by This is a preliminary version of FAQ&A for IRC channel #cricket.
This document will undergo extensive revisions but this preliminary
version is released well in advance of the upcoming India-Pakistan
finals in Sharjah Cup:-)
--Badri
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IRC channel #cricket FAQ
0) What is IRC? How is it related to cricket and RSC? Where can I get
it? How can I get it? How soon can I get it?
IRC stands for Internet Relay Chat. It has nothing to do with Usenet
(and hence to RSC). It is a medium through which many people can
simultaneously converse with each other. Hence it is used as a forum
for providing cricket commentaries or updates of cricket matches going
on in the world especially when there is no other medium of broadcast
like Television or Radio available. Rest of the questions will be
answered later in this document or pointers will be provided as to
where you can get the answers, if the answer is already avaialble.
1) What is this document?
IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is being used heavily now to broadcast
cricket commentaries and provide for quick updates. This document
details issues and questions specific to the channel #cricket on IRC.
This document will soon replace "Weekly FAQ - CricInfo via IRC".
2) Are there any other FAQ or Help documents on IRC in general? In
that case why this FAQ?
The following are the documents which you should have a look at.
Trillian Rose) that gets posted periodically to news.answers, alt.irc,
alt.irc.ircii, alt.irc.questions and alt.irc.
b) IRC primer, available in various formats from
cs.bu.edu:/irc/support/IRCprimer1.1.* and
IRC tutorials from cs.bu.edu:/irc/support/tutorial.*
available via anonymous ftp.
c) HELP files available via your irc client, just try /HELP
The document (a) is a FAQ for IRC in general and (b) & (c) deal with
more information on the clients. The present document specifically
deals with issues specific to the channel #cricket which is a lot
different from a typical IRC channel.
3) First tell me how to obtain the irc client...
If you already do not have access to irc, [first try typing irc from
your command line if you are on a VMS or Unix machine and if you do
not get a response, then you may not have any client in your machine]
you have to obtain a client. Information regarding this is available
in (a). For obtaining a special client highly customized for #cricket,
\begin{quote}
In order to get on to irc, you (generally) need a client. For Unix,
SunOs, Next..in fact almost any Unix-type box, a self-building,
customised client is available from the home of CricInfo itself. To
get this, simply make a directory, chdir into it, and type;
"telnet tulip.ee.ndsu.nodak.edu 8888 | sh"
[tulip is 134.129.123.96 if you have DNS trouble]
If this doesnt work, or you do not get through, please try again
later; there may be network difficulties. If it does not compile
correctly, you will need to build your own client. See the
information in CricInfo's IRC/ directory for hints.
This client will automatically open windows to CricInfo, establish the
DCC CHAT connection you need to communiate with it, as well as another
window directly onto #cricket for chat and/or commentary if available.
For those of you who are familiar with irc and CricInfo, this is
v2.2.9 of the Unix client and it defaults to lincoln.ecn.uoknor.edu.
One feature is that on nick change, the dcc chat connection to
CricInfo is automatically closed and reopened. On starting the
client, you will be presented with three windows. The top one is on
#cricket. The second one, which is a "query cricinfo", is for issuing
commands to CI, whilst CI's output will appear in the lowest window
("dquery cricinfo"). Emacs-type key-bindings also are installed by
default, allowing you to shuttle between windows by pressing ^X-o
(Control-X, followed by o (letter o)). Do not type anything in the
lowest window (if you do, CI will simply give you an error message).
ONce you get on irc, help for irc is available by typing "/help". Help
on CricInfo is available by typing "help" in the second window, or
typing "/mc help" (/msg CricInfo) anywhere.
\end{quote}
The self-build script, which works for a large variety of OS's
irc). It is a substantial piece of work and we are indebted to Mmmm
for allowing CI to use it :-). Also Mmmm will be updating this
self-building script to handle the new client so watch out for this
FAQ or a separate announcement soon.
For a Vax, or anything else, you will have to get your client by
anonymous ftp from cs.bu.edu : dir /pub/irc/clients and build it. It
is particularly easy to build a vax client, but the interface to irc
is substantially worse than that provided by the Unix client.
