freenode

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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 domain name irc.freenode.net, which sends the users to the server in rotation that is best able to accept new connections.[2]

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[edit] 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. The OpenProjects.net domain was later put up for sale on eBay,[3] but did not sell.

[edit] Today

freenode is the largest FOSS IRC network in existence, encompassing more than 70,000 users and 10,000 channels.[4]

[edit] Major events

  • On June 24, 2006, a user with the nickname "ratbert" (actually one of 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.[5] This user proceeded to k-line many freenode staff members, and most freenode servers subsequently went down for several hours.[6][7][8][9]

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[edit] External links