San Jose Undernet IRC Server
Frequently Asked Questions List
Updated: 1 June 1997
This document contains some of the questions most commonly received by the
San Jose Undernet server operators. If you have a question, we encourage
you to read this document first in order to obtain an answer more rapidly
than you will by mail. This FAQ list is written as a supplement to the more
general Undernet FAQ, and we encourage you to read this document as well.
Please note that the sanjose FAQ does not replace or override the sanjose
policy document; in cases where the two may be in conflict, the policy
document takes precedence.
Questions List
Questions and Answers
The San Jose Undernet Server was discontinued April 30, 1997. The Undernet
is alive and well, however, so please feel free to use another Undernet
server.
You need to obtain an IRC client program for your system. If you're using a
home computer with a dialup IP connection (SLIP or PPP), you can use a
client designed for your system. To find an appropriate client, check the
links available in the Clients section at http://www.rahul.net/dholmes/irc/
or see the clients directory at the Undernet ftp site
(ftp.undernet.org/).
Most clients come with a list of servers already installed. If you find
that your client's list is outdated or doesn't include Undernet servers, you
can find a current list at http://servers.undernet.org/server-list.html.
For more details, or information about using IRC on different types of
systems, please see Part 1 of the Undernet FAQ. An HTML version can be
found in the General Information section at
http://www.rahul.net/dholmes/irc/.
Please consult the various FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) documents first;
most people don't like answering questions that have already been answered
in a well organized and widely available document. You will get an answer
more quickly, and in some cases it may be more accurate and complete. Links
to several FAQ documents are available in the General Information section at
http://www.rahul.net/dholmes/irc/.
If your question isn't answered in a FAQ, you may want to try the Undernet
Help mailing list. Please remember that the people on this list are a group
of hard-working volunteers, and you may not get an answer if your question
is addressed in the FAQ. If your question pertains to a problem installing
or configuring your client software, or a problem accessing a particular
server, you should probably try to contact the author of the client or the
administrator of the server first, as they are likely to be the ones best
able to resolve your problem. If you still need help, the address for the
help list is help@undernet.org.
This is due to a security feature used on the Undernet. You need to upgrade
to the newest version of your IRC client software or use a more recently
developed client. Look for details of how to obtain upgrades in your client
software documentation. Alternatively, or to find other client programs,
see the IRC Clients section at http://www.rahul.net/dholmes/irc/.
All you have to do is make up a new channel name and then use your client's
JOIN command to join it. In most clients with a command line, you can do
this with:
/join #channelname
If you want to make a channel "permanent", you will need to register the
channel. Please visit the Undernet Channel Service home page at
http://cservice.undernet.org/ for instructions.
The server operators are not responsible for the administration of channels
on the network. The operators of a channel can use that channel to discuss
whatever they like with whomever they prefer; this also means that they can
ban whomever they wish from the channel. You'll need to discuss your
complaint with the operator(s) of the channel. If you can't work things
out, start your own channel and invite your friends to join you.
The Undernet has implemented some very effective features against flooding
and harrassment that do not require server operator intervention. To stop
a user from bothering your channel, simply ban the offender. In some
clients, this can be done with the command:
/mode #channel +b nick!user@host
Wildcards (* and ?) are permitted in the nick!user@host mask. Even without
kicking the user out of the channel, this will prevent the user from:
- saying anything on the channel.
- changing his or her nickname while on the channel.
To stop a user who is bothering individual users, use the SILENCE command.
This will stop the user from sending any information to you over IRC. The
idea is similar to the IGNORE command, but SILENCE stops the messages at the
server so your client doesn't have to process them. Each affected user
should send this command directly to the server:
/quote silence +nick!user@host
In the mIRC client, use /raw in place of /quote. Users of other clients
should check your client documentation to see whether /quote, /raw, or
another mechanism is used to send server commands.
As stated in the policy document, each user (including bots) of the sanjose
server must use his or her (or its) correct user ID. Your user ID is the ID
you supply when logging in to your system account. This does NOT exclude
dialup IP (SLIP or PPP) users! You still have an ID which you type (or have
configured your dialup/Internet software to send) when you connect, and this
is what you are expected to use. No exceptions. If you still don't
understand what this is, please ask your system administrator or Internet
service provider.
Some users claim they wish to remain anonymous to avoid harrassment. This
is a personal choice, but if it's your choice then you need to find another
place to use IRC. There are no exceptions to the sanjose user ID policy.
The Undernet does not endorse anonymous use, as was discussed some time ago
on its mailing lists, and such use is explicitly prohibited on sanjose.
Please make SURE that you are using the San Jose Undernet server before
writing. Sanjose is not in the US.undernet.org round-robin list, so if you
are using this name to connect, please try to determine the actual server
from the information displayed in your window. The string "[sanjose]"
appears at the beginning of all sanjose K-line messages, so if you don't see
this, chances are it's another server that has banned you. Please address
the situation with the appropriate server administrator.
If you are in fact using sanjose and need to write concerning a K-line,
please be sure to include ALL of the following information:
- the exact message you received
- the date and time of the occurrence (with time zone)
- the fully-qualified host name (or IP address) you were using
- your proper user ID for that account
- an e-mail address where we can reach you
It may also be beneficial in some cases to know the nickname and client
software you were using.
Clonebots aren't permitted for ANY reason. Why no testing? If you can't
run your clonebots, there isn't much point in testing them (or wasting
server and network resources to do so).
Clonebots don't defend you against an attack, so that reason is invalid. At
best you could claim they're for revenge, but that's not allowed either (see
above).
NO CLONEBOTS. Period. Finito. Lalalala. <--(fat lady singing)
Use ignore, silence, and ban commands or facilities if you need to defend
yourself.
It is strongly preferred that you use the Undernet Channel Service instead.
This service provides for most bot users' needs without the risks that arise
from running bots that are inadequately designed or have "backdoors" planted
by the programmer. It also uses less network resources than a horde of
user-run bots and leaves more server connections available for live human
users (who generally hold more interesting conversations). Find out more
about this service at http://cservice.undernet.org/.
All bots MUST comply with the sanjose policy document. Explicit permission
will not be given for any particular bot, or any particular user's bot, to
run on sanjose. Because server connections are limited, the sanjose
operators may disconnect or ban bots at their discretion if they feel that
the bot serves no useful purpose, detracts from the image or standing of the
server or network, or detracts from other users' enjoyment of IRC.
No; sanjose is not a hub server. Also, Undernet hub server administrators
do not accept new links on their own. This is done by the Undernet Routing
Committee, which has an application process for new servers. To get the
form, look for the "newlinks" file at the Undernet ftp site
(ftp.undernet.org) or contact the committee at routing-com@undernet.org.
Sanjose has been extremely fortunate to have an experienced and dedicated
staff of operators. As such, we are not actively seeking new operators. If
it is felt that another operator is needed in the future, the decision will
likely be based on recommendations from the operators and other server
administrators rather than user requests. If you are looking for a way to
become more involved with the Undernet, please take a look at some of the
committees and projects linked in the Undernet section at
http://www.rahul.net/dholmes/irc/. These are where most of the exciting
work is done, and there are always groups that could use another helping
hand!