GeekShed IRC Network
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
I’ve Been Banned from a Channel!
Oct 12th
On GeekShed, channel moderators are free to ban anyone from channels they control for any reason at all. They do not need to explain the reason, and they do not have to be “fair.” Since every channel is different, you need to look at the situation and figure out the best approach:
- Check your ban and/or kick message for details on what went wrong. When someone bans you from a channel, you may find the reason in that message. If there are appeal instructions there, you can follow them if appropriate.
- In some channels, you can just wait the ban out. In channels where basic bans are only 3 hours, waiting is probably the best solution.
- Look at the Channel Appeals page for an appeal process for the channel.
- Follow the instructions if the channel is listed. Wait for channel staff to reply.
- If the channel isn’t listed, they have no appeal process. If you are in another channel with the person who banned you, you can ask him if you can talk to him privately.
- When you post an appeal or ask about a ban, be polite and respectful. Apologize if you have broken channel rules, and calmly explain why you think the ban should be lifted. You might review the guidelines on Manners and Polite Behavior on GeekShed as well as any rules posted for the channel itself.
- If the ban stands or cannot be appealed, just accept it and move on. Don’t try to force your way into channels where you are not wanted.
And a few don’ts:
- Do not complain or ask about the ban in other channels (that includes #help).
- Do not PM network staff. Opers will not get involved in channel bans.
- Do not post complaints or arguments in the GeekShed network forums. You’ll just get yourself banned from the forums as well. It’s okay to post in a channel forum specifically for appeals, if one exists (for instance, as in the case of #chris or #ericjess).
- Do not rejoin the channel until the ban is lifted. Do not use a BNC, a new connection or alternate nick to rejoin. These actions are ban evasion and you will be banned from the entire network, not just the channel.
If you happen to be looking for information on a ban from the GeekShed network (rather than from a channel), please check the Ban Appeals page.
—posted by Tengrrl/Bunny
Setting More Specific Channel Bans
Oct 6th
Last week, I explained how to set a simple channel ban that takes care of most situations. Occasionally, you need a stronger or different kind of ban. This week I’ll explain the more complicated channel bans that you can use. Check the Extended Ban tutorial for additional options.
First, you need to understand the different parts of a person’s connection information, which you can find using the WHOIS command. This is the way that information is included in a ban:
nick!ident@specific-hostmask.domain-info
Here is what that information means, with examples from the WHOIS information for LordBaconCheeseburger, which is ~TFlash@protectedhost-BACONYUM.hsd1.ga.comcast.net:
- nick = the user’s nickname
LordBaconCheeseburger in our example
- ident = the user information, either set by the client or set by the user in the client’s settings
TFlash in our example
- specific-hostmask = the unique part of the person’s network connection information
protectedhost-BACONYUM in our example
- domain-info = the more general information about the network connection
hsd1.ga.comcast.net in our example
You can set a ban using any of this information. The basic format stays the same. You simply vary the unique information necessary to identify a person. I’ll provide examples for several options below:
To ban someone who uses a specific nick: /mode #channel +b nick!*@* For example, to ban anyone using the nick LordBaconCheeseburger from the channel #topgear, you would use this command: /mode #topgear +b LordBaconCheeseburger!*@*
To ban someone whose nick changes slightly: You can also use the * as a wildcard in the nickname. Say the person has a habit of adding endings to the nickname (like |away, |home, and |work). Just add a wildcard at the end of the nickname to ban all the different versions. Your command would look like this:
/mode #topgear +b LordBaconCheeseburger*!*@*
To ban someone who always has the same ident: /mode #channel +b *!ident@* Because this information can by set by the client, be careful with these bans. In the case of web-based clients like GeekShed’s Flash client or Mibbit, the ident is the same for everyone. For example, this command: /mode #topgear +b *!TFlash@* would ban everyone using GeekShed’s Flash client from the channel #topgear.
