https://mastodon.sdf.org/@kline/106299403921451814 Profile directory About Mobile apps Log in Sign up [9db49aef5a] kline @kline@mastodon.sdf.org Follow andrew lee just seized over 700 channels on freenode because they mentioned libera.chat in their topic. This includes projects like openbsd, wikimedia, FOSDEM, etc. https://archive.is/uHw1g shows 720 channels that match what is being checked. here's an example log: https://gist.github.com/pushcx/ab2a1d5 b1d18e964c581ef18ccb3a79f boost this if you care about foss in any way. May 26, 2021, 03:36 * * Web * 19 * 400 * 120 May 26, 2021, 03:50 [994a5b18ab] Jordan :debian::sway: @jordan31@theres.life @kline so, he reopened on topic channels? What's wrong with that? 1+ May 26, 2021, 03:57 [eceacfebc7] nytpu @nytpu@tilde.zone @jordan31 @kline He is forcefully dropping and then registering "moved" channels to give himself op and remove the previous ops (abusing his control over ChanServ, this isn't something a normal user could do) to reopen channels and falsely presenting those channels as the "official" channels even though they are no longer the official channels for those projects. It should be noted that the Ops never gave up control over their channels, they simply removed everyone's voice and changed the topic, a perfectly valid thing to do. One example: https://www.devever.net/~hl/freenode_abuse 1+ May 26, 2021, 04:03 [994a5b18ab] Jordan :debian::sway: @jordan31@theres.life @nytpu @kline I've seen some with ## meaning its off topic and wouldn't be recognized as official. Besides official channels would be listed on the projects site. Did they effectively take away everyone's permissions or just added himself as op? 1 May 26, 2021, 14:15 [eceacfebc7] nytpu @nytpu@tilde.zone @jordan31 @kline I don't actually have a problem with him changing the channel name, that's his right to do so especially if they're not "official" channels anymore then they would've been considered off-topic even before the takeover. However, he is removing the original ops and even removed their voice so they can't even send messages anymore, added himself as op, and then reset the channel back to what it looked like before. He added a rule (after he had already done this to all the channels) saying that you lose your op permissions if you "advertise" another chat network, but you can't call it fair for him say "well them's the rules" when that rule didn't even exist when he started doing this. 0 May 26, 2021, 06:10 [03b435ba9f] Seirdy @Seirdy@pleroma.envs.net @nytpu @jordan31 @kline Another Fediverse thread on this issue: https://pleroma.envs.net/notice/A7d3VZuH1myJ6gJS2C 0 May 26, 2021, 04:12 [9db49aef5a] kline @kline@mastodon.sdf.org @jordan31 he's purged channels that were even talking about libera. This will affect channels that were saying "should we move to libera? Current consensus is no, but opinions welcome". I know of at least 2 channels where this is the case - ongoing discussion with their hands forced. 1 May 26, 2021, 21:43 [824e343ca6] David R. Sterry @weex@mstdn.social @kline @jordan31 There was a notice posted that some channels were included by mistake and to contact staff. 0 May 26, 2021, 03:53 [994a5b18ab] Jordan :debian::sway: @jordan31@theres.life @kline actually some logs shows he changed it to off topic, which would seem right considering these groups abandoned the channel. Looks like house cleaning. I still fail to sew what's so terribly wrong, evil, and dangerous to FOSS by this move. 1+ May 26, 2021, 07:54 [709cc3d491] Goblin-Shaped Tessalation @eryn@toot.cat freenode, bluntness from a sysadmin Show more @jordan31 @kline look harder, then. The channel in question was just one example of the massive breach of trust that multiple sources have reported across the Freenode network post-takeover. If you see nothing wrong with a mass takeover of community channels by a group with authoritarian overtones and history of doing shady shit, maybe you need a reminder that this sort of manipulation, deplatforming, and erasure is a symptom of the toxicity in tech investments these days. What the new Freenode "owners" did goes far beyond "house cleaning", and borders on outright fascism. Idk where that falls on the "evil" meter, but it certainly isn't good or transparent or trustworthy. So again...look deeper if you fail to understand why people are upset about this. 0 May 26, 2021, 11:54 [24f19da1cf] Anton McClure @anton@cybre.space @jordan31 @kline it really isn't dangerous. if they really wanted to keep those channels, why would they move and turn the channel into basically an advertisement? 