From: poier@sfu.ca (Skye Merlin Poier)
Date: Fri, 20 Aug 93 13:36:37 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Anonymous IRC
In-Reply-To: <Pine.3.05.1.9308200357.A5576-b100000@drown.slip.andrew.cmu.edu>
Message-ID: <9308202031.AA02041@malibu.sfu.ca>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


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And verily Panzer Boy doth spake unto thee:

> The "fix" I decided was to modify the server code and make all connections
> completely anonymous.  Anonyminity is to all, the Server keeps no
> long-term records of the machines it is connected to, and the only
> connection information it keeps is in socket information.  Owning the
> Server does not give you access to Clients information.  Now, the only way
> people are identified by, is their chosen Nickname or alias.  I have this
> server up and running on my own machine with basically no one using it
> currently.  I would like to see what people think, pros & cons, of
> real-time anonymous chat.

Obviously you have not used IRC much... I think this idea would be exceptionally
bad. On IRC, for those that have not used it, there are channel operators 
(chops) on each channel. They have the power to kick and ban people from the
channel, if they are being abusive or exremely irritating (eg flooding everyone)
. By removing the client information, you remove the efficiency of a ban (usu
it applys the the person's userid from any machine on the same domain)... This
would make it very easy for one person in a bad mood to ruin a channel for 
everyone. And believe me, there are usually serveral people of that kind on
the net.

Perhaps you could set up your own IRC net (similar to the undernet) and have it
anonymous, but I would highly recommend against trying this on the standard IRC
net.

                                                        -- S.

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