GeekShed IRC Network
Boooo! Eliminating Ghosts
Jan 18th
Have you ever had your computer, Internet or modem go down while you were on GeekShed, and then when you log back in you find out that your nickname is still connected? If so, you have been a ghost on the GeekShed network.
On IRC, a ghost session is one which is not actually connected, but which the IRC server believes is still online for one reason or another. Usually, this situation happens when your computer gets disconnected somehow while you’re on IRC. If the connection isn’t closed properly, you can remain on the network as a ghost.
These ghost connections are not really scary, but they are a little inconvenient since you cannot use your nickname until the ghost session disconnects. Fortunately you can end the session manually. To close a ghost session, use this command:
/msg NickServ GHOST nick password
For example, if LordBaconCheeseburger was the ghost session, I would type:
/msg NickServ GHOST LordBaconCheeseburger supersecretpassword
You will see the ghost session disconnect, usually with a message like this:
Quits: LordBaconCheeseburger (~yummy@baconbaconbacon.vhost) (NickServ (GHOST command used by LordDoubleBaconCheeseburger))
You can then use the /NICK command to change to your nick. The ghost has been eliminated and you didn’t even have to worry about ectoplasmic residue.
—posted by Tengrrl/Bunny
The Most Popular Tips Published in 2012
Jan 10th
Last year we published a list of the 10 Most Visited Tips for 2011. While the order shifted around, it turns you that you had the same top 9 questions for 2012. Why should I register my nickname and how do I do it? (#8 in 2011) rose to the #1 position, and new to the list was the question How Do I Join Channels Automatically?
Since there was little change in the overall most visited overall tips, I rounded up the most popular tips that were published in 2012. Here are the new tips that you visited the most:
- Using Channel Keys
- I’m Banned From My Own Channel
- Using Channel Modes to Hide Your Channel
- How to Block Private Messages (PMs)
- Choosing a Nickname
- Are You Using Our Round Robins?
- What To Do If You Forget Your Password
- What Is A Hostmask?
- What’s a Netsplit?
- Getting a Channel in the List of Chat Rooms
Thanks to everyone for a great 2012 on GeekShed. If you have any questions you’d like us to write about on the site, post the details in the Comments and Suggestions board on the GeekShed Forums. Also remember that you can apply to have your channel featured on the site, like our featured channels in 2012: #LordKaT, #EricJess, #mIRC, and #247fixes.
—posted by Tengrrl/Bunny
Help with the Obscure Password Error
Nov 30th
One of the more frustrating errors you can get on GeekShed asks you to use a “more obscure” password. In most cases, when people comes to #help to ask about this error, they have tried a strange and random password, but still get this error:
Please try again with a more obscure password. Passwords should be at least five characters long, should not be something easily guessed (e.g. your real name or your nick), and cannot contain the space or tab characters.
This error is almost always an indication that the command to register a nick is not being entered correctly. The clue in that error message is that you cannot use your real name or your nick as your password. Be sure that you’re entering the command in this order:
/msg nickserv register supersecretpassword crazyuser@hotmail.com
You do not need to include your nick or real name in the command at all. If you’re looking for information on how to choose a good password, check out the suggestions in How to Protect Your GeekShed Password.
—posted by Tengrrl/Bunny
Featured Channel: #mIRC
Nov 24th
#mIRC focuses on helping people use the IRC client mIRC, a Windows client with support for scripting. The channel was founded by Zetacon on August 14, 2011.
What happens in the channel?
We are a small community that helps people with mIRC coding issues, same as #Bots and #ReaperCon. Occasionally Peer helps out with TCL issues in the channel as well. You are welcome to bring in your bots for testing and development. Just ask your question—don’t ask to ask!
What are the channel policies?
To get voice in the channel, you have to polite and help when others haven’t. Halfops and Ops will be selected in turn by Zetacon and Peer/GrimReaper via a discussion in a secret channel.
Use pastebin for long lines of text (like snippets of code).
Anything else you want folks to know?
If there is a specific type of mIRC coding that you would like, the mIRC team in #mIRC will try their best to accomplish it.
Want to have your channel profiled on the GeekShed website? Check out the requirements and use the online form to apply.
—posted by Tengrrl/Bunny
Automatically Voicing Users in Your Channel
Nov 22nd
You can automatically voice all users or all registered users as they join your channel. Some people use this command to help manage their channel. With everyone in the channel voiced, it’s simple to set the channel to moderated (/mode #channel +m) and devoice any troublemakers. Using the setting that voices only registered users can keep trolls and flooders from interrupting your channel.
There are important limitations to note however. Since the Autovoice command voices everyone who joins, someone you devoice can simply part and rejoin the channel to regain voice. It’s generally more effective to ban and kick the person instead.
Here’s how to use the Autovoice command. To voice everyone in the channel:
/msg chanserv autovoice #channel all
For example: /msg chanserv autovoice #topgear all. In your status window, you’ll see something like this:
-ChanServ- Autovoice option for #topgear set to ALL.
For other autovoice options, you change the last word in the command to the setting you’d like, as these examples show:
| Purpose | Command |
| To voice registered users only: | /msg chanserv autovoice #channel reg |
| To see the autovoice status: | /msg chanserv autovoice #channel status |
| To turn off autovoice: | /msg chanserv autovoice #channel off |
If you are using Access Levels in your channel, you have another way to automatically give voice to all users who join your channel:
/msg chanserv levels #channel set autovoice 0
For example: /msg chanserv levels #topgear set autovoice 0. Access level zero (0) is the level for regular users.
