IRC-Junkie.org – IRC News

christel of the freenode network writes in a posting on the staffblog about the beginning of freenode, which started 15 years ago.

15 years ago, on January 29th 1994 Rob (lilo) Levin first joined the channel #linuxneo on the EFNet IRC network. This date has since been referred to as the conceptual moment, the foundation, the cornerstone which later led to the network you now know as freenode.

She continues to tell how freenode became a network of its own, which happened after the channel has been through several moves over various networks to finally become irc.linpeople.org in 1995 – and “a few name-changes later and we’re freenode.”

freenode, the network hosting the channels for many free / opensource projects – who just recently announced that they have surpassed the 50,000 users mark – do have big news again.

Existing since 1995 as a stand-alone network, it’s gone through a few IRCds already – from ircu to dancer-ircu then dancer-hybrid and hyperion now.

Being in use since August 2005 now, hyperion could see it’s end-of-life on freenode pretty soon as this blog post, asking for users to get aboard the freenode testnet, might indicate.

About half a decade ago Open and Free Technology Community (OFTC) separated from OpenProjects.net, founded by Rob ‘lilo” Levin, because of different opinions on fund raising and managing the project.

One year ago Rob Levin was hit by a car and died by the injuries. Freenode has since then made changes within its managing structure where users can have more influences in decision making and a more transparent organization in general.

This new cooperation between the two networks initially will be observing each others operations and swapping of of staff. What the future cooperation will be like, including a possible merger is not yet laid out. But both sides are interested in taking next steps.

A global notice on the FreeNode network announced the death of FreeNode admin Lilo. “On the 12th September Rob Levin, known to many as Freenode’s lilo, was hit by a car while riding his bike. He suffered head injuries and passed away in hospital on the 16th”

Lilo was being treated at the Neuro Trauma Intensive Care Unit in Houston, where he died the 16th.

Those who would like to pass on their condolences can do so at condolences@freenode.net.

Sirvulcan passed this tragic news to IRC-Junkie.

Last Saturday a user who was using the nick ratbert has been creating havoc after he gained the password of Freenode’s admin Robert Levin, aka lilo.

Once gained access he kill’ed and klined staff of the network, delinked servers and send out a global notice and attempted to abuse a mIRC DCC exploit.

-ratbert- I am a fat asshole, who loves abuse, die

-ratbert- DCC SEND YOUAREALLJUDENLOL

Eventually, also network owner lilo was killed by ratbert; * lilo has quit (Killed by ratbert (die ))