User:TechnicalExcellence/temp

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FTC Networks, LLC
Type	Multimedia, Public Chat Service
Founded	October 14, 2003
Headquarters	United States, Australia
Website	www.ftcchat.com

FTC Chat began informally in 2001 as a series of chatrooms created for teens on MSN Chat. When MSN Chat became subscription and disallowed teen chatrooms on October 14, 2003,^[1] FTC decided to build its own teen chat service, with the same look and feel as MSN Chat but with better security and more features and a faster connection.^[2] and ^[3] FTC formally filed for and became a Limited Liability Company under the laws of the State of California on July 1, 2004.^[4] For those teens who were using FTC rooms on MSN, such as the co-ed GIRLS N' BOYS, or the gender specific BOYS, BOYS, BOYS and GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS rooms, FTC developed their own ActiveX webchat designed to afford users a look and feel similar to that of the now defunct MSN Chat's ActiveX webchat.^[2] Screenshots and basic features of FTC's webchat, known as SuperChat™ (an ActiveX webchat developed and owned exclusively by FTC) are available here.^[5] In addition, mIRC users can access FTC Chat through /server FTCNetwork.com, with any mIRC client or may download custom clients designed specifically for the FTC Chat Service.^[6] FTC's SuperChat™ is compatible with Internet Explorer version 5.0 and above as well as Netscape version 7.1 and above. The FTC Chat Service uses multiple client servers located around the world together with redundant services and hub servers to ensure uninterrupted uptime.^[7] As of January 5, 2007, the FTC Chat Service had an uptime of 100% since March 31, 2005, according to the independent Global Uptime Monitoring Service, Alertra.^[8] Although FTC Chat remains committed to its original teen audience, FTC's administration modified its teen only policy effective January 1, 2005 to permit users of all ages, while maintaining and strictly enforcing age restrictions for teen rooms.

Contents 1 FTC Chat Service 1.1 FTC Staff and User levels 1.1.1 Network Staff 1.1.2 Public Users 1.2 Channel modes 1.3 Authentication 1.4 DNS Server System and Network Lag 1.5 ActiveX Webchat 2 Security 2.1 Identity Protection 2.2 Additional Security Measures 3 Network Staff 3.1 Global Staff 3.2 Chat Operations 4 References 4.1 Additional Sources

[edit] FTC Chat Service

FTC Chat Service is a free IRC (Internet Relay Chat) based chat system that permits users from all over the world to communicate in near real time using a wide variety of chat clients, including a custom webchat that allows users who have no access to chat clients such as mIRC to use the service.^[9] The FTC Chat Service is based on a proprietary version of UnrealIRCd, currently at version Unreal3.2.5-FTC.^[10] FTC sponsors a number of rooms, and staffs a 24 hour a day Help Desk to assist users experiencing problems.^[11] and ^[12] Users may also create and maintain their own chatrooms. Although the topic and use of all FTC rooms must be lawful and are subject to the FTC Terms of Behavior,^[13] the room creator (considered the owner) determines room topic, content and room rules. Room Owners (Room Ops) are distinguished by a Gold hammer icon while assistants (hosts) are distinguished by Brown hammer icons. All Room Owners and Hosts have the ability to enforce local room rules as well as the overall FTC Network Code of Behavior through room bans.^[14] Unlike most IRC chatrooms, users can place timed network bans for specific unwanted users, without the need to remove the ban manually.

see Internet Relay Chat for information about the IRC system

In addition to its SuperChat™ webchat, FTC has authored several mIRC based chat clients, such as Chat Commander and Voyager (hybrid mIRC and HTML), that allow users to choose chat clients specifically designed to make maximum use of the FTC Chat Service.^[6]

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[edit] FTC Staff and User levels

FTC's staff and user levels differ from other IRC networks in that two distinct categories of staff and three categories of users exist. Within the staff categories, Administrators are broken down into two subcategories: Network Administrator and Global Administrator, while Network Guides (Guides) and System Operators (Sysops) are broken down into a number of subcategories depending on the authority granted. In essence, permissions below the level of Network Administrator are granted by Network Administrators on an ala carte basis. Users are broken down into three distinct categories: Users, Room Hosts and Room Owners. Moderated rooms (+m) render users incapable of speaking until a Room Host or Room Owner grants them user mode +v status.^[10]

[edit] Network Staff

   - Network Administrator (Admin)
   - Acting Network Administrator (Acting Admin)
   - Network Guide (Guide)
   - Global System Operator (Sysop)
   * All Network Staff are depicted by FTC Circles icons

[edit] Public Users

   - Room Owner (Operator) - Depicted by Gold Hammer Icons
   - Host (halfop) - Depicted by Brown Hammer icons
   - User - Depicted by various icons depending on profile status
   - Voiced (can speak in moderated rooms) - Depicted with 
     sunglasses in non-voiced status

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[edit] Channel modes

Channel modes are settings applied to a specific chat room to permit the room operators to control automated functions, such as moderated rooms that require room operators or hosts to voice a user before they can speak within the room. These channel modes can be applied or changed by room owners, room hosts or network administrators.^[10]

   +G Profanity Filter
   +i Invitation Only
   +m Moderated Room
   +N No Nick Changes 
   +p Private Room
   +s Secret Room
   +t Hosts Change Topic Only
   +M Registered Nicks Only
   +l Room Limit
   +U No Links Allowed to be Posted by Users
   +V No Invites
   +f Anti-Flood Protection
   +k Room Key
   +r Registered Room
   +T No Notices
   +F FTC Sponsored Room (FTC Circles appear over nicklist)

• Note: Not all channel modes can be set using SuperChat™. However, FTC's mIRC based Chat Commander client (Mode Dialogue pictured at right) can be used to set most modes, except +F and certain security modes reserved for FTC Staff only.

