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Why I Live in IRC (2015)

aaronparecki.com

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Re: Why I Live in IRC (2015)

#81

Post by zeamp »

Back in the late 90s, my IRC server was rejected for linking on EFnet because my uplink was known to host rather shady suspects. Some IRC folks would go on to make the FBI's most wanted list for DDoSing satellites. My equipment was seized and never returned even though I was only being housed in the building, unrelated to the case itself. The data center owner and I are friends and he ran an amazing network, one of the best colocation facilities of its time in such limited space.

I ended up getting back "in" with irc.home .com (@Home Cable), on their re-linking efforts. Around these times, we still had big names on IRC, universities, America Online even.

I would go on to be linked to HybNet (Hey, Dianora, Hardy, everyone I'm forgetting) testing ircd-hybrid, the IRC server software that powered much of EFnet at the time, like a crash test EFnet admin. I had a blast! Since EFnet had no services, the server's software and its ircops were extremely important to the network. I would later mess with TCM and other automated connection regulators, leading into my interest of bot making. Everyone's hailing ChatGPT when we'd write our own SmarterChild, and it could connect to AIM -AND- IRC -AND- Web.

20....25... nearing 30 years later, I'm still on EFnet. My channel is still active, and yes I have quite a few bots. I also still talk to a few friends, some who are still IRC only for privacy or other reasons. We've lost over 100,000+ users, but I still enjoy randomly typing /list thinking I'm going to crash myself with the upcoming flood of activity.

Not quite, but it feels good.

Also, DALnet services banned me for supposedly hacking them and I think I'm still banned from NickServ.

Thanks for listening to my IRC Talk.

Re: Why I Live in IRC (2015)

#82

Post by zeamp »

swozey wrote: post #14

I was an ircop on efnet for like half my childhood until they figured out I wasn't 18 and desynced my server. I just could never go back to IRC. I stopped using it probably 15 years ago or more after using it for 20ish years. Got my first job on it, learned linux and networking through it, definitely propelled my career. TOO many bots log entire channels out to public html sites. This is prevalent in everything like…

> you probably still have to do some xdcc crap to send a file

At least you don't have to re-learn how to do it when the UI changes, when the commercial sponsorship changes, when the advertising changes, or when they announce they've been hacked and your data is on the "darkweb" (probably another IRC network).

!xdcc list

Re: Why I Live in IRC (2015)

#83

Post by zeamp »

gaws wrote: post #78
swozey wrote: post #14

I was an ircop on efnet for like half my childhood until they figured out I wasn't 18 and desynced my server. I just could never go back to IRC. I stopped using it probably 15 years ago or more after using it for 20ish years. Got my first job on it, learned linux and networking through it, definitely propelled my career. TOO many bots log entire channels out to public html sites. This is prevalent in everything like…

> TOO many bots log entire channels out to public html sites These sites exist? Examples?

I installed it last year, works great still!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisg_(software)

Re: Why I Live in IRC (2015)

#84

Post by mike_hock »

novagameco wrote: post #24

I've tried to get into IRC but the public servers have so many dead channels. On the one channel I did find active someone called me a racial slur because I use Windows. I wish there were more people using these alternative, somewhat decentralized services that weren't just tech people. Whenever I see some cool new fediverse technology or alternative protocl (e.g gemini), 99% of the conversation is just people talkin…

[flagged]

Re: Why I Live in IRC (2015)

#85

Post by tmtvl »

aaronpk wrote: post #47
didntcheck wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whenever someone says this I can only presume they've never used at least one of the two. Or think that IRC invented the concept of text messaging Zoom is just fancy telegraphy

sorry my sarcasm didn't make it through the computer screen

Sarcasm is usually conveyed through any of tone of voice, facial expression, or gesticulation; none of which transmit through the written word. Standard operating procedure is to add something like /s.

Re: Why I Live in IRC (2015)

#86

Post by tmtvl »

robobro wrote: post #27
bitwize wrote: post #8

All the action is on Discord and Mastodon these days.

Mastodon? Do you mean Fediverse / Activitypub? No one should call IRC "mirc", email "outlook", or the web "chrome", come on bro.

Nobody should call hook-and-loop fastener 'velcro' either, but good luck changing people's habits.

Re: Why I Live in IRC (2015)

#87

Post by aaronpk »

tmtvl wrote: post #85
aaronpk wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

sorry my sarcasm didn't make it through the computer screen

Sarcasm is usually conveyed through any of tone of voice, facial expression, or gesticulation; none of which transmit through the written word. Standard operating procedure is to add something like /s.

I have chosen to interpret your response as sarcasm

Re: Why I Live in IRC (2015)

#88

Post by doublerabbit »

catherinecodes wrote: post #37
susam wrote: post #6

18 years and counting! Still living in IRC. I use the old and humble Irssi as the client with ZNC running on a Debian VM on Linode as the bouncer to maintain a persistent connection. It is simple, reliable, and well established. I initially used to hang out on multiple networks like DALnet, EFnet, etc. but I quickly settled on becoming a regular at Freenode and OFTC because those are where most of the free and open s…

Same here. ZNC on Debian (apt install znc) on an Entrywan instance. The freenode debacle impacted a handful of my favorite channels. #tcl is noticably quieter and a couple others are still trying to decide whether they're an official channel or not (this affects #channel vs ##channel naming). I'd bet that the number of active users has dropped but I don't have any emperical evidence. If anyone is considering ZNC, her…

#tcl is now on liberachat although I believe its bridged between. Unless you meant in general. If so, apologies

Re: Why I Live in IRC (2015)

#89

Post by doublerabbit »

zeamp wrote: post #81

Back in the late 90s, my IRC server was rejected for linking on EFnet because my uplink was known to host rather shady suspects. Some IRC folks would go on to make the FBI's most wanted list for DDoSing satellites. My equipment was seized and never returned even though I was only being housed in the building, unrelated to the case itself. The data center owner and I are friends and he ran an amazing network, one of t…

Hybrid-ircd was the best.

You had +v, +h and +o which was all you needed.

Meanwhile unreal started introducing +a and +q for those power hungry folk.

Re: Why I Live in IRC (2015)

#90

Post by bifrost »

swozey wrote: post #14

I was an ircop on efnet for like half my childhood until they figured out I wasn't 18 and desynced my server. I just could never go back to IRC. I stopped using it probably 15 years ago or more after using it for 20ish years. Got my first job on it, learned linux and networking through it, definitely propelled my career. TOO many bots log entire channels out to public html sites. This is prevalent in everything like…

Which server?
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