Radio en Línea ·
Since 2001: communication for free software
OFTC stands for Open and Free Technology Community. Its constitution dates its founding to late 2001, by free and open-source software community members seeking stable communication, development and support infrastructure.
It is part of Software in the Public Interest, or SPI. Volunteers operate the network and sponsors contribute infrastructure. Its constitution defines elections and duties; sponsoring a server does not grant control of the whole network.
In July 2025 OFTC announced a new constitution after more than a year of discussion. This records an actual governance milestone alongside its ongoing technical service.
Who administers it and where to request help
The Network Operations Committee coordinates governance. The official list checked identifies Doug Freed, nick dwfreed, as committee chair and Christoph Berg, nick Myon, as ombudsman. Other operators and representatives handle operations and assistance.
These roles should not be described as individual ownership. Staff use hostmasks under oftc.net and their duties follow the constitution. OFTC publishes #oftc and support@oftc.net for network assistance; use official channels and do not send passwords to someone copying a familiar nickname.
Use our support for issues with our customer account or a ZNC service you purchased. OFTC staff do not administer an external provider’s invoices or billing portal.
Secure ports and certificate-based identification
The recommended connection is irc.oftc.net on port 6697 with TLS. OFTC also publishes encrypted port 9999, IPv4 and IPv6 support, and certificates signed by Let’s Encrypt.
OFTC documents CertFP for NickServ identification with a client certificate. This differs from verifying the server certificate: one proves your identity while the other checks whom you connect to. Follow the network’s instructions for both and keep your private key secure.
With ZNC, the certificate or identification for the outgoing connection must be configured on the bouncer. Installing a certificate on your phone does not automatically copy it to ZNC or identify its OFTC session.
- TLS: irc.oftc.net, ports 6697 and 9999.
- Plaintext, not recommended: 6667–6670 and 7000.
- Registration services: NickServ and ChanServ.
- Use the general hostname; individual server availability can change.
Project channels, bots and bridges
The policy distinguishes channels related to free-software development and use from off-topic channels. Published policy requires off-topic channels to use +s and allows them while they remain non-disruptive.
Agree an announcement bot or bridge’s function with channel administrators. Check permissions, message volume and which content leaves for another platform. A bridge can relay messages to people who do not appear as ordinary users of that channel.
Distinguish third-party projects from your contracted service. OFTC has published Matrix bridge funding and continuity news; this does not mean every provider maintains that integration or that a Telegram bot includes Matrix. Quotes and delivery should name the exact connection being configured.
Sources and verification date
Information checked on 2026-10-13. Ports, operators and policies can change; check the sources before setting up a connection.