As a part of its privacy policy, NoBleme will protect your anonymity as much as possible. This means that you will never be sent any emails that could be used to link you to your identity on the website, or asking you to provide your password. On top of that, automated password recovery systems can be used in a few nefarious ways that we would rather not have to deal with. With this context in mind, NoBleme decided to not implement an automated account recovery process.
If you have lost access to your account (forgotten username, forgotten password, or otherwise), the only way to recover that access is to go on NoBleme's NoBleme's IRC chat server and ask for a website administrator to manually reset your account's password. No need to worry about identity usurpation, there is a strict process in place that will allow the administrator to verify your identity before doing the resetting.
Like most online communities, NoBleme has a place where its members can hold conversations in real time, which is where most of the action happens: it is the heart of the community. This page is a FAQ explaining why we use IRC rather than anything else, and how to join us so that you can be a part of the conversation. Use the dropdown menu right above this paragraph to read more about NoBleme's IRC server and IRC in general.
What is IRC?
IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is a real time communication protocol from 1988. Back in 2005, when NoBleme was founded, IRC was the most commonly used way to chat in real time over the Internet. We still use it to this day, for a variety of reasons detailed here. The way IRC works is that a central IRC server is hosted on NoBleme, and each user has to use their own IRC client of choice to connect to that server.
If you already know how to connect to an IRC server, you will find the connexion info for NoBleme's IRC server below. If you don't, no worries, keep reading, it's not as complicated as it seems.
In order to join an IRC server, you need what is called a client: an application that acts as a third party between the server and you. There are different types of clients, some of which need to be installed on your machine and others which don't, some which keep message history when you're not around and others which don't.
The quickiest and easiest way to join NoBleme's IRC server is by using a web client in your browser. All you have to do is click this link, choose a username, and you'll be in. Simple!
Once you spend time on NoBleme's IRC server, you might end up thinking that a web client has too many limitations. In this case, you can always install an IRC client on your machine. And if you feel sad that your IRC client does not keep track of message history for you, then you can always upgrade to using a bouncer.
As you can tell, freedom to choose the way you want to use IRC is both a blessing and a curse. It lets you heavily customize your chatting experience, but also means that a bit of effort is required in setting up your experience to fit your needs. Why is NoBleme choosing to stay on IRC despite this complexity, why don't we switch to a more modern real time chat application? It's complicated, here's a whole page dedicated to answering that question.
Frequently asked questions
What are channels?
IRC servers are comprised of various channels, which are basically chat rooms. Channel names begin with a hash character (#). Some of NoBleme's channels are generic hubs with no specific theme (such as #english being the main english speaking channel), others are used to offload specific conversations away from the generic channels (such as #dev for computer science related content). You are free to choose which channels you join on the server, the channel list explains how to join a channel, and lists NoBleme's main IRC channels.
Why is nobody talking/replying to me?
Users are not always around in front of their computers or mobile devices. If you hit a bad timing and everyone is at work, sleeping, or just busy, then be patient and someone will eventually show up. During a standard day, there are long periods of time where no conversations happen, and others where NoBleme's IRC is busy with conversations, simply spend enough time on IRC and you'll eventually catch it at the right time.
Why are people writing in french?
NoBleme is a bilingual french/english server. Some channels are french only (including the #NoBleme hub), some are english only, some are mixed. The channel list shows the languages used in each channel.
Can people "steal" my username?
In order to gain exclusive ownership of your username, you first have to register it using our IRC services. You can find more about it on the IRC account management page. You are also free to not register and use IRC as a guest, using whichever username you desire.
How can I change my username?
You can change your username at any time. Some IRC clients allow you to change your username directly from their interface, others require you to use a command. You can find out more about commands on the IRC commands page.
Can I create my own channel on NoBleme's IRC server?
If it has anything to do with NoBleme or its community, sure, go ahead, no need to ask for permission. You will find more details on the IRC channel management page. You might even want it to be listed in the channel list, in which case use our administrative contact form to make a request. If you would like to create a channel for external people who have nothing to do with NoBleme, this is also fine, but please make sure they respect NoBleme's code of conduct at all times, and use the admin contact form to inform NoBleme's administrative team that you created a channel for your own community (if you don't keep us informed, we might think you are server squatters and shut it down by accident).
Where can I get help?
