BNU Modifier

Preamble
The "Block No Users" or "But Not U" modifier is a addendum for use in tandem with a free, open source licence for software and other kinds of works. The BNU modifier is not a licence, but rather a modification applied to existing licences. It is a viral and freedom respecting answer to the proliferation of restrictive codes of conduct, contributor terms of service, and other bad practices that have proliferated in open source projects. It does not modify any code, but rather occupies the space a code of conduct would and prevents them from being established.

The licences for most open source software are intended to respect your freedom to run, study, modify, and distribute the software. However, modern mechanisms have sprung up that undermine such freedoms. So called "codes of conduct" limit who is permitted to study and modify software to only those that agree to a certain set of often absurd principles.

Likewise, many open source projects have implemented contributor terms of service. Such terms often require forfeiture of copyright for contributions to a corporation, trust, or individual maintainer. This threatens the very existence of the project as it allows the such an entity to modify the licence at a whim-- which has unfortunately become a more frequent occurrence.

Artificial intelligence models have likewise ushered in a wave of so called ethical use licences which have risen in popularity, but are perhaps the most restrictive of all licences. These ethical use licences often prohibit usage of programs for commercial means, to aid in the creation of insulting or crude speech, to spread misinformation, or belong to a specific political party or reside in a specific country. Such targeted restrictions

Additionally, many projects have locked away crucial documentation and critical resources behind non-free software such as 'Discord' and 'Patreon', and require you to sign up to these services to study or modify the software. Such private conversations are no place for the development of any software that calls itself "open", and obviously infringes on your right to properly study and modify the Software.

The four essential freedoms are necessary for a program to be classified as free software, but political jockeying bullies have abused the absence of the freedom to run, and the ambiguity of the freedom to study, modify, distribute, and redistribute to erode your freedoms with contributor contracts, absurd codes of conduct, closing off development and information, and making if open for some, "But Not U".


None of these are imagined problems and are all intended to block users from running, studying, modifying, or distributing open source software. The BNU Modifier was created with the aim of preventing the political and corporate subterfuge of open source software as described above.

The precise terms for the BNU Modifier follow.

1. The BNU Modifier must be reproduced in full alongside the licence the BNU Modifier is intended to modify.

2. This project may not contain non-commercial or non-derivative use restrictions. This project may not revoke licence permissions based on the usage of the Software.

3. This project must either have no code of conduct, or use https://nocodeofconduct.com/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md as the official code of conduct.

4. This project may not require any terms of service be agreed to in order to acquire the source code or contribute to the project. If terms of service are agreed to, they may not contain restrictions specified in section 2, agreement to a code of conduct, or forfeiture of contributor's copyrights to a maintainer, corporation, or trust.

5. Contributors must be able to communicate with the team and contribute code through a mailing list or public Usenet newsgroup. They ought not "join the Discord", Facebook group, Patreon or some other private forum.

6. This project may be upgraded to the BNUPLUS Modifier at any time.