IRC services

Internet Relay Chat services (usually called IRC services) is a name for a set of features implemented on many modern Internet Relay Chat networks. Services are automated bots with special status which are generally used to provide users with access with certain privileges and protection. They usually implement some sort of login system so that only people on the access control list can obtain these services.

The most popular style of services uses a number of fake clients whose names end in "Serv". The four below are nearly always seen in services of this style.

Some others are also seen following this naming convention in some services packages including:

Other commonly used services bots:

The original NickServ was written by Armin Gruner at the Munich University of Technology in 1990. The original intention was to give out friendly warnings that somebody else already likes to use a specific nickname, since the IRC protocol has no built-in provision to protect electronic identities.

NoteServ and MsgServ followed up soon after the introduction of NickServ, and had a similar job to today's MemoServ.

It was considered acceptable behavior simply to /ignore NickServ's notices, but an operator decided to /kill NickServ and use the nickname NickServ himself, subsequently collecting all identify passwords from users and being amused by that. This led to a public debate over the usefulness and safety of services, the discontinuation of NickServ on EFnet and EFnet's current Nicknames are not owned policy arose.

In 1995 DALnet invented ChanServ, then re-implemented NickServ and MemoServ. Today, EFnet and IRCnet are the last large IRC networks which stick to their policy of living without identity protection. Some debate still remains over the value and benefits of Services on IRC, although they are generally considered essential to providing a pleasant chatting experience. This is proven in the fact that most service-less networks have died out.

Many variants of services have been implemented over time, so each IRC network speaks a different service dialect, making it close to impossible for client developers to implement unified graphical interfaces to the various registration procedures. Still, most of them are inspired by DALnet's and Armin's original works, only Undernet and QuakeNet stick out with a completely different approach.

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Wikipedia