IRC can be overwhelming at first, but it is actually rather simple once you are used to it. If you need help with something, simply ask around, NoBleme's community is friendly and will help you out.
Must I talk?
There is no requirement to be part of the conversation, you can join IRC and simply read what others are talking about. It is likely that some people will eventually wonder who you are and ask you questions, but being a guest is not against the rules, feel free to not answer and keep reading. Maybe you will eventually want to be a part of the conversation!
Something bad happened, what do I do?
If a singular user is harrassing you, you can use the /ignore command to ignore them, then report their behavior to NoBleme's administrative team. If a user or channel is breaking NoBleme's code of conduct, please report them to the admins aswell. If users are flooding the server, then no need to act: NoBleme's administrative team will be aware of it, and will take action as soon as they are able to. Simply stay patient and wait for it to be over.
I can't join IRC, is the server dead?
Maybe. Ask on NoBleme's Discord server, we use it as our backup communication method.
Any plans to move from IRC to something else?
This has been discussed a lot, and is still being discussed on a regular basis. Currently, the answer is no.
NoBleme has been using IRC as its main real time chat platform since 2005. Back then, it used to be the only option that made sense. Since then, the Internet has changed and evolved a lot, to the point where IRC might seem like an outdated and unnecessarily complicated platform catering to old timers.
You might be expecting this page to be a defense of IRC, consider your expectations subverted: we are very well aware of IRC's many flaws and limitations, and would be happy to migrate to a more fitting alternative. Therefore, we often reconsider our choice of main communication platform, but are yet to find an alternative that meets our needs as well as IRC does. Since the question comes up quite often, this page will do its best to explain why we are yet to switch to something else.
Freedom from corporations
As stated in NoBleme's privacy policy, we do not want any third parties to be able to collect and use your personal data while you are taking part in any activity related to NoBleme. In order to achieve this goal, any real time chat service offered by NoBleme must be free to use, open sourced, privacy oriented, and have the ability to be hosted on NoBleme's own servers.
IRC's flexibility in letting you use any chat client of your choice actually acts as an issue in this regard: some of our users choose IRC clients privately hosted by corporations, which can collect and use data from any conversations they are involved in. Even if 100 users use non corporate IRC clients, it only takes one user in the same channel running a privately hosted client offered by a corporation to collect and use the data of these 100 other users without their consent. Hypocritically, we even suggest using KiwiIRC and IRCCloud in this FAQ, which might both potentially contribute to this very issue.
Flexible user experience
As every user chooses their preferred IRC client, you have a freedom to bend IRC's user experience any way you want to and can access IRC on any device or platform of your choice. This used to be extremely important in the early days of NoBleme's IRC server, when the competition (MSN, ICQ, Skype, Google Talk, etc.) locked you into a forced user experience. Nowadays, most real time chat applications offer various degrees of customization, which allow for a properly flexible user experience.
The drawback in IRC's case is that the freedom to customize your user experience means that you actually need to setup and customize your own IRC client. This has a cost in both time and effort, which can be a harsh barrier of entry for some users, and thus turn them away from joining NoBleme's IRC chat. We are very well aware of this issue, and of the cost it has on our community's activity, but are willing to accept that cost.
Simplicity: chat comes first
As IRC is not trying to compete with any other platforms, there is no race to add features. The core of IRC's usage is and will always remain the simple action of chatting with other users. We appreciate this simplicity, and would only consider an alternative that shares this point of view.
This does not mean that we reject the quality of life features of other real time chat services. If anything, we wish that IRC could find a way to evolve and integrate some of them (being able to chat in threads and adding emoji reactions to messages might be the two most requested ones). Any alternative to IRC that puts chatting first and does not try to overcomplicate itself with useless features but also embraces modern real time chat features would be welcome and taken into consideration.
Force of habit
When weighing the pros and cons of IRC as NoBleme's real time chat solution, it must be reiterated that we have been using it continuously since 2005, thus our community is simply used to it. For some of us, it is a major aspect of our daily lives, which can not be changed on a whim. Only a strictly superior solution would be considered, with no drawbacks compared to our current usage of IRC.
Alternatives: What will it take to switch?
Every once in a while, we have community driven conversations about switching away from IRC, which so far have always settled on staying on IRC. Even though we currently thrive comfortably on IRC, we are on the lookout for an alternative, and would be open to eventually switching to another platform.
