You can rest assured….

Posted on August 19, 2002 in IRC/Chat

….that if there is a dispute between an op and a chatter, the op will win out….

My crime was that while I was out of the room, nickserv at Dalnet changed my nickname from Emperor Norton to “Guest”. This is an offense that one op by the name of mimi seems bound to enforce by a ban while I was out. Never mind that the only force behind this rule seems to be this:

People who cannot follow our simple rules will be warned and then kicked or kicked and banned. Again, this is up to the discretion of our ops. Do not question or argue with ops’ decisions or you will be given a “time-out” from our channel. We do not wish to discuss rules or channel policy in channel.

A review that I conducted of Dalnet #politics rules this evening turned up no evidence of a “registered nicks only” rule. There may have been a rule at one time — this I don’t doubt — but it certainly was not on the page when I looked tonight. (Copy saved here.)

When I asked to be let back in, I was put through the following:

[19:54] <mimi> you were asked three times, and warned, to please get a real nick.and didn’t respond. i had no option but to enforce channel policy
[19:54] <EmperorNorton> Right. I was away from the computer. I have a real nick now.
[19:54] <mimi> is your nick registered?
[19:54] <EmperorNorton> mimi, you know who I am. Stop this.
[19:55] <mimi> [21:52]<mimi> is your nick registered?
[19:55] <EmperorNorton> mimi, you know who I am. Stop this.
[19:55] <mimi> no, i know you only by the nick you’re using right now.
[19:55] <EmperorNorton> mimi You know that it is. You have seen me before. Log of this is going to monchie.
[19:55] <EmperorNorton> Log of this is going to monchie.
[19:56] <mimi> great. he believes in enforcing channel policy. he wrote it
[19:56] <EmperorNorton> Great. He will probably agree that you are being especially draconian and making me jump through unnecessary hoops.
[20:02] <EmperorNorton> Do a /nickserv info EmperorNorton if you want to know if I am registered.

Finis. She ran away, leaving my ban hanging high on the channel for five hours. Ah the joys of petty despotism.

Complaining to other channel denizens only elicited Catch 22 responses. It seems that everyone is for freedom of speech, but when a real abuse occurs, the answer is “It’s their channel. They can do what they like.” Perhaps this is the problem with private channels on general themes. They give the illusion of democratic freedom. I believe in rules and the ones laid out for Dalnet #politics are fair. One cannot hold a group conversation without some kind of rules. But it is important that the rules be clear, fair, and actual which this was not.

What I merit is an apology. But as I said in an irate message to the channel owner and author of the rules, monchie:

But I don’t expect it any more than I expect George Bush to step down tomorrow as president, declaring as he does that he robbed Al Gore of the prize that was rightly his.

For the record, I let the ban run out. No sops showed to remove it and the aops would not do so because of their subordinate position. I could have evaded the ban by simply switching to another server, but I don’t like putting people on the spot.

Doubtless, however, I will be excoriated as an evil person for speaking out like this and for publishing the log. But I intend to observe the rule that says that this discussion is not for the channel. So it shall be. But here on my blog, they are fair game and they can’t stop me from saying things here without looking like perfect fascists.