Which is more important?

katsklaw · Posted: Jun 13, 2009 2:02pm Post subject: Which is more important?

There are as many opinions about what is the most important thing to users as there are IRC networks.

Lets explore shall we?

Which is the most important to you and why. There may be more than one item that is important to you, but lets pick the most important to you. Is it friendly staff? software? stability?

Vote and discuss.

For me it's a combination of software/features, how well the opers stay out of my business and total number of users that chat (not to be confused with total number connected).

PingBad · Posted: Jun 13, 2009 5:22pm Post subject:

I look for overall infrastructure stability - it's kinda moot to have all those users, but the network's fragmenting quicker than a windows NTFS partition

Trixar_za · Posted: Jun 13, 2009 5:25pm Post subject:

I will have to say the thing that brings me to new networks is the people I know there or the new people I meet when I get there - active chatting is also important.

Stuff like Software Packages, features and user numbers doesn't really matter when your just there to chat and have fun. I also don't really care so much about a friendly staff, more than I care about a staff that allows the network to grow itself. I think the biggest problem with most networks isn't the size of the staff, but the involvement of them. I've seen networks grow big where the staff didn't go around waving their powers (mostly because they didn't know how) and acting like normal chatters - only occasionally banning the occasional botnet and troublesome user. I like places like that. Smile

mouselike · Idler Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Posts: 333 Location: IRC

For me it's the software and packages used

This is a personal choice but I feel that everytime I get bored and explore the new networks out there I try and look for networks that are unique from others, by unique I dont mean the users/staff/channels I mean the services and ircd, what makes me to think like this is most of the irc networks out there are the old Unreal + Anope + Neostats with about 100 service bots and 10 users. 9/10 the ircds and services are configured on a quick configuration file which makes most of them operate/run nearly all the same.

The unique networks I like are the ones that offer very little services support or none at all, vanilla (or near to vanilla) ircd's that dont offer the oper the chance to abuse or force modes. parts, joins, self op etc just from a oper flag, its nice to a see a network that handles its power via the ircd AND services.... unreal networks just give opers to much power to begin with.

Of course stability comes into the equation too followed 3rd by active and friendly users and staff, if I get abused as soon as I join or find no one talks I tend to leave promptly.

katsklaw · Posted: Jun 14, 2009 7:19am Post subject:

Wholeheartedly agree with you mouselike which is why I like Nef/X3 It's still unique enough to be called "rare" and requires both the ircd AND services to have "power" per se. which the ircd uses flags as well as X3 uses flags AND a minimum oper level to access commands.

Personally I'm not really opposed to an ircd that can do what Unreal does, I'm opposed to how freely the power is handed out as you said.

Thanks for sharing and lets keep the opinions rolling in! Smile

Zao · Lurker Joined: 23 Dec 2003 Posts: 130 Location: IRC

I tend to look for stability and overall friendliness of the staff. I'm not a big stickler as far as software goes, but I do enjoy using Inspircd over Unreal. As for services, I've always liked anope for some of the modules it provides.

Leet · Lurker Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Posts: 158 Location: New York

Its really simple read all the above and then find one witch u need for all the others to even work.

overall stability <--- with out that services and modules wouldnt matter the network wouldnt be stable enough to even use them. Networks splitting is never a goodthing. Friendly staff wouldnt matter because the network would constantly be splitting users would be scattered plus who wants a network that is constantly going down? no one can work with that

katsklaw · Posted: Jun 14, 2009 4:00pm Post subject:

AdrianIRC · none Joined: 12 Jun 2009 Posts: 13

Friendly Staff Smile

Leet · Lurker Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Posts: 158 Location: New York

From the user point of view it would still be the same for me though im connected to many small networks and semi large networks. I use to go to this server called Chatech witch would go down for 14hours at a time be up for a few days then go down again. Its hard to meet there friendly staff if you cant connect to the network