Here is a quick rundown on why we did not switch to the most popular alternatives:
Discord, Slack, etc. are privately owned, collect user data, and can not be hosted on NoBleme.
Matrix, Mattermost, Riot, etc. do not add enough in comparison to IRC to warrant the switch.
Telegram, Signal, etc. are linked to your identity and require a mobile device.
In summary…
Taking all these elements in consideration, it is very likely that we will not switch from IRC to another real time chat service anytime soon. We acknowledge that the barrier of entry can seem high to new users, and are aware that IRC has quality of life limitations compared to more modern solutions, but also consider IRC to be good enough for us currently thanks to an ever evolving ecosystem of modern IRC clients.
If you are scared by the barrier of entry, or do not wish to use IRC because it feels outdated, know that we understand your frustration, but be aware that we have no plan to change platform. It will remain the heart of NoBleme's community in the foreseeable future. You can still keep up with NoBleme's activity and interact with some of our community members on other platforms, including real time chat on Discord.
Our browser client allows you to easily take part in the conversation, but it lacks all of the customization options that you were promised existed within IRC. This issue is resolved by installing your own IRC client on your devices, or by using a more customizable web client.
There exists a huge number of IRC clients, each with their own features (or lack thereof). This page is going to suggest a few popular IRC clients for each platform / operating system. If the suggested ones don't fulfill your needs, feel free to look up alternatives, there is no client specific limitation in place on NoBleme's IRC server.
Regardless of which client you choose to use, you will need to input the following connection information in order to make it connect to NoBleme's IRC server:
Once connected to NoBleme's IRC server, you might want to browse the channel list in order to join all channels that could be of interest to you, and to register your username in order to gain ownership of your username on the server and have access to a few useful features.
If you get confused or stuck in the process of setting up your IRC client, feel free to ask for help using the browser client. If anyone is around, it is very likely that they will do their best to help you out. If not, be patient, someone will eventually show up.
Third party web clients
Web clients have the advantage of not requiring you to install anything on your computer. All you need to do is create an account on a website, which will then remember your customization options.
A major downside to this simplicity however is that these clients are hosted by third party websites, which might exploit your user data, or even monitor your conversations. On top of that, you are relying on their website to stay online at all times, any downtime of their platform will mean that you are unable to access IRC during that time - or even permanently if their platform ever shuts down.
IRCCloud is a solid web client with a highly customizable user experience and a lot of modern features. It also comes with partial bouncer capabilities and high quality mobile applications for Android and iOS. There is an optional paying service which acts as a full time bouncer, but worry not, the free tier gives you access to every other feature, there is no need to pay for anything.
KiwiIRC is a very simplistic web client with a few modern features. It is often used to embed onto websites: in fact we use it as our browser client on NoBleme. It also lets you register an account and can act as your regular IRC client - a simple yet efficient option.
Computer software
If you'd rather install an IRC client on your computer, there are a lot of options to choose from. Most of them tend to be cross platform and work at least on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.
HexChat is one of the most common IRC clients for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. Despite its simplistic (and a bit outdated) interface, it is fairly easy to configure, customize, and use for chatting.
Quassel is another solution available for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. It is much more complicated to configure and use, but comes with more flexibility in how you want your user experience to be.
WeeChat is a Linux only solution for the more technically inclined - avoid it if you are not versed in computer science. It is a purely command line client, which can be ran on a server and give you full bouncer capabilities. You can then access it through Glowing Bear for a better user experience.
Mobile applications
When away from your computer, or if you choose to use a mobile device instead of a computer as your main computing device, you will need to use an IRC client in the form of a mobile application.
IRCCloud has already been mentioned earlier as a third party web option, it also happens to come with high quality mobile applications for Android and iOS. Keep in mind that the downside of this solution is that you are using a third party service, which might collect and use your personal data.
HoloIRC is a minimalistic, simple, and efficient IRC client for Android. It has BNC support, which means it can be used to connect to a bouncer if you have access to one or are technically inclined enough to set one up.
Igloo IRC is a minimalistic, simple, and efficient IRC client for iOS. It has BNC support, which means it can be used to connect to a bouncer if you have access to one or are technically inclined enough to set one up.
A limitation of IRC is that while you are not connected to the server, you can not know which conversations are going on, and thus miss out on some chat history. To some people, this is actually a desirable thing. To others, it is an annoyance. If you are part of the latter, then bouncers are the solution you are looking for.
