1 · Do you really need an IRC Operator?
Before you go looking for an IRC Operator, you should be certain that you do require the assistance of one. There are a lot of questions regarding DALnet and DALnet Services that can be answered by the staff of the DALnet help channels.
In order to prevent incorrect advice, it is strongly suggested that you only seek assistance in recommended help channel #Help.
2 · #OperHelp
The first step to locating an IRC Operator is to go to #OperHelp. #OperHelp is frequently staffed at various times of the day with IRC Operators who make themselves available to answer your questions.
When in #OperHelp, please wait for your turn to be voiced and do not message the Ops (people with a @ in front of their nick). Users are always voiced in the order that they joined the channel. Therefore, parting and rejoining the channel is going to lengthen the amount of time that you will have to wait.
3 · Alternative Methods
Should you not find an IRC Operator in #OperHelp, you can use the alternative methods to locating one. The first command available is:
/who 0 o
It will give you the list of current IRC Operators who are not set to +i (invisible mode - default mode for all users).
Another more effective command is:
/stats p servername
Example:
/stats p shiva.*
If no server name is specified then you will be using the STATS P command on the server that you are currently on. The command displays a list of IRCops on your server that are set to +h (helpful mode) and their idle time (the amount of time that they have been inactive, displayed in seconds). There is no command to perform a STATS P on all DALnet servers.
4 · How to approach an IRCop
Before approaching an IRC Operator, please be sure to /whois them first. If they are set to away or have a high idle time, it is highly probable that they may not be available to assist you for the time being.
Also, please be polite when messaging an IRC Operator. They are people just like you and will be more willing to help you if you ask them for a bit of their time instead of demanding their attention. :)
5 · If you have already been refused help before ...
If you are refused by one IRC Operator regarding an issue, then it is not recommended to go looking for another one in hopes of getting a more positive response. This especially applies to password problems. IRC Operators have guidelines to follow as well. If one of them has refused you, then it is extremely likely that you will be refused by others as well. Please do not waste your time or theirs by constantly seeking out others when you have already been denied.
6 · Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What do I do if I'm banned from DALnet?
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A: Please contact the K-Line team on-line by visitng http://www.dal.net/admin/contactkline.php3. Please read the guidelines before you send the report to the K-Line team. Add the information you may have about the ban. Your ip/host would be very useful or simply the name of your ISP (Internet Service Provider) if you don't know the former. Please include a copy of the actual AutoKill Reason and the date, time in addition to your timezone.
- Q: I would like to become an IRCop. How do I do that?
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A: There are numerous sources that explain what becoming an IRC Operator might involved. http://docs.dal.net/docs/operinfo.html and http://help.dal.net/dnh/oper.php are excellent resources.
- Q: How would I go about linking a server to DALnet?
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A: Please visit http://www.dal.net/admin/vote for more information on that subject.
- Q: My channel has been closed. Where can I find out more information about this?
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A: Please email closers@dal.net for more information on your channel.
- Q: My nick has been frozen. Who do I talk to?
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A: Please contact the K-Line team by visiting http://www.dal.net/admin/contactkline.php3 and by reading the guidelines, then submit your report.
You are more than welcome to email help@dal.net if you have any further questions. Happy IRC'ing. :o)
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.