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IRC services is a set of features implemented on many Internet Relay Chat networks. Services are automated bots with special status which are generally used to provide users with access with certain privileges and protection. They usually implement some sort of login system so that only people on the access control list can obtain these services.
The most popular style of services uses a number of fake clients whose names end in "Serv". The four below are nearly always seen in services of this style.
Some others are also seen following this naming convention in some services packages including:
Other commonly used services bots:
The original NickServ was written by Armin Gruner at the Technical University of Munich in 1990. [2] The original intention was to give out friendly warnings that somebody else already likes to use a specific nickname, since the IRC protocol has no built-in provision to protect electronic identities.
NoteServ and MsgServ followed up soon after the introduction of NickServ, and had a similar job to today's MemoServ.
It was considered acceptable behavior simply to /ignore NickServ's notices, but an operator decided to /kill NickServ and use the nickname NickServ himself, subsequently collecting all identify passwords from users and being amused by that.[ citation needed ] This led to a public debate over the usefulness and safety of services and the discontinuation of NickServ on EFnet, and EFnet's current Nicknames are not owned policy arose.
In 1995 DALnet invented ChanServ, then re-implemented NickServ and MemoServ. Today, EFnet and IRCnet are the last large IRC networks which stick to their policy of living without identity protection.[ citation needed ] Some debate still remains over the value and benefits of Services on IRC, although they are generally considered essential to providing a pleasant chatting experience.[ by whom? ] This is proven in the fact that most service-less networks have died out.[ citation needed ]
Many variants of services have been implemented over time, so each IRC network speaks a different service dialect, making it close to impossible for client developers to implement unified graphical interfaces to the various registration procedures. Still, most of them are inspired by DALnet's and Armin's original works, only Undernet and QuakeNet stick out with a completely different approach.
ChanServ, on many IRC networks, is an IRC service which maintains channel registration and access information. [3] If a channel is registered with ChanServ, its owners (and those they have designated) can use ChanServ to obtain control over the channel, gaining channel operator privileges. Most channel service bots also allow other sorts of channel management options, such as topic locks (in addition to +t), mode locks, and providing users automatically with operator status, half-operator status, voice, or other access, as designated by the channel owners. They may also provide some form of automated ban-list management. [4]
There are several implementations of IRC services which have a ChanServ bot; some other services use other names, such as CS. The exact commands and features available depend on the service implementation and the network in question.
OperServ is a component of most IRC services packages used to help administer an Internet Relay Chat network. It provides IRC operators with functions to help monitor and maintain the network, manage the other services, and deal with problematic users.
Some of the more infamous functions of OperServ are the "lines", such as the K-line and G-line. These are used to discipline troublesome network users, however, other network lines are available for use. The exact features available depend upon a particular operator's permissions, and the specific implementation in use.
On DALnet a similar concept known as an "AKill" was used instead of a G-line. The term AKill comes from an earlier implementation in which the IRC services would automatically "kill" (disconnect) the user remotely upon login, rather than the individual servers simply denying the connection.
On OpenNap networks, OperServ is a pseudo-user which allows users above a specific permission level to execute server administration commands. Although primarily intended to supplement clients without built-in support for such actions, there are no restrictions on its use.
There are several software packages that implement services. Some of the popular ones include srvx, Atheme, DalekIRC Services, ChatServices, Hybserv (developed for use with the Hybrid IRCd software), Epona, Anope, and IRC Services 5 (supporting a wide range of IRC daemons, considered the "original" IRC Services). While some of these packages provide excellent features in the eyes of many users, some network operators decide to write their own services, with the most important reasons being flexibility, customization, and often, mostly on smaller networks, fun also plays an important role. Not all packages implement the above service bots. Also, sometimes the bots have different names, and may or may not implement these functions in the form listed above. Even so, the above form is the most common.
EFnet or Eris-Free network is a major Internet Relay Chat (IRC) network, with more than 35,000 users. It is the modern-day descendant of the original IRC network.
The Undernet is the third largest publicly monitored Internet Relay Chat (IRC) network, c. 2022, with about 36 client servers serving 47,444 users in ~6000 channels at any given time.
DALnet is an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) network made up of 39 servers, with a stable population of approximately 10,000 users in about 4,000 channels.
An IRC channel takeover is an acquisition of IRC channel operator status by someone other than the channel's owner. It has largely been eliminated due to the increased use of services on IRC networks.
IRC is a text-based chat system for instant messaging. IRC is designed for group communication in discussion forums, called channels, but also allows one-on-one communication via private messages as well as chat and data transfer, including file sharing.
QuakeNet is an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) network, and was one of the largest IRC networks. The network was founded in 1997 by Garfield and Oli as a new home for their respective countries' Quake channels. At its peak on February 8, 2005, the network recorded 243,394 simultaneous connections. As of 2020, there are 9 servers and about 12,000 users remaining.
The mIRC scripting language is the scripting language embedded in mIRC and Adiirc, IRC clients for Windows but work with WiNE for Linux.
An IRC operator is a user on an Internet Relay Chat network who has privileged access. IRC operators are charged with the task of enforcing the network's rules, and in many cases, improving the network in various areas. The permissions available to an IRC operator vary according to the server software in use, and the server's configuration.
IRCnet is currently one of the largest IRC networks. As of June 2024, it has around 25,000 users using it daily. An early 2005 record had approximately 123,110 users simultaneously connected to the network.
GameSurge is a popular Internet Relay Chat network devoted to the online multiplayer gaming community. Games commonly seen referenced on GameSurge include many first person shooters and MMORPGs.
An IRC bot is a set of scripts or an independent program that connects to Internet Relay Chat as a client, and so appears to other IRC users as another user. An IRC bot differs from a regular client in that instead of providing interactive access to IRC for a human user, it performs automated functions.
Eggdrop is a popular IRC bot and the oldest that is still being maintained.
An IRCd, short for Internet Relay Chat daemon, is server software that implements the IRC protocol, enabling people to talk to each other via the Internet. It is distinct from an IRC bot that connects outbound to an IRC channel.
Client-to-client protocol (CTCP) is a special type of communication between Internet Relay Chat (IRC) clients.
Infobot is a Perl IRC bot, first written in 1995 by Kevin Lenzo. The bot's main goal was to remember URLs and associate them with a descriptive name, so whenever someone needed a specific URL they could ask the bot. For that reason, the first Infobot, running in #macintosh on the EFnet IRC network, had the nickname 'url'.
Internet Relay Chat Flooding/Scrolling on an IRC network is a method of disconnecting users from an IRC server, exhausting bandwidth which causes network latency ('lag'), or just disrupting users. Floods can either be done by scripts or by external programs.
IRC subculture refers to the particular set of social features common to interaction on the various Internet Relay Chat (IRC) systems around the world, and the culture associated with them. IRC is particularly popular among programmers, hackers, and computer gamers.
MSN Chat was the Microsoft Network version of IRCX, which replaced Microsoft Chat, a set of Exchange-based IRCX servers first available in the Microsoft Comic Chat client, although Comic Chat was not required to connect.
Freenode, stylized as freenode and formerly known as Open Projects Network, is an IRC network which was previously used to discuss peer-directed projects. Their servers are accessible from the hostname chat.freenode.net, which load balances connections by using round-robin DNS.