Posted by Peter 'Rattacresh' Backes on September 07, 1999 at 11:39:16: In Reply to: Re: OG chatrooms posted by Savant on September 06, 1999 at 17:00:02:
That's is just WRONG. I know IRC and have been using it since it was born.
What I said was that on some IRC networks, it IS possible to own a channel.
And that's completely correct, read below.
> Let's put it this way, if your server where your bot is went down completely,
> then someone could set up a bot on another server and take the name. Then
> when your server came back up you would be unable to create the channel, and
> thus you would no longer control it. The bottom line is that no matter what
> you do there is no 100% foolproof way to keep the channel to yourself. That
> is the point I am trying to make.
Wrong. The IRC networks where you can really own a channel (dalnet, etc.) give
you the possibility to own the channel *ON SERVER BASIS*. Let me explain how:
If you join a channel that is not owned by someone else, it behaves like
you would normally expect, you get operator status as you're the first
one. Now, you can send a 'REGISTER' command to Chanserv (or whatever it's
called on the network you're on) and must specify a password. From this time
forward, you really OWN the channel. If another user joins the channel and
noone has been on, he will NEITHER get operator status (on some networks he
gets, but is instantly deopped. And mode changes he has done during
this short time will be cancelled immediately) NOR be able to register
the channel. You can ONLY get operator status again if you join the channel
and send a command with your password to Chanserv which will instantly give you
operator status. (yes, the Chanserv ops you although he's not on the channel!)
If you don't join the channel for 30 days, your registration will expire
automatically. If you put a bot on such a channel and register HIM to be the
owner, there is NO possibility to overtake the channel, given that the
bot has no downtime longer than 30 days, no irc server on the network uses
modified (hacked) code to override your ownership and you choose your
password wisely.
If you compare this to domain ownership then it is the same
except that you don't have to pay for it and there are known cases of
successful domain takeovers (yep, that was possible, too) while chanserv
channels have not been reported to ever have been hacked.
I could explain now how this works technically and, but
I think that's really too much off-topic for an og webboard. Mail me if you
need details.
If you say there's no nickname ownership, you're wrong, too. Some
networks offer you a similar service called 'nickserv' which allows
you to reserve a nick. If one joins net network with your registred nick,
he gets a message. You can then /KILL the person as long as he's using your
nick if you give nickserv the command and your password.