Archiveteam:IRC

IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is an internet protocol that allows multiple users to connect to a server and chat. Each IRC "server" can be connected to by a person, then someone joins a "channel" with the particular subject they are interested in.

Archive Team uses IRC as its one-stop shop for coordinating projects.

Before you go ahead and jump in, if there's nothing else you read on this page please at least take a moment to review the Special Archive Team IRC rules section below.

How do I chat on IRC?

You will need an IRC client, or you can use a web interface. Enter a nickname (such as your first name, your pet's name, or a cool pseudonym of your choice) and then the channel's name, ie #archiveteam.

Most channels are hosted on the hackint IRC network due to desires like less netsplits, channel/nickname registration, secure IRC by default, etc. In addition to IRC clients, it can also be connected to through its web interface.

A few older, mostly inactive channels created before September 2019 are still on the EFnet IRC network. EFnet also provides a web interface called Webchat. A comprehensive comparison between the two IRC networks by JAA can be found under User:JustAnotherArchivist/hackint vs EFnet.

Please learn IRC netiquette. Do not barge into an IRC channel demanding help or disparage installation instructions. Archive Team is not a professional support team.

Do I have to use IRC?

We prefer IRC because there is no central point of failure, but see the question about social media on Frequently Asked Questions.

Why does IRC need chat logs?

Unlike a bulletin board or SMS, IRC is a transient medium of communication. As a result, if you aren't there to receive the message, you will never receive it at all.

If you check the chat logs, your question may already be answered. Unfortunately, some channels are not logged. Don't worry if you accidentally interrupt someone's conversation or repeat a question.

See the section IRC Logs.

I asked a question and waited but it scrolled off the window and was ignored.

Don't get discouraged; do ask again. Topics get intermixed and timezones break up normal conversations. Be persistent but friendly.

How do I get someone's attention in a public channel?

Some chat clients will alert the user if you say their nickname.

Some clients support nickname auto-completion. Start typing the first few letters of their nickname and press tab.

Why won't anyone respond?

If no one answers, please be patient. We're volunteers so we can't always respond immediately. We eat, drink, sleep, and archive just like you! Note that IRC channels are not like Discord, Telegram, Slack, or similar channels - do not expect real-time responses the next second. Wait a few minutes, but be prepared to stay around for a little bit.

Sometimes it may be the bystander effect. Try an icebreaker to get the conversation going.

I can't wait; I need immediate attention. Who's in charge?

See Who We Are.

Special Archive Team IRC rules

Besides the expectation of being civilized, patient and tactful, there are some rules you should follow when in Archive Team IRC channels. Breaking them makes you become annoying in the community and you can easily find yourself banned. The most pertinent of these are as follows:

• #archiveteam is generally reserved for short and important information exchange, e.g. concise announcements about websites shutting down, project status updates, easily answerable important questions, etc. All general and in-depth archiving-related discussion happens in #archiveteam-bs (this channel is monitored and you will very likely not need to wait hours for an answer). Project-specific discussions go in their respective channels. General topics not related to computers and/or archiving at all are not welcome even in #archiveteam-bs (try #archiveteam-ot for such topics instead).
• Don't ask too many questions, don't demand answers from others. Sometimes you can look it up yourself, sometimes you need to filter your questions for important ones. You can also search the logs.
• Don't maliciously/demandingly criticize Archive Team, its members, nor the Internet Archive, especially in general, empty phrases. If you have a remark/idea, be concrete and constructive (and polite and patient), and if you can, realize it yourself (we're volunteers otherwise busy). Remember the money-back guarantee!
• Don't try to convince Archive Team about that archiving is bad. We make very few exceptions when it's about archiving. Also, our rule of thumb is "archive first, ask questions later". Our IRC channels are the #1 worst place to ask "why we are keeping this"!
• Don't be childish.
• Don't feed the trolls. (Don't engage into arguments with people not behaving appropriately.)
• Don't explain evident things to us in detail.
• Don't let your IRC client flood the channels with join/leave notifications due to your unstable connection.

Archive Team on IRC

Below is a list of Archive Team's general-purpose IRC channels. Project-specific channels can be found in the Projects list. All the channels listed below are on the hackint network.

(Back then we had a separate list of project-specific IRC channels, under the general channels. For historical interest, you can find them on the IRC/Old page.)

Channel name	Channel hashtag	Channel description
Archive Team	#archiveteam	News and announcements only.
-bs	#archiveteam-bs	The main Archive Team channel, for discussion of general archival, early project planning and projects which don't have a separate channel.
-dev	#archiveteam-dev	Discussion about general (i.e. not project-specific) Archive Team software development
-ot	#archiveteam-ot	Off-topic discussion
Warrior	#warrior	Channel for the discussion and development of the Archive Team Warrior
ArchiveBot	#archivebot	Channel for controlling ArchiveBot. Discussions about ArchiveBot development also take place here.

IRC Logs

You can log the channels where you are using your client, generally. But if you want a 24/7 bot logging your channel, you can use a script like this (change the server and channel variables).

hackint

Logs for common hackint channels including #//, #archiveteam, #archiveteam-bs, and #archiveteam-ot, are hosted by kiska, and are available at hackint.logs.kiska.pw.