Frequently Asked Questions
What is this #politics thing?
How do I join?
Why is there a forum board and an IRC channel?
Why aren't there any channel operators?
Who are the admins of #Politics on irc.freenode.net?
Do you need any help?
Why did you choose freenode to host #Politics? Isn't that a server network for programmers and nerds? ;-p
I was in the channel and people were talking about something that was "off topic", why didn't the ops make them
stop or at least comment about it being "off topic"?
There were people talking about political systems in a country that I don't live in, is this allowed?
What is #politics political agenda?
The bot:
What is a "bot"?
What commands work with the bot?
Can I look at the scripts you are using?
Can I suggest a new command for the bot?
Q: What is this #Politics thing?
A: #Politics is a channel on the irc server network irc.freenode.net
Q: How do I join?
A: You will need an IRC client. It will depend on which operating system you are using what clients are available to you. Just Google "irc client" and you will find one (*nix: BitchX or win*: mIRC - The Mozilla web browser also comes with a free on called Chatzilla). Download it and install. Then read docs for it.
If your browser is configured to use irc:// protocol you can click on this link to join auto-magicly:
irc://irc.freenode.net:6667/politics This works out-of-the-box with Mozilla (and its ilk) and with a mIRC/IE combo.
For manual configuration and connection:
server: irc.freenode.net port: 6667 command to join: /join #Politics
Q: Why is there a forum board and an IRC channel?
A: IRC is a "realtime" interaction and Forum Boards are more a place to write a short/long article and allow for others to make responses to it though they move at a slower pace. Both are valuable tools for communication. Use the right tool for the "job". top
Q: Why aren't there any channel operators?
A: Its not that the channel lacks ops (channel operators/admin), they are there. The ops in #politics just don't put them selves above the users, they are there to do basic channel administration, not to hold power over the users in the channel. You will rarely see an op with +o status in the channel (with the "@" by there nick). The two exceptions are ChanServ and unbiased. ChanServ is a channel Bot provided by irc.freenode.net. Its function is to keep various attacks that happen on irc from happening. unbiased is a bot that aksis runs and is there to change the topic in the channel. top
Q: Who are the admins of #Politics on irc.freenode.net
A: Currently:aksis, chovy and sandman. There are many different #politics channels on other irc servers and we didn't found them. Chovy is the administrator of the forum boards at http://www.itsallpolitics.com so if you have feedback on the forum boards you will need to direct it to him.
The founders just made the "pot" It's the members that plant the seeds, water them, and make them grow. Enjoy! If you need "spades" or "soil" or other "tools" ask for them, someone may be able to give them to you. top
Q: Do you need any help?
A: If you have something specific in mind that you think would improve the channel, this site, or the forum boards, we would like to hear about it. This is a non-profit crew so don't expect to get paid for any of it. We are also considering setting up a place to submit articles if you like to write, but its on the back burner at the moment. At this time we don't need any ops. As the channel grows we will be adding more. The people who will be asked to help run the channel will be approached by the founder or co-founder and added to the list. Letting us know you would like to help with the channel is ok, but pestering us about it will guarantee you will never be an op. The best channel administrators are usually the ones who don't want to be but have the ability to. i.e: They know how the different irc services work and have spent some time on irc. top
Q: Why did you choose freenode to host #Politics? Isn't that a server network for programmers and nerds ;-p
A: This is exactly why we chose freenode. The average user on freenode has an above average i.q. The users here are more mature (on average) then the other irc networks. People who create and build things tend to be the source of many of the good ideas in the world. The type of programmers on freenode are members of the open source movement, they don't do what they do for money, they do it 1) They like to. 2) They want to improve life. This combination of qualities can't help but bring about some of the more interesting political conversation you can be involved in on IRC or the internet. top
Q: I was in the channel and people were talking about something that was "off topic", why didn't the ops make them stop or at least comment about it being "off topic"?
A: You will need to understand that politics (seeing as how its going to influence all topics) needs to consider all topics. You might have just shown up while people were on a tangent, or it might have been people exercising there freewill to chat about something they wanted to. We don't care to much. If it got really "out of hand" it will be addressed, and it probably won't be an op addressing it, it will be the community it self. top
Q: There were people talking about political a system in a country that I don't live in, is this allowed?
A: Not only is it allowed, its advocated. This is a World Political forum. One of the main inspirations in founding #Politics is that a need to get the people of the world communicating with one another about how the world, has been, is being, and will be run was seen. Its our world and that gives us a say in how it will be run. It is very important for the people of the world and not just the countries political leaders to start communicating with one another. If we don't say how we want it to be then we are leaving it up to everyone voicing there visions to create it for us. top
Q: What is #politics political agenda?
A: #Politics doesn't claim allegiance to any country, nation, religion, philosophy, political party, or race. Its patrons come from all over the world and from a variety of different perspectives. You will have to ask the individual members what there political agendas are if you want to know. #Politics is not a person, it is a place, places dont have agendas, they have a purpose. The purpose of #Politics is:
- Provide a place to discuss the world political systems from global perspectives.
- Provide a place to give voice to ideas from these perspective.
- To provide a place to see other peoples perspectives.
- To make the world governments better for everyone on earth.
One thing most of have in common is that we can see where the political systems of the world can be improved and we have ideas on how to make these improvements. Just ask us, we'll tell you. ;-) top
The bot:
Q: What is a "bot"?
A: An IRC bot is an IRC client that has been modified/written to react to certain conditions that occur on an
IRC server, or in the channel. They can also be programmed with commands to preform tasks. The bot that is run in
#politics is there to preform a few simple tasks for the users. Its name is unbiased. It is an
eggdrop bot.
To get the bot to preform the desired task you would:
/msg unbiased [command]
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Q: What commands work with the bot?
command - what it does
!help - gives help on the commands
!topic [new topic] - will change the topic. This has a time limit setup on it so that the topic you set will stay for a certain amount of time before it can be changed by another user. The limit is currently set at one hour. The person who set the topic can change the topic during the limit period.
!id - If the bot is not oped, it will not be able to execute commands. To make the bot identify to services and op it self use this command.
More commands are going to be added, as they are, they will be listed here.top
Q: Can I look at/download the scripts you are using?
A: At this time the script for the bot is still being worked on. When it is in a more refined/compleat state a link will be provided to it.top
Q: Can I suggest a new command for the bot?
A: Yes. Keep in mind that it may not be added, and if it is, it may take some time to write the script for the command.top