USING CHANNELS

A "channel" can be equated to a public "chat-room". By registering a channel you then "own" it, ie. you have the administrator privilages to decide how that channel runs, who is allowed access to it and what privilages they receive. These can be changed at any time.

On most networks there is no provision for "owning" a channel, you simply occupy it until it is lost either by mistake or connection failure. Indeed, most users do not have the facilities to occupy a channel for much longer than a couple of hours.

Enter ChanServ.

ChanServ is directly attacted to the network core and is in continual operation. Not only that, if it is removed either by a crashes or a dedicated attacked, then it has network privilages to reclaim any channel on IRC when it is brought back to operation. It is bulletproof.

REGISTERING A CHANNEL

Before you can register a channel then you must have registered your nickname. You must also have "identified" yourself to NickServ if necessary.

Providing that your chosen channel hasn't already been previously registered then you can tell ChanServ to associate it with a password and a "founder" nickname.

To register:

1. Join the desired channel. If the channel is empty and unregistered then you will receive "operator privilages" or "ops", commonly shown in clients by an @ symbol prefixing a nickname. You cannot register a channel without these priviliages.
   
   
2. Type: /msg ChanServ register {channel} {password} {description}

You will then receive either confirmation of registration or an error message, usually indicating that the channel is already taken. If the channel is unusued for 4 weeks then it is automatically de-registered and is available to the next person who requests it. We will not enter into any channel disputes. If you lose it, through time-lapse or a non-secure password, then you have lost it.

SUBSEQUENTLY GETTING "OPS"