To ban everyone who uses a specific network connection: /mode #channel +b *!*@*domain-info. You can make this ban as specific as you like. Here are some examples, using the information for banning LordBaconCheeseburger from the channel #topgear:
/mode #topgear +b *!*@*comcast.net bans everyone using Comcast
/mode #topgear +b *!*@*ga.comcast.net bans everyone in Georgia using Comcast
/mode #topgear +b *!*@*hsd1.ga.comcast.net bans everyone using the Comcast hsd1 server in Georgia
To combine bantypes: You can also combine these different banning techniques. For instance, you have had a lot of trouble with people using the GeekShed Flash client who connect from Georgia using Comcast. To ban them all from the channel #topgear, use this command: /mode #topgear +b *!TFlash@*ga.comcast.net
Before you try any of these bans, of course, be sure to check the information against others in the channel to avoid accidentally banning someone. Be sure that you have set the appeal information for your channel, so that people know what to do if they are banned accidentally.
Finally, for more details on how these bans work, check out the Bans & Mask Type Definitions from the Undernet website.
—posted by Tengrrl/Bunny
Setting a Simple Channel Ban
Sep 28th
Channel bans allow you to block someone from joining your channel. These bans offer a lot of flexibility, letting you ban someone in several different ways. This article will explain a simple ban. You can check the Extended Ban tutorial for additional options. You can also use the AKICK command to ban someone permanently.
To ban someone from your channel, you need to know the hostmask for the connection. Use the WHOIS command to get the details. For the user LordBaconCheeseburger, you’d use this command:
/whois LordBaconCheeseburger
In your status window, you’ll see something like this in response:
LordBaconCheeseburger is ~TFlash@protectedhost-BACONYUM.hsd1.ze.comcast.net LordBaconCheeseburger is a registered nick
LordBaconCheeseburger on #jupiterbroadcasting #theshed
LordBaconCheeseburger using Komma.GeekShed.net Subwolf.org
LordBaconCheeseburger has been idle 3mins, signed on Fri Sep 28 21:00:28
LordBaconCheeseburger End of /WHOIS list.
You need the information from the first line to set your ban. The information listed after the @ symbol is the hostmask. To set a simple ban for your channel, use this command:
/mode #channel +b *!*@hostmask
If you wanted to ban LordBaconCheeseburger from the channel #topgear, for instance, you’d type:
/mode #topgear +b *!*@protectedhost-BACONYUM.hsd1.ze.comcast.net
That’s all there is to it. Anyone with that hostmask is now banned from #topgear. Next week’s post will explain more complicated channel bans, so be sure to come back!
—posted by Tengrrl/Bunny
Choosing a Nickname
Mar 25th
One of the first things that you do when you join us on GeekShed is choose and register a nickname. The basic guidelines are pretty simple. Just choose something that is unique, that is easy to type and remember, and that doesn’t give away private information.
Beyond that, there are some restrictions on nicknames. Your nickname
- Cannot start with a number
- Can only use letters, numbers, and these characters: [ ] { } \ | ^ ` – _
- Cannot include a space
- Can only be 30 characters long
Nicknames on GeekShed have to be unique. In other words, there can only be one login for any particular nickname. The first person to register a nickname gets it, and following people who want that nickname will have to choose something else. For example, the nickname Rob is registered on GeekShed. No one else can use the nickname Rob.
GeekShed has a list of words that cannot be used as a nickname, either because they are impolite or they could cause confusion. For instance, you cannot use many rude and explicit words as well as most racial or religious slurs. The list of forbidden nicks is not public (After all, who wants to put a list of rude, impolite words on their website?). Other words are forbidden because they can cause confusion, including server names and words associated with IRC and the services on GeekShed.
If you try to use a forbidden nick, you will see an error message in your status window that says:
Erroneous Nickname: This type of nick is not welcome on GeekShed. Please choose a different nickname.
Please choose another nickname if you encounter this situation. Nicknames will not be removed from the forbidden list. Your choice of nickname is not protected by free speech.
Protecting Network Staff Nicks
In order to guard against imposters, your nick cannot contain the name of any member of network staff. In most cases, this rule will not cause any problems, but there are some tricky cases. For instance, because a member of network staff is named Atri, you are not able to register nicknames like Patrick, Patricia, or Atrium.
While the server may allow you to use a nickname, network staff has the last word. If a member of staff asks you to change your nick, please do so immediately.
