## A Free Network

Modern society is becoming completely dependent upon software. But as time goes on, the vast majority of this information is becoming the private property of just a handful of corporations. We are losing our freedoms and being oppressed by these powerful monopolies.

In order to reclaim our freedom, we must guarantee that users have [free software](/freedom/software). This means users have:

# The freedom to **use** the work

# The freedom to **study** the work

# The freedom to **modify** the work

# The freedom to **share** the work

...for any purpose, without fee, without requiring permission.

However, [free software](/freedom/software) is not enough in the modern world. It takes more than just code in order to create a free community. It takes servers, staff, and money to constantly maintain and provide the internet services that we all depend upon. Software by itself is useless without a thriving and healthy community. We the users must create an alternative, free network that anyone in the world can join.

To have a free network:

# All network software must be free software to allow forks

# The network government must have a system of checks and balances to prevent abuse

# Each server should be allowed to govern itself

# Staff should be chosen by voting

# Staff can be impeached for abuse of power

# A bill of rights is provided to [protect privacy](/freedom/privacy) and prevent arbitrary rule

# Proper respect is given to God to ensure public morality

To accomplish this, IRCNow has a [federation of servers](ircnow/federation) under a [[constitutional government](/ircnow/federation).To accomplish this, IRCNow has a [federation of servers](ircnow/federation) under a [[constitutional government](/ircnow/federation).