Your EFnet wishlist

[akai]

If you could improve anything on EFnet, what would it be? could be a new usermode, a channel mode, a feature.. anything.. please try and keep it realistic

One thing springs to mind: Webcam-support. IRC would become a killer application again if Webcam-support was introduced in a manner of "client-to-client-style" connectivity.

[4544]

1) The major thing EFnet could do would be to implement network op facilities like L/Q on Quakenet or chanserv on some other networks. It's incredibly frustrating losing ops and not knowing which of you has the magic chanfix score to regain them, so you end up with no ops until you can all leave channel.
2) Having server admins that will reply to emails would be nice. I wanted a trusted block for my company so emailed the Demon server admin, but to no avail, they don't reply to emails
3) Longer topic length would be useful.
4) Please fix the fact we can't join channels during netsplits.

I've been on EFnet for four years or so, so not as long as others.
I'm on EFnet because my company uses it to keep in touch with each other.
I would definitely leave EFnet if nick protection was implemented.
Better channel services would encourage people to join EFnet.
Halfops would not be useful.

[^duck^]

What about a system for nicks similair to chanfix? It will record hostnames over a period of time and score them. Should your nick get juped or someone else use it and your score is above a level, then you can recover the nick.

This isn't straight out registration, but it does prevent jupenets and someone new from stealing an established nickname.

Alien88

I like this idea... let's code it!

[^duck^]

From the point of view of a large channel administrator the biggest annoyance is by far the spam bots. Several times a year we get inundated by spammers for anywhere from a few weeks to a couple months. In these cases the biggest boon would be a larger banlist. Often these attacks are from a large number of infected hosts and it quickly fills the banlist. We also usually wrote pattern recognition scripts to catch new spammers before much damage can be done. Other then a larger banlist a clear method of communication to opers would be beneficial. We currently have a few opers as ops, however, often little is done on the server side of the equation.
-GW

EFnet has worked hard for some years on an anti-spam/trojan system -- it's called spamtrap. Some users have grossly misunderstood our spamtrap system as "spybots". Spamtrap's function is to join channels from a variable and fixed channel list, then trigger klines when spam is detected. Nothing more.

If you provide us with the channel name where you have spam problems, we can always add a Priority Number for your channel so spamtrap will join frequent. Again, when spamtrap is triggered, it will send a notice to opers to kline the spammer, and repeat spammers receive a gline request.

On the other hand, some channels do not desire EFnet's spamtrap assistance because they have little or no problems with spam. In this case, all one has to do is make a request to an oper to "disable" spamtrap from joining their channel. (N.B., chmode +s also prevents spamtrap joining your channel unless your channel was added with a Priority Number in our database.)

You can always /msg ^duck^ (or ^duck^`), and I can assist you in both areas. Just be sure to include your channel name if I'm AFK when you msg.

[Garion]

Fascinating as spamtrap is, please return to the topic: suggestions to improve EFnet.

[4545]

Longer nick/topic/quit message length. <insert>

I could however definately go for longer TOPICLEN and higher MAXLIST.
With all the drones these days, ban lists get filled up quite a bit.

Agreed on both.
The TOPICLEN needs to be standardized as well.

Agreed. I would also like to throw in a vote for a topic length increase that is limited by a global value and not unlimited (that could become a burden).

*How long you have been on EFnet
+ From mid-late 1990s to now
*Why you are still on EFnet (or why did you leave)
+ [Still on EFnet] because of the wide range of people and topics and stability
*What would keep you from leaving
+ Continued stability and changes that do not effect the user base or stability
*What would make you leave EFnet (if implemented)
+ Restricted functionality, instability, or the inclusion of annoying features
*What do you think would help attract more people to EFnet?
+ Word of mouth, advertising, continued stability and 'atmosphere'


- Ben

[^duck^]

To modify my reply in the direction of this thread's topic:

If anyone can also make a suggestion for improving what is already a work-in-progress on EFnet, please by all means, make your suggestion!

One suggestion I believe would help improve EFnet:

chmode +S would be a great way for users to control whether or not if spamtrap should join (+S) or should not join (-S) their channel.

I believe this (and other chmode methods e.g., +c to block colors, +N no nickname changes in channel, to name a few ;) would help improve EFnet.

This chmode method would focus on allowing users the ability to decide what features they want (and don't want) for their channel, thus giving the control back to the user.

