News

There are several reasons for the change. The original AwfulNet slogan and mantra "For teenagers, by teenagers" has been becoming increasingly obsolete as time goes on. Prior to the merger, only one staff member was a teenager. Furthermore, the AwfulNet user base has aged to the point where the median age is closer to 19-21, and the old marketing plan for it is no longer viable. In addition, certain software used on AwfulNet has been increasingly more difficult to maintain with a lot of abandonware in use. To this end, it's in our opinion that the best way to serve AwfulNet's users is to migrate them over to ChatLounge, which while it may not be teen-focused, is teen-friendly. AwfulNet users will also have considerably more servers to choose from, as outlined here: Servers.

It's our intent to preserve as much channel access as possible (summing it together), we can't guarantee there will not be some discrepancies. While efforts will be made to ensure this, some may be overlooked. In the event you notice any, please let a member of network staff know and it will be resolved on a case-by-case basis.

To this end, many changes are taking place, for both the user base of ChatLounge and that of AwfulNet. These changes are outlined below:

Changes for ChatLounge Users

The most notable changes are in the staff line-up. Mag has been promoted to Network Administrator, and has taken over administration of the client server in New York City. Per the concept of grandfathering in, Sasaki, a former staffer on AwfulNet, has been appointed to the position of Senior Services Operator, the role formerly held by Mag.

Changes for AwfulNet Users

Several changes will be taking place for AwfulNet users, outlined here.

• Considerably more client servers are available. Consult the Servers page to learn more about them.
• The following services have been removed: BotServ, HelpServ, and HostServ.
• Channels will no longer have BotServ bots.
• As HelpServ is no longer available, simply state your queries in: #help
• As HostServ is no longer available, services-based visual hosts (v-hosts) no longer exist.
• Hostmasking no longer exists. More on why can be found here: Why don't you have hostmasking?
• Nickname/account registrations now expire after 1 year of continuous non-use, as opposed to no automatic expiration in the past which would require users to make special requests to the staff.
• Channel registrations expire after 60 days of continuous non-use, as opposed to 360 days.

FAQ for former AwfulNet Users

1. Is new software being used? Will I have to get used to new commands?

   The same services software (ChanServ, NickServ, et al.) is being used, so those commands remain the same. AwfulNet formerly used UnrealIRCd 3.2.10.x, however ChatLounge utilizes ChatIRCd, which uses different channel and user modes outside of the standard RFC1459 modes. For more information on these modes and available commands, please execute the following commands on IRC: /quote help, /quote help cmode, /quote help extban, and /quote help umode.

2. I'm concerned about losing my memos/NickServ data/channel access/etc.!

   NickServ and memo information should be preserved. No known conflicts exist, but if they arise you may bring up these concerns in #Help where each case will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

   Channel access should also be preserved, however conflicts may arise in the case of two channels having the same name. Efforts will be made to make this as fair and as equitable as possible. If a particular situation is missed, or you disagree with the determination made, please bring it up in #help where each case will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

3. I still have more questions about this!

   Please join #help on ChatLounge.

The IRCSpeed IRC network has gone defunct. To this end, the ChatLounge Administration has agreed to accept their users and merge the services database. While efforts are being made to make the process as smooth as possible, there may be slight kinks that may need to be ironed out. If you have any disputes regarding channel ownership, channel ACLs, nickname ownership, etc. please bring them up in #help where your requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

ChatLounge users should experience no changes in the way things are being done. Differences in channel access may be possible. If so, please bring up any discrepancies in #help where your case will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Former IRCSpeed users will experience the following changes. It's also strongly recommended for former IRCSpeed users to review the general section of the ChatLounge FAQ.

• The following services have been removed: BotServ, GroupServ, HelpServ, HostServ
• Channels will no longer have BotServ bots.
• Groups no longer exist; however the feature was not used heavily so the effect is minimal.
• As HelpServ is no longer available, simply state your queries in: #help
• As HostServ is no longer available, services-based visual hosts (v-hosts) no longer exist.
• Hostmasking no longer exists. More on why can be found here: Why don't you have hostmasking?
• #OperHelp no longer exists, only one help channel remains: #help
• Nickname/account registrations now expire after 1 year of continuous non-use.
• Channel registrations still expire after 60 days of continuous non-use.
• Owner and admin/protect channel status modes are now available.

FAQ for former IRCSpeed Users

1. Is new software being used? Will I have to get used to new commands?

   No, the exact same software is being used. However, as the configuration is different there are some changes.

2. I want to take advantage of the new channel status modes? How may I go about doing this?

   If you are the channel founder, you can assign the channel flags +q (owner) or +a (admin/protected) to ACL entries, either to yourself or to others in the channel.

3. I'm concerned about losing my memos/NickServ data/channel access/etc.!

   NickServ and memo information should be preserved. No known conflicts exist, but if they arise you may bring up these concerns in #help where each case will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

   Channel access should also be preserved, however conflicts may arise in the case of two channels having the same name. Efforts will be made to make this as fair and as equitable as possible. If a particular situation is missed, or you disagree with the determination made, please bring it up in #help where each case will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

4. I still have more questions about this!

   Please join #help on ChatLounge.