Privacy.

3Notch is local-first, explicit, and file-based.

Local-first does not mean same-repo only. It means there is no hosted relay, background receiver, account system, cloud inbox, telemetry, or remote connector. Cross-repo and cross-machine movement happens through local files and the user's existing transport (scp, rsync, iCloud, Tailscale, email, git). Cross-tool handoff happens through local MCP calls the user or agent explicitly initiates.

What 3Notch does

• Stores human-readable records under .notch/.
• Writes created packets to .notch/outbox/.
• Writes imported packets to .notch/inbox/.
• Writes private seed context to .notch/private/ (gitignored by default).
• Hides .notch/index/ and .notch/logs/ as derived output (gitignored).
• Hides private records from MCP unless the server is started with --include-private.
• Scans writes for configured patterns, JWT-like strings, private-key markers, and high-entropy token-like strings.
• Scans the bytes of text-like artifacts (.md, .html, source files, etc.) before they are copied into a packet bundle.

What 3Notch does not do

• It does not verify another person or device.
• It does not deliver packets to a remote recipient.
• It does not accept packets from a network listener.
• It does not scrape hidden chat databases, browser state, or project history.
• It does not execute arbitrary shell commands through MCP.
• It does not aggregate data across stores or users.

Recipient fields

$ notch packet create --to-agent codex --to-person alex --to-repo ../destination

Recipient fields label the intended audience. They help route and review the packet. They are not access control — anyone with filesystem access to the packet can read it.

Receiving packets

You receive a packet only when you explicitly import one:

$ notch packet import /path/to/packet.md
$ notch packet unpack /path/to/<id>.notchpkt

Review unknown packets with notch packet preview <id> before relying on them.

Honest limits

• When an agent reads a packet, the content may be sent to that agent's LLM provider by the client.
• 3Notch does not encrypt records at rest. Use OS disk encryption and keep .notch/private/ gitignored.
• The scanner is a guardrail, not a proof that content is safe.
• 3Notch is not a policy engine, DLP system, or audit platform.