To remove the command, use the disable command, as in this example:
/msg chanserv levels #channel dis autovoice
—posted by Tengrrl/Bunny
A Tip for Connecting with Mibbit
Nov 15th
Mibbit is a free, Javascript-based IRC client that can be embedded on a web page or used from the Mibbit site to connect to GeekShed. To connect properly, Mibbit needs to pass the correct information to the GeekShed server.
If you type out a server name for Mibbit , your personal information (like your IP address) can be revealed to everyone. To protect your privacy, please be sure to choose GeekShed from the list of networks on the Mibbit site. Do not click the “Server” link to enter a server name.
Here’s what that part of your screen will look like:
If you have any other questions about using Mibbit, check out the documentation on the Mibbit site.
—posted by Tengrrl/Bunny
Featured Channel: #247Fixes
Nov 10th
#247fixes is the online chatroom for 247Fixes, a site dedicated to combating spyware. Their goal is plain and simple: to help you stop spyware from infecting your PC. The channel was founded by therock247uk on October 24, 2009. The channel was previously known as #killspyware, before the network migrated to GeekShed. 247Fixes has been helping people beat malware and spyware since 2004.
What happens in the channel?
#247fixes welcomes discussions on anything tech-wise. We also help with PC problems and have many staff on hand to help you—including members and graduates of the 247 Academy, an Anti-malware school run by therock247uk.
What are the channel policies?
Please no discussion of politics. If you were banned from #247fixes and think it was in error, feel free to contact therock247uk on the 247Fixes Forums.
We don’t provide malware help in the channel itself. 247Fixes staff need diagnostics from your machine and some standard information about the problem you’re seeing, so malware removal help is only offered through the forums. Asking your questions on the forums also ensures that you’re talking to a member of 247Fixes staff (and not just someone hanging out in the channel). Just follow the Posting Guide if you need help with malware or spyware please!
Anything else you want folks to know?
Pop in our channel and see. Anyone is welcome to join in!
Want to have your channel profiled on the GeekShed website? Check out the requirements and use the online form to apply.
—posted by Tengrrl/Bunny
Planned Maintenance for Tyrol, Sunday, November 11
Nov 9th
The data center for Tyrol, one of GeekShed’s servers, will be completing planned maintenance from 6 PM PDT (2 AM UTC) on Sunday, November 11 to 12 AM PDT (8 AM UTC). There will be sporadic interruptions in service of approximately an hour during the maintenance window.
We’ve removed Tyrol from the network’s round robins to allow connections to the server to naturally decrease over the next few days.
If you connect directly to Tyrol, please choose another server or use one of the round robins (e.g., us.geekshed.net) until the maintenance is completed.
We’ll have things back up and running as soon as possible after the maintenance is completed. If you have any questions on Sunday, you can check in #help.
—posted by Tengrrl/Bunny
Barebones Commands for New Users
Nov 2nd
There are certain basic commands that are handy to know if you are new to GeekShed and helpful to pass along if you’ve just invited a friend to join you here on the network.
First, you need to know that all commands use the same basic format. They all begin with a / and then include the specific key term for what you want to do.
Second, in most cases, no one else will see you type a command. Most commands that begin with a / will not be visible to anyone else. I’ll note the exceptions.
Third, the client you use may have buttons or menus (at the top or on right-click) that will execute some of these commands for you. Check your documentation to learn more about what your client can do. For the purpose of this barebones guide, I’m going to assume you want to type your commands out.
For all these commands, my example username (or nick) is LordBacon and the example channel is #TopGear.
| Command | What It Does |
| /nick NewName
/nick LordBacon |
Change your nickname to something new. Note that your nick has to be unique. You can’t use a name that belongs to someone else. |
| /join #channel
/join #TopGear |
Join the specific channel. |
| /list | Gives you a list of all the IRC channels, how many people are in the channels, and the channel topics. Your client may pop up the list in a new window. You can also check out the list of channels on the website. |
| /me action you want to do
/me passes out bacon |
Everyone in the channel sees a statement about you. For the example, people would see this: * LordBacon passes out bacon |
| /part | Leave the channel. |
| /whois nick /whois LordBacon |
Gives you some basic information about the person whose nick you use. |
| /msg nick text /msg LordBacon hi! |
Sends a private message (the text) to the person you indicate. If someone asks you to PM, this is the command they want you to use. The message will usually pop up in a new window or a new tab. Exactly how it works depends upon your client. In the example, the private message "hi!" is sent to the user LordBacon. |
| /notice nick text
/notice LordBacon hi! |
Sends a private message (the text) to the person you indicate, without opening a new window or a new tab. In the example, the private message "hi!" is sent to the user LordBacon. |
| /ignore nick
/ignore LordBacon |
Blocks messages from the person whose nick you indicate. You will not see anything else that the person types. This example ignores LordBacon. For more information, see How to Use the Ignore Command. |
| /help | Gives you some online help or documentation. The way the command works will depend upon your client. |
| /quit /quit Off to buy more bacon! |
Disconnect from the network. In some clients, you can include a message that will display after the command. For the example, people would see something like this: LordBacon has quit IRC (Quit: Off to buy more bacon!) |
For more information on commands, you can check out our documentation pages or search the pages on our site. If you want to stay on the network, you can register your nickname and even register your own channel.
—posted by Tengrrl/Bunny