Small Networks, Is it worth bending over to Link?

Sid_V · none Joined: 12 May 2003 Posts: 3

I have been running a small network for over three years now and over that time we have linked many times. How ever it all ways seems to fall apart in the end.

I just wanted to get other opinions on breaking your neck to find links and gather users...

And I wanted to be the first to post... :lol:

Sid_V
Admin: irc.sid-kitty-land.org

Mary · SearchIRC Admin Joined: 03 May 2003 Posts: 692

Sid, you built it and no one came? You are caught in small network hell: empty channels, no one stays. Sure, its worth it to build a network - and, there are many ways to grow a network now that simply were not available several years ago, when the big nets first started.

1) Get listed here! 10,145 pages on SearchIRC are being spidered by the top search engines. Go to your network's web page - http://searchirc.com/network/Sid-Kitty-Land - and submit a ton of information about your network to make the site really interesting. Google is spidering these pages NOW. Also, look at the top searches on our home page - channels that have these words in their titles and topics will apear in the results. The larger and more relevant your channel is, the higher it will be listed.

2) Make sure you are listed (and linked to) on every IRC related website in existance! The IRC news sites are all hungry for articles, tell them what is happening on your network, especially every time you do something newsworthy - like, hold a class, interview someone, create new services.

3) Write to the authors of IRC clients and ask them to add you to their servers.ini lists.

4) Put up a web site for your network and show off whatever is unique so users know what sets you apart from the rest. List all the information users need to join your network and interesting channels.

5) Get LINKED. Make a button or banner that leads to your network. You can modify the SearchIRC banner so it searches only YOUR network channel listings.

6) Search engine placement is important. Learn how to optimize your website so it gets high placement in the major search engines, and submit your network to all of them. You may want to consider Google ad words, which can be a very cost effective way to promote your network.

7) Post in newsgroups - not only IRC related newsgroups, but also those that promote similar interests (ie, if your network is anime themed, post in the anime groups, if its about singles, post in those groups)

8) Post in discussion forums - like, this one. :) And get a sig so people know about Sid-Kitty-Land!

Good luck!

Mary

Jason · Posted: May 13, 2003 6:09pm Post subject:

The experience of running a small IRC network can at times be akin to slamming your head against a wall repeatedly. It's tough when you want to break out of the "small network" role and become a larger network. Everyone wants to be successful. I guess it all depends on what your goals are, and what you define as being successful.

If your intent with a small network is to become one of the "big four", you may as well start making your goal in life to win the lotto.

My 5 years in SuperChat (a small network of around 600 users at it's peak) gave me plenty of time to develop IRC software -- game bots, network services. With that said, my time running the largest server on Undernet for 4 years was a completely different experience. In truth, I can't honestly say being an oper on a large network is any better than a smaller one. I also have to admit that in both the large and small, IRC networks tend to be VERY political.

I'm not sure any of what I said helps, or even answers anything... I think what I'm trying to say is, you have to enjoy what you do. Running an IRC network is not something you do for an end result -- it's something you must enjoy as an ongoing process.

mic · none Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 7

I dropped onto KittyLand, but nobody seemed to be there (damn my Australian timezone). I may try again later.

ed · Posted: Jun 02, 2003 12:50pm Post subject:

Another problem with linking (see the 5 networks wanting to link in this forum's help wanted section).. is that no one wants to lose their name.

Everyone wants to retain their current name, and require you to drop your name.

Sid_V · none Joined: 12 May 2003 Posts: 3

Yea, that seems to be a big one too. I real don't see the point in it. Right now it would seem that having matching network names is the least of the problem facing small networks starting out.

When I have linked in the past we have never asked that they change the name of the network. I think the name of your network should say something about what it is about.

Another big one is services, every one wants them on their network. Then there is the question of what service pack.

Sid_V

:?

Michael · none Joined: 18 May 2003 Posts: 48

In less than a year, the server I come from has merged with another network, and this new network has merged with yet another. We've grown a bit since being a small server (not as much SearchIRC would seem to list us as; SearchIRC seems to also index services bots too).

We're always trying to find ways to grow, be it advertising, or whatnot. I do beleive small networks can make if they don't give up. I mean, nets like Dalnet and EFnet were once small too Wink

Jason · Posted: Jun 02, 2003 6:00pm Post subject:

TWiZTiD · none Joined: 28 Jun 2003 Posts: 1

I more like a small network where everybody knows everybody and where everybody is your friend and where people respect you as an operator or admin Very Happy

Then when you have networks like :evil: underSLet :twisted: where chatters are just numbers

U · Eleet Joined: 18 Jun 2003 Posts: 521 Location: IRC

Some people like small but more obviously like large.

