The current Libera Chat[0] is everything that Freenode was before rasengan entered the game: a stable IRC network that goes out of its way to be transparent to the communities and projects that use it and to provide them with stability and network operator support, period.
The current Fleenode is nothing that Freenode was before rasengan entered the game: it destroyed the stability of all the projects that previously used it by flipping the network's functioning upside down, in a very mediocre way ("accidentally" horrible communication from the current staff towards everyone else, "accidentally" taking over channels via bot action, "accidentally" k-lining irccloud about the time [3] was introduced, using the "I'm being cancelled" argument as one line of defense and "mistakes were made but they are fixed, understanding would be appreciated" as another) and with very mediocre results[1].
All of this was done seemingly in order to introduce several Freenode-branded projects[2][3][4][5] that I haven't seen anyone request. These projects, in their current shape, seriously look to me like some shiny toys that use Freenode as a hub and that are now out there, looking for use and popularity.
Congratulations and massive thanks to the Libera Chat team for proving that hard community forks are possible not just in theory, but also in practice - the transition period was short and the staff there really did everything to make it smooth. I've migrated and it seems it was a good decision, I don't look back in the slightest.
I love it when people find the most ridiculous things to blame on "cancel culture". This goes toe to toe with Bob Baffert blaming it for being banned from horse racing after his Kentucky Derby winning horse being caught with steroids in his system, and after having his horses failing 31 drug tests over his career.
According to rasengan, in his current incarnation as root, the irccloud thing wasn't accidental:
< root> what accidental irccloud blanket ban?
< root> I keep hearing about this?
< mst> I think all of irccloud got k-lined briefly - shit happens
< root> It's intentional for sure.
< root> I think someone accidentally removed it.
< mst> is there a public statement about that anywhere?
(and then nobody ever responded as to why, so I'm afraid that's all I know wrt that particular situation)
14:59 <@taw> IRCCloud was not klined by mistake.
14:59 <@taw> We don't allow IRCCloud on freenode.
14:59 <@taw> We offer our own free BNC, if you'd like to use that instead.
<@root> irc cloud is banned cuz fck irc cloud
<@root> this was not an accident
<@root> not a mistake
<@root> actually it was supposed to happen a logn time ago
It's even stupider than that. IRCCloud is a web client which happens to provide some bouncer functionality. Freenode's bouncer is only available over IRC; it requires users to connect with their own IRC client.
The IRCCloud thing is my own breaking point for staying connected to Freenode for some channels that hadn't moved yet. I'm not going to switch my entire IRC client setup around because they're being childish and can't stand being criticized.
Since I gather that about half the people left in some of those channels were taken out by this k-line, hey, might accelerate the move anyway. :D
I have finally pulled the plug on #lisp on Freenode as of few minutes ago.
Only logging bots remained connected and minion, and one fellow op.
And and of an era for me - I think it's been over 16 years since I joined #lisp for the first time, and around a decade of being an Op there. It helped me maintain sanity at times. While pretty much everything got moved to libera, it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt to do it in a way :|
> a stable IRC network that goes out of its way to be transparent to the communities and projects that use it and to provide them with stability and network operator support, period.
Honestly, communities should just make their own IRC servers, they're trivial in resources to run and manage, there is no need for Libera or Freenode.
The current Fleenode is nothing that Freenode was before rasengan entered the game: it destroyed the stability of all the projects that previously used it by flipping the network's functioning upside down, in a very mediocre way ("accidentally" horrible communication from the current staff towards everyone else, "accidentally" taking over channels via bot action, "accidentally" k-lining irccloud about the time [3] was introduced, using the "I'm being cancelled" argument as one line of defense and "mistakes were made but they are fixed, understanding would be appreciated" as another) and with very mediocre results[1].
All of this was done seemingly in order to introduce several Freenode-branded projects[2][3][4][5] that I haven't seen anyone request. These projects, in their current shape, seriously look to me like some shiny toys that use Freenode as a hub and that are now out there, looking for use and popularity.
Congratulations and massive thanks to the Libera Chat team for proving that hard community forks are possible not just in theory, but also in practice - the transition period was short and the staff there really did everything to make it smooth. I've migrated and it seems it was a good decision, I don't look back in the slightest.
[0] https://libera.chat/
[1] https://isfreenodedeadyet.com/
[2] https://chit.freenode.net/ - a bash.org clone
[3] https://bbs.freenode.net/ - a Hacker News clone
[4] https://bnc.freenode.net/ - an irccloud clone
[5] https://jobs.freenode.net/ - a Hacker News clone, just exclusively with job postings