1 · Who manages channels?
Channels on DALnet are managed by channel operators. You can identify a channel operator by the @ prefix before their nickname in the channel's user list.
IRC Operators generally do not get involved in the management of channels or deal with routine channel matters. Channel operators set the topic and purpose of the channel, decide on the rules of conduct for the channel, and control who they want to allow in the channel.
2 · Who manages channel operators?
Channel operators police each other as peers. If a channel is unregistered, then all channel ops are equal and any op or group of ops can decide to add more ops to the channel or remove ops from the channel at any time. If a channel is registered, then there will be a channel founder and optionally various levels of channel operators, including Managers, SOps, and AOps. The channel ops still monitor themselves in this hierarchy and internally decide which level of access each channel op should receive. The founder can add and remove Managers, SOps, and AOps; Managers can add and remove SOps and AOps; and SOps can add and remove AOps.
If a channel is registered, you can find the founder's nickname by typing /chanserv INFO #channelname. The Manager, SOp, and AOp lists of a channel are only visible to channel ops with AOp or higher access. Normal users of the channel will not be able to view what level of access a channel operator has on the channel, aside from asking one of the channel ops, of course.
3 · What if I don't like the way the channel is being managed?
3.1 I don't like what is being discussed in a channel
Channel operators set the topic and purpose of a channel and decide what discussions are allowed in the channel. DALnet does not censor what is said in channels. Topics that may be offensive to one group of individuals may not be offensive to other groups of individuals. If you don't like what is being said in a channel, you can ask a channel operator to moderate the channel's content. If the channel operators continue to allow the content, we suggest you leave the channel and find a new one.
3.2 I feel like I was treated unfairly by a channel operator
Please speak with another channel operator or the channel's founder if the channel is registered. IRC Operators do not handle disputes regarding channel operator behavior.
3.3 I was unfairly kicked and/or banned from a channel
IRC Operators do not handle disputes regarding channel operator behavior, including kicks and/or bans.
Each channel sets their own rules and the ops of that channel decide who to kick and/or ban, and may kick and/or ban anyone for any reason or no reason at all.
The best way to determine why you were kicked or banned is to contact the specific channel operator who made the decision. The kick message and channel operator's nickname can usually be found by looking through the scrollback history in your status window.
If you can't find any information there, you can try typing /mode #channel +b. This will show you a list of bans set on the channel. Find the one that matches your nick!user@host mask and message the op's nickname that appears next to the ban.
Some channels hide their ban list from users. If this is the case and the channel is registered, you can try contacting the founder of the channel. Type /chanserv INFO #channel to view the channel information, including the founder's nickname. You can message the founder if they are online or send them a memo if you have a registered nickname.
Please direct any comments or feedback about this document (only! no help requests!) to docs@dal.net. If you need help on issues not covered in this document, please see the information at http://help.dal.net.