A bouncer is an IRC tool which, instead of being installed on your personal computer or device, is instead installed on a distant server. This allows it to be connected to IRC at all times, thus ensuring you never miss out on any chat history when your computer or devices are shut down or not connected to IRC.
Bouncers work in such a way that instead of using your IRC client to connect to NoBleme's IRC server, you would instead use your IRC client to connect to your IRC bouncer which is permanently connected to NoBleme's IRC server.
Sadly, there are no easy solutions to set up a bouncer. If you lack the technical knowledge required to do server administration, then you will not be able to install your own bouncer, and will need to use third party solutions or manage to find someone generous enough to lend you access to a bouncer on their own server.
Third party bouncer services
A few websites offer partial or full IRC bouncer services. Keep in mind however that these websites being third party services, they might collect or exploit your user data, or even monitor your conversations. On top of that, you are relying on their website to stay online at all times, any downtime of their platform will mean that you are unable to access IRC during that time - or even permanently if their platform ever shuts down.
Some free ZNC providers exist (ZNC is the most commonly used bouncer). Each of them require you to follow a unique and specific process to create your bouncer instance, which you can then connect to using any IRC client of your choice. Be aware that some of these are restricted to specific IRC networks, and thus might not allow you to create a bouncer instance connected to NoBleme's IRC server. It might be a bit of a pain to figure out how to go through the setup process, but at least once it is done you do not have to worry about it anymore and can focus on using IRC normally.
IRCCloud is a browser IRC client which also includes mobile applications for Android and iOS, aswell as a partial bouncer service (keeps tracking chat history for 2 hours after you log out). The service is free, but includes an optional paid solution which enables full bouncer capabilities, tracking full chat history no matter how long you are offline.
For the more technically inclined
If you already know how to setup a server, then you should not need advanced instructions on how to setup a bouncer - simply following the instructions in your bouncer of choice's documentation should be enough. Here are two common bouncers that are easy to setup and use.
ZNC is the most common bouncer choice, and has been the "standard" choice for a very long time. Its webadmin module allows you to easily administrate user accounts on your ZNC instance if you want to offer bouncer services to other people.
The Lounge is a two for one solution, being both a bouncer and a modern browser IRC client with an interface that works well on both computers and mobile devices. As with ZNC, you can add users to your installation of The Lounge if you want to offer bouncer services to other people.
Server
The server is the interface to which everyone is connected in order to chat on IRC. When you send a message on IRC, it is first sent to the server, which then redistributes it to the people who should see that message. In NoBleme's case, the server is software called UnrealIRCd.
Client
An IRC client is a computer program or application that serves as an interface between a user and an IRC server. Each client has their own interface, appearance, and settings, which means that everyone sees IRC differently.
Bouncer
A bouncer is a tool that allows you to retain full history of conversations which happen on IRC, even while you are offline. You can find out more about bouncers on the bouncer page of this FAQ.
Channel
An IRC server is comprised of an unlimited number of channels, which can be public or private. When a message is sent on an IRC channel, only the users present on that channel will be able to read the message. IRC channel names begin with the pound sign (#NoBleme, #english, #dev). You can find more information about IRC channels on the channel list.
Operator
A channel's founder can give some abilities to specific users (such as the ability to kick problematic users) by making them channel operators. Different operator types have different abilities, which are documented at the bottom of this page in the symbols section. There are also global operators, which have the power to shut down channels, issue server-wide bans, and possess a few more tools useful in extreme situations. In order to avoid tracking their absence to plan mischievous acts when none of them are online, the identity of global operators will remain a secret.
Kick / Ban
When a user misbehaves or breaks the code of conduct, a few measures can be taken by operators against them. A kick will remove them from the channel, but leave them the ability to rejoin it afterwards, acting as a warning that they should keep it cool. A ban will exclude them from the channel and prevent them from rejoining it, for a set amount of time (which can be forever).
Services: NickServ & ChanServ
All actions related to user accounts or channel administration are done through what are called Services, special users on the IRC network which go by the usernames NickServ (for users) and ChanServ (for channels). You can read more about them on the NickServ and ChanServ pages of this FAQ.
Command
On IRC, in order to do any action other than chatting, you must use commands. They are sent on the server the same way as normal chat messages, but begin with a slash / character. For example, joining a channel is done by typing /join #channel. You will find a guide of useful commands in the commands, NickServ, and ChanServ pages of this FAQ.
