π About Our IRC Server
Our IRC server is powered by Ergo, a modern IRC server that offers features far beyond the traditional IRC experience. It provides a safer, more flexible, and user-friendly chat environment for our community.
Key Features of Ergo IRC Server
- Modern and user-friendly design β Ergo is simple to set up and use, combining an IRC server, services, and bouncer functionality into one integrated solution.
- Account-based authentication β Built-in support for NickServ-style accounts with persistent identities and optional SASL login.
- Integrated bouncer functionality β Replays chat history and allows multiple clients to share the same nickname seamlessly.
- Advanced security and privacy β Supports IP cloaking, bcrypt-hashed passwords, TLS (with client certificate support), and Tor hidden services.
- Flexible and dynamic configuration β Uses a readable YAML config file that can be reloaded at runtime without downtime.
- Extensive IRCv3 support β Implements the latest IRCv3 specifications, making it ideal for modern client compatibility and feature testing.
Tor Access
We offer Tor access via a dedicated hidden service to support users who require anonymity or live in regions where IRC traffic may be blocked or monitored. This ensures users can safely and privately connect to our network regardless of local restrictions or surveillance.
Bot Functionality
Our server includes a custom-built bot designed to support moderation, community safety, and accessibility. It works quietly in the background to help keep things running smoothly. Current features include:
- Automatic pronouns β Users' pronouns can be set automatically when they join a channel, enhancing visibility and inclusivity.
- Pronoun visibility β Anyone can look up another user's pronouns, when set, to help foster respectful communication.
- Admin reporting β Users can report issues or concerns to the admin team for follow-up.
- Flood control β The bot detects message floods and applies automatic mutes to prevent disruption.
- Live server monitoring β The bot periodically checks the serverβs health and status to keep users informed.
- Karma and thanks tracking β The bot stores nicknames for the purpose of tracking community engagement through karma and thanks commands.
- Invite tracking β Invitation activity is logged by the bot to help understand how users are joining and connecting.
- Channel display data β The bot keeps track of active user counts, current topics, and channel names for displaying up-to-date status on the website.
We're continually improving the bot and welcome suggestions to better support the community!
Web Client Privacy
Our web-based lounge client is configured for maximum privacy. Chat history is disabled and no messages are stored. Additionally, the lounge's backend database has been fully disabled, ensuring that no user data, logs, or metadata are ever recorded.
Privacy & Data Handling
We take privacy seriously. Our server is designed to protect your identity and conversations while still offering helpful features and moderation tools. Here's how we handle your data:
- Secure password handling β When you register an account, your password is securely encrypted using
bcrypt
. This modern hashing algorithm ensures your credentials are never stored in plain text and remain protected from unauthorized access. - Ephemeral chat history β Each registered channel retains the last 500 lines of chat history. This data is stored in memory only and is not written to disk. It exists solely to enable useful features like chat replay and bouncer functionality.
- No persistent user logs β We do not log user interactions or messages permanently. Your conversations are not archived or stored beyond the short-term memory-based history described above.
- Admin reports for moderation β When a user files a report using
!report
, the bot captures the last 10 lines from the channel and relays them to a dedicated admin-only channel. This information is also stored in memory only and disappears if the server restarts. - Volatile by design β All server-side message history and reports exist only in RAM. This means that when the server is restarted, all chat history and temporary report data are immediately erased, ensuring nothing is retained beyond a single session.
Our goal is to balance functionality with your right to privacy. By using in-memory data, disabled logging, and optional Tor access, we minimize risks while maintaining the features you rely on.