The following is the terms of service for AbyssNet. These terms of service apply to the AbyssNet IRC network and this website unless otherwise specified.
1. The IRC operators of this network will always extend courtesy where courtesy is due. As such, we do not make any unreasonable efforts to track the activities of users on our network and will do what we can to help users who require assistance. As such, we will never engage in any of the following activities:
• Forcing our way into channels without the permission of the channel operators, unless we are investigating a suspected terms of service violation
• Treat any user unkindly
• Assume bad faith of any user unless they have provided evidence to that effect
• Issue any sanctions against users unless in accordance with these terms of service
2. It is forbidden to disrupt network operations. Such disruption includes but is not limited to the following:
• Engaging in (distributed) denial of service attacks against IRC servers or our website
• Attempting to post spam to IRC channels or our website
• Impersonating network staff
• Impersonating network services
• Impersonating network users
• Circumventing security measures to gain unauthorized access to user accounts or computer systems
• Flooding IRC channels or our website with numerous unnecessary connections and/or messages
• Attempting to link unauthorized servers to the network
3. Channels which facilitate illegal activities are not permitted. Illegal activity includes but is not limited to the following:
• Harboring a botnet on this network for the purposes of engaging in (distributed) denial of service attacks
• Credit card fraud or identify theft
• Trading in unlicensed copyrighted materials
• The promotion or dissemination of hate speech
• The reverse engineering of software when not explicitly permitted by a copyright license or an end user license agreement (EULA)
• Distribution of child pornography or exploitation of minors.
• Hacking or Cracking.
• Attempting to exploit another user or computer
4. All users are permitted a maximum of 3 (per IP) simultaneous connections to the network.
5. Hate Speech. You may not use any language defined as Hate Speech, which includes but is not limited to text or actions that are any of the following:
• Demeaning in any manner
• Harmful
• An attack on religion, race, or sexual orientation.
6. Spamming is strictly prohibited on AbyssNet. Spamming includes, but is not limited to, the advertising or promotion of free, pay, personal, commercial, corporate, non-profit, or private web sites, products, programs, other chat programs and or services, other IRC channels, and or other IRC networks.
7. Bots are permitted on this network, but must follow the same terms of service as all other users with one exception.
8. Channels of an adult nature are allowed if they follow the other terms of this document. Such channels must clearly state in their topics that they are for users who are 18 years and older only.
9. Users are allowed a maximum of one (1) accounts with NickServ per Email, each of which may register a maximum of 5 channels. Users are allowed to “group” multiple nicks to their account.
10. Evasion of channel or network bans is not permitted on this network. For the purposes of this document, it will be assumed that channel operators are sufficiently versed in issuing bans so as not to allow a banned user to easily circumvent his or her ban. IRC operators are sufficiently skilled in issuing network bans to prevent easy circumvention of such bans.
11. Network staff will never ask you for your account password. Network staff also have no way to recover your password and therefore cannot retrieve your password for you from services. It is your responsibility to keep your password safe, and should you lose your password, your account will require a reset.
12. Network staff are not obligated to get involved in channel specific issues, and in fact will usually decline to get involved unless one of the following two (2) conditions is met:
• The IRC operator has access through services to implement changes, either because they are the channel founder or have been added to the access list for the channel
• Assistance has been explicitly requested from the channel’s operators in #help
13. Use of AbyssNet’s VHost or Virtual Host system is subject to the following conditions:
• There are no outstanding complaints against your account
• The VHost should not start with “staff” as this is reserved for IRC operators. No impersonating of staff in any way.
• No Vhost with bad words on it.
• No pornographic Vhosts.
14. We reserve the right to deny access to the network and or any or all of its features at any time and without cause. If you wish to contest any actions taken against you by network staff, you may direct your complaints to #help with the awareness that we are not obligated to overturn a decision. If you are banned from the network and believe that this was done in error, then please send an e-mail to Support with the following information:
• Your registered nickname, if applicable
• The ident and IP address you tried to connect with
• The time you first observed the network ban
• The ban reason given
15. The following connections are automatically banned by the network with no exceptions. No actions will be taken to reverse such bans and no replies will be given should you attempt to appeal a ban for the following reasons:
• Connections from insecure proxy servers
• Connections from TOR exit nodes
• Connections determined to be on a DNS blacklist (removal instructions provided at the discretion of blacklist provider)
• Connections banned because of connection flooding
• Connections banned because of excessive clients from the same host, unless you are using a trusted IP address
16. The network uses open proxy monitoring to attempt to screen out connections from insecure proxies. You may notice connections to your computer originating from one of our servers. These connections are simply a security check for both you and the network. If you have an insecure proxy, you are required to fix it before you can connect, and this will be something you will want to do to prevent unwanted access to your machine.
17. The penalties for infringing on any of the above rules are dependent on the seriousness of the infraction and are at the complete discretion of the IRC operator handling the case. Penalties for infractions include the following, escalating from least to most severe:
• A stern warning for the user(s) in question
• Placing a services ignore on your account
• Suspending your NickServ registrations
• Removal of o-lines if applicable
• Removal from the IRC server
• A ban from the IRC network
• Contacting legal authorities
18. The terms of service are subject to change at any time and without advance notice to any users.
19. Failure by us to enforce these terms of service does not constitute a waiver of the terms of service. We reserve the right to bring enforcement action against the affected user(s) at any time, and we reserve the right to decline to take any enforcement action.
20. If any portion(s) of the terms of service are deemed to be unenforceable by law, then the portion(s) so deemed shall not be in force. The remaining portions of the terms of service shall remain in effect.
Last revised March 14th, 2022