IRC and the Feeling of Power

[Mike Ingle]

>As a more frequent user of IRC, I agree with you.  However, the problem is
>generally technical.  This system was established because IRC channels have
>no "home" server or organization which can claim "ownership" and
>"responsibility" for the behavior and content of the channel.

These problems will exist in any distributed system, so solutions need
to be worked out.

>>I don't use IRC that much, but from
>>what I've seen, that system doesn't work very well. An extropians-style
>>kill command would probably be better for IRC or the list. If someone is
>>causing trouble, you could just set to ignore them.

>I would prefer a system of "talkers" and "listeners".  The channel
>administration, whatever this may be, decides who can talk and who must
>listen.  There is a tentative first step toward this goal in the current
>wave of server revisions.  

Why have an administration at all? Why not just give everyone an
/exclude command which eliminates everything from a particular person,
and an /include command which restores output from that person.
If someone is ranting or flooding, everyone will /exclude him and he 
will be left with only himself for an audience.

--- Mike