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There is some speculation about the motivations here: https://ariadne.space/2021/05/20/the-whole-freenode-kerfluffle/ https://ariadne.space/2021/05/20/the-whole

• neilv 5y ago
  I don't know these particular people, but, absolutely, many people grew up with IRC and similar earlier online social forums as a refuge from trauma, or to find community or acceptance. (That started in the age of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Internet,_nobody_knows_you%27re_a_dog https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Internet,_nobody_knows_... , before more conventional social dynamics took over the 'Net.) If that theory is correct, I'd guess there's a good path to something that everyone feels better about. But it might involve Freenode being turned over to a nonprofit. I think many traditional users wouldn't go back, but the right nonprofit might find a way to pivot to new service to the world. In the credible nonprofit scenario, the value of the Freenode brand now might be of the flavor: we made mistakes, learned dearly, came out much stronger.
  • manabi 5y ago
    I doubt any nonprofit credible enough is going to risk damaging their reputation by taking on Freenode after what Lee's done with it. Nearly everyone's already moved to Libera & OFTC, people aren't going to want to move back after all that work, and well, frankly, Freenode's very name is toxic now. Also, I doubt Lee would ever give up control, because it's clear controlling the network is what he wanted all along.