[SexyTech]

Hi Folks...

/me bows to the mighty Tech Guy!

I was thinking that an IRC server would be a great thing!

The regulars could lurk/Idle and the Newbies that know about IRC could find thier way in and ask questions!

Also, with the DCC functions of IRC, if someone needed a DLL file or something...we could transfer files back and forth too!


IRC.Techguy.ORG:6667 would be a great thing!

[RandyG]

Yep, would be a pretty good idea, as well as perfect for meeting during those crises that have happened (thankfully) rarely, when the site has gone done.

[eddie5659]

I agree with Randy, though I don't know how to use IRC

Another thing to learn, if ever it became real

eddie

[Rhettman5.1]

Here is a help page for all of us going ...a group of wich I belong ... http://www.irchelp.org/ ...Rhett

[AnyKey]

I'd use it!
Hope that wouldn't put the kibosh on it!!!

[GreenIs]

I could help anyone who'd like to set up their mIRC. Just pm me if you need any help... key get mIRC, the others of the IRC collection seem to be not as well set up.

get mIRC here: http://www.mirc.com

[brendandonhu]

I like the idea too, it would be more reliable than chat (for some of use), we could send/receive files, you wouldnt have to go through installing Java and all that.

IF THIS DOES HAPPEN, PUT UP A BIG WARNING BECAUSE THERE ARE 1000s of sites dedicated to IRC trojans/backdoors and you have to watch out. I have gotten sub7 from a friend before

[Rockn]

IRC would be a better idea than the Java chat....which I never use, but getting on IRC invites the same kind of crap that we had here earlier this week. Sure you can ban them, but who wants to moderate it. I never did like mIRC because of all the crap on them, script kiddies passing viruses and thinking they are really hackers. Not a really fun or creative environment.

[brendandonhu]

I just thought of a problem with IRC. In our chat, it uses your tsg username, and in IRC it wouldn't do that, you could pick your own nick.

Anyway, part of the problem with our chat is getting "Java'd". The example implementation of RealChat at realchat.com does not have this problem, maybe it is something that can be fixed?

[Westwood]

irc channel would be awesome.. you could use it to get quick info and also talk with people and have group discussions more easily.. forums are slow to have a coneversation on..

if it is just a nice channel on a smaller server.. ie not dalnet or quakenet or anything common then you dont normamly have probs with script kiddies an stuff.. if "distinguished members" are made ops.. then it is better too...


whgy doesnt a distinguished member make a channel.. then if it is a success.. tech gu can adopt it.. and make it official

[brendandonhu]

TSG once had an IRC server, there was probably some reasons for changing to a Java based chat.

[RandyG]

Brendan - It wasn't really an IRC server, but rather a webbased IRC protocol that was never used, and wasn't carried over when the site went through a major turnover in late 2000, or early 2001.

From what I remember, it wasn't accessible through mIRC, but only through the website itself.

That would mean it would be pointless for being a meeting place if the site went down.

Having an IRC server would mean someone who has the ability to use a machine to be a server, having the necessary bandwidth allocation, and wanting all of us lot to "visit" their machine. At least that's my understanding of how it works, from when I looked into it over 2 years ago.

[brendandonhu]

OK, i hadn't been here that long, I just saw about IRC on the "History" page so I didnt know exactly what it was.

Although, I kind of prefer the web based chat because I can get on at say, the library where you cant install a program.

[SexyTech]

Hmmm.....


I wonder when Mike is gonna Chime in on this Issue!


An IRC server would be very easy to setup! just need to limit the number of rooms that can be created.

I'd volunteer to help moderate it!

[TechGuy]

Well, I know that a lot of you weren't around here at that time, but a few years ago we <b>did</b> have an IRC server up and running (before we started going to web-based). Unfortunately, no one used it. It was a little project that myself and MikeV took on (an old mod, who, believe it or not, is around the site less than me anymore! =)...

Anyway, there's a lot of reasons not to do it -- cost in time, equipment, bandwidth (ok, so it won't actually take any measurable amount of bandwidth)... Also, it invites added security risks and the impossibility of true moderation. Also, those security risks relate directly to the server it's run on as well as other users on it (after all, how many scripts are there now that spread viruses thru irc?). Oh, and as pointed out, there's no control over username...

As much as I like IRC, /me thinks that we're better off with the Java version. (I wonder how many people understood the /me)... It's a lot more security server- and client-wise. I can at least set a default username for people entering. Also, we had a big problem with getting people to download and understand how to use mirc (and a lot of people don't like adding additional software without a real good reason).

So that's my two cents... I think we're better off with the solution with have now, until something better appears. <i>However,</i> you all know that I have over-ruled myself in the past when the majority disagreed... with this particular topic, though, over we have 35% who don't even know what IRC is (much less how to download and use it safely)... Just under half gave a Yes, but I wonder how many would actually use it.

Boy, what a long post. Hopefully it's interesting to the debate. I, personally, think that the disadvantages strongly over power the advantages, especially with a safe chat system already in use.

[submitted without review for spelling, grammar, or meaning =]