The way IRC is going..

Trixar_za · Posted: May 21, 2009 6:35am Post subject:

For many noobie admins, it's a power issue, and some people ravel in it. They feel since it's their server, anything on it belongs to them - including their users. They can change anything whenever they feel like it without caring what effect this may or may not have on their 'users'. Power becomes more important than people, numbers more important than ethics, etc.

The thing is that their dead wrong and their motives are wrong too. If you started a server to play around with it or to create a (better) place for you and your friends to go then those are valid reasons! Doing it for power is not. Actually, I've been screwed over more on IRC because of power plays by people or people trying to 'restrict' power to themselves. To me, these people lack a life, they'd even attack you and spread vicious rumors about you.

For those that don't know it yet, users make the network, thus the USERS are the true OWNERS on a network, you're only there to protect and help them. I agree with Telume that you can't know all 1000 (or even 100) people, but you can know the 'leaders'. They are normally the people that get mentioned when you ask in random channel, "Who would make a good IRCop?". Note they never ask for IRCop status, they just get nominated. They act as mediators between you and your users. You don't need to know all of them, just the 'leaders' - better yet, get them on your staff. True IRCops are that more socially driven than not - most could care less about power, because their more interested just chatting and hanging with their friends. They are also the easiest to train, because to them chat is fun and so is the learning of it.

Anyway, my point is that it's down to the motive of why you started the network and the attitude you have while running it. If you get those two right, and start a network for the right reasons and value your users over the power and numbers, then you'll succeed. If you don't... well, it's better that your network dies out... Razz

Telume · none Joined: 06 Jul 2007 Posts: 46

Just like 1000 ways to die:

If you're this stupid, you deserve to die.

PingBad · Posted: May 23, 2009 3:58am Post subject:

Trix, I totally agree with you right down to the last byte. Another disturbing trend I've been observing over the years with these power noob nets is they'll start up, invite their close mates, bring in a crowd, go on a power trip - watch the network implode in a matter of minutes (in the case of one net I used to frequent as a user, I watched it in a matter of mere seconds from 100 users to 1 power tripper); then they restart the network under a new name, new identity, etc but learn nothing from the previous experience (call it arrogance and adversity to learning from mistakes, if you will)

It is that trend that is well up there on the list of pet peeves when it comes to the outlook of IRC (or, more accurately, the circumstances I consider when I see IRC being driven into the ground by katsklaw's appropriately termed "$5 admins")

Telume · none Joined: 06 Jul 2007 Posts: 46