HelpServ Overhaul - RFC (request for comments)
Obviously the information in HelpServ is obsolete. Just a few commands I find even remotely useful for helping new users to DALnet... 1. /helpserv rules 2. /helpserv basics 3. /helpserv etiquette I made a post to the helpers@ mailing list with Bahamut IRCd commands for non-oper users. Maybe we could revamp /helpserv basics with taht information. I went to #bahamut weeks ago, and a channel op there said he didn't know of an existing Bahamut IRCd command list to reference (hence the reason I posted it). Maybe we can revamp HelpServ to use as a reference tool (with relevant topics) for help channel staff to reference newbies to. Some topic examples... /helpserv welcome - Welcome msg from DALnet /helpserv listhelp - list of help channels /helpserv register - nick/chan registration benefits /helpserv vhosts - DALnet doesn't have a HostServ, but BNC... /helpserv threats - if threatened, what to do (contacts?) /helpserv services - Differentiate DALnet from other networks Note: With the services topic, such things as no halfops, botserv, X, etc. /helpserv banned - basic information to check who banned & how to msg... Note: with the banned topic, maybe stuff like... /mode #channel b to see who banned them, and /whois to see what their addy is, etc. I'd like to see some posts to this thread with other examples. Maybe we can all talk the services coders into revamping the obsolete service. Still, I find it useful, and it should not be phased out. I would be more than happy to donate my time in writing samples to submit to this mailing list for RFCs. Together, we can get working topics compiled and update HelpServ. PapaSmurf
PapaSmurf wrote:
Some topic examples...
/helpserv welcome - Welcome msg from DALnet /helpserv listhelp - list of help channels /helpserv register - nick/chan registration benefits /helpserv vhosts - DALnet doesn't have a HostServ, but BNC... /helpserv threats - if threatened, what to do (contacts?) /helpserv services - Differentiate DALnet from other networks
Personally, I think HelpServ should include a few basic things like umodes and cmodes maybe but the rest of them should go to the website because they'll likely to be long.. -Kobi.
On Thu, Dec 31, 2009 at 11:26 AM, Kobi Shmueli <kobi@dal.net> wrote:
Personally, I think HelpServ should include a few basic things like umodes and cmodes maybe but the rest of them should go to the website because they'll likely to be long..
Maybe so.. though it would be (sort of) a change of the purpose of HelpServ. if the convenience of an on-IRC modes listing is esp. useful, then it may be worthwhile. Full documentation for IRC and all the IRC clients is so extensive, that web pages are a preferable medium (they are easier to maintain). HelpServ docs I believe are just a straight-up dump of IRCI docs? So users on shared servers where IrcII was installed with #define HELP_SERVICE in their config.h (or /set HELP_SERVICE), will be able to use the "/help" command which (In IRCII with HELP_SERVICE enabled) sends /msg commands to HelpServ when the user types /help. The help topics are then probably in the same format as the IrcII docs. That is: flat text files, with possibly some control codes By today's disk space standards, the helpfiles are no longer considered large; most new IrcII installations ought to have them, and use full docs, instead of help service mode. There are so many variants of IrcII with different command sets, that it would be difficult/impossible to document them all. The vanilla IrcII documentation is likely to be inadequate for most users' clients. Further indeed... I see no strong reason that IrcII commands should be documented with higher priority over Irssi, X-Chat, IrcII-EPIC, BitchX, or Ircle commands. _Unless_ there are still a bunch of IrcII users utilizing HelpServ as their HELP_SERVICE (which I suspect is extremely unlikely) -- -J
I've been helping on DALnet official help channels since 1998. We get a lot of repetitive questions. I think, over time, users (by word of mouth) will start sharing the resources available in a revamped HelpServ. I understand that htt p://docs. dal. net/ is the ideal resource to visit, however I was thinking resources like... /helpserv vhosts DALnet does not currently have a HostServ, nor offer hostmasking. You may only use BNC/bouncers to hide your host. For more information, /join #help or /quote list bnc. /helpserv register By registering a nickname on DALnet, you may send/receive messages with offline users, register and maintain a channel (with webspace for your channel). For more info, /join #help or /services help. I think as long as they are short, they can be very useful. I am not saying we helpers are lazy, but documented, basic help to refer users to will make the help channels run more efficiently (as well as being a great tool for staff on #OperHelp). PapaSmurf --- On Thu, 12/31/09, Kobi Shmueli <kobi@dal.net> wrote:
From: Kobi Shmueli <kobi@dal.net> Subject: Re: [DALnet-services] HelpServ Overhaul - RFC (request for comments) To: "PapaSmurf" <freedried@yahoo.com>, dalnet-services@lists.dal.net Date: Thursday, December 31, 2009, 9:26 AM PapaSmurf wrote:
Some topic examples...
/helpserv welcome - Welcome msg from DALnet /helpserv listhelp - list of help channels /helpserv register - nick/chan registration benefits /helpserv vhosts - DALnet doesn't have a HostServ, but BNC... /helpserv threats - if threatened, what to do (contacts?) /helpserv services - Differentiate DALnet from other networks
Personally, I think HelpServ should include a few basic things like umodes and cmodes maybe but the rest of them should go to the website because they'll likely to be long..
-Kobi.
participants (3)
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James Hess -
Kobi Shmueli -
PapaSmurf