irc-tenth-birthday-undernet.txt

[chain]

Narrator: Good evening, and welcome to the Undernet Live Events auditorium!
Narrator: Tonight the Undernet User Committee offers a one-time special event in celebration of IRC's tenth birthday. We will bring to life the history and developments of the past decade of Internet Relay Chat.
Narrator: Although the exact date of the creation of IRC is unknown, it was noted by its creator, Jarkko Oikarinen, that it was near the end of August in 1988.
Narrator: Since most users use IRC almost every day and it has become a medium to meet new friends, and make bonds with people around the world, it holds a special place for all of us.
Narrator: Some people may think it is unusual to look back at the history of an Internet protocol. However, the popularity of IRC and the vastness of great ways it is used justifies its appeal.
Narrator: Several surprise guests are here with us tonight. At the conclusion of the event, you will be able to ask questions in open forum with them.
Narrator: So join us tonight, as we present to you "A Decade of IRC: Family and Friends Forever".
Narrator: Though millions of people have used IRC, most don't think about where it all initiated or why it even exists at all. Where did the original concept come from? Why was it created? How has it changed and developed?
Narrator: IRC got its start ten years ago when Jarkko Oikarinen wanted to create a chat program for the user community of a local BBS called OuluBox. Jarkko believes that IRC came up "because there was a clear need for it." Since then, it's grown considerably.
Narrator: Jarkko never planned for IRC to become as popular as it is today. When he created IRCd (which stands for "Internet Relay Chat daemon," or the IRC server code), he planned on around 100 simultaneous users. Though many changes have since been made to IRCd, it's difficult to restructure the code to the point where it can effectively handle the 20,000 or more users we see today.
Narrator: Since 1988, Dr. Oikarinen has written many research papers and acquired a Ph.D. in Finland.
Narrator: We interviewed Dr. Oikarinen prior to this event to better understand how he feels about IRC's tenth birthday. A transcript of the interview is as follows:
Narrator: User-Com: What inspired you to create IRC? Was its original purpose different than the purpose it currently serves?
Narrator: Jarkko: The original purpose of IRC was to serve as a chat program within the local BBS, OuluBox, user community. The original planned scope of applications was (of course) much narrower than what IRC is currently used for. However, the basic ideas have not changed that much.
Narrator: User-Com: Millions of people from all corners of the world have used IRC. Why do you think so many people are attracted to this particular form of communication?
Narrator: Jarkko: There are two issues that have to do with the success of IRC. The first is the network of servers. Instead of having separate servers, IRC linked the servers together, which allowed all the users be present in the same network.
Narrator: Of course, nowadays IRC has many networks. The second reason is the anonymity of discussions; for many people it is easier to discuss many matters over the keyboard than face-to-face.
Narrator: User-Com: The IRC protocol is now being used on networks with well over 20,000 simultaneous connections. Did you plan for IRC to become this popular? Would you have structured IRCd differently to handle this large amount of users?
Narrator: Jarkko: No, I did not plan for IRC to become that popular. The original design does not handle that many users very well any more. There have been several efforts that tried to make IRC more scalable, but it is not that easy to change the current system. One solution is the integration of IRC with WWW-based technologies, and that has already partly happened.
Narrator: User-Com: Do you see any way to help stabilize the larger IRC networks which are having trouble handling the massive amount of users that connect to them?
Narrator: Jarkko: The basic method is to have smaller networks. Larger networks can be made by linking the smaller networks together, e.g. using WWW-based technology, as I mentioned above.
Narrator: User-Com: Are you comfortable with the fact that IRC makes many peoples' computers vulnerable to various attacks? What do you think can be done about this?
Narrator: Jarkko: I am not comfortable with that, but the main reason for this is in the IRC clients. it is so easy to add a nice fancy feature into the client, but forget to design the security aspect into it. This is particularly problematic with networked applications, and IRC is in that category, but it is not there alone.
Narrator: User-Com: Did you ever imagine that IRC would become a 'second home' to many people, a place where new friendships are born, serious relationships are fostered, educational lessons are held, and where even wedding vows are exchanged?
Narrator: Jarkko: Not really in the beginning, but these things became clear very soon, already when the number of simultaneous IRC users became two digits. And that did not take very long. At the early days I spent quite a lot of time on IRC myself, too, and experienced many of those things also.
Narrator: User-Com: The online world is changing and evolving so quickly. What do you see for the future of IRC? What problems are you observing with the current state of IRC?
Narrator: Jarkko: IRC will be part of the networked Internet. The protocols and internal designs will grow, but the basic principles will not change so much. It will be people talking to each other, not computers...
Narrator: User-Com: How has IRC made a difference in your life?
Narrator: Jarkko: IRC has given me many friends around the world. I have been able to meet people from many countries and different cultures, which I would not have done otherwise. I have learned a whole many lessons from IRC users during the years.
Narrator: User-Com: As have we all. IRC is one of the most popular social mediums of the 90's, and as such, many relationships, both friendly and romantic, have evolved. Without Jarkko Oikarinen, the world would be a different place. Though many people have kept alive what he started, we have Jarkko to thank for the initial vision that enabled IRC to become what it is today.
Narrator: IRC was originally created for users of the Unix operating system, and thus did not become accessible to the vast majority of computer users until fairly recently. IRC's popularity has grown over the past few years dramatically, and one of the reasons for this is because of a Windows IRC client by the name of mIRC.
Narrator: mIRC, which is shareware, has become basically a household name for IRC clients. It's the most popular Windows client used today and is widely available for download on the World Wide Web.
Narrator: mIRC was the brainchild of a man named Khaled Mardam-Bey. It was written in 1995 and is, even to this day, still frequently updated.
Narrator: We also recently interviewed Khaled:
Narrator: User-Com: What drove you to write mIRC?
Narrator: Khaled: My motivations have changed over the last few years; I created mIRC because the IRC client I was using at the time, back in 1995, didn't have a /me action command, and ircii users would make a joke out of it :) of course, I was also missing out on half the fun since the /me command is a powerful emoticon, so the first version of mIRC was created purely to remedy that.
Narrator: Khaled: I'm not quite sure what happened after that... it seems that I turned on a switch and haven't been able to find the off button since then :) Well, I haven't really been looking for it; mIRC has been much fun, and much work. I've met, talked, worked, and played with more people in the last few years than I'd imagined possible.
Narrator: Khaled: My motivation after the first version was the interest shown by users who sent me emails full of ideas, help, thanks, criticism. Notably, Tjerk Vonck who created the first #mIRC channel, the FAQs, the mIRC homepage... things which I would never have done; we played off each other's motivations pretty well :) and of course my own enjoyment, compulsive coding, and obsessive perfectionism ;) most likely contributed to mIRC's development as well.
