The family is the basic social structure of FreeStyle Networks.
The minimum number of members in a family is two, and there is no maximum limit.
A member can only belong to one family for every FSN Channel.
Belonging to a family is one of the requirements to get FSN Level 4

Why it is important to be part of a family?
To start with all families and their members have special privileges in the whole FSN System and can use special services predisposed for them.
The whole FSN is based on the idea of small units cooperating at the base level to have common benefits, and the family is the most important of these units.

Joining or leaving a family
Every family can setup different rules for members to join or leave it.
These rules, initially set up by the family founder, can be changed only with the approval of a minimum of three quarters of the family members.

Family members
Everyone can join a family and belong to it, but there are differences between family members and the privileges (and voting rights) they have within the family, depending on the level of participation to the family life.

Paterfamilas or Materfamilias
The founder of a family becomes the Paterfamilias or Materfamilias, the head of the family.
Later on the position of Paterfamilias or Materfamilias can be changed by election from the members of the family

Founding a new family
Any member with FSN Level 3 or higher can create his own family, then any other member can join it.

The family surname
The family surname is decided by the founder of the family and can not be changed.
Members splitting from a family to create their own will change the surname
The surname must be unique: only one family can use it
When a member joins a family he or she will add the family surname to the channel nickname.
Per example: if you join the NewEra family, you will become Membername NewEra