Small Networks, Is it worth bending over to Link?

animesoup · Posted: Mar 25, 2004 6:44pm Post subject:

Remote Links are only good if they are on a solid connection, and solid meaning rock solid. I'll be the last to claim my connection is rock solid, but at least it's pretty far up there in terms of reliability.

You do make an excellent point of dynamic IPs not being serious, and this is exactly why I don't even bother anymore.

Most networks do start small, but considering how the ircops treated their users and fellow ircops, large scale growth is definately not in the near future for them.

As for directly connected, this is the act of housing multiple connections in one location with seperate lines. Maybe my terminology is incorrect, but it still is directly connected, since all would go through the internal network in that case.

In most cases, one server is not a good idea. However, in terms of these 12 year olds wanting to link with their dialup connection (yes, i have had those), I personally don't have any reason to link right now. My server is small, and so far, it's staying that way. If I do get ddos'd, every regular user knows what to do, and that would be to head on over to animeirc and park in the channel I designated. I would modify the domain to redirect users to a friend's server, who watches for users and tells them whats up.

Personally it's not an excellent setup, but the longest downtime so far since the regeneration of my network has been for 3 minutes due to my ISP failing. That was fixed quickly, and everybody returned.
.

The #1 goal of my network is stability and reliability, and so far, everybody whom I have linked with has caused problems. If the demand for my network grows, I'll do necessary upgrades.

I did investigate this network rather thoroughly with whom I linked, and all seemed well. I checked it out for a few days, and it seemed like a good idea. After the link, they started with their power trips.

As for your lame comment, try spending 5 minutes with the people I linked with. They are nice if you are a potential link, but once they have you, they try to strangle you. Regular users get treated like shit, and threatened with "you'd be quiet if you knew what was good for you".

Personally, I don't care what anybody thinks about the comments I made, it is my personal opinion, and in a world where IRC networks are all clones of each other, I want to do things differently and experiment with it. Screw BotServ, I'm in the process of writing Dot, a botserv replacement with built in trivia, google search, logs, etc. I want to make this stuff accessible to every user who wants it, but doesn't want to have to set it up themselves. I am working to consolidate the popular features from random bots into one, and add botserv functionality.

Why bother cramming myself into a crowded path everybody tries to go down? Why not try to do things diffeently, go down a path free from traffic? Why follow the leaders when I can attempt to become a leader in a different way? These are the corny statements I go by daily when I work on my network. I'd rather have a bunch of friendly knowledgeable people run my network than stiff lifeless/humorless people.

I try to become something somewhat different, something that isn't conventional, something that chickens can peck at without getting banned. I personally am a visitor to my own network. When people see me, they don't cower in fear at my powers, they bow to me.. jp.
How many network admins streak their own network? (Streak = going into every channel alphabetically, (one at a time), typing /me runs around naked, and /part WOOOO!!!). I keep personality and humor with me, and still remain authorative.

I want to travel a less traveled road is the short version of this text.

magpie · Idler Joined: 18 Jan 2004 Posts: 454 Location: Essex, UK

animesoup · Posted: Mar 26, 2004 4:07pm Post subject:

Not very often, but i have done it once. I would do it again.

The IRC server is like a party. Nobody really cares what anyone else is doing, they just want to have a good time.

And yes, my server is tiny, it's easy to accomplish. I like running small servers.. they are a reflection of my small eyeballs.

Nneel · none Joined: 12 Oct 2003 Posts: 34

hi Sid_V

As i read the topic...

No one Likes to drop his network name/identity and also dont want to drop service. Its really a probs..If network name not same link mismatched..,

other hand there a lot positive side also appeard.

network got stable.getting bigger,diff. ppl from diff.part of world. got togetehr ..& aftr it a gr8 idead comes out from all of them what effect the postivite side of the network.

mentor · Posted: Jul 22, 2004 5:53am Post subject:

SATAN-HHH · Eleet Joined: 29 Nov 2003 Posts: 845 Location: Texas

I honestly am not sure that most merges (not i said most not all) are worth it, due to any or all of the things already said in this thread (bickering between admins/conflict with names/services/ect). I am on a very small network that is almost up to 50 users, and honestly I don't mind that it is that small. It consists of people from one of the top large networks, who know each other, and makes for a rather nice experience really. I really dont know if I'd mind if it got too much bigger or not, but if it does so be it. I hope they never merge with another network, and quite frankly we are all picky about even who we grant links to. Merges in my opinion make for quite volatile and instable environments at least 75% of the time.

w00t · Posted: Aug 07, 2005 7:21pm Post subject:

Err, anyone notice this topic has been dead over a year now?

Charon · Guest

Merges aren't positive most of the time in my opinion, mostly because people on small nets are many times power hungry and/or egotistical. If you find a set of good people though, and get to know them before you link, it can go alright. I recently merged/absorbed a single server with a few less users than our network, our network size has more than doubled now with the combined forces, and the IRC operators are all mature adults, the administrators all have a common understanding.