Narrator: Khaled: Till today, I am amazed at how things have turned out, and also very honoured; I think it's not a rare idea for someone to want to contribute in some way to humanity in the hope that they may help make a better world; bringing people closer together is a helpful step in that direction, and I'm lucky to have had the chance. *** DCraig sets mode: +o Narrator
Narrator: where was i.. :)
Narrator: Khaled: This has played a big part in what has kept me working on mIRC over the last few years.
Narrator: User-Com: Did you ever imagine the immense popularity that mIRC would achieve? What are your thoughts on having achieved such popularity?
Narrator: Khaled: If I had known, I might have been scared off :) Seriously though, no, I had no idea, and had no plans for it... I still feel like mIRC is my hobby, and try to treat it that way but at the same time I understand the responsibility that comes with it. I know that every time I release a new version of mIRC, many people are going to use it, especially new users to the internet, so it's hard work making sure that it is safe, useful
Narrator: and fun :)
Narrator: Khaled: (Thanks to the mIRC beta-testers who play a big role in this and are a great help.) mIRC being popular puts a few other pressures on me. There are a lot of expectations, my to-do list is always full, I receive many emails every day which I try to reply to, and sometimes people think that I'm "competing" with other IRC clients...
Narrator: Khaled: working on mIRC is not a matter of "competition" for me, if anything, I hope that my work on it has led to the creation of better IRC clients for everyone.
Narrator: Khaled: I'm a very private person in "real life," and mIRC is a very personal work, so it being popular is a bit paradoxical... I do enjoy the attention :) but after three years I can get a bit tired, so I recently started using an auto-reply email for FAQs. I still feel that I'm doing something I believe in and enjoy, and I know I'm very lucky to be in this position.
Narrator: User-Com: Do you have any intentions of 'porting' mIRC to other operating systems, such as Linux?
Narrator: Khaled: I've been asked to port mIRC to other OSs quite often but I've never had the time. I work a large number of hours on mIRC these days and I would never be able to maintain different versions of the source code under different OSs and development systems. I've had offers from individuals and groups interested in porting mIRC themselves, but I'm very attached to the source code :)
Narrator: Just a second folks, we're having some network difficulties :)
bethie: Folks, we're waiting a bit to see if we can recover from the netsplit. Thanks for your patience during the netsplit. We should be restarting soon.... :)
bethie: okay folks, about ready to start back up :)
Run: ... Hey :)
Run: Sorry for the interruption people - a split and stuff :). And our presentator keeps signing off heheh.
bethie: here we go :)
bethie: User-Com: Do you have any intentions of 'porting' mIRC to other operating systems, such as Linux?
bethie: Khaled: I've been asked to port mIRC to other OSs quite often but I've never had the time. I work a large number of hours on mIRC these days and I would never be able to maintain different versions of the source code under different OSs and development systems. I've had offers from individuals and groups interested in porting mIRC themselves, but I'm very attached to the source code :)
bethie: Khaled: There are only two ways I can think of overcoming this; releasing the source code under GPL, or turning mIRC into a "real" company, neither of which I'd be happy doing right now.
bethie: User-Com: Do you IRC?
bethie: Khaled: I used to IRC all the time but these days I'm quite busy working on mIRC :) so I IRC only a few times a week for a short period, mainly to talk to a few friends. The rest of the time my IRCing mainly revolves around testing out beta versions of mIRC.
bethie: User-Com: What are your thoughts on helping to create and expand a method by which the world has become a smaller, friendlier place?
bethie: Khaled: Bridging gaps between people, cultures, races, religions, the sharing of ideas, the making of friendships, allowing families to keep in touch, helping those people who have no other way to communicate, allowing information to spread freely and easily across continents, without censorship or disinformation... these are vital issues. As well as being a useful tool, IRC as a communication medium limited to text prevents us from applying our
bethie: Khaled: when choosing whether to talk to someone or not.
bethie: Khaled: After we initiate contact, anything can happen, good or bad, but the fact that contact has been made opens the doors to possibilities, whereas if we had had the chance to apply our biases, we may never have talked at all. And as a fun medium, IRC does all of this without making a point of it :)
bethie: Khaled: mIRC has been a very personal experience.
bethie: I often receive emails thanking me for mIRC which are very touching and sometimes overwhelming... even more so because, like many people,
bethie: Khaled: I hope that I can contribute somehow to make the world a better place, to help others, to spread a little friendship, understanding, humanity, compassion... and maybe I've achieved this in some small way even though I hadn't actually planned or expected it. I'm still a bit confused because I'm not sure how much I've done.
bethie: Khaled: Working on mIRC has been a constant interaction between myself and many people, and I've been driven by my own interests and beliefs as much as I've been inspired by the creativity and contributions of others.
bethie: Khaled: Thanks to Khaled Mardam-Bey for his hard work and incredible dedication to improving mIRC over these past few years, thereby making it accessible -- and more enjoyable -- to literally thousands of users!
Narrator-: The Undernet is one of the largest IRC networks around the world. For a network to successfully gain popularity, ease of using the IRC servers and stability is a major factor.
Narrator-: After extensive work by coders on other IRC networks, the Undernet picked up the code and began to develop it for this network.
Narrator-: It has become known as IRCu (from its previous name of IRCd) to reflect the Undernet's changes.
Narrator-: The head IRC coder for the Undernet, Carlo Wood (Run on IRC), has put in extensive work for the server code and over TWO MILLION bytes.
Narrator-: His story is as follows: * Run *waves*
Narrator-: In the beginning there was a young man who had been chatting on a BBS with friends. He really liked that because the guys that chatted there, to him they were "real word-geniuses" (Unfortunately only in Dutch; as an example, one of them still writes stuff: http://www.delta.tudelft.nl/delta/jaargangen/29/39/column.html).
Narrator-: One of them told him about IRC and installed a client for him, it was interesting to talk to people outside his home in the Netherlands now, and real-time. It didn't take long till he found a few other teenagers who where gay - and that was the main reason for him to stick around on IRC a lot. He didn't know gay teens in real life, and it was a wonderful and warm experience to make friends like this. This is the story of how Carlo Wood
Narrator-: "The channel I started (#gayteen) had some simple rules: No ops for non-teens and no sex talk (also to keep dirty minded older men out). A few gay IRC Operators (this was on efnet) didn't like that rule apparently and started to use /KILL and stuff to screw up the channel... It was because of that that I started to write my own IRC WarBots.