0 May 26, 2021, 21:44 [824e343ca6] David R. Sterry @weex@mstdn.social @jordan31 @kline I agree. Worst case, he's showing where there was implicit trust and making people think about that. Best case, the network is pared down to what is valuable and active. 0 May 26, 2021, 04:11 [03bf3ac396] Brad Ackerman @brad@bsd.network @kline @crc He saw that some people didn't think he was poison and is correcting them the only way he knows how. 0 May 26, 2021, 04:29 [be9fc3ef19] tech? no! man, see... @technomancy@icosahedron.website @kline they took over my two channels even though we were waiting to move to libera until the matrix bridge was ready. I guess that means the process was automated for any channel that had libera even mentioned in the topic? 1+ May 26, 2021, 04:34 [1e0fdec9cb] Charles Childers @crc@mastodon.social @technomancy @kline Looks that way to me. My topic mentions libera, though I haven't announced a move, just presented it as a second option for my community. 0 May 26, 2021, 21:46 [824e343ca6] David R. Sterry @weex@mstdn.social @technomancy @kline It's hard to imagine how to handle competition besides this way. You can make the case that networks shouldn't be competitive but if money is spent, then it would make sense to maintain that which was purchased. 0 May 26, 2021, 04:55 [d4752623ae] see shy jo @joeyh@octodon.social @kline wow, it happened to #haskell, which used to be a 1000 user channel, down to maybe 600 with a mention of libera.chat. Now down to 26 very pissed off users after Lee seized control and retopiced. 1+ May 26, 2021, 05:02 [d4752623ae] see shy jo @joeyh@octodon.social @kline one out of every 330 irc users was on #haskell! it was an institution. I hope everyone finds their way to libera.chat 1 May 26, 2021, 05:04 [d4752623ae] see shy jo @joeyh@octodon.social @kline transcript of it going down https://www.reddit.com/r/haskell/ comments/nl74hc/freenode_has_unilaterally_taken_over_haskell/ 0 May 26, 2021, 05:13 [f639aee526] Linux Walt Alt (@lnxw37a2) {3EB165E0-5BB1-45D2-9E7D-93B31821F864} @lnxw37a2@pleroma.soykaf.com @joeyh @kline #django has also been seized and the topic replaced. 0 May 26, 2021, 05:57 [9169e85707] Bhushan Shah [?] @bshah@fosstodon.org @kline also seems all of old staff got K-Lined. 1+ May 26, 2021, 06:05 [9db49aef5a] kline @kline@mastodon.sdf.org @bshah I'm painfully aware: Information on kline (account kline): Registered : Sep 03 20:34:12 2011 (9y 38w 1d ago) User reg. : Jul 31 12:02:41 2007 (13y 43w 1d ago) kline has been frozen by the freenode administration. *** End of Info *** 1 May 26, 2021, 21:52 [485ed458ce] Robby O'Connor @robbyoconnor@floss.social @kline @bshah This is disgusting 0 May 26, 2021, 21:58 [485ed458ce] Robby O'Connor @robbyoconnor@floss.social @bshah @kline Doesn't seem to be all staff though 0 May 26, 2021, 06:27 [19690ae9ce] Nemo_bis @nemobis@mamot.fr @kline Most of the #Wikimedia channels on #freenode were left alone so far. (I still have my previous flags on all but one of them.) Only channels which were redirected to a channel named libera or mentioned Libera in the topic were taken over, AFAICT. 0 May 26, 2021, 06:54 [8b8c509eb1] Stephen @brenns10@snake.club @kline saw #osdev and #ircv3 get taken over. Such bullshit. 0 May 26, 2021, 08:18 [ac9856a0df] Tom Ryder @tejr@mastodon.sdf.org @kline I'm not sure I'm ever going to get used to seeing your avatar used as a preview link for this sort of thing hitting Hacker News. * f6802075660c7ff1.png 1+ May 26, 2021, 08:19 [ac9856a0df] Tom Ryder @tejr@mastodon.sdf.org @kline To be fair, it does very much resemble my own expression whenever I read anything about leenode. 