FAQ – IRCTHULU
List of Networks with Revoked Opt-out due to targeting the runners:
As promised, it is important to be aware that attempting to run around the system in place without even attempting to follow the process lain out for opt-out will result in full and total revocation of ability to negotiate for opt-out. It is important to understand that this is most definitely your fault. By circumventing the process you have ruined it for everyone on your network despite being publicly warned about it in advance and lengthy discussions explaining what would happen.
The following is a list of networks who no longer have the option of opting out. If your channel is on one of these networks, consider relocating or requesting that freenode plays ball. You will categorically not be able to opt-out.
- Freenode
- TBD
The method of determination used was a mixed-signals operation involving shutting off external feeds and feeding obvious bots in their stead to identify would-be reverse engineers. This will be frrequently performed at random intervals to protect the status of the runners. You have failed, it has hurt others, and your exclusion will hopefully serve as a deterrent for other networks.
List of Networks with Permanently Revoked Opt-Out due to targeting the project members:
- Freenode.
- OFTC
These networks no longer have available remedy to restore opt-out in order to deter other networks from engaging in similar behaviour.
Runners on these networks are provided the full, exclusive support of IRCTHULU and its associated resources including autoscaling groups and reverse round robins.
Q: I would like to opt the channel that I own from being published. How do I do this?
A: You may email punches.chris@gmail.com and request to opt out. Opt-outs are almost guaranteed to be approved except in rare circumstances. There are some minor criteria for approval:
- You must state a valid reason. “Because I don’t wanna” is not a valid reason. It must cite some concern or problem created that would be better for your community to not be published.
- Your removal of publishing must benefit the open source community.
- The approver must not have reports that your operator team has engaged in recently, or is actively engaging in anything remotely resembling blacklisting behaviours with other communities.
So, if you are not a jerk, and your operators are not jerks, you should be approved. If you are concerned that one of your teams may fit this criteria, after a long period of self reflection and correction of the toxic behaviours in your community, I would encourage you to submit your request with an explanation of corrective measures that you have taken to prevent further occurrence.
Q: How will I know?
A: Responses should be relatively immediate. If not, give it a day or two. You can reach out to Phanes on the Freenode network to follow up on the status of your request.
Q: What happens if I’m not approved?
A: This is very unlikely to be the case, but in situations where it is, the determinations, while final, will always include the reasons why. If those reasons are repaired, and you resubmit, your request will be re-evaluated.
Q: I don’t like not being in charge of your process and I want to force my way by using ulterior pressures and actions.
A: While this is a regrettably adversarial type of response, this will almost gaurantee not only the permanent archival of the channel being requested but a cessation of all arrangements with all channels and could result in many different versions of IRCTHULU hosted by other parties who are not able to be contacted reliably, let alone have reasonable terms and conditions for removal. It is never pleasant for people to not get their way, but please understand how much worse this could be for everybody if you try to only think about yourself. If your channel is denied, it is for the benefit of whole communities, not just to make you upset (although it will certainly feel that way to some). Not only will you not get your way, but you’ll be making the issue worse. Strategic responses are currently at rest for predicted actions like this.
Q: Are approvals final?
A: Yes and no. If the situation warrants your channel could start being published again in certain conditions:
- Reports of abusive operators from users in your channel.
- Reports of blacklisting behaviours from operators and community members in your channel.
- Ulterior pressures and actions (see above) have been taken either by the network or intrachannel groups to damage either this project or the people working on it. It is regrettable that in situations like this you may have not actually had anything wrong happen in your channel.
In situations like that, your channel will have been marked as opt-out when the condition causing the increased logging occurs and would be returned to that status after the condition is alleviated. In some circumstances this could permanently waive involved channels’ ability to opt-out or more depending on the seriousness of the intervention.
In situations like abusive reports or observed behaviours, you would go through the opt-out process just like you did the first time. If that becomes a repeated event enough times it could prevent future consideration for opt-out.
Q: Is this legal?
A: Yes. It is legal. If you dispute this I’d love to see the explanation, feel free to contact me and let me know your thoughts.
Q: How are you getting the logs?
A: The tentacle client is run by independent 3rd parties and is the collection point. This project tries to keep one channel recorded per client but the tentacle client can support many channels at once. Which channels get logged is ultimately up to the runners, but I can certainly shut off the publication of specific feeds or channels in specific feeds.
Q: My channel is not logged and I would like to be logged. How do I opt-in?
A: Glad to hear it! Send me an email with your channel details, and thank you for your transparency. Project leadership open to this are usually examples of how to run a community.
Q: I am a channel operator and my channel is being logged and published. It is against my channel’s policy to allow public logging. How do I opt out?
A: This is a matter for your channel owner. They will need to follow the opt out process defined above. Your opinion is valued, but is not relevant to opt-out decisions. Spend the time between now and when your channel owner goes through the opt-out process reflecting on what your contributions may have been that might prevent an easy clearance if this applies. Please also be aware that I have no control over what is logged — your opt-out request is for publishing. Some metadata is retained for cross-reference research but channel log listings are removed from publication via the opt-out process.
Q: I am a user and these guys are total jerks, how do I get in on the action?
A: If you still have access to the channel and would like to run a runner, let me know and I’ll get you a package for your distro. If you do not, let me know the channel, and I’ll get someone to put a runner in. I will want to know your explanation if there is one.
Q: Is this compliant with my network’s logging policy?
A: Dunno. Ask the runners of the clients that feed the data. Not my problem.