Channels May Have Additional Restrictions
Channels on GeekShed are free to create their own rules. Even though you may be using a nickname that is allowed on the network, the moderators in a channel may ask you to change your nickname or leave the channel. Channel staff are within their rights to do so. Please follow their instructions.
—posted by Tengrrl/Bunny
Using Channel Modes to Hide Your Channel
Mar 18th
You can use channel modes to make dozens of customizations to your channel. Last week, I talked about using channel modes to set a channel key, which works like a password for your channel. Today I’m going to talk about another way to keep your channel a private place: the channel modes +s and +p.
Secret vs. Private
There are two modes you can use to hide your channel: +s, for a secret channel; and +p, for a private channel.
Originally (that is, in earlier days of IRC), there was a difference between these two modes. On GeekShed, the two commands do the same thing. If you set your channel to +p or to +s, your channel will not show up:
- in the channel listing that someone gets after using the /LIST command
- on the website’s list of channels
- in a /WHOIS list for a user who is in the channel (unless the person using the command is also in the secret channel)
Since the two commands do the same thing, you can only set one or the other.
Setting the Secret or Private Mode
To set the secret mode, use this command:
/mode #channel +s
In that command, replace "channel" with your #channel. For instance, for my super-secret channel, I used this command:
/mode #baconmylove +s
To set the private mode, use this command:
/mode #channel +p
For instance, I used this command:
/mode #baconmylove +p
Restrictions on the +s and +p Modes
If you set your channel to +s and then decide to set +p, the server will respond by removing the +s setting. You’d see something like this:
* tengrrl sets mode: +s * tengrrl sets mode: +p-s
In the second line, the server set +p (adding the private setting), and -s (removing the secret setting). This is normal. Since the commands do the same thing, you only need one or the other (never both). As long as you have the channel set to +s or to +p, it will be hidden.
Removing the Secret or Private Mode
If you no longer want your channel to be hidden, you can remove the secret or private mode easily:
To remove the secret mode, use this command:
/mode #channel -s
To remove the private mode, use this command:
/mode #channel -p
Once you remove the setting, your channel will be visible to everyone on the network.
Two Tips on Using the Secret or Private Mode
- Remember that even though your channel is hidden, the people you ask to join you in the channel can tell others about it. Only invite people to join your channel if you trust them to maintain your privacy. If you cannot trust someone not to tell others about the space, don’t ask them to join your channel.
- Any moderator (half-ops, ops, and admins) on your channel can change the channel mode. Don’t add someone as a moderator in the channel if you cannot trust that person to leave the channel with the settings you want.
—posted by Tengrrl/Bunny
Using Channel Keys
Mar 12th
If you ever had a secret password to get into your clubhouse, you understand the way that channel keys work. You can set a channel key for your channel, and only those people who have the key will be able to join the channel. If you want to have private conversations, using a channel key is a simple way to make it happen.
Setting a Channel Key
To set a channel key, use this command:
/mode #channel +k channelkey
In that command, replace "channel" with your #channel and replace "channelkey" with your channel key (your password). For instance, for my super-secret channel, I used this command:
/mode #baconmylove +k nomnomnom
When you set a channel key, everyone in the channel will see the new key. When I set my channel key, for instance, the server announced this in the channel:
* tengrrl sets mode: +k nomnomnom
TIPS
- Be sure that you choose a strong password that others will not easily guess. Follow these guidelines for strong passwords to make your choice.
- Make sure you remove anyone you do not want to have the key before you set it. You can ask him to leave OR kick and ban if necessary. Remember that the server announces the key in channel when you set it, so everyone in your channel will see the new key.
- Anyone who has half-op status or higher in your channel can change the channel key. If you cannot trust someone, don’t make that person a moderator. He could easily change the password and lock everyone out of the channel! See the Troubleshooting information for what you can do if you get locked out.
- The channel key will only remain as long as someone is in the channel. If everyone leaves, the next person who joins will be able to do so without knowing the channel key. The easiest solution to this problem is either to add a bnc user to the channel or create a private bot to occupy the channel. Note that services bots will not hold a channel open.