Thank you. :)

[4551]

Encrypted user hosts would be super nice (like with mode +x on other irc servers)

[4497]

chmode +S would be a great way for users to control whether or not if spamtrap should join (+S) or should not join (-S) their channel.

I believe this (and other chmode methods e.g., +c to block colors, +N no nickname changes in channel, to name a few would help improve EFnet.

Great ideas all!

-GW

[4552]

From what I have been told, all of this stems from the userbase dwindling and how to attract the old users back and new users to the network.

Given that, the first "improvement" I would like to see is that more opers become as helpful and as friendly as some already are, and lose the arrogant snotty behavior efnet opers are known for. I have lost track of how many people I know that have left due to run ins with opers who give them hell at every juncture. This was tried with me and (un)fortunately, failed. Mind you, some opers are wonderfully helpful and there whenever they are needed to be, but 95% of the time if I /stats p to find an oper to kline a spammer or help out with a flood, IF I even get a response its "set your channel +i" or "its your own fault for mouthing off to a kiddie". That type of behavior from a "systems host" which is what an oper IS, is unacceptable.

So my first suggestion would be frankly for SOME opers to become as friendly and helpful as other opers to not only retain their userbase but to also keep those users they currently have.

Second, make help AVAILABLE. If you try to get help on an issue other than a channel fix in chanfix you are, onscreen, told this isn't the place for it. Make a place for help, not just with spamming, channel fixes, etc. But for general help, relying on channels like #help, #chat, #computers, etc to be the hosts/help for newbies is not something that can be controlled and giving newbies the right impressions of what assistance they can get.

Third, if you want to attract new users, give them some of the toys that they currently receive elsewheres WITHOUT alienating the userbase you have. That means no nickserv/operserv/hostserv/chanserv or the other nonsense slapped into ircds that rape processes. Provide links on the efnet site for up to date tcls for bots, work with people like Bryan and others who are gifted in the writing of bots and create oper run/controlled "game" bots, hell I'll give free shells for you guys to run them if needed. Run a site for peoples pictures/profiles so others can see/post/meet others here, promote channels or descriptions of them on the website. Changing the ircd and providing hostmasking/halfops/nickserv isnt the solution here, thinking outside of JUST chat in a channel IS. You have a base, and a well known name, capitalize on it and "borrow" whats made places like myspace popular.

Fourth, spamming. The anti spam bots rule, I am beyond happy to see #spamfix set up today and just joined to have a channel spammer removed, awesome thank you. Only thing is, I found out via an oper I msged to get help on the spamming but was unaware of the channel being there, promote what help you are giving. People cant utilize what they do not know exists. A perm solution to channel spamming needs to be created, if this is it, great, I just hope someones alive in there most of the time.

Fifth, banlist expansion. Although my guilt for "breaking" efnet a couple of months ago has dwindled, (full ban list + 2 takeover attempts + netsplit = bans no longer working), the need to allow more bans to be set in channels like #windows, #chat, #computers, #help and other common channels that users will randomly join, is needed. Thank you to doug n zi for sitting in there now to try and nail all of the ircfuck bots, the need for us to be able to ban numerous hosts without having to ban all of Asia/Russia/Brazil and about 75 other countries, is needed. Prior to these bots coming along, 100 +b/e/I was sufficient, now its merely a small plug in a leaking dam. the solution of "not pissing off a scriptkiddie" or setting the channel +k or +i is not sufficient imho.

And finally. sixth. If any of what I have suggested has/is available? PROMOTE IT. I've been here for a long time now, 10? 12 years? and *I* don't know about it, how could someone brand new?

Happily keeping in the persona of a big mouth n bitchy tude.....

Bratty

[Beige]

Fascinating as spamtrap is, please return to the topic: suggestions to improve EFnet.

Hey Garion!

Not to distract from discussing hypothetical improvements, but it seems like a lot of users haven't been aware of the effective anti-spam service we've had in place for years.. So if there's one immediate improvement I'd like to see, it would be in making EFnet's channel ops more aware of it (and their ability to have a say in #spamfix).

It has always been a fine balance trying to help users without letting the spammers and Trojan spreaders know how we catch them, but when spam honeypots join into channels without channel ops knowing what they are (and believe me, many sharp channel ops have noticed them), it creates unnecessary paranoia.

