Recommendations for Service Modifications?

[Heero]

The coding team for my network (http://www.ecnet.org site currently under reconstruction) is currently considering new modifications for our services.

We've already integrated the following on our dev server and have it all functioning:
1) Webchat integration (CGI-IRC adds your channel to our list, Java webchat URL given upon chanserv registration, etc).
2) Hosting for users/channels (a simple subarea of our site you can put info about yourself, channels have a bit more space and can do more dynamic things.)
3) E-mail accounts for users upon requests (@users.ecnet.org) with webmail.

(Many of our sponsering servers also run small hosting companies, so one or two have stepped up and volunteered about half a terrabyte of space for us).

I want to know, are there any opinion on other things that might be kinda cool to have? Obviously, one has to clearly keep a balance between making something ideally made for IRC channel maintenance into something too complex, but most of our features are related to IRC right now (web chat was something many people had been requesting, hosting is something several channels had asked an operator about, etc). None of this is active quite yet, and we're wondering if we're missing anything before we run with it .
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Heero
Systems Administrator
Network Administrator - ECNet

[mite]

I've noticed a lack of easy 'behind the scenes' channel forwarding on IRC networks.

Example: #chan2005 decides to rename itself to #chan2006 and wants an easy solution to migrating their users.

With UnrealIRCd you can do this with /mode #chan2005 +lL 1 #chan2006 which is less than perfect as you must have at least 1 user in the old channel at all times.

[Heero]

A very interesting suggestion, I'm going to look into accomplishing this with a redirection feature that makes everyone who joins a given channel join another and part the old (simple sajoin and sapart sequence).

Thanks for the suggestion! Any others are welcome
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Heero
Systems Administrator
Network Administrator - ECNet

[Asmo]

Thats indeed something interesting. But to come back on that 1 user on the channel policy: go join any new network, open all possible channels you can come up with your keyword, and forward them all to 1 channel, your 'main' channel. This will effectively make it impossible for other users to start a channel on somewhat the same topic with a logical name. I can see the need to ensure legit forwarding takes place to have at least 1 user in the channel then.

For the rest, I think overcomplicating IRC servers is becoming a real nuisance for new IRC users =)
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Asmo

webmaster www.IRC-Junkie.org