diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index dff8d9c..6040765 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,14 +4,14 @@
**A beautiful, distraction-free markdown reader for Windows**
-Premium editorial typography ยท Refined dark aesthetic ยท Fully portable
+Built for everyone. Owned by no one. Free as in freedom.
-
+
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@ Premium editorial typography ยท Refined dark aesthetic ยท Fully portable
## ๐ Overview
-Vesper renders your markdown with carefully tuned typography and a refined dark interface, giving you the ultimate reading experience. No installation, no AppData, no registry โ just drop the exe and go.
+Vesper renders your markdown with carefully tuned typography and a refined dark interface, giving you the ultimate reading experience. No installation, no AppData, no registry, no telemetry, no accounts, no subscriptions - just drop the exe and go.
+
+Knowledge should be accessible to all. Vesper exists to make reading a pleasure, not a product.
@@ -35,7 +37,7 @@ Full CommonMark support via **markdown-it** with extensions:
| โ๏ธ Task Lists | Interactive checkboxes in lists |
| แดฌแต Superscript / Subscript | `^text^` and `~text~` notation |
| ๐๏ธ Highlight | `==marked text==` rendered with accent background |
-| ๐ฌ Typographer | Smart quotes, em-dashes, and ellipses |
+| ๐ฌ Typographer | Smart quotes, dashes, and ellipses |
| ๐ Linkify | Bare URLs auto-converted to clickable links |
| ๐ HTML | Inline HTML passthrough |
| โต Breaks | Newlines preserved as line breaks |
@@ -44,7 +46,7 @@ Full CommonMark support via **markdown-it** with extensions:
> - **Inter Variable** at 17px with 1.7 line-height
> - ~65 character measure for optimal readability
-> - Progressive heading color cascade โ H1 near-white through H6 muted
+> - Progressive heading color cascade - H1 near-white through H6 muted
> - Accent-colored list markers on both ordered and unordered lists
> - Gradient-fade horizontal rules
> - Subtle persistent link underlines that intensify on hover
@@ -55,7 +57,7 @@ Full CommonMark support via **markdown-it** with extensions:
### ๐ Tabbed Interface
- Open **multiple documents** simultaneously in tabs
-- ๐ **Duplicate detection** โ re-opening an already-open file switches to its tab
+- ๐ **Duplicate detection** - re-opening an already-open file switches to its tab
- โจ Animated tab enter/exit with layout transitions
- โ โถ **Scroll arrows** appear on overflow with hold-to-scroll
- ๐ฑ๏ธ **Mouse wheel** scrolling over the tab bar
@@ -66,7 +68,7 @@ Full CommonMark support via **markdown-it** with extensions:
### ๐งญ Navigation
-- ๐ **Table of Contents** sidebar auto-generated from headings (H1โH6) with indentation
+- ๐ **Table of Contents** sidebar auto-generated from headings (H1-H6) with indentation
- Click any heading to **smooth-scroll** to that section
- Sidebar opens even with no headings (shows "No headings" message)
- โ๏ธ **Resizable** sidebar via drag handle
@@ -79,9 +81,9 @@ Full CommonMark support via **markdown-it** with extensions:
| Feature | Details |
|:--|:--|
| ๐ฅ๏ธ Focus Mode | `F11` hides title bar and menu for immersive reading |
-| ๐ Content Zoom | `Ctrl+Scroll` โ 50% to 200% |
-| โ๏ธ Content Width | `Shift+Scroll` โ 400px to 1200px |
-| ๐ฒ UI Scale | 50%โ200% via View menu spinner, persisted across sessions |
+| ๐ Content Zoom | `Ctrl+Scroll` - 50% to 200% |
+| โ๏ธ Content Width | `Shift+Scroll` - 400px to 1200px |
+| ๐ฒ UI Scale | 50%-200% via View menu spinner, persisted across sessions |
| ๐ Kinetic Scroll | Right-mouse drag with iOS-style rubber band overscroll |
| ๐ Custom Scrollbars | Thin, auto-hiding, accent-colored on hover |
| ๐พ Window Memory | Position, size, and maximized state remembered between sessions |
@@ -99,7 +101,7 @@ Full CommonMark support via **markdown-it** with extensions:
### ๐จ UI Details
- Custom **frameless title bar** with minimize, maximize/restore, and close
-- **Right-click context menu** โ Copy, Open File, Toggle Search, Toggle Sidebar, Focus Mode, Keyboard Shortcuts, About, Exit
+- **Right-click context menu** - Copy, Open File, Toggle Search, Toggle Sidebar, Focus Mode, Keyboard Shortcuts, About, Exit
- ๐๏ธ **Text selection preserved** visually on right-click via overlay rendering
- Context menu **stays within bounds** and respects UI zoom
- All panels, modals, tabs, and menus **animate** with Framer Motion
@@ -133,10 +135,12 @@ Full CommonMark support via **markdown-it** with extensions:
### Download
Download the latest **`vesper.exe`** from the [Releases](https://github.com/yourusername/vesper/releases) page.
