[Linux-aus] An abridged history of #linuxaus and Linux Australia IRC

[Pia Waugh]

Hi all,

<quote who="Gary Allpike">

> Linux Australia grew out of the IRC channel, not the other way around.  
> The IRC channel has for at least 4 years or so been on OFTC, lilo DID 
> solicit money repeatedly via global message, on freenode (or feenode as 
> it was referred to) - I was there. Theres no FUD, no hacking groups it 
> happened!

Gary, _a_ linuxaus irc channel has been on OFTC, probably the earliest, but
now one of at least two. I've been on linux-aus on freenode for a number of
years and only heard about the oftc one about 6 months ago (even though it
is linked from the site). Linux Australia may have originally come out of
that channel, but most of the new community that has only been involved for
1-4 years are not using that channel.

> The linuxaus IRC channel has always been the one that is on OFTC - some 
> other folk populated a channel on freenode, and declared it to be the 
> official channel of Linux Australia, it never was.

It was the channel that everyone else hanged out on. I've come to the oftc
channel a few times and have never enjoyed the culture that seems the norm
there, whereas the culture of linux-aus on freenode is great. Even if we
moved to oftc for whatever reason I'm not necessarily keen to join the
channel there due to some serious trolls and an acceptance of their
behaviour by the other channel attendees. There has been a few people
suggest that if we move to oftc we create a new channel so it isn't just me.

I would feel far more comfortable changing the website to point to the other
channel as the "official" one, whatever that means. Particularly after a few
of the linuxaus oftc channel people over the last few months have said to me
they have annoyed newbies, and don't care to change the culture there to be
more welcoming. I'm fairly thick-skinned but I've been uncomfortable there
with the sexism, racism, and even a conversation talking about shooting cops
and keeping guns! The chanserv welcome message itself it pretty intimidating
and it is not a good environment to point people to as a first contact with
Linux Australia.

I am starting to think it isn't worth moving to OFTC. Already we've had
people trying to sell us stuff there in #slug, #linuxaus has been so
negative that it has been offensive, and I can't see a compelling reason to
move when we already have a good community and culture on freenode. I would
like to change the website to point to that channel as an entry point to
Linux Australia, what do other people think?

So there are two questions here:

1) Shall we merge with the linuxaus channel on oftc?
2) Is there any compelling reason people can think of to move to OFTC at
   all?

Cheers,
Pia

-- 
Linux Australia                                         http://linux.org.au/
 
   "We are the facilitators of our own creative evolution." - Bill Hicks