Narrator-: I learned UNIX and C in three weeks and then wrote WarBots in 400 contiguous hours in order to keep ops on the channel despite KILLs. The same guy (from the BBS) who showed me the way to IRC was in fact the admin of the main Dutch IRC server. He gave me CN lines to play with (he trusted me ;). The bot I wrote also kept a log of who joined the channel, with what nick, with what user@host etc... Everytime someone new joined the channel it asked some his age... and stored that too. The bot has recorded in total 20,000 people (different accounts) who told the bot their age.
Narrator-: You'd be surprised how often people at first answered '21' and then LATER returned with a new nick and answered '13'." "This is how I got involved with the IRC server-server, and got the opportunity to realize the reason that it was impossible in the end to protect a channel (read: have a quiet and peaceful conversation with your beloved friends) was infact caused by the server-server protocol flaws."
Narrator-: Coding the undernet and other various projects has helped land jobs and further his career. Run landed a job programming. Although they advertised it was 'research' it turned out to be programming. Carlo says, "I'd much rather do research... Follow my own feelings, investigate things, explore ideas..."
Narrator-: Officially his job title is called "Technology Expert" and gets more doing 'research' than a programmer gets in his country. Note: he was offered another job (from America) to do exactly this: Design and implement a next generation IRC for over one million users, but refused because they didn't pay enough and they wanted it in 6 months while he planned on needing two years.
Run: (You missed a part here)
Run: :/
Narrator-: From the beginning of the time Run started on IRC he saw becoming a 'second home' to many people, a place where new friendships are born, old ones rekindled, and serious relationships fostered. It was already the case when he used IRC for just chatting. Which he did for two years before getting involved with undernet efnet, at that point, the only irc net, had already 4000 users online.
Narrator-: There are a few problems with the Undernet now that should be addressed. Lag, which is the same as non-scalability, unique nicks, as well as DoS attacks because the hostnames need to be known (channel bans are based on it, and thus it is a must). http://coder-com.undernet.org/TODO
Narrator-: "There are ideas to solve the latter in the current irc... I think the problem I originally had - because of which I started to work on the protocol - that channels could be taken over and harassed/flooded is solved - but it is certainly a problem that channels can get opless.
Narrator-: Asking IRC Opers or X/W is no solution IMHO."
Narrator-: Looking into the future, Undernet and IRC as whole may have a dim future. "I don't think it will exist in 10 years," says Run. "If it does, then it won't be more important compared with "World Wide Chatting" as now an arbitrary mailing list is compared to IRC. I imagine that more and more people will get internet in their homes, 24 hours/day.
Narrator-: Something different needs to take the place of IRC, which is *already* saturated. Because I've seen 6 or 7 voluntary development efforts die now, I am afraid that the next generation IRC (one that will work for millions of people) will be a commercial one :/" "It might happen that there will be a lot of "wild growth".
Narrator-: Lots of different people will write their own implementations (as is already happening with all the different irc nets) and at a certain point one of those implementation might get a big support group, then someday it may become possible to make it an official IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force http://www.ietf.org/) standard: because it effectively already exists then. From that moment on, it would survive."
Narrator-: When asked what more he would like seen done with IRC coding, Run explained, "There are a lot of things that I'd really to see to come into existence, for example, nicks would be channel 'appearances': You'd have a nick PER channel, and therefore no problem with the limited number of total available nicks. Nicks can be unique per channel.
Narrator-: Separation of "Target address envelope (routing info)" and "payload" (message/CTCP) payload then could be binary, compressed and/or encrypted client-to-client (think of MIME even). I made up a collection "ID's" that the new protocol should deal with: See http://www.imc.org/ietf-ircup/mail-archive/0687.html"
Narrator-: In closing with Run, we can look forward to many new possibilities on the Undernet and possibly all over IRC. The future is up to us and the way things are handled. I am hoping to see IRC around for at least another decade or two.
Narrator-: Another IRC network, DALnet, has also enhanced and improved its server code. Based on early Undernet versions, it is one of the most stable available.
Narrator-: The DALnet is composed of a Technical Team dedicated to improving the server code and making it easier and more efficient for the users.
Narrator-: The coordinator of the DALnet Coding Team, Dafydd James (known as DuffJ on DALnet) has, similar to Carlo Wood, contributed a tremendous amount of ideas, code, and time to furthering the server code.
Narrator-: Many of you may wonder why we are inviting users from other IRC networks for an Undernet live event.
Narrator-: The actual truth is that we have put aside promoting just the Undernet tonight, in a hope to promote IRC as a whole.
Narrator-: So tonight, we attempt to bring you a history of IRC, not just the history of the Undernet.
Narrator-: While not as well known as some of the others here, DuffJ has been vital in the
Narrator-: improvement of code on one of the largest IRC nets in the world, Dalnet.
Narrator-: He joined the Dalnet coding team when it was in its first stages, not long after Dalnet broke away from traditional Undernet coding, about IRCu2.8.
Narrator-: Since then he has been part of Dalnet coding
Narrator-: team, and recently became the head this team. His reason for participating in this team was
Narrator-: to improve the net for all to use, despite the fact that at the time he knew little about what
Narrator-: actually was involved in server coding.
Narrator-: Dalnet itself is best known for its compliant servers and reliable, efficient services.
Narrator-: These services are actually one single program run on a separate server, services.dal.net.
Narrator-: While the other servers see these services as individual clients, they are in fact one
Narrator-: program.
Narrator-: Dalnet's current services include Nickserv, Chanserv, and Memoserv. These
Narrator-: services are what truly makes Dalnet unique. DuffJ has had a large hand in creating and
Narrator-: debugging these services, with the help of the rest of the Dalnet Coding Team.
Narrator-: While Dalnet's services are a significant part of Dalnet's many attractions, no net is
Narrator-: complete without a solid server coding. Dreamforge, Dalnet's current server code, is one
Narrator-: of the more solid and portable server codes available. The Dalnet team, lead by DuffJ, is
Narrator-: always making improvements and constantly analyzing problems and solutions. Some of their more recently implemented and significant advances are the WATCH and PROTOCL systems. WATCH is a new form of notify, in which the server keeps track of one's notify list. As it watches the connections, it compares these nicks to those on the notify lists. When a nick matches a notify list, the server informs the individual who created the list th
Narrator-: Hey Khaled, port mIRC to a real OS, like linux :) *grin*
bethie: :P * bethie feeds Run tea and puts his seat belt back on.
bethie: When a nick matches a notify list, the server informs the individual who created the list that
bethie: the nickname is on.
bethie: This makes the mIRC notify list virtually unneeded. It also cuts down on bandwidth used by mIRC for its personal notify list.
bethie: The PROTOCL system is a server to server command.
bethie: It is used mainly to identify which servers are using what features, and then use only compatible features. It is very useful in cutting down errors in server to server communication.
bethie: In the future DuffJ expressed interest in cutting down server to server bandwidth usage and distributing load from Dalnet Services.
bethie: He also stated that Dalnet is currently working slowly to take the load off the services a little at a time.
bethie: Thank you, Dafydd, for all your hard work and dedication!
