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README.md

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+# Hash of Wisdom
+
+A TCP server implementing the "Word of Wisdom" concept with proof-of-work challenges to protect against DDoS attacks.
+
+## Overview
+
+The Hash of Wisdom server requires clients to solve computational puzzles (proof-of-work) before receiving wise quotes. This approach prevents spam and DDoS attacks by requiring clients to invest CPU time for each request.
+
+## Quick Start
+
+### Prerequisites
+- Go 1.24.3+
+- Docker (optional)
+
+### Building
+```bash
+# Build server
+go build -o hash-of-wisdom ./cmd/server
+
+# Build client  
+go build -o client ./cmd/client
+```
+
+### Running
+```bash
+# Start server (uses config.yaml by default)
+./hash-of-wisdom
+
+# Or with custom config
+./hash-of-wisdom -config /path/to/config.yaml
+
+# Connect with client
+./client -addr localhost:8080
+```
+
+### Using Docker
+```bash
+# Build image
+docker build -t hash-of-wisdom .
+
+# Run container
+docker run -p 8080:8080 -p 8081:8081 hash-of-wisdom
+```
+
+### Monitoring
+- Metrics: http://localhost:8081/metrics (Prometheus format with Go runtime stats)
+- Profiling: http://localhost:8081/debug/pprof/
+
+## Documentation
+
+### Protocol & Implementation
+- [Protocol Specification](docs/PROTOCOL.md) - Binary protocol definition
+- [Implementation Plan](docs/IMPLEMENTATION.md) - Development phases and progress
+- [Package Structure](docs/PACKAGES.md) - Code organization and package responsibilities
+- [Architecture Choices](docs/ARCHITECTURE.md) - Design decisions and patterns
+
+### Production Readiness
+- [Production Readiness Guide](docs/PRODUCTION_READINESS.md) - Requirements for production deployment
+
+## Algorithm Choice
+
+The server uses **SHA-256 based proof-of-work** with leading zero bits difficulty:
+- **Why SHA-256**: Cryptographically secure, well-tested, hardware-optimized
+- **Leading Zero Bits**: Simple difficulty scaling, easy verification
+- **HMAC Authentication**: Prevents challenge tampering and replay attacks
+- **Configurable Difficulty**: Adaptive to different threat levels (4-30 bits)
+
+This approach provides strong DDoS protection while remaining computationally reasonable for legitimate clients.
+
+## Current Status
+
+✅ **Complete**: Core functionality, TCP server, client, metrics, containerization  
+🔄 **In Progress**: Documentation (Phase 9)  
+📋 **Planned**: See [Production Readiness Guide](docs/PRODUCTION_READINESS.md) for production deployment requirements
+
+## Testing
+
+```bash
+# Run all tests
+go test ./...
+
+# Run integration tests
+go test ./test/integration/...
+
+# Benchmarks
+go test -bench=. ./internal/pow/...
+```