I think part of the problem with mergers in bigger small networks is that everyone has a culture and they don't want to lose it. The only way for a staff team to be effective, in my opinion, is to have a common feeling of "belonging" to something, and that belonging is the maintenance of the network, the culture, the people. And while some people will be more gruff than others, and some may baby users more, as long as they all share that direction and they're not corrupt, they'll all be fine in the end. (At least, this is my experience.

SATAN-HHH · Eleet Joined: 29 Nov 2003 Posts: 845 Location: Texas

DeMiNe0 · Posted: Aug 17, 2005 6:20am Post subject:

Thats why i run a small single server network. Fits myself, my friends, my websites, and all that good stuff.

If it ever becomes big enough where i need another server, i know a ton of friends who would give me a shell to run an IRCd off of.

FreeIRC · Guest

Hi, Please Visit my IRC Network
mIRC: /server -m irc.FreeIRC.de
WebChat: http://www.FreeIRC.de

trystan · Eleet Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Posts: 756 Location: SLC Utah

Thanks for the spam FreeIRC.. why not make your own thread

Ashen · Idler Joined: 05 Jan 2004 Posts: 285

In my experience, yes there is politics, but there are ways of overcoming this problem too.

For example, I believe that every org needs one person at the top to lead it, keep it on track and generally hold the reigns. In the case of my net, that person is me, and the reason it is me is because :
1) I put up the money to host the original hardware
2) I spent the most time on it
3) I gathered everyone else together and did almost all the organisational work.

Now, you have to be frank with people that are joining your network to avoid wasting time. You have to tell them things like "yes, this person X is the final authority on all network issues", and "all servers use policy Y, and no, you can't change this from your current position". On the other hand, you also have to say "in exchange for joining and giving up X Y and Z, you in return get services A B and C.".

My network is run for shells providers and becuase of this we have a LOT of sysadmins on our network and in particular we have a lot of people who have hardware and want to link.

I think the reasons that people have merged under some leaders like me and not under others is becuase :
1) we offer unique services that others do not (far beyond IRC we offer things like help by other sysadmins when you need it, and software that helps new sysadmins keep abusers off their system) - people are willing to make sacrifices to get valuable content and services
2) we demonstrate that we aren't just a bunch of teens on a power trip. The staff, including myself, is made up of experienced and very capable sysadmins who run some of the (independently rated) best free shells providers on the net and have done so for years, to the point that big link list sites like bylur.net/free puts our banner first. Some of us are tech geeks, some of us like me know enough tech to run an IRC net (including things like modifying services code) but our main strength is soft sysadmin skills like getting other people on board, organisational skills and managing projects.
3) We have gone out of our way to select the best existing and the promising upcoming member providers to join our net, and the fact that a lot of the big names in our subject host with us speaks a lot about our reputation.
4) Becuase so many of the big free shell services that people use already host with us, a gravity is created that draws new ones to us.

Politics occur when leadership is disputed, unclear or not well enough provided, or the staff aren't getting value for money (they're ranked underneath a leader who isn't pulling their weight).

If people are happy with the job you are doing as leader, and they're competent and caring enough that they want the best for the group rather then just being after power for themselves, then political disputes are drastically reduced or eliminated entirely.

If you get two people at the top of their respective networks who are doing a merger, then the most competent one, the one who puts in the most time and money to the network, should obviously become the new head. If a server or network is joining another as a link, then they shouldn't expect much power becuase they are now on someone else's turf and until they are known and trusted they should not be given much in the way of admin rights.

There is an old saying that "easy come, easy go", if you can join a network quickly it's not worth joining, imho. The quality networks make it tough to join them, not just becuase they only want the best but also becuase so many people want to join them that they have to be selective about who they let in. Selectivity is the way to build quality, and accepting everyone is the way to build quantity. IMO, the great is vastly outnumbered by the decent and the decent is surrounded by the masses of that which is useless. If you accept everyone you'll get at best the decent but more likely you'll get the mediocrity or just attract the bad elements, becuase the bad elements always hide in public spaces and places that claim to accept everyone.

Many of the disputes I see about IRC politics are about who has more power, and usually becuase many IRC admins are insecure or powerless in real life they think IRC related admin power really matters in life. They fight over the top spots becuase neither of them is a capable leader who is recognised to be skilled at leadership organisation and management, becuase neither is a person prepared to do whatever work is necessary and knows that this quality will make him indespensible and he will become the natural leader anyway, or becuase they have a chip on their psychological shoulders.
By all means test out the people you want to link to or merge with, but at some point crunch time comes and whilst the kids are squabbling over titles, the natural leaders are busy getting the work done and sooner or later power will drop into their lap becuase they're getting things done well and usually the immature ones waste their time squabbling.

PingBad · Guru Joined: 05 Feb 2005 Posts: 2007 Location: New Zealand

Well said Ashen bro.

PS: Welcome Back Very Happy