Metafilter IRC suspended, moved

August 29, 2005 10:27 AM

The MetaFilter IRC channel, #mefi, that was hosted on the server irc.turlyming.com by chrish has been suspended indefinitely. You can find the old school #mefi regulars at their temporary new home: #tapes on irc.slashnet.org.
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood to MetaFilter-related at 10:27 AM (34 comments total)

What happened?
posted by geoff. at 10:31 AM on August 29, 2005

What happens when #tapes gets eaten?
posted by grouse at 10:31 AM on August 29, 2005

We know who to blame.
posted by yerfatma at 10:36 AM on August 29, 2005

Yeah, I would love to know what has happened here. Though I suppose it's something banal rather than juicy. Sigh.
posted by orange swan at 10:43 AM on August 29, 2005

Somebody set up us the bomb.
posted by gyc at 10:45 AM on August 29, 2005

Which one of you tripped on the extension cord?
posted by Smart Dalek at 10:48 AM on August 29, 2005

we're too hot for tv.
posted by fishfucker at 10:48 AM on August 29, 2005

Yeah, I'm not entirely sure what went down (and I'm not really interested in finding out as I've gotten half a dozen he said-she said emails so far), but I've repeatedly said I wasn't entirely comfortable hosting and paying for a chat server I never really used or got a net positive result of having it around. I'm actually going to transition stuff off that server and shut it down completely, so there will definitely not be an official #mefi coming back.

I'm fine with fan run servers and metachat.org fills the niche as well, so I think it won't be as drastic as it might sound.
posted by mathowie at 10:51 AM on August 29, 2005

Please, pretty please, make some sort of shell that can access that without having to use the port mirc uses! (Or if anyone knows of one, please provide).
posted by dios at 10:56 AM on August 29, 2005

man and slashnet bans tor connections. This is teh lame, also matt i think you might find that the irc channel could have been useful if you had taken an active interest in it. Although i can understand a desire to not bow to the masses. Thats where anonymous user id's come in though.... what you don't know you can't really criticisize.


seriously though, if i can't use tor, i can't access irc at work........ which means i might have to work..... egads.
posted by sourbrew at 11:02 AM on August 29, 2005

Here's the lo-fi version: I have been running the #mefi channel for almost 3-years now (2 years and 40 weeks to exact). In that time, I have spent countless hours dealing with complaints on and off the channel. Most recently, I attempted to set a ground rule that would, hopefully, eliminate the majority of the complaints. Some left for a new home. Some stayed because they still wanted to call #mefi home. Some stayed to test my limits. Whether or not anyone knows or cares, my "limits" for administrating a service that (a) is thankless and (b) I am not compensated in any way for, is surprisingly low. So, I shut the channel down. In a nutshell, the drama that was #mefi is not worth my time. Thanks, but I'll be on #tapes where I can sit back, relax and have fun.
posted by chrish at 11:09 AM on August 29, 2005

i think you might find that the irc channel could have been useful if you had taken an active interest in it.

I could have found a MeFi hanggliding club, MeFi knitting circle, and MeFi La Leche League useful if I had any time for it, but like #mefi IRC, I don't have all day to hang out and chat. Sorry.
posted by mathowie at 11:11 AM on August 29, 2005 [1 favorite]

Sorry, I didn't mean to make my last comment sound like I was mocking those that chat, just that sourbrew's comment was exactly why I have no interest in hosting it anymore -- I didn't have time to take an active role in it to establish any sort of mood or accepted conduct like I do here on the site, so I never got any utility out of it, just a steady stream of complaints from resulting dust-ups in the channel.
posted by mathowie at 11:17 AM on August 29, 2005

The proper response to dust-ups in IRC is laughter.