Just my £0.02

[HM2K]

I've been waiting for +D gecos bans since +e/+I was implemented

All that aside, the real question is, what makes EFnet "EFnet".

I think changing the nick length is stupid, who needs a nick more than 9 chrs long anyway? EFnet is famous for its 9 chr nicks.

Longer topics would be nice, some servers have very small topics, or even better how about minimum-topic length for all servers, so all servers must have at least X topic length.

I welcomed cidr bans, however not all server have this enabled. I'd like to see this enabled on all servers.

ChanServ/NickServ would not be welcomed by me, again this is NOT EFnet.

What is the point of halfops? that's not efnet either.

On another note... IRCnet has lots of nice features, and many UK users, but its not EFnet.

I wish more could be done about spam though.

[lucy]

spoofs for everyone!

or spoofs for no one (except oper spoofs)

[4600]

hello

i have been on efnet for as long as I can remember, and still am.. but in all honesty can tell you i have definitely been migrating to other networks slowly but surely; in particular, Link-Net.

EFnet is seriously falling behind in the times with leaving everyones IP out in the open. As an op in a rather large channel, I'm threatened almost DAILY by retard packet kids who get upset when they get banned. They port scan, ping, do basically any other trick in the book to try and knock you offline until your forced into buying a BNC. There are plenty of other reasons as well; most of us users are trying to surf more ANONYMOUSLY, and this is NOT accomplished by featuring a users full IP/address.

A +h (hostmangling) mode would be the most practical solution, while I guess a proper spoof would be the most deseriable, certainly.

AT THE VERY LEAST please get some kind of host mangling going on. Cable modem and regular internet users do NOT want to be forced into buying a BNC just because you pissed off some retard that wants to send packets your way. Not to mention the every day increasing watchful eye of various governments monitoring your internet activity.. Lame.


Opers who k-line people for reasons that apparently don't apply to anyone else... A fellow named 'djp' is NOTORIOUS for this, and after he received a ban from a large channel on EFnet, proceeded to /kill people for days later.. Not to mention, what is with people getting killed for 'nickname juping' all of a sudden.. I used to join #EFnet and ask someone to kill a bot that would steal my nickname, and the ops in there would BAN me for asking such a silly question. Now though, I see people like this 'djp' k-lining people for 'nickname juping', and once that person is knocked offline, a lamer named 'akill' sets up a bot to hold the nickname for him.

That brings me to the last part -- What the hells the deal with someone all of a sudden just being able to take the nickname you've had for the last 5 years or whatever. I mean, youd have to take extreme precautions and do things like set up multiple IRC process just to hold your nickname in case your BNC craps out in the middle of the night, or your box goes down, or the power goes out, or the list goes on. At least put some kind of NickServ type deal that will reset the nickname if it hasnt signed on in 5 days. Hell, make it 3 days for all I care, but nobody wants to have to keep worrying about some n00b or someone you pissed off on IRC stealing your name the second you get disconnected from a server


All in all, enforce the rules for everyone, or don't enforce them at all. Theres enough stealing of nicknames going on without IRCOPs interfering for their friends.. And of course the best solution of all would be to employ some way better security:

- SSL Connections.
- Hostname spoofing or mangling <3 <3 <3
- Some type of nick holder, even if extremely temporary.
- Fix the god damn Max Send-Q exceeded/excess flooding if you join channels too fast.. What purpose is this even serving other than to make someone repeatedly excess flood and spam a channel 500 times?
- A bigger ban list. This network is riddled with spam bots, spam "trap" bots, and another annoying toolbags, and usually the only solution from an IRCOP which you'd expect to help is "uhh, do a /stats p servername and ask someone there"..


Otherwise I'm sure myself and plenty of other people will continue the move to other networks, even if it is slowly.. It will continue to happen.

Thanks for listening

[4600]

Maybe stop fucking bullshit k-lines and kills from the same asshole daily?

Day changed to 11 Jan 2007
06:16 -!- You were killed by djp [djp@oper.nac.net] [(nick juping)] [Path: ]
06:16 -!- ERROR Closing Link: CENSORED (Killed (djp (nick juping)))
06:16 -!- Irssi: Connection lost to efnet.ipv6.xs4all.nl


No fucking wonder this network is going straight down the fucking toilet

Bunch of fucking retards