Narrator-: Earlier, we had a representative from the Undernet Channel Service by the name of Robin Thellend.
Narrator-: well, we were going to, but he couldnt make it :)
Narrator-: The Undernet channel service (X/W) could hardly be what it is today without the talented staff that interact with users.
Narrator-: You can see them at almost any hour of the day helping users in #CService with problems or questions. I don't think the work that the Channel Service does for the Undernet is highly recognized.
Narrator-: Do me a favor: next time you go into #CService and need help, thank them for the extraordinary job they do. They put in a lot of their time and deserve a 'thank you' every now and then.
Narrator-: With that, the story of Channel Service coordinator David Low (Super on Undernet):
Narrator-: The name David Low might not mean much to you. The nick Super might not even ring any bells for a large percentage of you. However, those that remember the Undernet's infancy remember Dave well. As both an IRC Operator and a pillar of the Undernet Channel Service, Super has certainly helped shape the Internet Relay Chat protocol since it was developed into what it is today.
Narrator-: Super has been described by his colleagues in many different ways. Channel Service Coordinator D-in-Tx humorously described him once as "one of the truly great devious minds to grace Undernet," and Robin Thelland, whom you met earlier asked, "Why isn't this so kind and so devoted guy married yet, eh?" Clearly there is something to Super that affects all those around him.
Narrator-: You might be asking, "What does Super do?" or "How did he get involved?" Both are very good questions that deserve some examination.
Narrator-: Super recalls in January 1995 a discussion about users and bots. This discussion really was the first anyone had heard of an "X", or Channel Service bot. Super decided to draft the first "Channel Service Guidelines", which now direct the activities of the Channel Service Committee on Undernet.
Narrator-: Not much more than one month later, the channel #cservice was open for business.
Narrator-: Organization was an issue during the CSC's infancy. The initial plan was to have the Channel Service be a subcommittee of the User-Com, or User Committee. User-Com was relatively new at this point, so CService started out rather autonomous. It is now run under the auspices of the Undernet Admins.
Narrator-: In the beginning, there were three. Super, SeKs, and Stryker were the first three CService Administrators, whose work has built the CSC into what many users interact with everyday in the form of X and W.
Narrator-: Super began his career in CService before he was even made an IRC Operator (IRCop or oper), and has since helped to build a bridge of diplomacy between the two groups, with the help of Present Coordinator D-in-Tx.
Narrator-: Dave recalls the early days when registering a channel on Undernet took 4-6 WEEKS of time from intial application to acceptance. In October 1996, with the development of the CService Web Site by SeKs, this time decreased dramatically to 10-12 days.
* Run puts on some good disco beats so that everyone will hang around some more...
bethie: When asked what makes the CSC unique from other Undernet committees, Super explained that CService has "been able to sustain its size and continue growing.
bethie: The CSC also is one of the most user-visible groups since it appears in the face of so many users (in the form of X/W)."
Narrator-: The key to success for any group on the Undernet is teamwork. Teamwork between different groups and more importantly, within each group. "We work as a team and die as a team," Super explained.
Narrator-: Super explained what he believes to be one of the cores of CService: "Every day hundreds of e-mail are sent in to cservice@undernet.org. Without the hard work of people throwing themselves in front of a truck load of e-mail all the time, this would not happen.
Narrator-: Similarly, anyone who has ever been on the other side of the channel application mail alias that an entire LA freeway worth of mail trucks hits them on a daily basis. Without some great team work and dedication, this would never be looked at."
Narrator-: "The Undernet Channel Service is only as good as the people that help run it. No one person makes it special, we are all the building blocks to the great organization."
Narrator-: Super, we thank you for your countless years of tireless dedication. You have truly been one of the few "IRC pioneers" and your work will always be appreciated.
Narrator-: There are a few other individuals that have contributed to IRC as we know it today, and cannot be forgotten.
Narrator-: Many coders who enhance the IRC code for all of us use documentation from the IRCd package to base their coding efforts.
Narrator-: The documentation has been written by experienced IRC users with a tremendous knowledge of experience and expertise in the IRC field.
Narrator-: On of the earliest and still active members of the IRC documentation team is Helen Rose (known as Trillian on EFnet).
Narrator-: Helen has contributed a tremendous amount of documentation to the IRC server package, and some of her works can still be found at documentation archives.
Narrator-: We would like to thank Helen for her hard work and dedication, and will to go above and beyond the call of duty.
Narrator-: Since Jarkko Oikarinen left IRC development in the early 90s, several users have come forward to carry on the torch he lit.
Narrator-: One of the earliest and still working coders that has observed IRC's potention rise from year to year would have to be Darren Reed.
Narrator-: You can see his name in just about any IRC document out there and without his contribution, we all probably wouldn't be able to gather like this tonight.
Narrator-: Without the dedication of Darren Reed, IRC would not be quite the same as it is today. We were unable to contact him for this event, but would like to thank him anyway for his work over the past years.
Narrator-: Even in cyberspace, some sort of rules must be established and enforced. Channel services allow users to register channels and maintain them without the possibility of a takeover.
Narrator-: Without these services, IRC as we know it would be a constant battlefield.
Narrator-: On the Undernet, channel service bots by the nicknames of X and W (you've probably already seen them around) sit in thousands of channels and provide an excellent service to the Undernet community.
Narrator-: X and W were originally created in 1992 specifically for the Undernet by Robin Thellend (known as SeKs on the Undernet). He also developed the Channel Service website at http://cservice.undernet.org.
Narrator-: Today, there are over 10000 channels registered with either X or W. Just think how different our day-to-day IRC experience would be if there were not any services; even this event would be very difficult to manage. It is for this that we extend our thanks to Robin Thellend, for his creation of an excellent set of services.
Narrator-: That concludes the scripted portion of this event. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people NOT mentioned in this event; everyone who has ever helped a user, or taken some time to help out a newbie. All the hard work done by the above individuals was for you, the users-- and it is you, the users, that we owe our greatest thanks to, for making IRC a success.
Narrator-: Many thanks also to the people who made this event possible, including Jarkko Oikarinen, Khaled Mardam-Bey, Carlo Wood, Darren Reed, Daffyd James, David Low, Robin Thellend, and Helen Rose.
