To Sindarina re: why IRC

irc.md

Okay, this will take way too many Tweets for me to write out properly, so I'll type it out here really quickly.

"IRC," like most other words, is both denotative and connotative. Internet Relay Chat, strictly speaking, is just a protocol, but it comes loaded with an expected methodology and culture.

Ideally, we should take advantage of the former to fix some of the problems with the latter.

##IRC is Modular

The crux of this is that IRC is modular in the sense that, as a protocol, it only requires a compliant client and server. Beyond that, there is no way that it has to be. We can layer client features, server features, and other features like bots on top of it.

But there's certainly a way that it is, which leads to some of the issues you mentioned in your tweets the other day. I believe we can break these into three general issues for newcomers: technological barrier to entry, social barriers to entry, and ingrained hostile behavior (active or passive).

##Technological barriers to entry

IRC clients are tricky to set up. There's no shortage of guides to get people started, but better UI/UX could resolve this problem easily. Friendlier setup interfaces are the obvious option, but other things like distributable configuration files/wizards for specific channels or servers might be a good option as well.

##Social barriers to entry

This includes problems such as lack of response, massive numbers of lurkers, and uncertainty re: etiquette. Guides have been created to introduce people, but we can build solutions on top of IRC, such as bots that introduce people and perhaps coordinate volunteer "hosts" that are on call to help newcomers.

##Ingrained hostile behavior

This one's harder because you're having to change a stubborn, existing culture. Still thinking on this one, but #nodejs' "Policy on Trolling" is a good start.

Thoughts?

(Other readers: suggestions or additions are welcome via comment or fork)

Technological Barriers

With regard to technological barriers to entry and easier access, there is of course the 'irc://' URL scheme that allows direct access to server and channel. This is however negated by the fact that if you are new, things like nick registration, authentication, cloaking and so on. It assumes that everything has been set up already.

Web-based IRC clients are available, but they lack certain features. For example, I just tried the Freenode web client, and despite having previously set up a registered nick, authentication and a cloak, accessing the web interface gives me an identity in a channel that explicitly lists my IPv4 address. Which has now been logged by everyone there, no doubt. Including, possibly, bots that publish the log to the web.

Oh, and I needed to explicitly call the web client over HTTPS, it defaults to plain HTTP. Which is a fail for several reasons. HTTPS should be the default these days, including HSTS, the works. No access without encryption.

By the way, the logging thing? Should definitely be absolutely clear up front if something is automatically being logged and published. Bot functionality should be documented, queryable. (Is that the case at the moment?)

Social Barriers

Still crystallizing my thoughts on this one, mostly, but one of the problems is indeed the silence. Especially when you are vaguely aware that there are mute flags and the like. Is it really this quiet, or do I need to have some flag applied by an op or bot to be able to see what is happening?

But even if it isn't that, and it's just quiet, it is a far cry from the other group chats people are used to these days, like zone and guild channels in MMO-type games, for example. Dare I talk? Am I disrupting people who are working? Are they even there?!

This extends towards the ingrained hostile behaviour, by the way. The average IRC channel feels like a mostly-quiet version of the trade channel or equivalent in MMO-type games :-P

Ingrained Hostile Behaviour

Something about how op privileges and the like create a power dynamic that discourages disagreement with those 'in power' in a particular channel. Two sides to it, of course, it is also used to curb abusive behaviour. May expand on that later.

By the way, the fact that most 'geek feminism' channels seem to be hosted on Freenode, which is pretty much seems to be Meritocracy Central, does add to the barriers to entry. Just look at the various other channel names, their MOTD's and whatnot.

Speaking of the channel MOTD; crikey, it's like some want to cram an encyclopedia in there, full of 'bit.ly' links that describe everything you should be aware of before uttering a single word. Any reboot of IRC as a system should provide a better solution for that, IMO.