Can I become an IRCOp?

| Apr 09, 2004 | 4 comments

Before asking if you can be one, you must fully understand the title and the responsibilities that come with it.
IRC Operators spend a large proportion of their time answering the same questions over and over again and again, mediating disputes, providing basic tech support to members, teaching users IRC commands, and battling spammers and Trojan bots.
The most important thing to know about being an IRC Operator is that most likely, you don’t really want to be one. Being an IRC Operator is not a glamorous position. It takes a great deal of hard work, dedication, and most of all patience. The overall amount of time an operator spends on IRC talking to his/her friends is drastically decreased. To use an analogy, you no-longer get to play in the pool, you are the one who sits on the side watching others have all the fun.
IRC Operators are asked all kinds of questions, and for help on many subjects – you are not expected to know the answer to everything, but you are expected to point them in the right direction to help. IRC Operator cannot ignore or refuse to help someone, as they are obliged to try. IRC Operators spend numerous long sessions of several hours moderating blatantly trivial disputes. IRC Operators can’t just tell them to go away, or to find ‘someone else’ – an IRC Operator is the ‘someone else’ and is required to see a dispute (how ever insignificant) to a conclusion that is acceptable to all parties. IRC Operators will have people try to flood them. IRC Operators will have people that kick/ban them from channels. People call IRC Operators nasty names. People think IRC Operators are creeps. People mailbomb IRC Operators email accounts. They will try to hack IRC Operators shell accounts. They will even try to impersonate IRC Operators. You may disregard these scenarios, but you would be surprised what some people can do, or have done.
Can I ask to be an IRC Operator?
NO!!!!! No one has ever been made an IRC Operator on WyldRyde just by asking for it…and here’s why:
A WyldRyde operator is a person that:

  1. Has several years of experience on WyldRyde and assists other users in #help;
  2. Is diplomatic, a team player, problem solver, and can work well in a hierarchical democracy;
  3. Has an open mind that is always welcome to learning more and likes to expand their knowledge;
  4. Has a willingness to follow direction from supervisors;
  5. Is familiar with multiple IRC clients such as mIRC, xChat, Colloquy and WyldRyde’s Flash Chat;
  6. Has at least basic knowledge in the functionality of IRC daemons;
  7. Has at least basic knowledge in network and server technologies, and Internet functionality;
  8. Has excellent English language skills;
  9. Has personal interest in working voluntarily to maintain and develop WyldRyde;
  10. Has enough spare time to volunteer for WyldRyde;
  11. Is of good moral character and has no prior felony criminal convictions or prior convictions for crimes of moral turpitude.

And one or preferably two or more of the following:

  • Is able to understand and type in other languages used on WyldRyde;
  • Has experience and expertise in server and/or network administration and Internet technologies;
  • Has experience and expertise in programming;
  • Has experience and expertise in advanced use of IRC daemons;
  • An advanced understanding of HTML and CSS;
  • Skills in PHP, Flash, and/or JavaScript;
  • Has experience and expertise in various forms of professional writing;
  • Has studied or has an interest in human psychology;
  • Has good contacts with ISP’s;

As you see it’s not easy to be, or become, an IRCOp, and even if you have all of the qualifications stated above you probably still wouldn’t be accepted as an IRCOp based on your resume because frankly, we don’t trust people that we don’t know. WyldRyde Admins only choose someone to be an IRCOp after they have gotten to know them over several years and know from first hand experience that they can meet these requirements.
If being an IRC Operator still appeals to you, here are a few hints as to how to become one:

  • Do not ask – in most cases you will come across as a beggar;
  • Know the various IRC clients. Not only mIRC, but the myriad of other clients. Make sure that you are vaguely aware of their basic operation;
  • Know the Web Chat client inside and out. Web Chat has a very large base of users, and they need help just as much as the regular IRC users. You should be able immediately identify if a user is on Web Chat, or a normal IRC client;
  • Know the basic IRC commands;
  • Know user modes, channel modes, and very importantly, masks (nick!user@host);
  • Know what an Admin is, what “powers” they have that an Oper does not, and how to find one when you need one;
  • Help out users as best you can. This does not mean only helping when an IRCOp is present. If you help out, chances are you will be noticed. Helping does not involve saying things like “look at me! I am helping MaryJaneUser!”;
  • You must sincerely want to be an IRCOp. If you want to be an IRCOp for status or because being an oper is “cool” it will be obvious;
  • Always be courteous, kind and forgiving. Be gentle and peaceful each day. Be warm, human, and grateful. And always have a good thing to say. Interpersonal skills are some of the most important qualities of an IRC Operator;
  • Try helping out in some of the recommended help channels (#help, #lockergnome, #besttechie, #geekstogo). You may not be opped right away, but if you make an honest effort to help out, you will be noticed;
  • Remember: be patient. Eventually an Admin may ask you to be an IRC Operator. However, not everyone will be asked to be an oper, no matter how well qualified he/she/it may be;
  • Note: We will not offer IRC Operator or Admin status in trade for bringing users or channels.

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Filed Under: FAQ