Maritime Q&A Platform for Seafarers

A cross-platform iOS and Android application dedicated to maritime seafarers, built around a strict StackExchange-style question-and-answer model.

The goal is to create a high-quality professional knowledge base for seafarers, not a casual discussion forum.

Core Assumption

The platform needs three trust layers:

Authentication
- Google login
- Facebook login
- Email login / SSO
Posting Quality
- Strict question standards
- Duplicate prevention
- Tag requirements
- Moderation and review queues
Professional Credibility
- Optional maritime rank verification
- Certificate-based trust indicators
- Experience-based profile signals

StackExchange-Inspired Features

The platform should emulate the mechanics of StackExchange, not copy its branding or policy text.

Useful references:

Core Q&A Features

Questions
Answers
Accepted answers
Upvotes and downvotes
Comments
Post editing
Revision history
User profiles
Reputation score
Badges
Saved/bookmarked questions
Watched and ignored tags

Posting Quality System

To keep quality high, the app should include:

Ask-question wizard
Required title quality checks
Required body/detail checks
Required tags
Duplicate question suggestions before posting
Minimum detail requirements
Close reasons:
- Duplicate
- Too broad
- Unclear
- Opinion-based
- Off-topic
- Safety-critical without enough context
Reopen flow after edits
Community review queues

User Management

User profiles should include:

Display name
Avatar
Bio
Rank or role
Vessel type experience
Country or region, optional
Reputation
Badges
Answer history
Question history
Accepted answers
Verified credentials, optional

Possible maritime roles:

Cadet
Deck Officer
Chief Officer
Master
Marine Engineer
Second Engineer
Chief Engineer
ETO
Surveyor
Pilot
Superintendent
Maritime Lawyer
Trainer / Instructor

Maritime-Specific Features

This is where the product becomes more than a StackExchange clone.

Maritime Profile Signals

Rank badge
Vessel-type experience
Years at sea
Certificate verification
Endorsement badges
Specialization tags

Certificate Verification

Optional verification could include:

STCW
Certificate of Competency
GMDSS
Tanker endorsements
DP certificate
ECDIS
Medical fitness
Flag-state endorsements

Maritime Tags

Example tag categories:

colregs
solas
marpol
ism-code
isps
mlc
port-state-control
vetting
cargo-operations
navigation
ecdis
gmdss
engine-room
dry-dock
charter-party
crew-contracts
tanker-operations
bulk-carrier
container-vessel
lng
lpg
offshore
seafarer-exams

Safety-Critical Content Rules

Some maritime answers can affect safety, compliance, or legal outcomes.

For these topics, the platform should require stricter handling:

Regulatory citations where possible
Clear distinction between regulation and personal experience
“Experience-based answer” label
“Needs citation” flag
Moderator review for high-risk topics
Jurisdiction/flag-state context when relevant

Examples of safety-critical topics:

COLREGs interpretation
Emergency procedures
Cargo handling
Enclosed space entry
Stability
Pollution prevention
Navigation decisions
Port State Control deficiencies

Moderation System

The platform should include:

Flagging
Close votes
Reopen votes
Review queues
Spam handling
Rude/abusive content handling
Moderator notes
User suspension tools
Post locks
Audit logs
Admin dashboard

Reputation and Privileges

Reputation should unlock trust-based actions.

Example privilege ladder:

Ask questions
Answer questions
Comment on own posts
Upvote
Comment everywhere
Downvote
Suggest edits
Review first posts
Vote to close/reopen
Create new tags
Edit posts directly
Access moderation tools

Additional Features Worth Considering

Offline reading mode for seafarers at sea
Low-bandwidth mode
Push notifications
Saved questions
Watched tags
Private draft questions
Anonymous sensitive questions
Maritime exam preparation section
Company-neutral career advice
Contract and welfare Q&A
Mental health and harassment support category
Regional maritime law tags
Equipment-specific tags
Vessel-type communities
Expert AMAs
Weekly featured questions
Canonical answers for repeated topics

Recommended Tech Stack

Mobile App

Expo React Native
TypeScript
iOS and Android support from one codebase

Backend

Recommended options:

Supabase + Postgres
Node.js API + Postgres
Firebase, only if relational complexity is kept low

For this product, Postgres is strongly recommended because the data model is relational:

Users
Posts
Answers
Votes
Tags
Reputation events
Moderation queues
Review decisions
Verification records

Authentication

Possible providers:

Supabase Auth
Firebase Auth
Auth0
Clerk

Auth methods:

Google
Facebook
Email
Magic link or password login

Search

Start with:

Postgres full-text search

Upgrade later to:

Meilisearch
Typesense
OpenSearch

Admin and Moderation

Build a web dashboard for moderators/admins.

Mobile-only moderation will be limiting.

Suggested Build Order

Product spec and platform rules
Auth and user profiles
Tags
Ask question flow
Answer flow
Voting and accepted answers
Reputation system
Basic moderation
Close/reopen flow
Review queues
Maritime verification
Push notifications
Offline and low-bandwidth support
Advanced search

MVP Recommendation

Do not build the entire StackExchange feature set at once.

The first MVP should include:

Authentication
User profiles
Question posting
Answer posting
Tags
Voting
Accepted answers
Basic reputation
Basic moderation
Admin dashboard
Maritime-specific tag taxonomy

Credential verification, advanced badges, and full review queues can come after the core Q&A loop works.

Key Product Decision

Before implementation, decide which trust model matters most for the MVP:

Strict StackExchange-style Q&A quality first
Verified maritime professional identity first

Recommended choice:

Start with strict Q&A quality first, then add professional verification as a trust layer.

This keeps the app useful from day one while still allowing verified maritime expertise to become a major differentiator later.

sagaratalatti/Features.md

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