0 May 26, 2021, 13:51 [pnc__picke] Doug Webb @douginamug@mastodon.xyz @tejr @kline Oh lol! It's Limmy! haaaa 0 May 26, 2021, 08:33 [da84d5bd0c] Arcaze R0 @arca0@mastodon.online @kline that's a ringing endorsement of libera if I've ever seen one. 1 May 26, 2021, 09:56 [f7c0f822d7] Claes Wallin @clacke@libranet.de @arca0 @kline Well, rasengan said he wanted to decentralize and remove the threat to the network. Forcing everyone from his network to the community-run network is a rather effective way of doing that. #FreenodeTakeover 1 May 26, 2021, 13:37 [2507e47584] Hank G [?] @hankg@social.isurf.ca @clacke @arca0 @kline I love this "I want to decentralize everything" take of his. Nothing says decentralize like taking over every channel and controlling any dissenting opinions on them. 0 May 26, 2021, 11:52 [24f19da1cf] Anton McClure @anton@cybre.space @kline "Remember, we do not support spamming or advertising other networks in channels topics or in other forms." 0 May 26, 2021, 12:04 [39da80f124] Midder @Midder@todon.eu @kline It happened in the #57n channel, our topic won't stick so anyone arriving at the channel won't know the community moved and won't know where to find us. This pretty much ensures I won't be coming back to freenode. 0 May 26, 2021, 12:48 [73825d638e] David Bremner @bremner@mathstodon.xyz @kline NewFreeNode: We love Freeze Peach! Us: put pointer to libera.chat in /topic to help users NewFreeNode: Not like that! 25-05-2021 22:59:32 < freenodecom!~com@freenode/staff: This channel has been reopened with respect to the communities and new users. The topic is in violation of freenode policy: https://freenode.net/ policies 0 May 26, 2021, 13:36 [2507e47584] Hank G [?] @hankg@social.isurf.ca @kline The dumpster fire continues... 0 May 26, 2021, 15:38 [cc01affbfc] Q @QFr0sty@infosec.exchange @kline I was looking to get back onto IRC, just gonna... walk right over to Libera. Haha! #freenode #liberachat #libera #irc 0 May 26, 2021, 16:26 [e18faccfe3] me @me@the.floof.rocks @AFresh1 @kline On the other hand, why people blame Lee for what he does and not the former Freenode head(s) for accepting the deal. It is what Lee say's in a quoted interview from him I read today (lost the link) - he bought it, his money and he could do with it what he want. And even there are contracts and Lee breaks them or break ethical standards of Freenode. Freenode as it was is dead and now Lee will do all to do not loose his invested money. The way he did it was wrong but business and $$$ works like that. 1 May 26, 2021, 16:30 [5b1543b7b2] Andrew Hewus Fresh @AFresh1@bsd.network @me This is not a story I've read, but sounds like a good one. @kline 1 May 26, 2021, 16:49 [e18faccfe3] me @me@the.floof.rocks @AFresh1 https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7ev8y/ freenode-open-source-korea-crown-prince-takeover Quotes are not in context ... long story. In 2017, the then head of staff at Freenode, Christel Dahlskjaer, incorporated it as Freenode Ltd and sold it to Andrew Lee. At the time, both the head of staff and Lee promised that Freenode would keep running as it had been until then, and that the incorporation and sale was done just to sponsor a conference. That was true until this year, according to several developers. "Given the millions I have injected into freenode thus far, the fact I own it and the fact that I protected the freenode staff with professional legal work and funding when they needed help and they could still lie and slander like this... says a lot about who they are," Lee wrote. "I simply want freenode to keep on being a great IRC network, and to support it financially and legally as I have for a long time now." @kline 0 May 26, 2021, 19:07 [b66aa3cd39] tvcx @tvcx@mastodon.social @kline 0 May 26, 2021, 21:40 [485ed458ce] Robby O'Connor @robbyoconnor@floss.social @kline fuck this shit. 0 May 26, 2021, 22:44 [b4fad7872b] Gary "grim" Kramlich @grimmy@mastodon.social @kline Since last week, we've had a "#pidgin is live on libera" in the topic of #pidgin on freenode without issue. While adding another communication channel for our users means another thing we have to check, we will still make ourselves available where ever our users decide to flock. 0 Sign in to participate in the conversation Mastodon @ SDF "I appreciate SDF but it's a general-purpose server and the name doesn't make it obvious that it's about art." - Eugen Rochko Trending now Resources * Terms of service * Privacy policy Developers * Documentation * API What is Mastodon? mastodon.sdf.org * About * v3.3.0rc3 More... * Source code * Mobile apps