations  
- race day reminders  
- new messages  
- new followers  
- schedule changes  
- penalties published  
- standings updates  

Always optional.  
Always configurable.

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## 8. Social Safety Features

GridPilot avoids drama-heavy social problems:

- block/mute user  
- report message or behavior  
- admin moderation tools inside a league  
- no open global chat (avoids toxicity)  
- no group spam  
- no public “wall posts”  

The platform focuses on **purposeful** communication only.

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## 9. Why GridPilot’s Social Layer Is Unique

Current tools:
- Discord: chaotic, messy, isolated per league  
- Reddit: fragmented  
- Forums: outdated  
- DMs: unstructured  
- iRacing: no social features at all  

GridPilot combines the best parts of community interaction:
- discoverability  
- messaging  
- profiles  
- recruitment  
- structured announcements  
- identity across leagues  

…without becoming a noisy distraction.

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## 10. Summary

GridPilot’s social features give sim racers what they’re missing:

- a unified identity  
- simple ways to connect  
- ways for leagues to find drivers  
- ways for drivers to find leagues  
- team coordination tools  
- non-chaotic messaging  
- structured community activity  

It’s the **social layer that sim racing has always lacked** —  
lightweight, purposeful, and deeply integrated into competition.