Narrator-: Thanks also to Snowpnthr for hosting this event, MistGhost, DCraig, David-R for conceiving and planning it, and all the LiveEvents/Promotions Team and the members of the Undernet User Committee.
Narrator-: We have a few special guests for you all tonight:
Narrator-: Carlo Wood , Jarkko Oikarinen, and Khaled Mardam-Bey are all here with us.
WiZ: hi everyone :-)
* Run sits on the podium next to WiZ (Khaled)
Run: Oops
bethie: oh well ...
Run: WiZ is Jarkko heheh
Run: *red cheeks*
bethie: Okay folks ... Thus ends the scripted portion of our program this evening :)
bethie: But hold still!
WiZ: tsot tsot.. :-)
bethie: 'cause we're going to unmoderate the channel and let you ask questions of our guests this evening ;)
bethie: I'd like to ask everyone to please be considerate, as for most of them, it is very late and we're all very tired.
bethie: so please ask your questions one at a time, and our guests will get to as many as they can (before heading off to do Saturday-night things :)
*** bethie sets mode: -m
bethie: okay, one at a time please ;)
bethie: and be warned that bad ole bethie will +m if things get out of hand ;)
*** bethie sets mode: -b *!*@*
cHr|s: To all the wonderful people that have helped in the advancment of IRC I would just like to say thank you :)
Hit-Man: hello
StRoBe: =)
Wacky: I have a suggestion for Khaled Mardam-Bey, would it be possible (after fixing that /drawtext bug) adding a 3 layers picture windows? So that you can draw over something, and erase it after without losing what was under?
bethie: oops ;)
rws: HI!
The_Brain: I don't think anyones alive
aZaRei: i have one thing to say... you guys rule! :) hehehe
Jeff_G: Thanks for all your hard work! I'd like to ask that mIRC and IRCu be modified to negotiate and enforce a maximum acceptable line-length.
ChiLiegia: how often do u go to irc, @s?
Zirom: Okay I have a question. I am from Sweden, and I have been using irc for four years, I started when I was a freshmen in university. My question is: How come so far I have not found one irc client as good as ircII for UNIX based systems ?
bestis: WiZ: aloit siis kaveri porukalle tekeen tuota? (should i ask this in english =)
pope1: WiZ, is the original irc server still up and running?
Blat_: I have a question for Khaled, why didn't u make mIRC for a real OS, like Linux, instead of that windows crap :P
StRoBe: because ircII is the best there is and ever will be
Castor: hahahah
DethCraze: Hello
rws: i dont see why X/W got so much praise, they take forever to use, and are a pain in the hiney to work with.
Castor: which one of the ops are Khaled?
WiZ: bestis: that is correct.
martysan: Wiz, how many lines of code are in mIRC?
Snowpnthr: gnoat==Khaled :)
Pyriana: clientinfo the channel!@#&(#@!&$
LordRomeo: gnoat Castor
WiZ: popel: so, it is not running anymore.
Pyriana: muah hah hah
Deme: Khaled...please, please, PLEASE port mIRC over to Linux! Please?
Castor: ok
SolarPup: With IRC, does Security ever become a problem with like exploits, etc?
Wacky: Pyrian Shut up
N|nja: Castor: gnoat
StRoBe: main() { while(1); }
pope1: ahh, ok, and its pope-one (no l33tness here :P)
bestis: WiZ: what did you think when you noticed that irc is to be so big and popular?
SwampGas: Khaled- how many easter eggs ARE there in mIRC? :) I only found 4...
SkYgLiDeR: I think you should +m the channel and then +v ten or fifthteen people at the time
Wacky: gnoat - I have a suggestion for Khaled Mardam-Bey, would it be possible (after fixing that /drawtext bug) adding a 3 layers picture windows? So that you can draw over something, and erase it after without losing what was under?
Pyriana: lol
*** Relmz sets mode: +m
gnoat: SG: only 5 right now :)
bethie: okay
Relmz: now lets let our people try to catch up
bethie: if you have a question
bethie: /msg me with it
WiZ: bestis: I was happy that I made up something that people used and felt was useful
gnoat: Wacky: it is possible, but my to-do list is a mile long, so it would not be implemented that soon :)
Gamma-: -rws- We included information about X and W and the Undernet Channel Service because they were the first channel service bots on IRC, ran by an IRC network. Now, a vast magority of IRC networks use Channel Services in one form or another.
Relmz: any questions can be sent to the operators @'s in here and will be redircted while they are catching up
Relmz: -aZaRei- ask Khaled, will you ever get to port mIRC to like X windows?
Relmz: -draconis- question for khaled: are there any plans to include multi server support in future versions of mIRC?
WiZ: -tarlive- jarkko: how did the old BITNET relay inspire your development of IRC?
Relmz: -Powder- what is the meaning behind @ to signify ops..
WiZ: tarlive: I originally wanted to link IRC and bitnet relay chat together, so of course it had a significant effect. Eventually they went different paths, however.
bethie: yeesh :)
gnoat: aZaRei: I spend a lot of time working on the windows version of mIRC, I would like to port mIRC to other OSs but I would be unable to due to lack of time (and knowledge, experience, with other OSs, etc.)
gnoat: draconis: yes, multi-server support is near the top of my to-do list now
Relmz: -pope1- is there any set of documents that govern server->server communications, like some kind of addendum to rfc1459
Relmz: -Wacky- Khaled: Could you paste us a part of your to-do list, to see what will look like futur releases of mIRC?
Relmz: -SolarPup- Khaled: does it bother you that a linux user can use wine/wabi to use mirc in Xwindows?
WiZ: -BillyC- what has the first ever created channel? sorry for my poor english...
gnoat: Wacky: nope, it's far, far, far, far too long ;P
WiZ: billyc: originally the channels had to be numbers, so the first channel was either 1, or some other 1-digit number. My guess is 7, although I do not remember for sure :-)
gnoat: SP: not at all, I'm glad it works, though I'm aware there are a few problem spots
bethie: two more minutes, folks ... then we're going to let these people off and enjoy the rest of their weekend :)
Relmz: -Wacky- Khaled - Do you think you will ever redesign the WHOLE mIRC windows
Gamma-: If you have a question you want to ask, Send it to one of the ops and we'll send it out. :)
Relmz: -MsGrr8- for Khaled: would it be possible to setup the url catcher with folders with subheadings like bookmarks?