4) What is #cricket? Who started it? What do you do there?
[Thanks to BritRoh, Mmmm and Bakait for the answer to this question]
IRC is as much of an anarchy and worse than Usenet, however #cricket
channel is moderated forum atleast during the commentaries (as opposed
to RSC in Usenet). Channels in IRC can be created by anyone and hence
for all practical purposes, the channel is owned by the person who
created it. The channel ceases its existence when every user in that
channel leaves it. We do not know presisely when the channel #cricket
was started. The channel was in existence on a semi-permanent basis
during 1991 and 1992. Commentary was provided for many matches (AUS-WI
series etc.). The channel as it exists today with bots(#5) maintaining
security in the channel came about during England in India series of
1993 thanks to Mmmm, bakait, ColdPom, ksrao, RustFace, vasa, laurie8,
Goochie, BritRoh, sridhar and others.[not necessarily in that order
and also apologies if anyone was missed out]
We have come a long way from then and with the help of dedicated
volunteer commentators (numerous to mention here) and scorers and
topic maintainers, almost every match is being covered now. Our thanks
to all these wonderful people.
As mentioned before, the channel is controlled by channel operators
and bots (#5). Please stick to discussions related to cricket
alone. The channel operators decide what kind of discussion should
take place and what should not. All kind of other discussions can be
carried out in other channels or through private messages. People who
continuously violate this rule may be removed from the channel
temporarily (kicked in IRC lingo, #8). This document also describes
what is an acceptable behaviour and how you can avoid getting kicked
and banned. If you feel that you have been unfairly treated in
#cricket by the channel operators, DO NOT complain in RSC. RSC is in
no way related to #cricket. Send your complaints by message to another
channel operator or a detailed explanation of what happened by email
the channel operators immediately.
When a cricket match is going on and a volunteer is available to
provide commentary, the channel will be moderated (#11) and any person
joining this channel will receive running commentary. Topic will be
set at regular intervals so that new comers coming to the channel will
be updated with what has been going on since then. SO PLEASE READ THE
TOPIC(#15). Also topic will be set regarding the upcoming matches,
shedules and whether commentary will be available or not. If no
commentary is possible, efforts will be made to provide updates.
5) Who are the #cricket operators and bots?
The channel #cricket is owned by (yes, you read it correctly) the
channel operators and the bots. Bots are short form for robots (which
are automatic programs) that control the channel and prevents the
channel from being hijacked by mischivous and anti-social elements.
They also maintain a sense of decorum. Creakoot, a bot welcomes each
user entering the channel with a MOTD (the message of the day). Please
read this as this contains important information. CricInfo, the
cricket information bot(#14) provides cricket related information.
Channel operators are humans who police the channel and maintain a
semblance of order especially during potential flame war situations.
They also maintain the topic for the channel.
6) Can I be the operator for #cricket?
If you are a regular visitor to the channel and you do a good amount
of work for the channel (like maintaining the topic, maintaining a
scorecard when the match is covered live, give commentary etc.) only
then you will be considered for the post of channel operator. Being a
channel operator gives you enormous responsibility and you should
behave decently in other public forum too. Most of the irc #cricket
audience is also the subscribers of RSC and even though RSC is in no
way related to #cricket, the channel operators are expected to behave
in a proper manner in RSC. One's personal fight in either #cricket or
RSC should not be used as a reason to kick and ban others.
7) Can I run a bot?
No. Bots are all centrally controlled to keep the channel stable. No
idle bots will be allowed. Unless you are a permanent channel
operator, you will not be allowed to run a bot.
8) Why was I kicked.....?
The channel operators will temporarily remove you from the channel if
a) you repeatedly changed your nicknames in spite of repeated warnings
from the channel operators.
Repeated nick changes results in flooding of the channel and
users on certain systems can not avoid seeing the join, signoff, nick
changing messages (#13). Especially if they have a slow modem, they
are doomed. In such cases you will be kicked out of the channel. The
bots are programmed to take this into account and they automatically
kick and ban offenders who change nicks very often.
b) You use an offensive word as your nickname. You will be ...
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