Mode
IRC channels have settings which are controlled by operators through changing what is called a "mode". It is materialized as a series of letters defining what can or cannot be done on that channel. For example, a channel with mode +m is in mute mode: only operators and voiced users can chat in that channel, others will not be able to send messages.
Highlight
In most IRC clients, when someone else writes your username, you will get notified in some way and see the line of text highlighted. Thus, highlighting someone is the term used for when you aim a message at a specific person on IRC by including their username in the message.
Lurk
A lurker is someone who idles in an IRC channel without sending any messages. Lurkers are as welcome as anyone else on NoBleme's IRC server, we have no issue with users who do not participate in the conversation.
Bot
Not every user on IRC is tied to a human person, some are automated computer programs which we call "Bots". They have different uses and abilities depending on the type of bot they are, you can find out more about them on the bots page of this FAQ.
Operator and user symbols
On IRC channels, some users can be given operator abilities, which allow them to manage the channel and handle problematic users. In most IRC clients, operator levels are represented through specific symbols, which appear before the user's username (for example, @Planeshift or ~Bad). These also correspond to a specific user mode, represented by a letter (for example, a channel operator will have +o mode on that channel).
You can find out more about operator rights and how to manage them on the ChanServ page of this FAQ. Below is a table of user modes and symbols, and their associated abilities.
title
Symbol
Mode
Abilities
User
Regular user
Voiced
+
+v
Can still send messages if the channel is set to mute (+m) mode.
Halfop
%
+h
Half operator. Can kick regular users.
Operator
@
+o
Can kick or ban anyone who is not an admin or channel founder.
Admin
&
+a
Can kick or ban anyone who is not channel founder, and can name or remove operators.
Founder
~
+q
Can kick or ban anyone and name or remove admins and operators. There can only be one founder per channel at any given time.
On IRC, any action other than chatting is done through what are called "commands". They are regular chat messages, with the only difference being that their first character must always be a / slash. It does not matter in which channel you send the commands, they will always be invisible to other users.
You will find a list of a few useful commands below. When a word is between [brackets], then it means that its value can be anything you want and you should replace it with something else. For example, if given the command /join #[channel], you should use it as /join #NoBleme or /join #english.
More commands relating to account management and channel management can be found in the NickServ and ChanServ pages of this FAQ.
/clear
Clears the currently visible chat messages by removing all text on your screen. Useful in case of clutter, or if you want to hide some history from view. This does not however permanently delete any archived chat logs, and does not clear the screens of other users' IRC clients (everyone else will still see the message history).
/quit
Disconnects you from the IRC server which you are currently using.
/server [server]
Connects to an existing IRC server. For example connecting to NoBleme's IRC server is done by typing /server irc.nobleme.com. You may be on more than one IRC server at once.
/list
Lists all public IRC channels on the server, along with the number of users currently using each of them.
/join #[channel]
Joins an existing IRC channel. Some channels are private and can not be joined unless you are specifically granted access to them. You can find out which channels exist on NoBleme's IRC server on our channel list, or by using the /list command.
/names #[channel]
Lists all users currently in the specified channel, even if you are currently not present in it. This will not work if used on a private channel.
/part #[channel]
Leaves an IRC channel on which you currently are. You will no longer be able to send messages to this channel (unless you rejoin it), and will stop receiving messages sent to this channel by other users.
/nick [username]
Changes your current username to the desired new username. If the desired username is already in use, it will not work. Your username is the same in every IRC channel on specific IRC server, there is no way to have a different username in different channels.
/whois [username]
Returns various elements of information about the specified user. The amount and nature of the returned elements depend on the user's IRC client and settings.
/whowas [username]
Returns various elements of information about a specified username, even if they are not present on the server anymore. This is a useful way to know when a person last used IRC.
/msg [username] [message]
Sends a private message to the specified user. Only you and the specified user will be able to see the contents of this message, it will not be shared on any channels and will be hidden even from the administrators of the IRC server. For example, if you were trying to initiate a private conversation with a user named SomeUser, you would send the following message: /msg SomeUser Hello, how are you doing?
