Free & Open
When we say 'free' we mean really really free.
We don't mean 'free' as in buy one get one free. We don't mean 'free' as in 'free, but we'll reprogram your mind with adverts'. We don't mean 'free, but you are morally obliged to us'
We mean 'free' as in 'lunch'; 'free' as in 'love', and 'free' as in 'speech'.
Hamlets is completely open source and you can use it with no strings attached. That means you can download and run the software with no intervention from us. It is professionaly quality code which you can modify and extend; in fact we might even support you to set up an alternative service.
However 'free' does have its limits. This package has been possible and relevant because of thousands of hours gifted by several people, mostly from the LETS movement. Those volunteers are also free to stop giving at any time.
We invite our members to take posession and take responsibility for their community infrastructure. here's how:
- Firstly use the software, either on your server or through our free hosting arrangement.
- Supporting other users on this site.
- Offering your skills to Community Forge
- Taking some long-term responsibility within Community Forge
- Contributing code
- Giving money to Community Forge
We offer not only free software, but free hosting. With no money changing hands we prefer not to enter into written contracts, but you can be sure that
- We will never sell your data
- We will never prevent you from accessing your data
- There is no secret reporting or government backdoors in this software
- You can at any time download your users, transactions, and offers & wants in CSV format, or a database dump of the whole site.
To good to be true? You decide what is true.
It’s amazing to see that small and sometimes starting communities can get easily, freely and very fast a professional tool and a professional maintenance, that only large companies would be able to afford and this all only thanks to the work and the intention of a few people
Marie Ullens for Macasel