[Foundation-l] Status of cloak requests

[Mark Bergsma]

Alex wrote:
>> I think Wikimedia having its own IRC setup would probably be quite a 
>> good idea. I agree with your point that it could remove bueraucracy and 
>> irc.wikimedia.org already exists (albeit only for recent changes etc.). 
>> It seems it would put the ball back in our own hands as it were. I doubt 
>> there are any issues regarding expense or staffing (but I may be wrong) 
>> so go for it, I would say.

> I remember a few weeks ago, someone asked Tim Starling about this in 
> IRC, or a similar question, like why only the rc bot can talk in the 
> irc.wikimedia channels. I don't have the logs from then to give a direct 
> quote, but the reason was basically: its too much work (running services 
> for registering nicks and channels, staffing, setup, maintenance, etc), 
> for something we already get from freenode.

Correct. Actually, at least 3 members of Wikimedia's technical team, if 
not more, have extensive experience with building and running various 
IRC networks, both the technical and the political/social aspects of it. 
  We have ample technical resources to do so as well. However we just 
cannot be bothered anymore as we have so many other things to do and 
worry about, and Freenode does do the job.

Although I must say, personally I find Freenode one odd network with 
some very weird rules and ways of operation, and its nonsense continues 
to irritate me every once in a while.

-- 
Mark Bergsma <mark at wikimedia.org>
System & Network Administrator, Wikimedia Foundation