What's truly new?

katsklaw · Posted: Feb 19, 2011 2:44pm Post subject: What's truly new?

OK, trixar brought up a valid point on another thread. Off topic, but valid none the less.

Bertrum · Eleet Joined: 30 Mar 2008 Posts: 573 Location: Venus

A few other unique things 1500 nets offer.

1) BNC
2) Games, Trivia, IRPG etc
3) webstats eg denora/phpdenora

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If I may... My network doesn't offer anything really unique, my net has a wiki, collectiveirc and janusirc both have wikis, my net has a quotes database, gigirc and refugeirc have them, my net has forums, efnet has forums.. The list goes on, I can't honestly say we have anything that makes us stand out from the crowd, which might be a bad thing to say, but at least I'm being honest.

A while ago we offered free webhosting to users for their chans/projects, we still do in some cases, but again this isnt unique, I think collectiveirc does this too..

I think GigIRC offer unique features though, the im2irc service they provide is unique, none of the other networks I go on, (about 15) have anything like it, they also have their site laid out like a social networking site, which is pretty neat. I would say they are a unique network...

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I think unique networks, or networks with unique features are truly very rare, I'm interested in seeing if anybody else replies to this with truly unique features.. I however don't expect many to, as they like to keep unique features private, because once more and more nets do the same thing, it is no longer unique.

Trixar_za · Posted: Feb 19, 2011 4:51pm Post subject:

I think uniqueness doesn't just come from features only your network has, but how you use features everybody else has. For example, if you did something unique with denora like altering code and creating a custom theme for phpdenora, then that denora is unique to your network only. A lot of things can be modified to be like that.

For example the idea of a Zelda themed werewolf game like you have on Paradox is also pretty unique. Hell, you could probably recode GameServ IRC to have a similar theme too.

It's down to putting in a little more effort than other networks do, which is normally none at all.

katsklaw · Posted: Feb 19, 2011 7:44pm Post subject:

well said trix and plays directly into my point (and yours ;P). the problem I see at least is all these nets that do default installs, load a few very popular modules and call themselves unique/special/one of a kind.

When you go visit, you find staff no more or less friendly then anywhere else, admins that can't tell the different between an ircd and services and if you are experienced and go to just ask a few questions you end up teaching them something and offered an O:Line because you actually do have experience.

Katlyn · Newbie Joined: 30 Sep 2006 Posts: 71

... other users?

And maybe our own client (granted it's integrated into another program).

Telume · none Joined: 06 Jul 2007 Posts: 46

Actually had one of the opers mess with the rmtkl module to remove or narrow stuff down by date but, that's probably as unique as it gets.

Perihelion · none Joined: 06 Oct 2008 Posts: 10

Not very many networks offer Perihelion. On that note, IRC networks with the same software surely won't offer the same experience. I think Katlyn is right - you can offer people all sorts of services, but at the end of the day IRC is about chatting with other people.

stitch · none Joined: 28 Apr 2009 Posts: 16

Bertrum · Eleet Joined: 30 Mar 2008 Posts: 573 Location: Venus

D3M0N · Posted: Feb 24, 2011 10:24pm Post subject:

Would a full janus network count as one of those "unique" features as there are only a very few full janus networks out there that use janus to its full advantage...

katsklaw · Posted: Feb 25, 2011 12:43am Post subject:

Bertrum · Eleet Joined: 30 Mar 2008 Posts: 573 Location: Venus

ButtaKnife · Newbie Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Posts: 93

This is always an interesting topic to me. I agree that those unique features are over-advertised, but at the same time, our network didn't start out with much more flair. We spent time looking at what software we wanted to use and what kind of staff/user policies we wanted to enforce, but in the end our network was another "We started this because we didn't like what other networks were doing." 100% true, and 100% with good intentions, but we were using basic X3 services on Nefarious. Our only unique approach was how we enforced guidelines on our staff to make sure there wouldn't be any abuse. Today, I'd like to think that we're a truly unique network because of what we have accomplished since then, but that's up to everyone else to judge.

I believe that many networks are cookie-cutter, but I also believe that there are sometimes good networks in the mix that are just waiting to be discovered. The networks that can positively distinguish themselves earlier will have a better chance to survive, though.

D3M0N · Posted: Feb 25, 2011 10:57pm Post subject:

Bertrum · Eleet Joined: 30 Mar 2008 Posts: 573 Location: Venus

I should mention I wasn't picking on your network in that post, I had a few others I wont name in mind, I don't know enough about your network to come to any type of conclusion Razz