IRCNow

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Here is our commitment to you, the people:

All works on our website ircnow.org, as well as all apps and server software will guarantee these freedoms:

  1. The freedom to use that work for any purpose
  2. The freedom to study and modify the work
  3. The freedom to copy and share the work to help your neighbor
  Our project must be functional using only open source protocols. Our goals are to use XMPP, IRC, SIP, and WebRTC. There must be no requirements to use proprietary or 3rd party protocols. Use is allowed, but must not be required from customers.
  Specifically, we must not require the use of Telegram, Signal, Facebook, Discord, WhatsApp, LINE, Facebook Messenger, Dropbox, Google Drive, Google Docs, Gmail, Microsoft Azure, Amazon AWS, Google App Engine, Google FireBase. The app must work without using any of these apps or protocols. Use of these services are allowed, but must not be required from customers.
  Our project must be functional using only open source software. There must be no requirement to use proprietary software. Specifically, customers must be able to run a functional app using only open-source software on BSD and Linux. Use of proprietary software is allowed, but must not be required from customers.
  Specifically, we must not require customers install Zoom, Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac, Apple iPhone, Google Android, Google Play, Apple App Store. Use of these services is allowed, but must not be required from customers.
  Our project's goal is to eventually release all software and content into the public domain. There must be no copyrighted content in the project that forbids redistribution, modification, or usage. Use outside of the project is allowed, but not inside the project.
  Our project must allow anyone to easily self-host. There must be no requirements to use proprietary services or 3rd party infrastructure. Specifically, we must guarantee that our servers work on Linux and BSD using only open-source software. Providing support for proprietary software like Windows is allowed, but must not be required from customers.

Software Quality

  The goals for Software Quality are not promises. They are flexible rules. If we agree, we may break the following rules at times.
  Where possible, we will follow open standards
  Where possible, we will prefer using software that has fewer CVEs. We will code with security as a priority.
  Where possible, we will prefer using software that has a long history of being reliable and stable
  Where possible, we will prefer using software that has a permissive license rather than the GPL. The ideal software is public domain
  Where possible, we will prefer using software that has been better tested
  Where possible, we will prefer using software that has better documentation. We must produce good documentation.
  Where possible, we will prefer using software that is simpler for the programmer to understand. We must write software that is easy to understand.
  Where possible, we will avoid 3rd party dependencies
  The following are not as important: features, cost, popularity, appearance

Software Privacy

  The goals for Software Privacy are not promises. They are flexible rules. If we agree, we may break the following rules at times.
  We will collect as little personal information as possible about students.
  We will avoid logging except when necessary for critical features. Specifically, we should allow the user the option to never log any chats, audio, or video.
  We will try to allow anonymous login unless we have too much criminal activity using our software. Specifically, we will avoid asking for phone numbers, emails, or legal names.
  We will not sell or share data to 3rd parties except as required by law.
  We should try to offer the best encryption that is legally allowed.