Values
At the very identity and the heart of the Epic Chat are the core principles by which the network was founded. When the network was founded in June 2008, it was not created simply because of a need for an IRC network. There are thousands of IRC networks each with their own styles, configurations, and people, and it would be very easy to create a community on a channel with one of these networks.
However, there was a crucial reason for creating an independent IRC network. The people who came together to create Epic Chat wanted to create an infrastructure for communities which guarenteed certain principles to its users. We felt that most networks tended to be too unstable or lacked a incorruptable, professional staff which cared for the bests interests of their users. We felt this was unacceptable and decided to make our own network.
These principles outline what we believe is vital to the long-term success of the network. No matter how our network changes and grows in the future, every step into the future will ultimately be based upon these principles.
Our principles
- We focus on the people on the network — everything else is secondary.
- This comes from Google's statement of principles and is perhaps the most important guiding principle that we have. With every strategic change we make on Epic Chat, we have to ask ourselves if this is in the best interest of the core community and of the people of the network as a whole.
- We welcome and encourage new volunteers who wish to help our network.
- The people who use a service should have a say in how it is administrated and, more importantly, be able to become involved with building it. Unlike most networks who have a policy which discourages people from volunteering, we encourage it. We have an open staff channel and an open mailing list where everyone is welcome to exchange ideas. The official network staff consists of people who have shown enthusiasm and energy in participating in the network, not based on cronyism like on many other networks.
- We work to innovate new tools to help make our network more functional and easier to use.
- The network is only based on the Internet Relay Chat protocol because it allows us to meet our goals more easily. We feel that with all of the social technology and media avaliable, such as Facebook and Twitter, the ability to chat easily and in real time with a group of people is missing in mainstream Web 2.0. We want to make it easy for web administrators and communities alike to easily use what IRC has to offer.
- We ensure that all of us remain friendly, supportive, and respectful of everyone who uses our network.
- This principle is a reflection of our main principle. Regular, active users are the gauge which newcomers use to measure what a community is like, which sets a responsibility on us to make sure we are as welcoming and patient as we possibly can be with new people who join our network. When people come to us with a problem, we must continue to show them respect and handle their problem to the best of our ability.
Our core vision is to provide an active, friendly, and enjoyable user-maintained chatroom network used by people from around the world. This vision can only be achieved, in our opinions, if we use our principles as a means to achieve it.
