The Sims Wiki:IRC Channel Operators

IRC channel operators are users who are able to carry out administrative functions on The Sims Wiki's IRC Channels such as kicking, banning, and quieting disruptive users. Unlike other user rights, administrators and bureaucrats are not automatically granted channel operator status; the IRC channels are technically separate from the wiki.

Each IRC channel has its own list of channel operators. A list of channel operators per channel can be found here.

What channel operators may do
Channel operators are entrusted with tools to protect the IRC channels from disruptive behavior by warning, kicking and/or banning disruptive individuals. They are also responsible for maintaining the channel, such as by changing the channel topic when appropriate, and for removing old bans and quiets when they are no longer necessary. If the channel atmosphere is becoming uncomfortable, channel operators may ask for the conversation topic to be changed. Aside from this, chanops are equal to other users on IRC.

What channel operators may not do
Channel operators may not use their tools to take advantage of other users on IRC, or to take over the channel. They may not use their tools for personal reasons or against non-disruptive users, and they must not ignore the wants and needs of IRC users. Channel operators that abuse their tools may have their abilities revoked.

Channel operator hierarchies
Not all channel operators are created equal on the IRC channels. The amount of control a chanop has is based on the user flags they have on the channel's access list. Each IRC channel has its own set of hierarchies, and assigns different abilities and statuses to each.

freenode
The access list can be viewed by using the  command on IRC, and the meanings of each individual flag with.

HalfOp
Half operators, or HalfOps, only exist on freenode by name (On some networks, they are represented with a % prefix and are appointed with cmode +h). On #wikia-sims, halfops may:


 * Kick, ban, and quiet disruptive users
 * Be voiced (+) automatically when they join the channel
 * Op and deop themselves at any time
 * Set any channel modes not under an mlock restriction
 * View the full channel access list
 * Invite themselves to the channel using ChanServ's invite command
 * Use ChanServ's unban command to unban themselves

Op
Operators, or Ops, have all the abilities of halfops, and can also:


 * Modify the channel topic

SuperOp
Super Operators, or SuperOps, have all the abilities of halfops and ops, and can also:


 * Use ChanServ's recover, sync, and clear commands
 * Modify the channel access list
 * Set ChanServ control flags on the channel

SuperOps may also appoint and remove halfops, ops, and superops, and can also grant users voice via the access list.

Contact
The IRC contact has full founder access to the channel, and have all the abilities of halfops, ops, and superops. In addition, they cannot be removed by anyone except themselves and freenode staff, and they cannot remove themselves if doing so would result in the channel losing its last founder.

freenode staff
freenode staff are also granted channel operator permissions on the channel, and can deal with disruptive users in the event no channel staff are around to assist. They have the same permissions as standard operators. Please note that freenode staff are not members of Wikia or The Sims Wiki, and will generally refrain from using their tools if a local chanop is around to deal with the situation.

Auto-op
By default, channel operators are not automatically opped by ChanServ upon joining the channel (Instead, they are auto-voiced, like other voiced users). freenode generally discourages the use of auto-op, but #wikia-sims has no policy surrounding this. If you are a channel operator that wants to be auto-opped upon joining the channel, simply ask a SuperOp or the IRC contact. If you are applying for a channel operator position and would like to be auto-opped, you may also explicitly state this in your nomination.

ChatLounge
The access list can be viewed by using the  command on IRC, and the meanings of each individual flag with.

HalfOp
Half operators, or HalfOps, are represented with a % prefix, and can:


 * Kick, ban, and quiet disruptive users
 * Be halfopped (%) automatically when they join the channel
 * Halfop and dehalfop themselves at any time
 * Set any channel modes not under an mlock restriction, except for modes +f, +F, and +Q.
 * Use ChanServ's voice command on any user
 * View the full channel access list
 * Invite themselves to the channel using ChanServ's invite command
 * Use ChanServ's unban command to unban themselves

Op
Operators, or Ops, are represented with an @ prefix. They can:


