[ 00. ACCESS LAYER ]
HANDLE PHRASE: To post or append entries, enter a HANDLE_PHRASE with a minimum length of 8 characters. This is not an account — it generates your anonymous handle.
CONSISTENT HANDLE: The same phrase will always generate the same handle. If you reuse your phrase, you will appear as the same contributor again. If you want a new anonymous identity, use a different phrase.
ACCESS LEVEL & LIMITS: Handles earn an ACCESS_LEVEL over time through legitimate activity. Higher levels unlock higher hourly limits (posts/entries) up to a fixed cap. Current limits and reset time are shown in the status line.
CHALLENGE VERIFY: After entering the phrase, complete the short verification code. Once verified, the interface unlocks and your EVENT_REF becomes active for actions on the current event.
[ 01. PURPOSE ]
AGGREGATE. CROSS-CHECK. ARCHIVE. ICESS is an event hub. One EVENT_ID collects sources, artifacts, and discussion so the public can compare narratives in one place.
NO EDITORIAL LAYER. We do not curate opinions or write conclusions. The record is built from submitted evidence, linked reporting, and timestamped contributions.
[ 02. WHAT BELONGS IN AN EVENT ]
- SOURCES: URLs to reporting, official statements, documents, livestreams, datasets.
- ARTIFACTS: Photos, video, audio, PDFs. (Max 75MB each.)
- DISCUSSION: Context, timelines, corrections, and analysis (no link drops here).
[ 03. INDEXING ]
TAG IT. Use #tags to make events searchable (e.g., #NYStorm, #Earthquake, #Election, #MarketCrash). Keep summaries factual: What / Where / When.
[ 04. HARD LIMITS ]
ILLEGAL CONTENT IS REMOVED. No CSAM. No doxxing. No credible threats. No malware. No instructions for wrongdoing. No stolen personal data. This is not “censorship” — it is legal compliance and user safety.
ABUSE IS RATE-LIMITED. Spam and automated flooding are blocked. Repeated abuse results in an access ban for the offending identity/key.
[ ANONYMITY & DATA PRACTICES ]
1. NO ACCOUNTS. We do not collect emails, names, or profiles. Your IDENTITY_KEY stays on your device and is used only to derive a consistent anonymous handle.
2. NO TRACKERS / NO ADS. ICESS does not run analytics trackers, ad pixels, fingerprinting scripts, or third-party marketing beacons. We do not sell data. We do not share data for advertising.
3. COOKIES. Public pages do not require cookies to function. If your browser receives any cookies, they are limited to essential platform/session behavior (for example, when an administrator is logged in). No tracking cookies are used for visitors.
4. IP HANDLING (ABUSE PREVENTION ONLY). To defend the service, we compute short-lived hashes of network signals (e.g., IP hash + user-agent hash) to enforce rate limits and verify the anti-abuse challenge. These hashes are not stored with your public entries and expire automatically (seconds to ~1 hour depending on the limit window; challenge data expires in minutes).
5. PUBLIC RECORD WARNING + GDPR NOTES. Content you submit (event summaries, discussion text, source URLs, and uploaded artifacts) becomes part of a public archive. Do not post sensitive personal data. For EU/UK-style privacy regimes, our legal basis is legitimate interest (operating a public archive and preventing abuse). You can request removal of personal data you control by contacting us, but remember: copies may exist in third-party caches, mirrors, and screenshots.
[ WHY ICESS EXISTS ]
ONE EVENT. MANY SOURCES. ONE PUBLIC RECORD. When information fragments, truth becomes expensive. ICESS lowers the cost by keeping evidence and references organized under a single EVENT_ID.
VERIFICATION THROUGH COMPARISON. A single source can mislead. Multiple sources reveal patterns: agreements, contradictions, omissions, and updates over time.
NEUTRAL INFRASTRUCTURE. ICESS is not a newsroom and does not claim authority over outcomes. It is a tool for collecting, reviewing, and preserving the open web around real-world events.
OPEN, BUT NOT LAWLESS. We defend access to legal information. We do not host illegal content. When removal is required, we prefer clear action over silent suppression.
BUILD THE RECORD. If it matters, index it. If it changes, update it. If it is questioned, attach sources. The archive is strongest when many people contribute responsibly.