Network Charter

Drafted by Naia Ōkami (SheWolf)

I. Purpose of howl.chat

The HowlChat IRC Network (“howl.chat”) exists to provide members of marginalized, niche, and alternative lifestyle communities a forum of discussion, socialization, and platform for action. We believe our users have the right to converse with each other, form their own communities, and self govern with limited intervention from our network staff. On the same token, our staff members exist to support these communities every step of the way when it is requested of them. Howl.chat protects the right of its user to converse without intentional or inadvertent disruption, and supports the autonomy of channel operators managing their own communities. This charter serves as the primary source of governance and policy on howl.chat.

II. Administration of howl.chat

Council of Alphas

The Council of Alphas (“howl.chat council”) is the group of individuals ultimately responsible for governing the howl.chat IRC network. The council has a number of rights and responsibilities, and is responsible for the smooth administration of howl.chat. The council is directly responsible for: appointing and recalling howl.chat staff members, appointing and recalling channel operators for official channels, resolving disputes between staff members, maintaining the network rules, managing server links and network topography, holding and attending steering meetings, reporting and documenting their activities to the community at large.

  • The council shall consist of anywhere from three to eight members
  • The network founder acts as chairperson of the council, and is the only permanent member of it
  • The network founder shall have the rank of “Fenris” to denote their status as founder
  • Decisions will generally be made with a vote of simple majority, with the network founder acting as the “tie breaker” if required
    • The network founder has the ability to veto a decision of the council, but this veto can be overridden by a vote of two-thirds (supermajority) of council membership
  • Members of council shall be recommended for appointment by existing council members, with community consensus on each individual appointment. Members of the council must be “confirmed” by a simple majority vote in order to serve in their role
    • Council members are appointed for a period of two-years, after which, they must be re-confirmed by majority vote and community consensus
    • Council members may be recalled by either simple majority vote and the approval of the chairperson or by a vote of two-thirds (supermajority) without approval of the chairperson
      • In the event of severe misconduct, the chairperson can suspend a council member until a vote can take place.
    • The following requirements must be met before a user is considered for council
      • Nickname must be registered for at least thirty days
      • User must be a howl.chat staff member, in good standing, for at least six months
      • User must have the support of the howl.chat community

Staff Members

Staff Members of howl.chat are entrusted by the council of alphas to assist with the maintenance of the network, help users with any network or services related problems they may have, and to enforce this charter and the network rules. There are three “tiers” of staff members on howl.chat

  • Betas (IRC Administrators)
    • responsible for the day-to-day administration of the howl.chat IRC network
    • responsible for appointing helpers
    • responsible for leading committees, and supervising other staff members
  • Omegas (IRC Operators)
    • responsible for assisting users, answering tickets, and maintaining the network
    • responsible for enforcing the network charter and rules, issuing sanctions when required
    • responsible for handling concerns of abuse or misuse of our network
  • Helpers
    • responsible for providing assistance to users in official howl.chat channels
    • responsible for moderating official howl.chat channels
    • responsible for escalating matters to the proper tier

III. Use of howl.chat

A. General Usage

  • howl.chat is a people-centric (not bot-centric) IRC network. Furthermore, our mission revolves around serving niche and marginalized communities. As such, behavior which infringes on the rights of our users or otherwise prevents them from peacefully enjoying our network is absolutely prohibited. Additionally, any behavior or action that compromises the existence or security of our network is also forbidden. Behaviors which qualify as prohibited include, but are not limited to:
    • Attempting to gain unauthorized access to IRC channels, or exceeding your authorized access to such channels
    • Intentionally impersonating a known user or staff member of howl.chat, regardless of intent
    • Harassment or stalking directed at another user of howl.chat
    • Any action with threatens the security, safety, and stability of howl.chat

B. IRC Services

howl.chat provides a modern set of services designed to enhance user experience on the network; these services include: NickServ, MemoServ, ChanServ, BotServ, HostServ, and ChanStats. Services should always be used for their intended purpose and never in any way to adversely effect howl.chat and/or its users. As such, the following activities are strictly prohibited:

  • “Squatting” nicknames or channels or abusively registering them when you do not intend to make regular use of them
  • Attempting to gain unauthorized access to another user’s NickServ account for any reason
  • Flooding, spamming, or behaving abusively to any services bot
  • Using services in any way with the intention of violating this charter or the network rules

IV. Committees and official staff organizations

The council of alphas has the authority to delegate its duties to committees and teams, and to appoint staff members of howl.chat to lead said committees or teams.

V. Changes and modifications to this document

Changes and modifications to this document can be made by vote of two-thirds (supermajority) of council membership, subject to the approval or veto of the council chairperson. If there are not a minimum of three serving council members, the chairperson may modify this document at their sole discretion until a functioning council is in-place.