4 ms·

But somehow there's all these people that want to use Slack over Irssi.

by gav 8y ago

KirinDave 8y ago
Probably because IRC is an outdated protocol with inferior features to Slack and very few good open source options for connecting. For example: * DCC is still unreliable. * There is no audio connection option, which is quite popular in 2018. * Channel history management is ad hoc * Authentication is done in band, in plain text. * "secured" channels rely on this bad authentication, and if they don't (perhaps electing to manage it themselves) network flaws can completely steal your channel. * IRC isn't even particularly open source, many servers and networks have private patches that are not shared publicly. IRC isn't better than slack. I agree with you that it's confusing why people suggest that it ought to be. Also, most IRC networks are controlled by entities even more inscrutable than Slack's executive team and board. I can go look up who runs slack, I cannot actually find good details on who runs any given IRC network. I have no idea what I'm dealing with or how they're using my data. I have no legal recourse if I do discover bad behavior, and I'm forced by the ossified protocol to keep using their insecure authentication mechanisms which make abuse trivial.
- ethbro 8y ago
  > ... I cannot actually find good details on who runs any given IRC network. I have no idea what I'm dealing with or how they're using my data. I have no legal recourse if I do discover bad behavior... Ah, the good old days of the Internet. You make me so nostalgic.
  - KirinDave 8y ago
    Back when I was a kid this sounded romantic. Now I just know it means that folks spy on me for fun.
    - ethbro 8y ago
      As opposed to the non-anonymous internet?
      - KirinDave 8y ago
        Certainly I use a lot more software products by a lot more diverse sources that all have a lot more accountability to the consumer. This, at least, is a positive trend. One of the few good parts of the commerical software movement is more accountability and higher minimum standards for the consumer. I think that shows in trends in modern computer adoption.

But somehow there's all these people that want to use Slack over Irssi.

by gav 8y ago

But somehow there's all these people that want to use Slack over Irssi.

Probably because IRC is an outdated protocol with inferior features to Slack and very few good open source options for connecting. For example: * DCC is still unreliable. * There is no audio connection option, which is quite popular in 2018. * Channel history management is ad hoc * Authentication is done in band, in plain text. * "secured" channels rely on this bad authentication, and if they don't (perhaps electing to manage it themselves) network flaws can completely steal your channel. * IRC isn't even particularly open source, many servers and networks have private patches that are not shared publicly. IRC isn't better than slack. I agree with you that it's confusing why people suggest that it ought to be. Also, most IRC networks are controlled by entities even more inscrutable than Slack's executive team and board. I can go look up who runs slack, I cannot actually find good details on who runs any given IRC network. I have no idea what I'm dealing with or how they're using my data. I have no legal recourse if I do discover bad behavior, and I'm forced by the ossified protocol to keep using their insecure authentication mechanisms which make abuse trivial.

ethbro 8y ago
> ... I cannot actually find good details on who runs any given IRC network. I have no idea what I'm dealing with or how they're using my data. I have no legal recourse if I do discover bad behavior... Ah, the good old days of the Internet. You make me so nostalgic.
- KirinDave 8y ago
  Back when I was a kid this sounded romantic. Now I just know it means that folks spy on me for fun.
  - ethbro 8y ago
    As opposed to the non-anonymous internet?
    - KirinDave 8y ago
      Certainly I use a lot more software products by a lot more diverse sources that all have a lot more accountability to the consumer. This, at least, is a positive trend. One of the few good parts of the commerical software movement is more accountability and higher minimum standards for the consumer. I think that shows in trends in modern computer adoption.