Relmz: -Luthien`- Khaled: why didn't you use the ansi colour system for mirc?
bethie: -AshleyP- WiZ, what do you think about people who have fallen in love over IRC? :-)
WiZ: bethie: I wish them the best and hope that it will not be a long distance relationship too long. They are the most difficult ...
bethie: i hear that :)
WiZ: *John* Do you predict any drastic changes in the future of IRC?
WiZ: john: no, not really...
Relmz: -tarlive- jarkko: how did the old BITNET relay inspire your development of IRC?
Gamma-: Here's one for WiZ from me :) What do you think of Microsoft's proposed extentions to the RFC? :)
WiZ: Gamma: I have not studied them so I do not have an opinion on them.
bethie: and this one is for gnoat/Khaled ...
bethie: -JeanLucP- is it possible to put into mirc connection with camera?:))
bethie: That would scare me, personally ... i'd have to put on my makeup just to IRC :)
Gamma-: -Wacky- Khaled - Do you think you will ever redesign the WHOLE mIRC windows, like Microsoft did, Win3.x->Win95 ?
Gamma-: bethie: hahahaha
Gamma-: -bestis- to wiz -> never tested m$ comic chat?
gnoat: JeanLucP: one of the reasons I like IRC is because it is text-based... :) so it's unlikely I'd be adding support for cameras visual one-to-one communication in future, though maybe if my to-do list for IRC-specific features because really small :)
bethie: -Psylon- If i'm allowed, I have a Q for Khaled: How do you feel about not being able to come on irc very often because people bother you, and do you ever regret it?
WiZ: gamma: yes, I even actually met the guy who worked on it. I think it is a nice idea. However, I do not think it is very practical with large number of users :-)
WiZ: gamma: but it is a very neat idea.
gnoat: Wacky: I may have to sooner or later since my current compiler is pretty old (Borland C++ v4.52) and I don't have to easy access to new technologies (i had to code most visual controls myself so that they would work in win3.1 and win9.5 the same way)
gnoat: Wacky: but I'd prefer to maintain support for both win3.1/95 as long as I can
bethie: okay, one more ... and then off we go :)
Relmz: for khaled: Did you code all of mIRC alone?
Relmz: Khaled - Is mIRC programmed in C, or C++? And which compiler do you use?
WiZ: it's time to go to sleep...
bethie: Goodnight everyone
WiZ: g'nite...
bethie: and thank you very much for coming :)
bethie: and a special thanks to our guests :)))
WiZ: happy IRCing for those who will stay on :-)
Run: Thanks
* Run is ready for a live interview now :)
Run: *pope1* Why did you hardcode the server list into numnicks.c?
Run: Good question :)
Run: For backwards compatibility - to allow temporally to run the new and the old server versions on one net.
Run: (old as in 2.9)
Run: If anyone has a Question - please /msg me.
Run: *Gte-* Are you going to code Topic and Away messages into the net.burst? :)
Run: No. That does use too much bandwidth :(.
Run: The size of the burst is a problem already, and it doesn't seem worth it to include topic and away.
Run: *Castor* i'll show u bandwith lamer
Run: *Castor* voice me or be owned
Relmz: heh
Run: Castor: Lamer.
Relmz: thats good
*** Relmz sets mode: +o bethie
bethie: thank you :)
Run: *Starman_7* Why do IRC nicknames allow a maximum of 9 characters on the UnderNet? Is there any possibility of extending IRC nicks to 12 or 15 characters as it is rather difficult to find a decent 9 character maximum nick with an average of 20,000 people on the UnderNet at a time.
Run: Starman_7: Also a very good remark.
Relmz: Will netsplit and lag be fixed one day in futur?
Run: Starman_7: Maybe we should indeed enlarge the allowed size of nicknames. I am more infavour to allow non-unique nicks: Only unique PER channel. But that would need changes on the side of clients too, which is unfortunately hard (impossible) to coordinate :/
Stiles: howdy ya'll..
Run: *DethCraze* Do you have any plans to prevent spoof attempts for future nameserver exploits?
Run: DethCraze: Spoofs are something not of IRC. Its not up to the irc server to fix.
bethie: Run, i have a good one for you when you're ready.
Run: The IRC server tries to make sure nobody connects with a fake IP-number though :)
bethie: -LordRomeo- will you be planning on removing the old server versions compatibility? meaning that P9 in the future won't be allowed to connect to a P10 server?
Run: *LordRomeo* will you be planning on removing the old server versions compatibility? meaning that P9 in the future won't be allowed to connect to a P10 server?
bethie: what he said :)
Run: LordRomeo: Absolutely - I am pro change :). To hell with backwards compatibility ;)
Run: Seriously: THere is no need for backwards compatibility - except during upgrades. It is not that hard to keep all servers on one net the same version.
Run: *nightey* who are you? what have you done for irc? :P
Run: *grin* - you must be new here heheh j/k
bethie: ;-)
Run: nightey: I developed the Undernet protocol extensions and wrote most of the code for the server. Most of my changes have been aimed solely to create a protocol that makes it harder to screw channels up.
Run: nightey: Ie, net.riding, flooding, nick colliding etc.
Run: *pope1* do you ever think there will be publically available docs. on implementing P10 outside of Undernet? server->server protocols need some standardization, imo.
Run: pope1: Several (at least three) people have started serious efforts to document the protocol (refered to as P10). After a while, ... big silence..
Run: Maybe they wear straight jackets now :)
Run: I'd very much that someone would write a html version (or any) of P10... See http://coder-com.undernet.org/cvs.html on a remark over this (at the bottom under 'future plans')

Cynthia: sorry people technical difficulties :(
* Relmz waves
Run: Any questions I missed? :)
Run: *^TheLady* why cant we register our nicks on undernet?
Run: ^TheLady: There are lots more users OF undernet that ON undernet.. registration would make it even harder to get a nick.
Run: ^TheLady: But, it is possible - just not up to me to decide :)
Run: *Wacky* do you think someday, you will fill the /quote HELP command with USEFUL informations? :P

Cynthia: Run has it ever been seriously considered?
Run: Wacky: No, I hate documenta^H^H^H^H^.. heh, its an automated list, thats all.
Run: Cynthia: the nick registration? Sure! More then once.
Run: *andr3w* any plans on adding some sort of irritating advertisement/public notice support, to ircd, so that we can watch those cute little commericals, in the top left hand corner of the screen while using undernet.. like found on the well known online service, giant? ;-) *duck*
Run: andr3w: No - I am very very very against advertisements.
Run: andr3w: Such networks will be created though - and then it is up to the users wether or not to use it.
Run: andr3w: It WILL however happen that networks will need you register (E-mail address or worse), as a result of those frustrated kids around here that nuke everyone etc.
