" What is a ship?... A ship is ... Freedom."
-- Captain Jack Sparrow

Freedom Founder --
Not a Guild.
Not an Association.
Not an Organization, Fansite, Fraternity, Club, or any other legalized, unlegalized, official, unofficial, governmented society, etc.

"I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request" (Capt Barbossa), serves as an adequate response to any offers of piratical fraternization.

A Freedom Founder is an INDIVIDUAL.
The first conceptual name was to be "FREEDOM FOUNDERS", until it was realized that the plural "S" (FounderS) might indicate some sort of organization. Of which there is none.
Hence the singular name, "Freedom Founder", which may be adopted by any POTCO pirate who agrees to such an appropriation.
"I am a Freedom Founder" is the general term thus employed.

If one wishes to be a FREEDOM FOUNDER, then all one has to do is declare it so. Period.
This web site was set up only as a base or "Parlay" to share this information and attitude.
"Join" this page if ye like, or not. It matters not!
All one has to do is agree with the concept, and should one choose, use the term "FREEDOM FOUNDER" wherever and whenever one likes.

"MORE GUIDELINES THAN RULES"

A Freedom Founder follows the "Code" of the POTC films, and the POTCO game.
The film code revolves around first and foremost the central figure of the story line: Captain Jack Sparrow.
Jack in the films is not portrayed as what actual, historical pirates were (and still are) -- SCUM.
(Since the films and the game are FANTASY, there is no need here to delve into the reality of pirates.)
Jack, though the son of to-the-letter-of-the-code Captain Teague, regarded the Code - as so many other characters in the films - as ,"MORE GUIDELINES THAN RULES".
Jack seeks a pirate vocation as he believes it gives him a great freedom in life otherwise denied. Jack we learn, though "the best pirate I have ever seen", has no heart for murder and pillage (as historical pirates did), which is what originally got him marooned by the evil Barbossa and the crew of the Black Pearl, and Jack actually deep down has a heart of gold as witnessed by his many deeds of saving drowning maidens, giving himself up for his crew, etc., etc.

Within the Game one is bound by any number of "Codes":
If one belongs to a Guild, one accepts that Guild's rules and administration.
On a short term basis, if one joins a Crew one is bound under the Game code of shares of plunder (based on history) and whatever the Captain/Ship owner decrees while at sea.
These terms actually fit somewhat with real 17/18th century pirates Codes.

Outside the Game, a Freedom Founder is an individual who finds the "Swearing of Oaths", "Applications", and any other such requirements in order to be part of some larger scheme to be nothing more than distracting, and sometimes hypocritical euphemisms to the online enjoyment of the Game, and more often than not, the deluded self aggrandizing machinations of individuals.
As a game player of POTCO we all have to abide by the Terms Of Service as set forth by the Game Administration.
If one chooses to belong/register/etc to any online fansite, that as in all things regarding Freedom Founders is of one's own choosing, and one is sublimated to that site's TOS. CAVEAT EMPTOR.

The "CODE" (as taken from the Films and the Game) --
"Take what ye can. Give nothing back!"
"Rule # 1 Of the Code, Choose Your Friends wisely."
Parler (pronounced 'par-lay'), derived from French for 'to speak'. If a pirate asks another pirate for parley, he must be taken to the latter's captain, and may not be harmed until the parler is complete.
Any man that falls behind is left behind.
It is the duty of the pirate king to declare war, and parler with adversaries during a war.
To become a pirate lord, one must be captain of a ship, must swear by the Code, and must have killed a man.
A pirate lord shall hand down his piece of eight to his successor, who shall take his place as lord of one of the nine seas.
The Brethren Court may not declare war upon an enemy without the election of the pirate king.
The pirate king is elected by popular vote among the pirate lords.
The pirate king is to serve as chief and fleet captain during war. They will command combined forces, make parlay, or make peace.

From actual historic records integrated into the films:
Artycle II, Section I, Paragraph VIII (sharing of the spoils) - This is much as the Game decrees, an equal share for all crew, and the "Captain" receiving a higher share.
Artycle II, Section II, Paragraph I (whoever first spotted a treasure-laden ship could choose the best pistol for themselves.
The code also contained strict regulations on eye patch color and peg leg size as well as implying that a pirate never gives another away....