/ignore [username]
Blocks all incoming messages from the specified user. Not only will you stop receiving their private messages, but you will also not see any further messages sent by them on IRC channels in which both of you are present. The ignored user will still be able to see your messages, there is no way to make your messages invisible to a specific user. The ignore command will automatically continue working on them even if they change username.
/unignore [username]
Stops blocking messages from a currently ignored user.
While using IRC, you might come to the realization that nothing is stopping other users from impersonating you by "stealing" your username. This can be avoided by sending messages to a special automated user called NickServ, which is always present on the server.
You will find a list of NickServ related commands below. When a word is between [brackets], then it means that its value can be anything you want and you should replace it with something else. For example, if given the command /msg NickServ identify [password], you should use it as /msg NickServ identify myPassword123.
Most of the commands listed on this page begin with /msg NickServ. Depending on your IRC client, you might be able to shorten any such command by using /ns instead. For example, /msg NickServ identify [password] would become /ns identify [password].
/nick [username]
Changes your current username to the desired new username. If the desired username is already in use, it will not work. Your username is the same in every IRC channel on specific IRC server, there is no way to have a different username in different channels.
/msg NickServ register [password] [email-address]
Registers your current username with NickServ, making you its owner. Even though you must specify an email address when registering your account, it will never be used. Make sure you remember your chosen password, as there is no way to recover it if you lose it. Do not register other people's usernames in order to annoy or impersonate them, this would only lead to getting permanently banned from NoBleme's IRC server and all your registered usernames being unregistered.
/msg NickServ identify [password]
Identifies you as the owner of the username you are currently using. You must execute this command every time you connect to NoBleme's IRC server, otherwise your username will be changed at random after one minute. Most IRC clients give you ways to automatically execute certain commands as you connect to an IRC server, adding the identify command to this automation will avoid having to type it manually every single time.
/msg NickServ password [password] [new-password]
Changes your current password to a new password of your choosing. Make sure you remember your chosen password, as there is no way to recover it if you lose it.
/msg NickServ recover [username] [password]
Disconnects from the IRC server anyone who is currently using your registered username. This is useful in case you have been disconnected and a ghost of you still lingers idly on the server under your username.
/msg NickServ ghost [username] [password]
If someone has been attempting to bruteforce your NickServ password (trying over and over to identify or recover in order to guess your password), the system might lock anyone out of using your username. In such a situation, the ghost command allows you to release your username, so that you can use it again.
/msg NickServ drop [username]
Unregisters your username, deleting it from NickServ's database.
During your usage of IRC, you might end up dealing with channel management - either because you want to create and administrate your own channel, or because you have been named operator in an already existing channel and are faced with a situation where you need to use your operator abilities. A lot of these actions are done by sending messages to a special automated user called ChanServ, which is always present on the server.
You will find a list of ChanServ related commands below. When a word is between [brackets], then it means that its value can be anything you want and you should replace it with something else. For example, if given the command /kick channel [username], you should use it as /kick channel SomeUser.
Most of the commands listed on this page begin with /msg ChanServ. Depending on your IRC client, you might be able to shorten any such command by using /cs instead. For example, /msg ChanServ aop #[channel] list would become /cs aop #[channel] list.
Hostmasks
Every user connected to an IRC server is identified not by their nickname (which can be changed at will), but rather by a unique string of characters called their hostmask. It uses the following format: username!user@host, where username is self-explanatory, user is a special name given by their IRC client, and host is a unique identifier for a specific person.
Based on the way hostnames work, if you are looking to identify someone (for example to permanently ban them from a channel), you should specifically look for the host part of their hostname, as the rest can be changed at will. Finding a user's hostname can be done by using the /whois [username] or /whowas [username]commands.
The asterisk * character can be used as a "wildcard" in a hostmask. For example, the hostmask SomeUsername!*@*.fr will match every user that goes by the username "SomeUsername" and has a host ending in ".fr". Here are more concrete examples that should help you better understand the concept:
SomeUsername!*@*
Matches every user that goes by the exact username SomeUsername
*SomeWord*!*@*
Matches every user whose username contains SomeWord
SomeWord*!*@*
Matches every user whose username begins with SomeWord
*!*@123-456-789.something.com
Matches every user whose host is precisely 123-456-789.something.com
*!*@*.something.com
Matches every user whose host ends in .something.com
*!*@*
Matches literally everyone, be very careful when using this
When you see the word [hostmask] between brackets later on this page, you should now hopefully understand what to input as a hostmask. If you don't get it, or if you are scared by the complexity, then don't hesitate to ask around: someone will surely help you out.
