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IRC in the Dog House?

Posted by Cliff on from the falling-out-of-favor dept.

Emperor Tiberius asks: "It seems more and more dedicated server companies are turning tail to the idea of hosting IRC machines. Hosts like Rackshack are adding 'no-IRC' rules to their AUPs at the risk of having one's server unplugged. Why is IRC (the once applauded chat medium) being thrown to the dogs? Some might say the horrendous botnets written for the protocol are a part of the problem. However, if we were to shut down the IRC protocol. Isn't it theoretically possible the botnet authors would just migrate to a different protocols like Oscar/AIM, ICQ, ICB, Jabber, just to name a few? If so, how would we manage the problem? Would we shutdown all ICB servers, and cut-off the ICQ network? Are we trying to kill off the problem in the wrong way, or is there a compromise to keep IRC alive, and keep botnets away?"

1 of 94 comments (clear)

  1. I remember.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I remember IRC back when the main system, efnet, only had about 700 users on it. Even then, it was a constant storm of splits, lag, and maneovers and assassinations by swarms of killer 'bots.

    Last time I checked in, the bots had gotten more powerful, and things had taken a nasty turn where nicknames were commandeered and others who dared to use them got punished.

    You want Skynet? Terminator: Rise of the Machines? Just witness how bot evolution calcified IRC.