FREENODE

'freenode', formerly known as 'Open Projects Network', is a popular IRC network used to discuss peer-directed projects.^[1] Their servers are all accessible from the DNS name [irc://chat.freenode.net chat.freenode.net], which sends the users to the server in rotation that is best able to accept new connections. ^[2]

Contents

History

Today

Major events

References

See also

External links

History

freenode began as a 4-person GNU/Linux support channel called #LinPeople on EFnet, another IRC network. By 1995 it moved from being just a channel to its own network, irc.linpeople.org.
In early 1998 it changed to Open Projects Net (OPN) with about 200 users and under 20 channels. The OPN soon grew to become the largest network for the free software community, and 20th largest in the world.
In 2002 the name changed to freenode. The Peer-Directed Projects Center was founded as the legal umbrella organization.

Today

freenode is the largest FOSS IRC network in existence, encompassing more than 30,000 users and 10,000 channels.^[3]
The top 5 channels (in number of users) are (as of July 6, 2007):^[4]
# #ubuntu at 1076
# #gentoo at 930
# #debian at 777
# #linux at 605
# #php at 528
# #perl at 498
# #rubyonrails at 473

Major events

★ On June 24, 2006, a user with the nick ratbert (actually one of the lilo's services-linked nicknames) gained the network privileges of Rob Levin (lilo) and took control of the network. It is likely that approximately 25 user passwords were stolen as a result.[1] This user proceeded to k-line many freenode staff members, and most freenode servers subsequently went down for several hours.[2][3][4]

★ Freenode administrator Robert Levin, who used the IRC nick lilo, died on Saturday, September 16, 2006.^[5] His death was caused by head injuries sustained in a hit and run collision while riding his bicycle on September 12th. He fell into a coma at the scene and did not regain consciousness.

References

1. Mutton, Paul. ''IRC Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools''. Cambridge: O'Reilly Media 2004. ISBN 0-596-00687-X
2. http://freenode.net/irc_servers.shtml
3. Network statistics over the last two weeks
4. List of freenode channels - irc.netsplit.de
5. freenode news: 16 September 2006

See also

★ Peer-Directed Projects Center

External links

★ freenode's website

★ official freenode blog

★ Rob Levin's former blog