Legal Stuff
Terms of Service — The Rules Are Simple
Here's the deal: We built a free log analysis tool that runs in your browser. No servers, no data collection, no BS. These terms protect both of us. Read them like you'd read a README — they're important.
TL;DR (The 3-Bullet Version)
- →Your data stays yours. Everything runs locally in your browser. We never see, store, or transmit your logs.
- →It's free and open source. MIT licensed. Fork it, modify it, use it commercially. Just give credit.
- →Use responsibly. Don't hack us, don't abuse the service, don't analyze illegal content. Common sense stuff.
Why We Even Need Terms
Look, nobody enjoys reading legal documents. But here's why this matters: We're giving you a powerful tool that can process gigabytes of sensitive data. You need to know exactly what we do (and don't do) with that data. We need protection from liability if someone uses this tool to analyze stolen logs or violate privacy laws. It's a mutual understanding.
Think of these terms like the safety instructions on a chainsaw. The tool is powerful. Use it right, and you'll build something great. Use it wrong, and you might hurt yourself (or others). We're spelling out the rules so everyone knows what's expected.
Acceptance of Terms
By using LogAnalytics.org — whether you're just browsing the homepage or uploading a 5GB Nginx log — you're agreeing to these terms. It's like clicking "I agree" on a software license, except we're being upfront about it.
If you're under 18: Ask a parent or guardian to review these terms with you. We're not collecting personal data, but it's good practice to have adult supervision when using technical tools.
Changes to terms: We track all changes via Git commits on our public repository. Major changes (like adding paid features or changing data handling) will be announced via email to anyone who's opted into our mailing list. Minor clarifications won't trigger notifications — continued use means you accept the latest version.
GitHub as source of truth: If there's ever a dispute about what the terms said on a specific date, we'll reference the Git history. Transparency matters.
What LogAnalytics Is (and Isn't)
Let's be crystal clear about what you're getting:
What We ARE
- ✓ A free, open-source browser tool
- ✓ Powered by DuckDB-Wasm (runs locally)
- ✓ Zero-knowledge architecture (we see nothing)
- ✓ MIT licensed (fork away!)
- ✓ Best-effort support via GitHub issues
What We ARE NOT
- ✗ A SaaS platform with guaranteed uptime
- ✗ A log storage or monitoring service
- ✗ A replacement for Datadog/Splunk/ELK
- ✗ Liable for incorrect analysis results
- ✗ Offering enterprise support contracts
We built this because we were tired of uploading sensitive logs to third-party services just to run a quick SQL query. It's a tool for engineers who value privacy and speed. That's it.
Your Responsibilities
Freedom comes with responsibility. Here's what we expect from you:
1. Don't Analyze Illegal Content
If you obtained logs through hacking, theft, or unauthorized access — don't use our tool. We can't see what you're analyzing (remember, client-side only), but that doesn't make it okay. Play by the rules.
2. No Hacking or Abuse
Don't try to break our site, inject malicious code, or overload our servers. We're a small open-source project. If you find a security vulnerability, report it responsibly via hi@loganalytics.org. We'll credit you in our changelog.
3. Give Credit Where Due
If you fork our code or build something on top of LogAnalytics, mention us. It's part of the MIT license (see Intellectual Property section below). A simple "Powered by LogAnalytics" or a link in your README is all we ask.
4. Reasonable Use
We don't set hard limits on file sizes or queries, but be reasonable. If you're processing 100GB logs every hour, maybe consider downloading our source code and running it on your own infrastructure. The tool is open source for a reason.
5. Compliance Is Your Job
If you work at a company with data governance policies (GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, etc.), it's your responsibility to ensure using LogAnalytics complies with those rules. Since all processing happens locally, you're probably fine — but check with your compliance team first.
Our Guarantees and Limitations
Here's the part where we have to sound like lawyers for a minute:
LogAnalytics is provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind. That means:
- → We don't guarantee 100% uptime. If AWS goes down, we go down.
- → We're not liable if a bug in DuckDB-Wasm causes incorrect query results.
- → We're not responsible for browser compatibility issues (though we test on Chrome, Firefox, and Safari).
- → There's no SLA. We fix bugs when we can, but we're not on-call 24/7.
That said, we care deeply about security. If you report a vulnerability, we'll prioritize it. We want this tool to be reliable — we use it ourselves daily. But legally speaking, you're using it at your own risk.
Intellectual Property
LogAnalytics is released under the MIT License, one of the most permissive open-source licenses out there. Here's what that means in plain English (as defined by the Open Source Initiative):
What You Can Do
- ✓ Use it commercially. Build a paid product on top of LogAnalytics if you want.
- ✓ Modify the code. Change anything. Add features. Optimize performance.
- ✓ Distribute copies. Host it internally, bundle it with other tools, whatever.
- ✓ Sublicense it. Use a different license for your derivative work (though we'd prefer you stay open source).
What You Must Do
- → Include the MIT License text. Just copy-paste it into your project. That's it.
- → Preserve copyright notices. Don't remove our name from the code headers.
Your Data Is Yours
Any logs you upload or analyze remain your property. We have zero claim to your data because, again, we never see it. Client-side processing means your data never touches our servers.
We Encourage Forking
Found a bug? Add a feature. Want to add support for a new log format? Submit a pull request. Want to build a competing product? Go for it — just follow the MIT License terms. Competition makes everyone better.
Liability Limits
Here's the reality: LogAnalytics is a free tool built by engineers who believe in open source. We're not a billion-dollar corporation with a legal war chest. So we need to set clear liability boundaries:
Maximum liability: $0. If something goes wrong — incorrect analysis, data loss, security breach — our financial liability is capped at zero dollars. Harsh? Maybe. But it's the only way we can offer this tool for free.
Not liable for downstream consequences. If you make a business decision based on our analysis and it turns out wrong, that's on you. Always validate critical findings with multiple tools.
Jurisdiction: These terms are governed by the laws of the United States. Any disputes will be resolved in accordance with U.S. law. If you're outside the U.S., you're agreeing to this jurisdiction by using the service.
Dispute Resolution
Let's be adults about this. If you have a problem with the service or these terms:
- Email us first: hi@loganalytics.org. Seriously, just send an email. We're reasonable people.
- Informal resolution: We'll work with you to find a fair solution. Most disputes can be resolved with a conversation.
- Arbitration: If we can't resolve it informally, we'll use binding arbitration instead of going to court. It's faster and cheaper for everyone.
We're not here to fight with users. We built this tool to help people. If something's broken or unfair, we want to fix it.
Changes to These Terms
We might update these terms occasionally. Here's how we'll handle changes:
- →All changes are public. Every edit is tracked in our GitHub repository's commit history. You can see exactly what changed and when.
- →Major changes get notifications. If we add paid features, change data handling, or make significant policy shifts, we'll email everyone who's opted into updates.
- →Continued use means acceptance. If you keep using LogAnalytics after terms change, you're agreeing to the new version. Don't like the changes? Stop using the service or fork the code.
We're not going to pull a bait-and-switch. If we ever make controversial changes, the open-source community will hold us accountable. That's the beauty of transparency.
Contact Us
Questions about these terms? Found a legal issue? Just want to chat about log analysis?
Email: hi@loganalytics.org
GitHub: github.com/7and1/loganalytics
Last updated: November 2024 • View change history