ari.lt Matrix homeserver

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Last updated: 2024-02-11

# Introduction

Hello! This is the ari.lt Matrix homeserver's home page. For those who are unaware - Matrix (Website: https://matrix.org/) is an end-to-end encrypted, decentralized, federated messaging protocol, and I've been maining it for a while now - that's exactly why I have spun up a Dendrite homeserver, of which you can find the source configuration (source code is unchanged) at https://matrix.ari.lt/git. This document defines this homeserver's limits, data processing, compliance, and main focuses of it: democracy, freedom (free speech: see "Freeze peach"), and privacy. Please take the time to read it and get familiar with all of the rules, conditions and processes.

# Registration

The server is not open registration in a way where you can just sign up at your own will instantly - as to prevent spam, "alt" (alternative account) spam, ban evasion, and attacks. So to say -- to provide a smooth experience for people using this homeserver. If you want an account on this homeserver (as in you want a Matrix account on ari.lt and your MXID (Matrix ID, username) will appear as @your_username:ari.lt) you have to contact one of the administrators through one of the following contacts listed in the MSC1929 endpoint and make sure to read the notice below:

Before contacting, please read Privacy, Guidelines, and Termination sections, and make sure, whenever you contact me for an account, you add this consent statement to your request:

In the request, send me the desired and not taken username that you want. Also, optionally, specify the reason of why you want to join this homeserver, though it is just novelty and not required. If the username is taken - I will notify you. If not - I will create your account and respond with your temporary password, which I highlighy suggest changing on login.

All of this is done to prevent future confusion and accusations that may or may not happen, speed up the account creation process, and to note that I (the owner of this homeserver) do not (don't) take any accountability, responsibility, or repercussions for the users of this homeserver (ari.lt), their actions, and the resulting consequences.

Also note that you'll be auto-joined in the #ari:ari.lt space and the #root:ari.lt room in that space.

# "Freeze peach" (free speech)

Just because this homeserver is focused on freedom and democracy, this does not mean total anarchy and zero control. Many people nowadays misinterpret "free speech" as total anarchy: allowing hate speech, spam, no banning or termination, no warnings, etc. This is not this type of homeserver. I have seen way too many of those and I am tired of such homeservers. For this homeserver human decency is a must and there's no way around that, Guidelines go more in-depth on this.

Please be a decent human.

# Privacy

ari.lt does not collect any identifiable information (not even nginx logs!) about the users of its services, except:

  • The default logging Dendrite does by default (used for issue diagnostics and does not include any identifiable information).
  • Matrix data: messages, media (avatars, attachments), ... - whatever you upload on the homeserver. (encryption depends on whether or not encryption for the specific resource is available and if so - was it enabled? (for example private messages have encryption, but public rooms do not)).

That's about it. This homeserver tries to keep logging to a minimum to provide a private experience to its users. You may also be interested in the following statements:

# GDPR compliance

This homeserver is fully GDPR compliant. I.e.:

  • Data is collected by your own explicit consent, as you have to contact the owner ("me") to create an account, having read all terms, conditions, and statements.
  • Data is only collected for legitimate interest as mentioned above (error diagnostics and data storage).
  • No extra data is collected (no third-part cookies, advertisements, analytics, etc.).
  • Data is only processed to provide wanted services (in this case - Matrix messaging, attachments and avatars, etc. as defined and implemented by the Matrix specification and Dendrite Matrix homeserver implementation). The data provider is Contabo GmbH and the server is hosted in Germany (Frankfurt), see their privacy policy here.
  • Disclosure to law enforcement - available data will be disclosed to law enforcement agencies if required to do so.
  • You can request copies of your personal data and request changes to the data.

# DMCA compliance

This homeserver is not a breeding ground for DMCA violations, all intellectual property rights of others is respected. If you face any violations please use the listed contacts to report it. In the report the following data will be required:

  • Description of copyrighted data or intellectual property
  • Description of where the material is infringing on your copyright
  • Contact information
  • Proof of infringement and belief that the infringer is not authorized to use the intellectual property at hand
  • Proof of your copyright
  • Your electronic or physical signature
TL;DR? Privacy is a focus here, though that does not absolve the users of repercussions of their acts.

# Termination

Termination (deactivation - you won't be able to log in or access any of your data after the act of deactivation) of an account is depends a lot on what you've been doing, the severity of what you've been doing, how far you've went, and the warnings you've gotten beforehand (if applicable):

  • Violation of Lithuanian and/or German law
    • If seen as minor: 12-hour notice before termination
    • If seen as anything else besides minor: instant termination
  • Violation of guidelines
    • Single minor violations of guidelines will only get you a warning, with enough warnings (say like 2 or 3), you will get a 1-day notice to move away from this homeserver, and your account will be terminated
    • If your violation of guidelines was medium severity, you will get a 12-hour to 1-day notice to move away from this homeserver, then your account will be terminated
    • And finally, if your violation of guidelines is seen as severe: you will get an instant account termination with zero notice
  • Reports from users
    • If a lot of users report you (by any forms of contacts listed above), showing unhappiness in your stay on the homeserver, after a discussion along with proof, and a talk with you: you may or may not get terminated (of course, you will be involved in the process, so you'll have plenty of time to move on). At least a warning is unavoidable.
    • If the proof is severe enough and it violates any Guidelines, the termination policy for guideline violation
  • The administrators of the homeserver keep the right to request a full homeserver or per-user ban off a homeserver, room, space or any Matrix messaging unit if they think it is in best interest of the users, with or without notice.
TL;DR? Follow the law and be human. Termination is dependent on your actions and (optionally) given prior notice(s).

# Guidelines

The activity of rooms and accounts on the ari.lt homeserver, any events sent over, etc. must follow and adhere to the following guidelines. If any of the following guidelines (rules) are broken Termination policy applies.

  • You must follow all Lithuanian and German law
  • Creating an unhealthy environment for ari.lt homeserver or not users (hate speech, harassment, ...) is not allowed.
  • Human decency is a must, such as:
    • Tolerance
    • Non-discrimination (For example (keep in mind their derivatives too): Racism, Homophobia, Transphobia, Sexism, Xenophobia, Fatphobia, etc.)
    • Not spreading misinformation and/or disinformation
    • Taking responsibility and accountability for your own actions
    • Not spreading CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material)
    • Respect for other Matrix users
    • Respect for server's resources: they are not unlimited!
    • Other basic human decency rules, which are common knowledge ...
  • Spreading personal information without the person's (or self) consent, sometimes also known as Doxing and its "minor" forms.
  • Content that violations the intellectual property rights of others is disallowed, this also ties in with law.
  • Sending bulk unsolicited messages to others (spam) is disallowed.
  • Harassing and stalking others is disallowed.
  • Causing any other form of harm to other individuals, jurisdictions, systems, etc. is also disallowed (such as (D)DoS attacks)
  • Other acts which are seen as abusive by the administrators of this homeserver is also seen as a violation of the guidelines
TL;DR? Be decent, follow the law, and don't abuse what you are given.