Where the love of chat meets natural rights
As human beings, one of our most profound needs is to connect with each other, and given the marvellous invention that is the Internet, you'd think that would be the easiest thing in the world. Unfortunately, authoritarian forces everywhere seek to suppress free speech, free exchange of ideas, and freedom of conscience. Tech companies are only too happy to lead the way and many cultural forces are only too happy to do their bidding.
What is needed is for good people to stand up and refuse. At Elysian Chat, we stand for freedom and natural rights. I realised a long time ago that a place like this was needed, though it took a long time before I was able to even make this chat a reality. If you are a lover of liberty, or at least sick of being denied your rights in other chats, I urge you to join us. We are still primarily about just having general fun, with online events and games, but libertarian values are built into the foundation of our site. Come see for yourself.
At Elysian Chat, you have freedoms that will not be afforded to you by other chats, and that is precisely what makes you responsible too. Because you are responsible for yourself, you get to decide what you want. Staff and owners can make suggestions, but we only warn you are actually breaking the rules. If you just don't like someone, ignore or block them. It's just like drinking or smoking weed; handle your own high.
Instead of the traditional rules list, Elysian Chat lists Constitutional Freedoms. These are intended not just to convey what our chat is about, in terms of what we allow, but to help you understand our philosophy and why staff and owners hold back; we are restrained by the rights of chatters, which are recognised there. Below are the Constitutional Freedoms.
Part of having a unique site is a unique aesthetic. We have special collections of emojis, of imported special fonts, and special themed backgrounds, combining existing art with design touches, usually done on my Adobe Premiere Pro. Below the Constitutional Freedoms, you can see a selection of these backgrounds.
1st Freedom: Freedom of Speech - If you can solve a problem with someone else's messages with ignore, then we don't get involved; save it for actual threats or proofs of someone violating rules. We have no word filters.
2nd Freedom: Freedom of Conscience - We don't outlaw views or ideas (though that does not mean we cannot ask you to change the topic if it is stirring drama).
3rd Freedom: Freedom of Transparency - Our staff and owners must give warning before administering punishments and must also share publically any actions taken against users and why they were taken (evidence like screenshots is the one thing kept to staff). Any actions taken will be stored here and the logs may not be altered.
4th Freedom: Freedom of Minimal Authority - We only exercise authority when necessary and to the minimal degree. We warn rather than mute, mute rather than kick, kick rather than ban, and bans are only for the most egregious offences.
5th Freedom: Freedom of Privacy - Any private communications (PM, private room, or off site communications) are protected by privacy and may not be shared except by the permission of the other person involved. The exception is if it is evidence of a rule violation. You can only share the basic impression of what someone says to you, not the communication itself.
6th Freedom: Freedom of Cooperation - Freedom of Cooperation - Actions or communications off site may not be used against you (with the one exception of proof of being underage) and we do not see other sites as the enemy here. Staff will use their judgement to see if you are just spamming for another site or mentioning it in conversation. We seek to cooperate with other sites that share our values of freedom.
On Elysian Chat, we have quite a selection of background themes to be chosen, with shadows added to the chat text to make it more readable against lighter backgrounds. You are welcome to explore below what some of these themes look like, arranged from left to right. The left image is where the extra options go, from the friends wall post, to news, to rules, to a sepia filter that can be evoked for those who have difficulty with flashing on screen. The centre image is where the chat text goes. The right image is where the list of chatters is.
Our default background theme is Elysium itself, the paradise of Greek myth, the place of heroes, and the place after which our chat is named.
A cool little trip back the 80s with its various artistic contributions, combining sci fi with a certain glimmering aesthetic.
Futuristic depictions involving neon and a nod to "Bladerunner" (that font being also available to chatters), with glowing animation features, all contribute to a special theme.
This is where the Elysian love for fantasy themes meets the classic look of "Heavy Metal" and "Métal Hurlant."" This goes well with our fantasy-related stories, shared both on this site and in Elysian Chat.
A love for fantasy goes hand in hand with the Orient, which is why we have an asian theme. "Elysian" is spelled out in Japanese characters in the central image, with Itto Ogami from "Lone Wolf and Cub" on the left side.
For epic coolness, nothing beats good old pulp novel characters like The Shadow, which is why I worked him into a scene in this nocturnal setting that evokes classic film noir.
There are quite a few gothic and horror-related themes, though most of the special ones are saved for Halloween or similar events. For those who love bats and the night, this theme is ideal, even featuring a blood moon.
For those who love to go even deeper into gore, blood, and vampiric-related backgrounds, but without actual vampires, this theme can do the trick, with special blood shadow animations.
For those who love a good vampiric tale, who love the thinking undead, we have a whole theme dedicated to them. The letters of "Vampires of Elysium" are animated to ignite into flame, then for blood shadows to pour.