Operator abilities
Operator abilities can only be used in a channel in which you are an operator, and require you to be registered with NickServ and identified. You can find more about operator names, abilities, and symbols at the bottom of the vocabulary and symbols section of this FAQ, and more about account management on the NickServ section of this FAQ.
/msg ChanServ topic #[channel] [text]
Changes a channel's topic. Each channel has a short piece of text which everyone will see when joining the channel (or might permanently see while using the channel, depending on their IRC client). In most IRC clients, this command can be shortened to simply /topic, for example /topic This is a topic should work.
/msg ChanServ kick #[channel] [username]
Removes a user from the channel. They are free to rejoin the channel after being kicked. In most IRC clients, this command can be shortened to simply /kick, for example /kick SomeUser should work. An optional justification can be added afterwards, for example /kick SomeUser Please chill out.
/msg ChanServ mode #[channel] set +b [hostmask]
Bans a hostmask from the channel. Once banned, any user matching the hostmask will not be able to join or send messages on the channel anymore. If you kick them, if they leave the channel, or if they disconnect from the server, they will not be able to rejoin the channel until they are unbanned.
/msg ChanServ mode #[channel] b
Lists all hostmasks currently banned from the channel. This command might not always work. If it doesn't work, try simply typing /mode #[channel] b in the channel instead of the full command.
/msg ChanServ mode #[channel] set -b [hostmask]
Lifts a ban on a hostmask from the channel. Once unbanned, users matching the hostmask are free to join the channel once again.
/msg ChanServ mode #[channel] set +m
Sets the channel to mute mode: only voiced users and operators will be able to send messages in this channel as long as it is in mute mode. This is the best way to deal with attemps to flood a channel in order to render it unusable.
/msg ChanServ mode #[channel] set +v [username]
Gives voice to a user: they will gain the ability to send messages in this channel even while it is in mute mode.
/msg ChanServ mode #[channel] set -m
Removes mute mode, everyone in the channel can once again send messages.
Channel management
This section will list commands that you can only use if you are the founder or administrator of a channel (or looking to register a new channel), and require you to be registered with NickServ and identified. You can find more about operator names, abilities, and symbols at the bottom of the vocabulary and symbols section of this FAQ, and more about account management on the NickServ section of this FAQ.
/msg ChanServ register #[channel]
Registers a channel, making you its founder. Once you start growing the channel and have regular users and conversations, you might want to get it added to NoBleme's channel list.
/msg ChanServ set founder #[channel] [username]
Transfers founder status to another user. As there can only be one founder at a time in a channel, you will lose your founder status in the process.
/msg ChanServ vop #[channel] add [username]
Permanently gives voiced status to a user (the user will still be able to chat if the channel is set to mute mode). You can revoke this status by replacing add by del in this command.
/msg ChanServ hop #[channel] add [username]
Permanently gives halfop status to a user (the user will be able to kick other users). You can revoke this status by replacing add by del in this command.
/msg ChanServ aop #[channel] add [username]
Permanently gives operator status to a user (the user will be able to kick and ban other users and manage the channel). You can revoke this status by replacing add by del in this command.
/msg ChanServ sop #[channel] add [username]
Permanently gives admin status to a user (the user will be able to kick and ban users, manage the channel, and name or revoke the operator status of other users). You can revoke this status by replacing add by del in this command.
Channel modes
Some elements of channel administration are done through setting or removing "modes", special channel settings which materialize through the form of a single letter.
A channel mode is set through the command /msg ChanServ mode #[channel] +[mode], where [mode] is a letter from the list of modes below. For example, forcing users to register before accessing a channel would look like this: /msg ChanServ mode #myChannel +R.
Removing a mode from a channel is done the same way as adding a mode, except that the plus + sign before the letter representing the mode is replaced by a minus - sign. For example, instead of using +R in the previous example, you would use -R.
You can check which modes your channel currently has set by running the following command: /msg ChanServ mode #[channel]. You will find a list of useful modes below, be warned that capitalization matters: mode +m is not at all the same thing as mode +M.
+i
Sets the channel to invite-only mode: the only way to join it is to be invited by someone who is already in it by using /msg ChanServ invite #[channel] [username], or to be on the invite list.
