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This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (February 2008) |
Internet Relay Chat services (usually called IRC services) is a name for a set of features implemented in mostcitation needed modern Internet Relay Chat networks. Services are automated bots with special status which are generally used to provide users with access with certain privileges and protection. They usually implement some sort of login system so that only people on the access control list can obtain these services.
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The most popular style of services use a number of fake clients whose names end in "Serv". The four below are nearly always seen in services of this style.
Some others are also seen following this naming convention in some services packages including:
The original NickServ was written by Armin Gruner at the Munich University of Technology in 1990.citation needed The original intention was to give out friendly warnings that somebody else already likes to use a specific nickname, since the IRC protocol has no built-in provision to protect electronic identities. NoteServ and MsgServ followed up soon after the introduction of NickServ, and had a similar job of today's MemoServ.
It was considered okay behaviour to simply /ignore NickServ's notices, but an operator called Jupiter decided to /kill NickServ and use the nickname NickServ himself, subsequently collecting all identify passwords from users and being amused by that. This led to a public debate over the usefulness and safety of services, the discontinuation of NickServ on EFnet and EFnet's current Nicknames are not owned policy arose.
In 1995 DALnet invented ChanServ, then re-implemented NickServ and MemoServ. Today EFnet and IRCnet are the last large IRC networks which stick to their policy of living without identity protection. Services are generally considered essential to providing a pleasant chatting experience.citation needed
Many variants of services have been implemented over time, so each IRC network speaks a different service dialect, making it close to impossible for client developers to implement unified graphical interfaces to the various registration procedures. Still most of them are inspired by DALnet's and Armin's original works, only Undernet and QuakeNet stick out with a completely different approach.
There are several software packages that implement services. Some of the popular ones include srvx, Atheme, Hybserv (developed for use with the Hybrid IRC daemon software), Epona, Anope, and IRC Services 5 (supporting a wide range of IRC daemons, considered the "original" IRC Services). While some of these packages provide excellent features in the eyes of many users, some network operators decide to write their own services, with the most important reasons being flexibility, customization, and often, mostly on smaller networks, fun also plays an important role. Not all packages implement the above service bots. Also, sometimes the bots have different names, and may or may not implement these functions in the form listed above. Even so, the above form is the most common.
The IRC+ initiative is working on producing recommendations for services to use common numerics for essential functions, so that clients can have unified and simplified user interfaces for dealing with services for the most essential functions (like, registering your identity on an IRC network).
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