Simply look at the numbers.

I've tried for over a year to get people to move to my network, and the number one complaint is that its too small, either that or they want the moon "sure we'll move, just make me a netadmin and all of my ops IRCops." Yeah right.

So though there are some that like smaller networks, the majority still likes larger ones, and that will probably continue.

Mr_Romeo · none Joined: 23 Jun 2003 Posts: 3

.. This is pretty much.. just me rambling.. but I got bored and started reading the forums... and decided to start a reply.. and talk about whatever i could to kill time...

In my honest opinion, users choose a network with a size that suits them. Large Networks provide alot of warez, and a larger scale of users to spam. Large servers like DalNET are turning into big spam servers. Before DalNET was actually a decent server to chat on, but now as IRC is growing more and more popular, more people are using it to spam and trade warez. It's also a Script Kiddie's heaven. Users that want to know who they're chatting with, and get along with basically everyone choose a smaller network. Alot of server's that start up, want their network to have tons and tons of users quickly, but they dont take into consideration the cost of time that it takes to support such a large network. Alot of people running irc server's just run it to feel a sense of power, and not to provide chatters with a place to hang out and meet new people. Creating a successful network isn't easy, most die down after a couple months when the person paying for the host gets tired of wasting money on nothing. Users don't magically know your server exists, and rapidy spamming your network doesn't only go against rules of other networks it makes it look annoying and users rarely go. The success of a network depends on the time the network staff puts into it, the image it puts on itself when advertising it, and the dedication put forth in making it work.

Guest · Posted: Jul 06, 2003 9:35am Post subject:

U · Eleet Joined: 18 Jun 2003 Posts: 521 Location: IRC

I think alot of that has to do with the fact that some smaller networks are set up by warez people to attempt to avoid detection on larger networks. Its common knowledge that most larger IRC networks are checked and people in such channels are recorded by the "powers that be" however I believe even moving to a smaller network is not going to get them the protection they think.

Some of them are bold and don't care either way, however.

Alot of what larger networks have are alot of drones, etc too that viruses create after being installed and infecting machines. This is why networks like EFnet are starting to use modes available in other ircds (such as Unreal) so they can look for these drones. They are alot more noticeable on a small network since most of them number in the hundreds, but on larger networks can go largely unnoticed.

Large networks provide alot of things simply because they are large. You can find alot of the same stuff on smaller ones, sometimes warez is a larger ratio. Some smaller networks like mine however aren't warez heavy. Alot of the smaller networks that are warez heavy were created specifically for that purpose-most of them won't have much of anything else.

nascar24 · none Joined: 07 Jul 2003 Posts: 2

We were lucky at scoobynet.org to gain the users that we have. A friend and i started our network while we worked for a local isp named zoomnet that was being gobbled up by Earthlink. At that time i was running our chat server at zoomnet until earthlink said they were buying us up and closing us down. So massive layoffs were comming and my friend and i decided to use the power we had and convince the users to switch to our network before earthlink shut the one they were on down. To my suprise they did all move over to our network and they have been there for close to 3 years now. Earthlink did indeed shut down the old local server and forwarded the dns to irc.earthlink.net. The users decided to stay with scoobynet.org since we were a local chat network and everyone knew everyone.

However we too have tried and failed at linking with other networks. Mainly because in the end we just didnt see eye to eye with each other. With all networks you have growing pains and that i guess is one of them. Since then we have added oper rules, linking policies etc.. The opers are helpful and the users seem to be happy. We have spammers from time to time but the people stay loyal to us.

I posted a link notice on here hoping to gain more users and more servers both internationally and local here to the States. Our linking policy is strict it seems but it really is there to keep the past from revisiting us.

We are always looking to grow larger. If anyone wants info about linking or our network rules (which is always a work in progress) you can find that at www.scoobynet.org/Rules

Guest · Posted: Jul 08, 2003 1:54am Post subject:

well one should not forget why some of these large nets are growing bigger and why smallers are growing in size too. as well all know dalnets new aup doesnt allow any file sharing. so most of these chans have gone to other nets like efnet mostly and alot of them have spread out over smaller networks.

Furthermore we can also thank many irc scripters (thank or not...i prefer not) who have created an easy kazaa like interface to an irc script that goes around on warez nets and lets you download. So many warez nets that have advertised on sites like here and packetnews and xdcc spy are getting hit with all these users and have massive chans.

many people think of this as growth...but these are just leechers...irc is for chatting...u can have your warez...but at least use a script that will allow you to chat as u dl if you have too. this is a big way many networks are looking to get big and be big hits.