What's this?

We have decided to provide free hosting to games that have either been banned or are under threat of being banned by itch.io in their recent anti-queer crackdown. This especially applies to web games, which can just be hosted on their own web pages, unchanged.

Previously, this was a service only offered to those who directly shared political sympathies with our group. However, we see an advantage in making concessions to projects which are not necessarily partisan.

Our hosting service focuses on static hosting, with the main differences from other options being flexibility and human interaction — both the downsides and upsides of them.

What will you give me?

We will provide you with a public place on the web, this means that you get:

• A public directory to host files, including (and preferrably) web pages, that you can access via SFTP
• A free subdomain @ comrades.sbs (you can also use your own domain)
• Volunteer support staff to talk to

We can also help with setting up stub game pages and recommending content management software for the web.

Eventually, we may be able to:

• Provide you with a full time-share account on our server, with all the usual tools (C compiler, text editors, shell access, odds and ends)
• Find efficient ways to deploy storage-heavy files
• Set up workflows tailored to you.

What have you given others?

Given our political background, the main site we have helped to build and maintain is the Solar Collective. We have not only hosted it, but created the format for its library listings and improved the functionality of the already-existing website template.

We have also assisted the Library of the Communist Left podcast, and Grupo Comunista Antípoda in Brazil, along with helping out on many projects which are yet to be released.

Is there a catch? What are you gaining?

There is no catch, but we expect good faith from all hostees. We are also clear about the fact that this is an informal concession. There are no formal guarantees of uptime, stability, and data security, but we will obviously not walk back on hosting your project at random due to political pressure.

We do not see this endeavor as transactional, however, it obviously helps us establish our reputation and establish trust among a community of developers and creators, thereby assisting us in our political goals. Donations are welcome, but we take those at an individual basis, with people we already have a relationship with.

Under what terms?

The terms for hosting are in clear language (just enough legalese to get by), you can find them here.

Where do I sign up?

Send an e-mail to admin (at) comrades (dot) sbs. That's only a receiving address, you may get a reply from a different one. E-mails also take long to arrive sometimes, so DMs on xitter are also welcome as a heads-up.