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IRC log for #openknot, 2018-08-27

Open Knot Communications Platform - https://github.com/openknot

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All times shown according to UTC.

Time S Nick Message
14:42 pdurbin Does anyone here remember me writing about spam at http://crimsonfu.github.io/2012/02/06/crimsonfu-freenode-irc-channel-setup.html or doesn't anyone want to discuss IRC spam?
18:51 bear I know the indieweb folks on freenode (and a lot of freenode channels) all had to deal with a sudden surge of irc spam
18:51 bear they ended up making the bots more aggressive in silencing new nicks IIRC
19:55 pdurbin bear: thanks! Or is it that the bot (Loqi) is quick of voice well known nicks? Or perhaps nicks that join and don't spam right away? 18 seconds after I just joined, I was voiced by the bot.
20:06 pdurbin "Anyone who has added themselves to the chat-names list will be automatically given "voice" (+v) in the IndieWeb channels by Loqi as a way to indicate that you have access and are listed in the wiki." https://indieweb.org/IRC#Voice
20:09 pdurbin And a while back I put myself on the chat-names list so I assume that's why I'm voiced.
20:18 bear it's more than just voice on some of the other channels - I think it monitor's other factors
20:19 pdurbin other channels like #indieweb-dev or #indieweb-meta or whatever?
20:31 pdurbin bear: I just found another detail: "When someone joins a channel, Loqi sets a timer for 30 seconds. If they are still in the channel after 30 seconds, they are automatically given +v" https://indieweb.org/IRC#Red_Alert_Mode
21:37 pdurbin "Red alert" is right. All the spam this month is shaking my faith in IRC.
21:38 pdurbin I just re-read http://crimsonfu.github.io/2012/02/06/crimsonfu-freenode-irc-channel-setup.html myself and there are a couple lines I laughed at out loud.
21:39 pdurbin "usually spam isn't much of a problem on freenode"
21:42 pdurbin "My advice is to deal with spam if and when it appears."
21:43 pdurbin I was writing and reading all this when I was very new to IRC, a little over 6 years ago. I've had to deal with a tiny bit of spam here and there, but it hasn't taken much time.
21:44 pdurbin Since I log a few channels with philbot, I had to jump into the MySQL database and run a DELETE here and there. No big deal.
21:45 pdurbin But now the experience of freenode is changing.
21:45 pdurbin A few channels that I used to join don't let me in anymore: "Cannot join channel (+r) - you need to be identified with services"
21:46 pdurbin In other channels, I can't talk: "Cannot send to nick/channel"
21:48 pdurbin I know that if I identify with NickServ that these problems will go away but then I'm out of step with new and casual users of IRC. I have very little interest in explaining all of this to anyone. It brings the complexity level way up. The opposite of "Don't Make Me Think".
21:49 pdurbin So if this is the new normal, registration and identificaion is now required, I may need start looking more seriously at alternatives.
21:50 bear yea, the solution of NickServ registration is normally how this is solved but that also closes the door to very casual users
21:52 pdurbin Right. I set up a channel here on freenode for the software I work on for my day job and most of the users are very casual IRC users.
21:52 pdurbin So I might have to close the channel if the spam takes over.
21:57 pdurbin Hopefully this is not the new normal. Hopefully, the spam will pass. The channels that I can't join will reopen. The channels were I can't talk will allow me to talk. I hope this isn't a pipe dream.
21:57 bear i've seen these spam waves come and go
21:58 bear they mostly last a few months and then they fade away
21:58 pdurbin That's good to hear.
22:05 pdurbin I guess time will tell if the channels that added +r eventually drop it. And if the ones who now quiet all non-registered users start letting them talk. First we have to wait for the spam to pass, I guess. This is definitely the worst spam I've seen since I got into IRC a little over 6 years ago.

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