For a more complete list of Channel and User Modes see the FTC Chat Commands PDF

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[edit] Authentication

Authentication occurs at two levels. Webchat users must have an account with FTC in order to properly log into the FTC website and join a chatroom using SuperChat™ (FTC's ActiveX webchat). Once in a room, standard NickServ authentication (Registration and Identify) exists with a right click on the main chat window.^[15] In addition to SuperChat™, FTC offers a full service JavaChat with most of the same features as SuperChat™.

[edit] DNS Server System and Network Lag

FTC is a full service IRC chat network, with multiple worldwide IRCd chat servers accessible through a state of the art DNS system using /server FTCNetwork.com.^[7] In addition to assigning each user to the most efficient network server available at the time, FTC's DNS constantly polls the network to make sure users are evenly distributed amongst all client servers to reduce network lag.^[16] Network lag normally ranges between 7.12 Milliseconds and 50.20 Milliseconds.^[17] FTC's Network Uptime is independently monitored by Alertra and has maintained 100% uptime since Alertra began monitoring FTC's uptime in March of 2005,^[18] primarily due to FTC's completely redundant server system.

[edit] ActiveX Webchat

The FTC Chat Service offers a state of the art ActiveX webchat. FTC developed this webchat and holds and protects the intellectual property rights thereto.^[5] Although many "MSN Clone" sites exist that unlawfully (arguably) fool the old MSN ActiveX OCX into believing it is connecting to the MSN Chat Service,^[19] FTC should not be confused or considered to be a clone site, as their ActiveX OCX is developed by FTC, and has many functions that MSN's last known OCX did not. In addition, FTC's OCX is approximately 43% more efficient than MSN's last known OCX, and allows multiple connections to chatrooms with a single instance of the OCX, where MSN's OCX required a new instance of the OCX for each connection, thereby vastly increasing resource requirements. Perhaps the easiest way to distinguish the difference between FTC's OCX and MSN's is the fact that FTC's OCX connects to FTC's IRCd network, which would be impossible for MSN's IRCx OCX.

[edit] Security

FTC maintains a very sophisticated security system consisting of both online virus/bot/Trojan/proxy scanning of all users joining the network as well as other electronic means of protecting users from potential threats. In addition, FTC maintains an Internal Security Department headed by a retired police detective who is now a licensed California Private Investigator. Because FTC permits teens, over the age of 13 in keeping with COPPA,^[20] Internal Security actively works with law enforcement to ensure that online predators do not have an opportunity to take advantage of FTC's users. An aggressive user education program has been implemented to assist teen users to recognize and report online predators and protect their identities.

[edit] Identity Protection

The FTC Chat system cloaks all user's IP and Host information, resulting in a hostmask that looks similar to the following fictional example:

~user@f49a.edb7a946jad2fef9529e6a7f98207814.FTCNetwork-GateKeeper

Typically hostmasks display all or part of the user's ISP information, which can assist online predators to locate intended victims,^[21] FTC cloaks the user's hostmask entire as shown above to provide users with absolute anonymity.

[edit] Additional Security Measures

FTC does not publically disclose all of its security measures in order to inhibit counter measures. However, FTC has full null routing to combat DDoS attacks, and has state of the art clone and flood detection as well as the ability to inhibit all known threats. As those who thrive on wreaking havoc against online services such as FTC continue to find new ways to interrupt normal operations, FTC's Network Administrators continue to implement new and improved ways to thwart such efforts.

[edit] Network Staff

[edit] Global Staff

• Network Administrator (Admin)
• Network Administrator [Acting] (Acting Admin)
• Network Guide (Guide)
• Global System Operator (Sysop)
• FTC Sponsored Chatroom Operator
• FTC Sponsored Chatroom Host

[edit] Chat Operations

• Chatroom Operator / Op (Gold Hammer)
• Chatroom Host / Half Op (Brown Hammer)
• Voiced User

[edit] References

[edit] Additional Sources

• FTC Chat FAQ's: http://funteenchat.com/faq.htm
• FTC Live Chat Support: http://funteenchat.com/livesupport.htm
• FTC Feedback Form: http://funteenchat.com/feedback.htm
• List of SuperChat™ Emoticons: http://funteenchat.com/emoticons.htm

• Privacy: http://funteenchat.com/privacy.htm
• Terms of Use: http://funteenchat.com/termsofuse.htm
• Terms of Behavior: http://funteenchat.com/behavior.htm
• Terms of Acceptance: http://funteenchat.com/acceptance.htm