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Efnet
 

EFnet or Eris Free network (also written incorrectly as EFNet) is a major IRC network, with over 100,000 users. It is the modern-day descendant of the original IRC network.

Initially, most IRC servers formed a single network, to which new servers could join without restriction, but this was soon abused by people who set up servers to sabotage other users, channels or servers. When, in August 1990, server eris.berkeley.edu remained the only one to allow anyone to connect servers, IRC server operator Greg Lindahl broke away to start EFnet. The resulting argument split the IRC community of admins into EFnet and A-net (Anarchy Network), but A-net soon vanished, leaving EFnet as the only IRC network.

Continuing problems with performance and abuse eventually led to the rise of another major IRC network, Undernet, which split off in October 1992.

In July 1996, disagreement on policy caused EFnet to break in two: the slightly larger European half (including Australia and Japan) formed IRCnet, while the American servers continued as EFnet. This was widely known as the Great Split.

EFnet is probably the least "unified" IRC network, with large variations in server rules and policy between different servers. There are three major regions on EFnet which each have their own policy structure. They are EU, CA, and US. Each region votes on its own server applications. However, central policies are voted upon by the admin community. An archive of previous votes can be found at the EFnet voting site.

IRC clients can connect to EFnet via irc.efnet.org or any number of other servers.

In July 2001 a service called CHANFIX (originally named JUPES) was created, which is designed to give back ops to channels which have lost ops or been taken over. In the case of having no ops CHANFIX will automatically join the channel and op people who fit the requirements.

For a takeover, a request must be made for a manual activation of CHANFIX. Once connected to EFnet, a user can find an IRC operator with the command: /stats p

A vast majority of servers on EFnet run ircd-ratbox. A handful run ircd-hybrid, and two run csircd.

EFnet operators (ops) do not have to follow traditional standard IRC administration guidelines * IRC Operators Guide and are left to control a channel however they see fit.

EFnet Servers

United States of America - US EFnet Website

Canada

  • irc.efnet.ca - CA Round Robin
  • irc.arcti.ca - Calgary, Alberta - Shaw Cable
  • irc.dks.ca - Toronto, Ontario - DKS
  • irc.igs.ca - Toronto, Ontario - IGS

Europe - EU EFnet Website

Only a handful of servers on EFnet support IPv6. They are:

  • irc.choopa.net
  • irc.homelien.no
  • efnet.ipv6.xs4all.nl
  • irc.efnet.nl
  • efnet.ipv6.port80.se
  • irc.ipv6.inter.net.il
  • irc.ac.za

External links

IRC networks | Virtual communities

EFnet | EFnet | EFnet

References

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "EFnet".

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