#50+retired
General Information
In the beginning...
...the net was without form and sparsely populated, and rudeness ruled over the face of IRC. Then Smitty (AC5C_Okla) said, "Let there be #50+retired!" That was in 1995 in the wilds of EFNet where having grown tired of an endless parade of juvenile, often less than civil, check-ins, Smitty's hope was that the channel title would attract a group of users who were mature, mentally stable and interested in friendly chat. The strategy worked, and over the next two years, the following for #50+retired grew tremendously and the channel achieved a reputation for its clean, fast paced chat and exceptionally friendly atmosphere.
However, while participation on the #50+retired channel was increasing rapidly, the increase of traffic on EFNet was outstripping channel growth exponentially. Things finally reached the breaking point when channel users often had to wait an hour or more just to get logged onto an EFNet server. Once on line, the "lags" and "net-splits" often delayed comments to the channel by as much as several minutes from any given location! Add to that an increasing appearance of check-ins whose sole intent seemed to be vulgarity or insult, not to mention frequent "flooding" wars and channel "takeovers," and it became clear by the end of 1996 that EFNet had become an impossible environment for #50+retired.
Moving to a new home...
After some investigation, AC5C_Okla discovered DALNet, where measures could be taken to protect both users and the channel from "invasion," and to preserve the friendly environment for which #50+retired had become known.
Through special "robots, " known as "ChanServ" and "NickServ" it is possible for each user to register a unique nickname and/or channel name which is then protected from takeover and use by others. The channel #50+retired already had been registered by TEXELK , another long time participant in the original EFNet channel, and was therefore readily available.
TEXELK graciously consented to pass operation of the registered #50+retired channel on DALNet to AC5C_Okla, and on Jan. 1, 1997 a new era began.
A Brave New World
(with fewer OPs...)
Moving to DALNet solved one problem - crowding. Another problem still remained to be solved - too many chiefs and virtually no indians!
In the early days, it seemed a good thing to turn all friends and regular users of the channel into OPs. However, even among mature, stable and sensible adults differences of opinion surfaced on how the channel should be operated, and who should be "in charge" when the channel or its members were attacked. When such disagreements escalated, things became unpleasant for everyone on the channel.
From the very first of the "new era," AC5C_Okla decided to strictly limit the number of OPs on the new #50+retired. The task then became to select channel OPs who were both knowledgeable of computers and internet and who were willing to make smooth channel operation a priority. New OPs have been added only as channel traffic has made it necessary through almost continual, around the clock occupation of #50+retired.
AC5C_Okla and the other OPs continually develop scripts and other measures to protect the channel and its users and to provide a variety of features and helps for channel users. The goal is to always have at least one OP present on the channel, but never to have more than three.
A whole load of new channel features...
Many of the participants on #50+retired are regulars and know the channel well. Others, however, are new, and have discovered us while "surfing" channels. Still others arrive for the first time at the invitation or recommendation of a friend.
It's common courtesy to offer to new arrivals an introduction to the channel and its users. But when you consider the rapid changes in the internet and the programs we use to access it, there is a strong call for information to help "regulars" keep up too as the channel grows in popularity along with the internet and IRC in general.
To meet this need, AC5C_Okla and others have developed a system of readily available information, assistance and features to serve a wide range of channel users.
While logged onto #50+retired you can access many automatic features including:
Access the F.A.Q. (rules of operation) for the channel
Find out about new features and new versions of popular IRC programs
Find downloadable help files on a variety of specific program and general IRC functions
Download mIRC and PIRCH scripts
Find a variety of entertainment helps (auto pings, joke of the day, etc.)
Get help on registering your own nickname and/or your own channel
In addition, the #50+retired web site offers all of the features and files available on the channel plus much more.
#50+retired on DALNet offers a friendly, safe environment in which to chat with a wide range of interesting people. Rules of the channel are minimal, and operation of the channel is limited to maintaining the environment for which the channel has received its reputation. Join us on #50+retired and see what IRC "chat" can really be.
Smitty (AC5C_Okla)
Bubba (wa5nfp)
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This page is maintained by Smitty,
(ac5c@oklahoma.net) and was designed
by _Bubba
(acbaker@hotmail.com).
Both can be found and/or contacted on DALNet's #50+retired channel, or
through DALNet MemoServ. Absolutely nothing here is
copyrighted by us, and it probably wouldn't matter even if it were.
Take whatever you want, and if it will make you feel any better to take
credit also for our original work we invite you to go ahead... we can always
make more. If you have praise or contributions for the page, please email us
right away. For all other matters please
click here.