ButtaKnife · Newbie Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Posts: 93

I think it's hard to pick one thing that is most important to users. Stability is very important, since IRC is a communication medium. Netsplits disrupt communication, so if a network has frequent stability issues, the network becomes nearly useless for communication. Another important factor is usability, which certainly includes the software that the network runs. If the software is too confusing/complicated, then usability breaks down and the users may turn elsewhere. Staff is very important for IRC, even though not all users will need to speak with a network's staff. Staff needs to be competent to keep the network running smoothly (see stability) as well as friendly to be able to assist users or communities with their specific needs. For many of us, IRC is very straight-forward and we only need what is offered at face value in services or otherwise, but for those who may need some things explained or who have a special circumstance that needs to be addressed (connection trusts, bot access, help with a community, etc.) a friendly and knowledgeable staff is critical. Finally, though it may not seem like it at first, the size of the network does play a role when it comes to a user being satisfied with a network. A tiny network will have a much harder time appealing to a new user due to things like smaller channel sizes (resulting in less conversation), less channels (resulting in fewer topics of interest to choose from), and less potential help/staff for the network.

Think of IRC much like a cell phone service. Dropped calls are frustrating and impede productivity and enjoyment (stability). Plans or phone technologies are often a significant factor, depending on each individual's usage (software). A good customer service team needs to be present to address customer questions and to handle damage control in the case that something bad happens, such as a network outage (staff). The number of subscribers isn't as important to the end user as it is for IRC, but for the sake of this analogy, we can relate the number of users to having more people that you can talk to without using minutes with some kind of mobile to mobile feature.

I have seen stability, usability, staff, and size contribute to the ability of networks to gain and retain users. One network I was on for a while had decent stability, but poor software and staff. At the time, size wasn't an issue, but it is today after that network has lost about 75% of its users. By contrast, I have also seen stability, software, and staff help a network grow in the number of users. All of the factors need to be addressed in order for networks today to have any chance at survival.

katsklaw · Posted: Jun 16, 2009 3:22pm Post subject:

good stuff, thnx ButtaKnife.

jukeitaa · none Joined: 02 Dec 2009 Posts: 3 Location: Finland

I think for me most important thing is just everything works. Its not very hard to me connect my irssi as many networks as i needed, if channel is located to other network than i normally uses - thats why the most important part is other people in the network, i mean that not only admins or cops can make a network good.

Admins and Cops can give recent services for network and make enviroment what they needs, but the most important its that there is some special people with special topics.

For me i used IRCnet for some scouting related channels, some home-town related and some for school related. Titanix is just only for one friend related and Scoutlink has some scouting related channels. I also was in Quakenet for some games related channels -- Okey why I told where and why I am, just because i hope that helps you admins thinks also topics of your networks more -- we didint need more just chatnetworks I think, but perhaps there is space for other hobby related networks -- for example sports related ( i didint know is there or not yet, but i know there is plenty users in ice hockey channels in Quakenet duriing competitions)

HollyW00d · Lurker Joined: 18 Apr 2004 Posts: 202 Location: IRC

Well if I may add my two cents,

Without users there is no network. Meaning no need for anything else that was listed on the list. Therefor it is clear to me that users are the most important.

Skip · none Joined: 08 Apr 2007 Posts: 2

For me its easily "knowing others on the network", or being able to get to know others on the network (so this was the most applicable option),

To me it seems to be losing the bigger picture if featureset, usercount, or stability is the most important thing for a network -- they're great things and definitely matter, but they do not 'pull' people to a network. Having friends there and being able to easily make more friends do. The other points can certainly 'push' existing clients away from the network and IRC in general.

The thing is, "knowing others on the network" is the only point there that is totally out of the hands of the administration, so we will tell the networks we want those other points (and we do!) the same way we want popcorn at the movies. Good stuff but not the reason we're there.

A telling question: Does anyone remember why they used ICQ to begin with?