Run: There is already a registration project going on for undernet.
Run: I think the result will be that you can't connect to undernet at all anymore, unless you register yourself.
Run: Lots of bad things have happen because of the misbehaviour of people on irc.
Run: :(
Snowpnth: that's an understatement :)
Run: Luthien`: There is technical problem with that related to the anti admin-hacking code in the server (code that tries to prevent admins themselfs to hack around) - otherwise it would have happened earlier already (put them outside the channels).
Run: However, the only disadvantage of them being in the channel is that they add a little to the net.burst size - that is actually not much at all.
Run: *Seb* BUt couldn't we hide the host and IP.. that way.. you couldn't nuke/DoS anyone as you wouldn't know their IP
Run: Seb: Some nets are doing that... BUT - I think its not a working solution :/
Run: Its quite complicated to explain why.
Run: Firstly - it only works for dial in accounts (people with dynamic hostnames)
Run: Secondly, people would find other ways to find the hostname anyway
Run: With DCC for instance.
* Snowpnth waves- Happy birthday, IRC =) see you in 2008 ;)
bethie: quick interruption to say goodbye, thanks to all of our guests, and to all of you for attending :)
Run: There is also a big social disadvantage: If people feel they are even MORE anynymous - they will start to behave even worse than they do already.
* bethie waves, and hands the keys to Run ;)
Run: *Seb* With DCC - you can't stop it... but with statuc IPs.. you can make them "change" on IRC.. but still keep control on bans etc
Cynthia: hmm guess its me and you run
Run: Seb: The problem is that when you have a static IP, you will not be able to reconnect when your IP leaked out :)
Run: Personally I have other ideas on how to hide hostnames, and stil do bans...
Run: We discussed this in an effort of the IETF.
Run: Can find the URL quickly I am afraid.
Run: *GregMo* Do you have more details on this registration that is being considered? And how will you use email address with so many free email services
Run: *Jeff_G* Some groups of people, such as families, have to share one email address because of the regressive pricing policies of ISP's. Will they be limited to one Undernet user at a time?
Run: I am afraid I can't give details about this, cause I don't know.
Run: One of the reasons people oppose to these ideas is because of the large administrative load this will give :/
Run: I think that multiple connections from one E-mail should be allowed. But they would be 'banned' as a group of course.
Run: *pope1* until thier is good documentation on P10, how would i (i'm writing some irc services) have a nick i have registered from a services server, reply to a user who has sent a msg to it. i mean, i know you have to msg the numeric nick when its coming from the server, whats the key to the translation?
Run: For instance:
Run: sendto_one(sptr, "%c NOTICE %c%c%c :...", NumServ(&me), NumNick(sptr), ...);
Run: Where NumNick() is a macro:
Run: #define NumNick(cptr) *(cptr)->user->server->yxx, (cptr)->yxx[0], (cptr)->yxx[1]
Run: Ie, the first character represents the server, and the last to are stored in the client struct
Run: *Seb* Does the development commitee (or whatever you call it...) consider these matters in a chat? or just messages /newsgroups ?
Run: Seb: Everything is discussed on the mailinglist of coder-com
Run: (see http://coder-com.undernet.org/ for details on how to subscribe)
Run: *Blat_* is it true that hackers can get into my computer and destroy the motherboard when I am using the undernet?
Run: Blat_: Absolutely, and it should be said that this is a feature of Undernet especially - on other nets you'd be totally safe.
Run: lol
Stiles: haha
Run: *Starman_7* What do you think would be a good background (schooling, languages, etc.) for a computer programmer in today's world and the near future, and what schooling and background should one have to begin "coding" if one would wish to do so?
Run: Starman_7: With the intention to get easily a job, or to have FUN in your job? :)
*** Run sets mode: -i
*** Cynthia sets mode: +o MistGhost
Cynthia: Well people time is winding down and by the looks of it poor Run is going to be exhausted :)
Cynthia: Hiya Misty :)
MistGhost: Hiya Cynnie :)
Run: Starman_7: If you look at advertisements, then it seems most people ask for people how can work with windows NT, Oracle databases (or Sybase - whatever) and certain packages rather then languages.
Run: Personally I think you'd not have fun working with winNT or MS packages.
Run: You might want to get into CASE tools and stuff: Object Oriented design.
Run: *Jeff_G* Have you considered / would you consider special permissions for authorized game bots, like Conquest, to avoid the flood limits imposed on normal users?
Run: Jeff_G: This already was considered AND implemented! :)
Run: Jeff_G: That is - err
Run: The target limit... not the flood limit.
Run: If you mean the flood limit, then no - just 1 msg per 2 seconds :/
* Run is getting tired...
*** Run sets mode: -m
magician: cool.
Cynthia: yes I would imagine so Run
aZaRei: heh, i wouldn't doubt it dude :)
LordRomeo: heh
Run: Note that I pretty much fed up with IRC after so many years
Grendel: magi: I didn't know you were here!
Cynthia: Well Everyone I would like to thank you for attending :)
Cynthia: GASP
Cynthia: fed up>
Cynthia: ?
Run: In the beginning it was fun... research, developing, implementing and seeing it to work.
GregMo: ircd isn't allowed to be ran on most servers, I'm guessing, because of it's high resource usage. Is there a watered down ircd available for hobbists?
Run: But hey - I started with only 4 users on the net :)
* Jeff_G would like to thank everyone for their hard work.
WhiteWolf: Cynthia: No thank you for having such informative info period :)
diddy: lol
Run: Now its a BIG organisation - its almost impossible to make changes.
aZaRei: gregmo, i run IRCu on my Linux box here... and it runs fine
diddy: that would be fun
Deme: 3§2,4¦2o12P
Deme: 12funny now quit yer smilin! 7¶2,4;6+6]
aZaRei: not a hog or anything.
Run: I am working on a new project now, called 'libr' :)
Jeff_G: Ah well, back to the wars on #Conquest :)
LordRomeo: ahh cmon Run admit it you like getting emails from idiots like me :-)
DethCraze: Hello.
diddy: Thanks for your work, your time. and all your labor. I appreciated this live event
DethCraze: Where did the Khaled go?
linda_uk: id like to thank Run and ALL the others for an interesting event !
Run: He left 10 minutes ago, at least
aZaRei: yah really guys, you did a great job, esp. in making this place kewl. :)
Run: Anyone else here into C++ ?
Run: :)
LordRomeo: well i was planning on learning C++
aZaRei: umm, i'm just now starting to understand C let alone C++ :P hehehe
LordRomeo: but i tdecided to learn C
LordRomeo: hehe
Run: libr == Object Oriented interface to system calls in C++.
