SwiftBlog

Hello!

Following in Tim’s amazing size 12 shoes I have decided to make a small but hopefully informative post about myself and how I have had an effect on the network.

My journey into the land of SwiftIRC started back in mid-late 2005. I know what you’re thinking – “you haven’t been registered that long, liar!!” – but it’s true. I began using this amazing utility for the game RuneScape called ‘SwiftSwitch’ in which my then clan housed its channel. Little did I know what IRC was, or how to use it, I stumbled and found my way in. Let me first note that I had probably been using this toolkit for a good 6 months before I even realised it had any other features other than a high score lookup and loaded RuneScape.

I should mention that I went under the nickname of Steve| since 2006 until 2009. I decided to drop it as the | annoyed me.

When entering the work of IRC, I was daunted by the task of figuring out WTF to do. This wasn’t easy for a then 15 year old boy that couldn’t even bother to learn anything. But gradually I built up my knowledge of what IRC was, its workings and most importantly how I could ween my way up into the ranks of SwiftIRC!

#Greenjer was a channel I inevitably found my way into. A channel that was frequented by numerous people I got along with and had common interests with and who were rich on RuneScape. Many of these users still frequent the network and are even staff (in some sense) themselves.

Soon enough I worked my way into what was then #SwiftSwitch. Not even knowing or realising that this was the official channel for the client I was using, I began speaking with Strider and eventually ended up being put up for vote to become a HalfOp (by this time I knew what that meant). This channel opened many doors for me in terms of both accessibility and friendship.

Here I met Awong and Pancakes. These two users were very knowledgeable and helpful. Both convinced me to help in a channel called #irchelp. Not knowing many commands, I began helping and was given aliases off a fellow user. I must admit, I was an alias spammer. Lord did I spam those little fellas until no one else would even attempt to help.

After helping for a day or two, I was given voice access. I was so proud. This meant I was cool, right?

Anyway, I continued spamming those little aliases and helping people with commands I had no clue about myself – and still to this day have trouble remembering (I always forget how to register a nick, I know how horrible, but I’m use to the old method!). Days passed (about 3) and I came home from school to find myself as a HalfOp. “I’ve made it!” I though. Obviously I was such an access whore.

I continued pumping out these now feared aliased and within 10 days of being a regular helper, I was a HelpOP! I’d like to once again bring Tim into the conversation as at this time he was the HelpOp overlord and gave me the position. Thanks Tim!

Oh what it meant to be a HelpOp in early 2006. It was like being a famous movie star that everyone hated, but secretly wanted to be, so they would only suck up to you in private.

Days, months and a year passed. I continued to work on my support methods and “increase” my willingness to learn.

Come November 22, 2007 Karl and Myself were elected to be ‘Support Administrators’. This gave us the duty to

“monitor the help operators to ensure satisfactory activity and attitude… suspend help operator and mentee access in extreme circumstances… review mentee progress so as to recommend and vote on promotions and demotions.”

The system was doing well until it was realised that it almost completely relied on the activity of both Support Admins and Awong. Since this time the role has been dissolved and now only exists in some form of assumed role between the staff – I’d like to say that most of the IRCOps and a few SAs/NAs now perform these actions.

Now, I’m going to miss a chunk as it is rather boring…

The middle of 2008 spelt a new age for the Network Staff. Here, we saw the promotion of several HelpOps into IRCOps – This included Sara (early 2008, I think?), Remy, Hutchins and Myself.

While the aforementioned users were experienced in the commands and role of an IRCOp, I honestly had no clue. I didn’t know any commands, I didn’t know what I had to do, I just.. didn’t know! Thankfully I had a few people there to help me learn, namely Sara and Tim who taught me what I needed to learn.

Since this time, the administration of the network has basically stayed static – sure there were some SAs who would come and go, a few NAs resign or HelpOps cycled – but the attitude still stayed the same. That’s probably not what I should say, but I mean this in terms of the interactivity of the staff.

Hmm, didn’t I say this would be short? I guess I’ll try sum it up in dot points seeing there isn’t much more detail to skim over.

• I saw the coming and going and coming back again then going of one particular staff member who for some time I had a great friendship with, and hopefully still do.
• I’ve seen the HelpOp system come close to being scrapped, then reformed, then rediscussed, then applicants, then removing HelpOps, then a long application process to the now possible reformation of the HelpOp role.
• I’ve come to know numerous members of the user base who I would hope appreciate the work and dedication of the staff as a whole to improving and maintaining the network and I would also consider my e-friends.
• I’ve seen some good seeds and bad seeds, but appreciate the dynamic nature of the network as a whole and how easily it can be influenced in one way or the other – whether this is trends, attitudes or anything really. Let me give an example,’ /server op’ for free op! Or ‘Stfu or DDoS’ and even when we use to max 16k users when Pest Control wasn’t horrible.

Overall, I’ve come to enjoy my time on this network and hope to continue to be a part of it for [whatever time period it may be].

I’d like to further extend my gratitude to the users of this network who make it what it is, and the willingness of the staff to provide this environment for myself and thousands of other people to enjoy.

Even if there are bad times, the future seems a lot brighter. I hope! o.O

Good luck to you all,
Concept.

PS: I guess I’ve alluded to some future updates in this post too. So please, if you spot them feel free to comment and I’ll try to inform you there – or will eventually make another post.