Allnitecafe on Dalnet

Disclaimer - This is my take on how ANC works. This is how I view it and how I operate within it. The SOP, Founder or other AOPs have not sanctioned this article.

I hear the complaint "What about free speech?" weekly. On IRC there is no free speech. There is no bill of rights for IRC or  the Internet . If you don't like the prospect of having some of your usual rights stripped, do not join IRC. Load up Yahoo and chat there, IM your friends, do something other than join an environment that has a built in power structure.

Additionally, I hear the occasional complaint that I and other OPs are hypocritical and/or bitchy.

I'm not writing this article to say I'm not a hypocrite, nor am I saying I'm not bitchy. I can be both. I am however going to explain why some of us do what we do.

Pecking Order

There is a Pecking Order in ANC. The more "powerful" the person, the higher in the pecking order they are. This is obvious.  The important thing to realize is where you stand in that pecking order and to behave accordingly.

As I see it, the pecking order is as follows: 

• Founder
• SOps
• AOps
  • Old
  • New 
• Voices 
  • Old (Regulars)
  • "Pets"
    
  • New (Soon to be Regulars)
    
  • Temp (Chatters who are chatting nicely)
• Users
  • Chatters (not voiced)
    
  • Guests
  • co/ce/cam/horny/dick/etc
  • Blacklisted

As the phrase "pecking order" implies, you can only harass someone who is equal or below you on the pecking order. To harass someone above you will inevitably get you in trouble in some fashion.

Please note, some ops, dependent on mood or temperament, will not allow you to harass ANYONE. Please figure out who these are and behave accordingly.

Rules 

Rules tend to be loose and depend on who is awake. Past rules have included, but are not limited to:

• No Flooding
• No Repeating
• English Only
  
• No arguing with the Ops
  

• No Cursing/Swearing at a particular person
• No Op or Voice begging
• No Political or Religious Discussion (especially if people get volatile as a result)
• No Graphic Sexual Discussion
• No advertising, pasting URLs or other Channel names will get you automatically banned (unless voiced).
• No Harassing People Needlessly - yes, some people deserve it but see the pecking order above.
• ANC isn't a pick-up channel. Anyone asking for girls, chicks, cam, sex, feet, etc will be banned.
• Make sense. If you rant and rave and no one understands you, you will be banned. (death to duska.)
  

Hypocritical?

Yes, we can behave hypocritically at times. Get over it.

Regulars get special treatment. If we see them breaking one of the "rules" above, chances are we'll give them far more warning than someone who isn't a regular. We may even ignore the behavior altogether as long as it's not excessive.

Then there are those chatters that consistently get away with murder.
Yes, we are aware of this. You'll have to deal with it.
These people have generally earned the respect or amusement of at least one Op. They're a "pet". Considering this term isn't used by anyone but a handful of us, they probably don't know they're "pets".
However, it is important to note that pets typically observe the pecking order. Pets rarely harass someone above them. 

Complaints/Differences of Opinion

Please confine your complaints and arguments to PM (private message). Arguing with an Op's decision in the main channel will get you banned, if not by the Op in question, then by another one.

Ops are there to chat and to moderate the chat. They have been given Op status for a reason.
They are not there to listen to you whine about how unfair it is that you were banned. This also applies to attempts to "stick up" for someone else who has been banned (or warned). If you disagree with an Op's decision, take it up with them in private. If they are unresponsive, consider yourself lucky and drop the subject.

I, for one, try to back up my colleagues. I won't stand by and watch someone lambaste an Op for a decision they made regardless of if it was right or wrong.

Anyone consistently "getting into it" with Ops will consistently get banned. If it continues, they'll be placed on blacklist or AKICK. 

You can also complain to the SOps via e-mail at allnitecafe at live.ca (strip the at and add an @)

Things to ponder 

Some quotes from our Ops and others around to ponder:

"All people are equal. Some are more equal than others"
"Chat is not a democracy"
"Chatting here is a privelege .. it is not a right"
"If you don't like it..fuck off :)"