-No installation required โ Vesper is fully portable.
+No installation required - Vesper is fully portable. No gatekeepers between you and your documents.
### Build from Source
+Everyone has the right to inspect, modify, and rebuild the tools they use.
+
> **Requires:** [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/) v18+ ยท [Rust](https://www.rust-lang.org/tools/install) stable ยท [Tauri v2 prerequisites](https://v2.tauri.app/start/prerequisites/)
```bash
@@ -151,16 +155,18 @@ npm run tauri dev
# Production build
npm run tauri build
-# โ src-tauri/target/release/vesper.exe
+# -> src-tauri/target/release/vesper.exe
```
## ๐ง Technology Stack
+Built entirely on open-source foundations - no proprietary dependencies, no vendor lock-in.
+
| | Layer | Technology |
|:--|:--|:--|
-| โ๏ธ | Runtime | [Tauri v2](https://tauri.app/) โ Rust + WebView2 |
+| โ๏ธ | Runtime | [Tauri v2](https://tauri.app/) - Rust + WebView2 |
| โ๏ธ | Frontend | React 19 ยท TypeScript ยท Vite 7 |
| ๐จ | Styling | Tailwind CSS 4 ยท DaisyUI 5 ยท Custom CSS |
| ๐ | Markdown | [markdown-it](https://github.com/markdown-it/markdown-it) + plugins |
@@ -176,19 +182,19 @@ npm run tauri build
## ๐ผ Portable
-Vesper is **fully portable** โ zero installation, zero system footprint.
+Vesper is **fully portable** - zero installation, zero system footprint. Your tools, your data, under your control.
All data lives in a `data/` folder next to the executable:
```
vesper.exe
data/
- โโโ window-state.json โ window position, size, maximized
- โโโ EBWebView/ โ WebView2 data (localStorage, cache)
+ โโโ window-state.json <- window position, size, maximized
+ โโโ EBWebView/ <- WebView2 data (localStorage, cache)
```
> Nothing is written to AppData, the registry, or any other system location.
-> To move Vesper, just copy the exe and optionally the `data/` folder.
+> No cloud sync, no phoning home. To move Vesper, just copy the exe and optionally the `data/` folder.
@@ -196,11 +202,12 @@ data/
| | Principle |
|:--|:--|
-| ๐ | **Content First** โ all UI chrome can be hidden; the reader is the focus |
-| ๐ค | **Typography Matters** โ Inter at 17px, 1.7 line-height, ~65 char measure |
-| ๐ | **Dark by Default** โ deep onyx base `#282C33` reduces eye strain |
-| โจ๏ธ | **Keyboard Driven** โ every feature accessible via shortcuts |
-| โจ | **Minimalist Chrome** โ the interface gets out of your way |
+| ๐ | **Content First** - all UI chrome can be hidden; the reader is the focus |
+| ๐ค | **Typography Matters** - Inter at 17px, 1.7 line-height, ~65 char measure |
+| ๐ | **Dark by Default** - deep onyx base `#282C33` reduces eye strain |
+| โจ๏ธ | **Keyboard Driven** - every feature accessible via shortcuts |
+| โจ | **Minimalist Chrome** - the interface gets out of your way |
+| ๐ค | **No Extraction** - no ads, no tracking, no data harvesting, no paywalls |
@@ -247,13 +254,15 @@ vesper/
## ๐ License
-This project is dedicated to the public domain under **CC0 1.0 Universal** โ see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.
+Dedicated to the **public domain** under [CC0 1.0 Universal](LICENSE). No copyright, no restrictions, no permission needed. Take it, use it, change it, share it - it belongs to everyone.
## ๐ Acknowledgments
-- [iA Writer](https://ia.net/writer) โ design inspiration
-- [Tauri](https://tauri.app/) โ desktop framework
-- [markdown-it](https://github.com/markdown-it/markdown-it) โ markdown parsing
-- [highlight.js](https://highlightjs.org/) โ syntax highlighting
+Built with gratitude on the collective work of open-source communities worldwide:
+
+- [iA Writer](https://ia.net/writer) - design inspiration
+- [Tauri](https://tauri.app/) - desktop framework
+- [markdown-it](https://github.com/markdown-it/markdown-it) - markdown parsing
+- [highlight.js](https://highlightjs.org/) - syntax highlighting