You need to provide the password to join your channel now once you set your key. Here’s how to use the JOIN command with a channel key:
/join #channel password
For my super-secret channel, I used this command:
/join #baconmylove nomnomnom
You’ll need to give your password and this command to everyone who you want to grant access to your channel. Only give your channel password to the people you trust with access to your private space.
Changing your Channel Key
To change your channel key, just use the same command with a new password:
/mode #channel +k newchannelkey
The command is exactly the same. You just indicate the new channel key when you use the command.
You see this error message in your status window: #channel :Cannot join channel (+k)
Either you didn’t include the password or you used the wrong password. Check with the channel owner for the correct password or to ask for access to the channel.
You get locked out of your own channel.
If you forget your password or someone else changes it, you can just change your channel key and join with the new key. If a moderator in your channel changed the password without your permission, you may want to talk to that person or remove his access. Remember you should only add people as half-ops, ops, or admins if you trust them completely.
—posted by Tengrrl/Bunny
Getting a Channel in the List of Chat Rooms
Feb 22nd
If you’re looking for a channel to join, all you have to do is visit the Chat Rooms page here on the site. The automatically generated page lists channels, their topics, and the number of users currently in the channel, listed from the channel with the most users to the channel with the fewest users.
To get your channel to show up on the list:
- Make sure that your channel is not set to +s (secret) or +p (private). Private or secret channels do now show up on the list.
- Maintain more than 5 people in the channel. The list is limited to channels with 6 or more users.
That’s it. If you have a public channel with 6 or more users, it will show up in the official list on the website. The channel doesn’t have to be registered, but we always recommend that you register your channel. It’s free and gives you better control over your chat room.
How do you determine if your channel is public?
Just use the command:
/mode #channel
For example: /mode #topgear. In your status window, you’ll see something like this:
Mode for room #topgear is "+ntrS"
The Channel Modes page will help you decipher that response, but for our purposes, notice that there is no “s” and no “p.” That means the channel is neither secret nor private. Note that case matters. The channel #topgear is +S (strips color codes), but not +s (secret).
—posted by Tengrrl/Bunny
Problems with Lost Channels
Jan 25th
If no one uses a channel on GeekShed for 60 days, it is dropped from the system. A channel can also be dropped, even if people are in it, if the person who registered it does not log in for 60 days or more. The server assumes that if someone has not logged or or a channel goes unused for 60 days, that person is abandoning any channels.
So how can you regain a lost channel if this happens to you? Once a channel has been dropped from the system, any registered user can claim and register the channel. The requirement is the same as it is for starting any new channel. If no one is in the channel, you can just join the channel and register it again (after registering your nick again if necessary).
If there are people in the channel, the situation is a bit more complicated. If someone in the channel has ops, you can ask that person to give you ops so that you can reregister the channel. If no one has ops in the channel, you need to ask everyone to leave so that you can rejoin first and get ops. Once you are an op in the channel, you can register it again.
We’re frequently asked if we can kick everyone out of a channel so that someone can reregister it. We cannot. Once a channel has dropped, it doesn’t belong to anyone anymore. The original owner no longer has any special claim on the channel. Everyone has an equal right to register it, and no one on the network staff will kick everyone or give the original owner ops in this situation.
Likewise, if someone else registered a channel that has been dropped, we will not take that channel away and restore ownership to the original owner. Channel registration is first come, first serve. Everyone has an equal right to register a channel, and no one on the network staff will give the original owner back a channel in this situation.
—posted by tengrrl/bunny
Apply to Have Your Channel Featured!
Jun 11th
Want more people to know about the fun stuff going on in your channel on GeekShed? Answer a few questions about your channel here, and we’ll consider your channel for a new feature on the GeekShed site. The idea is that every few weeks, a channel will be highlighted on the website, with details about the channel, what happens there, and other details.
There are a few requirements:
- You have to be the owner of the channel or have the full permission of the channel owner.
- You have to have an average of 10 or more different people in the channel regularly.
- The channel has to be at least 3 months old.
- The channel has to be open and public (no private or secret channels).
The GeekShed staff will choose channels to feature based on the application and observation of the channel. Acceptance is at the discretion of network staff. There is no promise or guarantee implied. To apply, just fill in the form below.