I'm just sayin...
posted by Lafe at 11:26 AM on August 29, 2005

Out of curiosity, what were the new ground rules?
posted by George_Spiggott at 11:27 AM on August 29, 2005

Find them here, Spiggott,
posted by Kwantsar at 11:31 AM on August 29, 2005

Yesterday I wrote an explanation as to why I would no longer be on #mefi. Some people pointed out that it would be better just moving the channel to a public server - at least temporarily - and so my wife and I setup #tapes on slashnet. About half the regulars showed up last night, and with #mefi gone the rest are there now.

A more permanent solution not under my or my wife's control will be forthcoming, since I'm not really comfortable with being in a position of authority.
posted by Ryvar at 11:35 AM on August 29, 2005

mathowie - ahh but thats why i suggested an anonymous user id, like lafe said the appropriate response is laughter, and with a fake name you could do it with impunity. I never intended to suggest that you maintain some sort of strict irc policy like the one on the site. thats not what irc is about. irc is about pettiness and rapid support to tech questions.

Although in your defense, im not sure i would want to hear that many jrun jokes either.
posted by sourbrew at 11:38 AM on August 29, 2005

/snark


sorry just bummed about #mefi.... nothing but respect for everyone who puts out fine internet products that i have enjoyed.
posted by sourbrew at 11:48 AM on August 29, 2005

Hmm. Well, I can understand why chrish just wants to throw in the towel. And someone else will host it. No big deal after all. It was just a bit of surprise. I have visited #mefi a number of times, though not recently, so I was placidly assuming it was all humming along just fine.
posted by orange swan at 11:57 AM on August 29, 2005

I just want to say thanks to Chris & Matt for keeping #mefi running for so long. I had stopped going to the channel regularly for quite some time, I just went in once in a while to say hi to old friends, of which I've made quite a few thanks to #mefi.
posted by riffola at 12:06 PM on August 29, 2005

I just went in once in a while to say hi to old friends, of which I've made quite a few thanks to #mefi.

One also got flirted with rather agressively at #mefi.</reminisce
posted by orange swan at 12:10 PM on August 29, 2005

Pretty much all of the problems consisted of somebody emailing chris instead of using /ignore.

Personally, I think the only issues worth mentioning to an admin are technical problems, or issues with ops abusing their power. By that definition, #mefi had exactly one problem in total (steve_at_linnwood).
posted by mosch at 12:15 PM on August 29, 2005

That link to the rules is more like a link to bitching about the rules.
posted by smackfu at 12:16 PM on August 29, 2005

i also reprise the thanks due to chris and matt for making #mefi possible for so long.
posted by fishfucker at 12:24 PM on August 29, 2005

I would like to see a link to the new irc server wherever we end up landing at on the Etc. page.
posted by Dreamghost at 12:29 PM on August 29, 2005

I'd be willing to host a server on my node, providing it doesn't generate enough traffic to piss off my server's ISP =)
posted by cyrusdogstar at 3:30 PM on August 29, 2005

It looks like the permanent server situation is already being taken care of, but thanks a ton, cyrus.
posted by Ryvar at 3:34 PM on August 29, 2005

I went there, like, twice, but thanks anyway for hosting it. it was fun.
posted by matteo at 3:54 PM on August 29, 2005

By that definition, #mefi had exactly one problem in total (steve_at_linnwood).

PWNED!
posted by loquacious at 4:04 PM on August 29, 2005

"... since I'm not really comfortable with being in a position of authority."

It might be educational for you.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 4:19 PM on August 29, 2005

#mefi had exactly one problem in total (steve_at_linnwood)

Funny mosch, you are the only one that seemed to have a problem. You trolled #mefi, and you broke the rules. Maybe you should have taken your own advise and "used /ignore" Frankly I would not be shocked if it was you who was constantly emailing chris.

You are nothing but a whiny little bitch.
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 4:22 PM on August 29, 2005

IRC drama is teh best drama of them all.
posted by keswick at 4:35 PM on August 29, 2005

allllrighty then!
posted by mathowie at 4:35 PM on August 29, 2005