🗂️ Archival project from April 2014
Frontend: jQuery 1.7.2 · HTML · CSS
Backend: PHP (updated to modern version with mysqli and security improvements)
License: Apache 2.0
Live demo: Open it here (more info on how to access below)
When I started my bachelor's in International Relations in 2014, I created a group with my new colleagues called "Mi Mafia".
We were a lively bunch, passionate about politics, debate, and socialising. So I decided to build us our own social network:
👉 Mi Mafia, tu mafia.
This system became our private online hub, where we could elect our "Capo" (leader), publish news, propose projects, and programme events, all within our own playful mafia-inspired structure.
- Registration required a valid university ID pre-registered in the system.
- User profiles included:
- Photo, name, birthdate, bio, and study period (morning/afternoon/evening).
- Articles written for the group's newspaper (O Diário Mafioso).
- Earned badges and achievements.
- Every month, members could run for Capo (leader of Mi Mafia).
- All users could vote, and results were automatically tallied by the system.
- Users could write and publish articles across various categories:
- Notícias Nacionais (national news)
- Notícias Internacionais (international news)
- Cursos (courses)
- Concursos (public tenders)
- Utilidade Universitária (university life)
- Anúncios (ads)
- Política (politics)
- Humor Instrutivo (instructive humour)
- Relações Internacionais (Int'l Relations)
- Notícias Mafiosas (group's own news)
- Articles displayed author info and allowed comments from other users.
- Articles could be up or downvoted (from 10 downvotes onwards, the article could be made invisible by the Capo)
- Users could create events, with comments and notifications for attendees.
- Members could propose projects for the group and vote on them.
- The Capo reviewed and approved or rejected approved proposals.
- The Capo could also issue plebiscites (e.g., to expand the group).
- The Capo could issue short parole (max 100 characters), public statements visible to all.
- New parole triggered notifications across all user dashboards.
- Users earned badges for:
- Creating or attending events.
- Publishing articles.
- Participating in elections.
- Users would earn "Conquistopoints" (awardpoints) for each badge earned.
- Badges appeared on user profiles and reflected engagement.
- Real-time notification counter for:
- New parole from the Capo.
- New articles, comments, or events.
- Projects, elections, and plebiscites.
| Screenshot | Description |
|---|---|
 |
Login Page – Entry point of the system where users log in using their account or register using the pre-registered matrícula (university ID). |
 |
Dashboard – The main feed showing parole from the Capo, recent articles, events, and notifications. |
 |
O Diário Mafioso – The internal newspaper where users can read and post articles under different categories. |
 |
Event Page – Displays event details and comments. Users can create and participate in events. |
 |
User Profile – Shows user information, photo, bio, badges, and their published articles. |
- Originally built in April 2014 using PHP 5.x and MySQL.
- Fully updated for PHP 8.2 with
mysqliand modern security practices. - Interactivity handled with jQuery 1.7.2 and vanilla JavaScript.
- Designed primarily for desktop browsers of the early 2010s.
I have made a live demo available where you can access the system. Just access the link here and use the following username: "creator_system" and password: "123456789". This account is "il capo". You can also try a "normal" account with: "testa_italiana" and password "123456789".
This project marks the beginning of my journey as a developer — where creativity, humour, and a touch of political flair met code.
It's a nostalgic example of how even small, student-driven communities can inspire full digital ecosystems.
- The Capo was elected democratically every month — complete with campaigns and all! 🗳️
- Some users actually wrote columns for O Diário Mafioso, treating it like a real newsroom.
- “Mi Mafia” even issued plebiscites to decide who could join (or be expelled from!) our group. Bureaucracy meets friendship! 🇮🇹
This project is open under the Apache License 2.0.
You’re welcome to explore, adapt, or draw inspiration — just provide proper attribution.
You can clone the repository to your local machine and run it! The database is included and you just have to change the "conectar.php" file with your local data.
To see more live demos of old projects, click here:
© 2014–2025 – Created and updated by Caio Ponce de Leon