The Community Exchange System (CES) is a network of trading exchanges in many different countries around the world. Each exchange operates as a separate entity but inter-trading between them is a unique feature of the CES. Each exchange has its own currency, the value of which is usually based on the national currency. All registered users are able to trade with any other users in any other exchange. This means that users are able to trade outside their exchanges, either remotely or, if they are travelling of living in the area of another exchange, directly with users of the other exchange. International trades work in exactly the same way as local trades, though an 'conversion rate' is automatically applied to convert one currency into another.

Disabled features

The following are some of the features that have been disabled in the demonstration site:

• Entering trades with users of other exchanges
• Viewing offerings of other exchanges
• Searching for offerings on other exchanges
• Advertising offerings on other exchanges
• Viewing wants of other exchanges
• Advertising wants on other exchanges
• Viewing announcements of other exchanges
• Viewing recommendations of other exchanges
• Making a recommendation for users in other exchanges
• Viewing membership lists of other exchanges
• Viewing profiles of users in other exchanges
• The 'Groups' feature which provides discussion forums, noticeboards and group email functions

On the next page are a few examples of how some of the disabled features appear and work.