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Future and purpose of the IRC Team

The IRC team is currently described on launchpad as:

The Ubuntu IRC operator team is responsible for managing the Ubuntu channels on freenode.

• Ubuntu-IRC is a team of operators, approved by the Ubuntu IRC Council.
• The team exists to give Ubuntu channel contacts a ready pool of enthusiastic, trusted operators for their channel should they need it.
• Channel contacts should also hopefully be able to trust a user belonging to this group if that user requests access.

The IRC Council accepts new members to this group after observing the sustained positive contribution of an operator in one or more Ubuntu channels.

More information is available at the ircteam wiki: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/IrcTeam

The question is, is the scope of the team still current, and is more guidelines on how people are assessed for eligibility to join the team necessary?

Please feel to add your thoughts and idea here, and bring them to the next council meeting.

Criteria for +v in #ubuntu-ops

Currently there is a rather haphazard way of adding people to the voiced (+v) operator list in #ubuntu-ops. We need to have a uniform and standardized proceedure for eligibility for +v in #ubuntu-ops. The purpose of +v is to show users who are operators in the channels that #ubuntu-ops covers, to understand who can deal with their query.

Therefore, in my understanding, an operator in one of the core channels, that are managed by the ubuntu-irc team and come under the scope of #ubuntu-ops, should have +v in that channel. All others should not be permitted under the no idle rule.

Comments on this view are welcome below:

• what about freenode staff? --Myrtti

Implementation of same system for #ubuntu-irc

Currently there is an issue with finding operators from the loco channels when a problem arises, and is asked about in #ubuntu-irc. I propose we implement a similar system in #ubuntu-irc, so as operators from the loco channels are easily recognized and able to be found in a simple and timely manner.

Discussion here:

• How are loco channel ops currently assigned? I think we need to discuss that before we can come up with a system that isn't a pain to maintain for #ubuntu-irc -- Pici

Usage of +v in #ubuntu-ops and #ubuntu-irc

There has been some thought that perhaps it would be better that only operators who are available make themselves +v, so when a person enters #ubuntu-ops/-irc they can quickly see who is actually available to sort out their query.

This point is very open for discussion, so points here:

• "This part about voice/devoice yourself as an indication of availability seems redundant. If someone is away the person will know when trying to contact them. Also how would people now the +v is an indication of availability? They will see a bunch of nicks with +v others without, wonder for a split second what is that about and ask to the whole channel anyway." --erUSUL

• This just feels like a way to extend the current /away system to something that is more visible for new IRC users. I think it'll just end up causing useless noise in the channel as peoples' modes are changed when they go active/idle. If we really feel the need for something like this perhaps it would be we could work on some bot trigger, sort of like /stats p is available to see what staffers are active/on-call. -- Pici

• This is (mostly) unworkable with the current auto-+v by ChanServ on /join. If I am away/inactive, and ping out, split, etc, when I re-/join I will get a +v automagically. If I'm /away, I won't reset /mode -v, and this utterly breaks the proposed schema. -- Kurt von Finck

Removal of inactive operators from channel lists controlled by the IRC council

Lately we have noticed we have large operator lists but have operators that have not been active on IRC for long periods. The idea is that if an operator has not been active in the said channel for a long period of time that he/she will be removed from the list.

Modes in/proper usage of the #ubuntu-irc-council channel

The IRCC has a dispute resolution channel called #ubuntu-irc-council. The proposal is that this is a moderated channel, with the IRCC voiced, as well as any relevant parties to the dispute resolution process. If a person needs voice, this will be actioned by a council member. It will be an idle-able channel, with logbots for transparency.

Comments here:

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All these points will be discussed at the next IRCC meeting. Thank you.