+I [hostmask]
Adds a hostmask to the invite list: they can freely join the channel even if it is set in invite-only mode.
+k [password]
Sets a password. The channel can only be joined by users who know the password, by adding it at the end of the /join command. For example: /join #myChannel somePass123.
+l [number]
Sets a maximum number of users who can be on the channel at any given time. Any extra users will be denied entry if they try to join once the channel has reached maximum capacity.
+m
Sets the channel to mute mode: only voiced users and operators can chat.
+M
Only users who have registered and identified their username with NickServ can chat in the channel.
+n
Prevents users who are not in the channel from sending messages into the channel. This mode is enabled by default in every new channel and it is recommended that you leave it that way.
+R
Only users who have registered and identified their username with NickServ can join the channel. Non-registered and/or non-identified users who are already in the channel will not get removed from it, but they would be unable to rejoin it if they were to leave or get kicked.
+s
Makes the channel secret: it will not appear in the /list command, and will not show when using the /whois command on a user who is currently in the channel.
+t
Only operators (including halfops) can change the channel's topic. This mode is enabled by default in every new channel, disabling it will allow any of the channel's users to change the topic at will.
+u
Sets the channel to "conference mode". The automated messages displayed when regular users (non operators) join or leave the channel will not be shown to other regular users. This drastically reduces the amount of join/leave spam seen by regular users in bigger and more active IRC channels.
Not every user on NoBleme's IRC server is a human being. Some of them are automated programs designed to serve a specific role on the server, which we call IRC bots.
Some of our IRC bots are an integral part of the server. Rather than acting like regular users, they will never be present in any public IRC channel. They are NickServ, which handles username management, and ChanServ, which handles channel management.
Other bots will be present in IRC channels and directly interact with users in various ways (depending on their purpose). NoBleme's most important IRC bots will be documented on this page, but there might be more of them on the server… keep an eye out for them!
The official NoBleme bot
NoBleme only has one official bot. It goes by the nickname NoBleme, and idles in a few channels. It is a non interactive bot : NoBleme will write content on IRC, but it will never reply to anyone's messages.
The official NoBleme bot will relay any activity coming from the website on the channels #english (in english), #NoBleme (in french), and #dev (development updates). Most content that appears on the recent activity page will also be shared on IRC by the official NoBleme bot, which allows you to keep in touch with what is happening on the website without having to check the website.
Non official bot
A non official bot can be found in every major channel of NoBleme's IRC server. It is an interactive bot, which has a variety of uses - observe how the regulars use it and you might find it useful for your own needs!
Nicknamed Chocolatine, its role is to give a few quality of life features missing on IRC: previews links, offers a translation service, converts timezones, gives the weather on demand, and more. It is an instance of Sopel maintained by a user nicknamed Exirel.
Can I run my own IRC bot on NoBleme's server?
You are free to use bots on the server, as long as they do not cause any disruption.
Do keep in mind however that bots might not be welcomed in individual channels. Consult with the local Operators before adding your own bot to an already established channel. For example, the two main channels (#english and #NoBleme) will not accept more than the two bots they each currently have.
If you add a bot on NoBleme's IRC server and believe it could be of public utility, contact the admins detailing your bot's purpose and where to find it. It might get added to this documentation page or maybe even welcomed in some of our official channels.
NoBleme's IRC server is comprised of different channels, some public and some private. There are two "main" public channels used for general conversations, #english for english and #NoBleme for french, from which separate channels split when a specific topic starts taking too much space in general conversations.
The table below acts as a list of NoBleme's public IRC channels. You can join them by typing the command/join #channelName in your IRC client, where #channelName is replaced by the desired channel's name.
If you have created your own channel on NoBleme's IRC server (using ChanServ) and want it included in this list, contact the administrative team with its name, its language, and a quick description of its purpose.
Channel
type
language
description
#english
Main
Central english speaking hub of the server
#NoBleme
Main
Central french speaking hub of the server
#dev
Major
Computer science talk. For developers, sysadmins, nerds, etc.
#chess
Minor
Where chess players talk about how bad they are at the game
#cuisine
Minor
Where we discuss cooking, food, and other edible things
#jdr
Minor
Where we discuss role playing games and/or play role playing games online
#musique
Minor
Where we share music and discover new artists
#starcraft
Minor
Where we watch and play video games from the Starcraft franchise
