What do you suggest the difference should be? Traditionally, the difference is the following: When a channel is +p, it does not show up in /LIST, but instead shows up in /LIST, /NAMES, /TOPIC, /WHO commands, etc with the name replaced with "Prv", and the topic hidden, unless the one issuing the command is a member of the channel. When a channel is +s, it does not show up in /LIST, /NAMES, /WHOIS, etc, at all, except to members of the channel. The /MODE command is a special case, and traditionally channel MODE status can be queried of +p and +s channels at all times by non-members for obvious reasons (but a key set by +k, cannot be seen by users who are not joined to the channel). In practice, these differences between +p and +s are sufficient to make them both satisfy the function, and "Prv" entries showing up in /LIST and /WHO are an annoyance. There's no real legitimate reason to know how many private channels you can't see a user is joined to, and there's even fewer reasons to see a "* Prv" entry in /LIST indicating the number of entries you can't access If you want to know number of total channels, /LUSERS is more appropriate, but again, +s channels traditionally don't count towards LUSERS numbers, whereas +p channels do. So if +p should do something different, what's the most useful thing for it to do, and is that thing actually worth it? I can imagine schemes, such as "other users can /WHOIS or /WHO you and see what +p channels you are in", BUT +p channels are hidden from /LIST. *i.e. A way of reducing visibility of large channels, but still allowing knowledge to spread by word-of-mouth.. it's not "secret", we just don't want to encourage random joiners too much. Or the opposite.. Perhaps you want a channel to show in /LIST, and be otherwise, fully visible, but the channel could be such that users would be embarrased to have it in their /WHOIS line, for various reasons. In any event, for it to be useful, the definition must be crystal clear, and it should meet user expectations as best as possible.... -- -J 2009/3/16 Adam Koeller <dalnet.kookaburra@gmail.com>:
Since we are in the spirit of fixing modes... what about with regards to the channel private (+p) and secret modes (+s). They are no longer different but exactly the same. Perhaps changing +p to its original function or removing it, in its entirety would be an idea.