Policy

As the main network channel of the ChatSpike network, #ChatSpike has some slightly different rules to the rest of the network as a whole. As time has progressed, we have gained more rules than it makes sense to put into the topic on a daily basis, so they're listed here for all to read. Breaking of the rules will result in first a warning, then a kick or a kickban, depending on the helper or oper who issues it and the severity of the offence.

• Please speak only English on #ChatSpike. You're welcome to speak any other language in PM with an oper or helper, if you know they can understand it.
• Please ask questions firstly to the channel and not by picking a helper or oper and PMing them. By doing this we may help you faster.
• If nobody seems to be around, state your problem anyway, and chances are we'll see it in our scrollback and deal with it later.
• Please keep #ChatSpike PG-rated. This means minimal swearing, no overtly sexual content, and no general pervertedness.
• If your channel is not registered then we will NOT help you with any claim that it has been stolen or taken over. Without registration there is no proof of ownership, and therefore no help will be offered. Registration is a simple two step process that can be completed without oper approval (unlike Quakenet and Undernet) in a matter of minutes.
• #ChatSpike is for IRC support issues only. Unless it is quiet and someone volunteers to help you, we will not assist you with other things, examples of this being DarkGalaxy, NorwegianMafia, XDCC bots and downloads, Which linux distribution to choose (go to #linux for this), or how to install or run your WinBot. (this list is not exhaustive, use your common sense and you'll do fine).
• Ask helpers first with your questions. Helpers on ChatSpike are officials and even if they do not have the privileges as opers to help you with a task, they will make sure that urgent things are passed on as a matter of urgency to opers, and things they can deal with right there and then will be solved a.s.a.p. Helpers are the users with a % before their nick (or a blue dot, in XChat).
• Helpers and opers have the right to interpret these rules as they see fit depending on situation. Use of the help channel, similar to the rest of the IRC network, is a privilege and not a right, and we reserve the right to kick you out should you cause a scene.
• Don't annoy the opers and helpers. This one should be obvious, but would you believe people still try to annoy us for pleasure, and get nowhere.
• Unlike many unofficial help channels on other networks (not mentioning any names) our help channel usually has at least one oper in it at any hour of the day. Flooding, spamming or other such activities in #ChatSpike will often result in network-level action being taken against you (such as channels being dropped, or akills being set, type /MOTD for information you should already know if you aren't sure on this).
• Opers are not responsible for the activities of users upon channels except from where it breaks network rules. We will not close a channel because 'they dissed you' or because 'you don't like them' or for any other non-network-related reason. none at all. We are also not responsible for policing your channels. We will not come to a channel we do not own, with means of kicking or otherwise removing a users ability to talk in that channel, unless we have access to that channel or the user is breaking network rules. The only time channel goings on are network issues are if it is an issue effecting multiple channels, or, if the channel itself breaks rules (e.g. trading warez, running botnets, etc).

Now that we have the formalities out of the way, have fun!