CChickeN: Im do visual basic!!!
LordRomeo: i am thinking about learning C++ as soon as i am done wiht learning SOCKETS heh
aZaRei: hehe
aZaRei: wow, not so much talk as before :P
Cynthia: the channel was moderated aZaRei :)
aZaRei: no no, i mean compared to the first time it was -m :)
Stiles .
CChickeN Run is khaled comming back! ?
aZaRei: that was like an IRC riot :P hehehe everyone just jumped the gun.
Run: CChickeN: no
GregMo: A lot less ppl in here too... Then it was still +i
aZaRei: hey run, what time is it there?
Cynthia: ok Everyone thanks for attending but it is really late for Run and I am sure he is exhausted
CChickeN: Ok!
aZaRei: awww ok
Jeff_G: Good night, Run, and thanks for everything you've done and will continue to do!
aZaRei: hey, when do you usually come on run? i'd like to learn more about IRCu. cause i'm really interested in how things work on the internet :P hehehe
Starman_7 All I have to say is great job, ya'll, and thanks for the opportunity this Event provided!
LordRomeo: nite Run!
Run: nite everyone
GregMo Cynthia, is there going to be a log of this posted?
Cynthia: Run we would like to thank you for participating in todays event it was very appreciated and for all your hard work and efforts you put into irc :)))))
aZaRei: nite run
*** MistGhost changes topic to 'Thanks for attending, we hope you enjoyed yourselves - Good night everyone...'
LordRomeo: aZaRei might want to read the documentations on www.user-com.undernet.org?
GregMo nite Run
linda_uk night Run and THANKYOU
Cynthia: yes there will be GregMo
Jeff_G: What's the next scheduled LiveEvent?
aZaRei: hehe
Run: Everybody thanks for the thanks :)
^aly--: run :)
aZaRei: yer very much so welcome :)
aZaRei: without you this wouldn't even be here to do this :P hehehe
JeanLucP: always welcome :)
aZaRei: along with the rest of the ppl that helped contribute to ircu :)
Punisher|: was this fun?
Jeff_G: GregMo, point your browser to http://www.user-com.undernet.org/promotions/ in a week for the log.
Run: aZaRei: I am not on IRC anymore
moonlite^: what is this chan for?
GregMo: Question, if someone cares to answer... Why are servers being program to detect bots over and over when bots are being programmed to hide from these detects, and there is much more that goes into the hiding of bots
moonlite^: what is this chan for?
LordRomeo: GregMo
aZaRei: ohhh, u aren't? :( ok, maybe we can talk thru email or something?
* Run either programs on libr, reads mailinglist (egcs and undernet currently) or is playing Quake - if I am behind the computer.
LordRomeo: i don't think ircu has program to detect bots over and over
LordRomeo: i do know that efnet does
LordRomeo: heh
LordRomeo: Run really?
LordRomeo: i am starting to play quake
GregMo: ircu does have detects of bots
LordRomeo: but i need muh cd!
LordRomeo: GregMo how?
Jeff_G: Run, are you in a quake clan? What servers do you play on?
aZaRei: lol, you play quake dude?
aZaRei: yah
aZaRei: what servers, you in a clan, what's yer name?
Run: Jeff_G: Wanna play? I play Quake2 :)
* aZaRei is usually on a TF server, and has the name Deathwish :)
Run: quake2.xs4all.nl
Run: My nick there is [ACE].Gold
GregMo: Not sure, but I do know that it does detect bots, I've setup enough of them with non bot friendly servers, stictly as a test mind you ;), to know that it must
* Jeff_G just started playing Quake a few days ago :)
Gte-: <- been playing CTF for 4 hours today :)
aZaRei: hehe
* sultre` is no longer away
aZaRei: haha, that's like peanuts for how long i play :P
Cynthia: I've never played Quake
aZaRei: sometimes 6 or 8 hours :P
LordRomeo: GregMo
LordRomeo: there are no programs that detect bot on the ircu
LordRomeo: i looked at the source code
GregMo: Cynthia, me neither ;)
*** MistGhost sets mode: +i
linda_uk: what IS quake? :P [joke]
Jeff_G: Welcome, Conquest! It's good to have you back!
Gte-: aZaRei: oh :) I did manage about 6 once, but my wrist hurts :)
aZaRei: hey, why'd you put it on +i? :P
aZaRei: hehehe
aZaRei: i know
*** Run sets mode: -i
aZaRei: it gets to ya after awhile
Jeff_G: Sorry, my /amsg reaches places I'd rather have it not reach :)
aZaRei: unless you do it more often :)
aZaRei: thanx run :)
Run: Well, anyone wants to play Quake now? :)
aZaRei: only play Quake 1, unless you have that too :)
LordRomeo: I would if i had the cd to install Quake hehe
Run: aZaRei: Ok, I have quake 1 too
aZaRei: ok, what server?
Run: aZaRei: Come to quake.xs4all.nl
aZaRei: okie :)
aZaRei: kewl
Gte-: I will too :)
aZaRei: see ya there man :)
Run: ok
Run: cya all!
* aZaRei has to quit irc, to keep lag down... :)
Cynthia: take care Run
linda_uk: bye Run ! and thanks
aZaRei: take care man
Gte-: cya run :)
*** Cynthia sets mode: +i
Mistghost: okay folks, thanks for attending, we need to put the chairs away, and sweep the floors
Cynthia: Ok Everyone :) Again, thanks for attending and we hope that this has given you a good background on how IRC began and has continued
GregMo: If nothing else, at least I now know the differences between ircu and ircd ;)
diddy: shucks
diddy: ok *mumbles and straggles home
aZaRei: it has
aZaRei: hehehe
* Cynthia tickles DarkS..you here?
diddy: Cynthia can we finish eating out popcorn before you throw us out? I was slow cause the guy next to me knocked over the popcorn and pop so I had to wait in line for new concessions
aZaRei: welp it was nice talkin with ya'll and stuff. this was great too, but i'm gonna go quake with run :)....
aZaRei: lates
Cynthia: bummer diddy
GregMo: lmao diddy ;)
Mistghost: LOL diddy, freee popcorn is available at the concession stand now :))
* diddy smiles and grabs a bag on the way out BYE!!!
*** MistGhost sets mode: +m
Cynthia: Well I really need to go grocery shopping
*** Cynthia sets mode: +o DCraig
Mistghost: okay folks, please make your way to the exits
Cynthia: ok everyone... time to get on with our evenings, hope you enjoyed the event and will continue visiting the user coms pages to see what is happening :)_ 

[chain]

A bit of History