 * Kick, ban, and quiet disruptive users
 * Be opped (@) automatically when they join the channel
 * Halfop, dehalfop, op, and deop themselves at any time
 * Set any channel modes not under an mlock restriction
 * Use ChanServ's voice command on any user
 * View the full channel access list
 * Invite themselves to the channel using ChanServ's invite command
 * Use ChanServ's unban command to unban themselves
 * Modify the channel topic

SuperOp
Super Operators, or SuperOps, are represented with an & (admin) prefix. They can:


 * Kick, ban, and quiet disruptive users
 * Be protected (&) automatically when they join the channel
 * Halfop, dehalfop, op, deop, protect, and deprotect themselves at any time
 * Set any channel modes not under an mlock restriction
 * Use ChanServ's voice command on any user
 * View the full channel access list
 * Invite themselves to the channel using ChanServ's invite command
 * Use ChanServ's unban command to unban themselves
 * Modify the channel topic
 * Use ChanServ's recover, sync, and clear commands
 * Modify the channel access list
 * Set and remove AKICK entries
 * Set ChanServ control flags on the channel
 * Modify the channel mlock

SuperOps may also appoint and remove halfops, ops, and superops, and can also grant users voice via the access list.

Contact
The IRC contact has full founder access to the channel, and is represented with a ~ (owner) prefix. They can:


 * Kick, ban, and quiet disruptive users
 * Be ownered (~) automatically when they join the channel
 * Halfop, dehalfop, op, deop, protect, deprotect, owner, and deowner themselves at any time
 * Set any channel modes not under an mlock restriction
 * Use ChanServ's voice command on any user
 * View the full channel access list
 * Invite themselves to the channel using ChanServ's invite command
 * Use ChanServ's unban command to unban themselves
 * Modify the channel topic
 * Use ChanServ's recover, sync, and clear commands
 * Modify the channel access list
 * Set and remove AKICK entries
 * Set ChanServ control flags on the channel
 * Modify the channel mlock
 * Unregister the channel

Network staff
ChatLounge staff may join the channel at any time. They may be able to use op commands without actually being opped in the channel. Staff may be recognized by performing a  on them, see http://chatlounge.net/faq#whoisIRCop for what to look for. Staff are not obliged to moderate the channel and will generally only use their tools when no local ops are around to assist.

Auto-op
On ChatLounge, all channel operators are automatically given halfop/op/admin/owner upon joining the channel. If for some reason you do not want this, see. You can still ask ChanServ to op/deop you at any time.

Notes for channel operators

 * Channel operators are asked to monitor the channel's overflow channel in order to be visible to users who require operator assistance. On freenode, this channel is #wikia-sims-admins; on ChatLounge, it's #TheSimsWiki-overflow.
 * A user that has connection issues (indicated by a repeated join/quit cycle that floods the channel) can be banned; these bans do not indicate malice and are only done as a courtesy to other users in the channel. When doing so, please set the ban as narrowly as possible (A nickname ban will do) and suffix the ban with $##fix_your_connection if you are on freenode, or $#FixYourConnection if you are on ChatLounge. For example, if "John_Doe" was flickering in and out of the channel, you can set a ban on John_Doe!*@*$##fix_your_connection if they are on freenode, or John_Doe!*@*$#FixYourConnection if they are on ChatLounge. This ban will forward users to a channel (##fix_your_connection on freenode; #FixYourConnection on ChatLounge) that allow for operators to divert unintentional floods while simultaneously providing assistance to the affected users in question. Once the connection is stable, you may lift the ban.
 * If a user is abusing the inter-network relay bot, first start by banning or quieting the user in question. If the spam is coming from a channel that you do not have access in, you can quiet (mode +q) the relay bot; if the channel isn't +m, you will also need to devoice the bot (mode -v). Please do not ban or kick the bot.
 * Take admonishments to PM. Start by contacting the user in a polite and level-headed manner, inform them of what they are doing wrong, and do it over PM, not publicly in the channel. There is no need to shame even troublemakers in the channel, and it generally only escalates the situation, rather than mitigate it.

List of channel operators

 * freenode channel operators


 * ChatLounge channel operators