Master @JamieSinn has requested me to post a poll about the question as to whether ECC should get an IRC bridge. I hereby offer a small FAQ in case you do not understand what this means. Q: What is IRC? A: IRC stands for Internet Relay Chat. Since the technical details will most likely not be interesting to anyone, I will summarize it as a way of transmitting chat data from a client to a server and vice versa. If you wish to receive further information abour IRC, I would like to redirect you to its wikipedia article. Q: What does "bridge" mean? A: It means that you transmit data from your IRC client to the IRC server which then synchronizes with the server chat. Basically, it allows you to access ECC's chat via IRC and write messages. Q: Why is an IRC bridge useful? A: According to @JamieSinn, external chat clients like Minechat or Hyperchat cause problems on ECC (For example the SG invisibility bug). Adding an IRC bridge would replace these external clients. Q: Does this mean that Minechat would be blocked? A: Yes. The only difference is that you would be using an IRC app instead of the Minechat app (or Hyperchat or any other app that works the same way). Q: Where is the advantage? A: It would stop problems that are caused by third party chat clients. Jamie mentioned the SG invisibility bug as an example. TL;DR: An IRC bridge would be a chat client that replaces bug-causing programs like Minechat. This sums up the data I have gathered from personal knowledge and asking Jamie. If you have any question that is not answered in the FAQ, feel free to post it here. I reserve the right to have anything in here changed by JamieSinn if I either understood something incorrectly or there is a better way to explain it.
How would accounts/nicknames work? Am I right in assuming that this would not be connected to your minecraft account, but would be simply irc nicknames? If this is the case, what protections can be put in place to prevent trolling using other nicknames etc. Would anything prevent me from using an IRC nickname of another user (assuming that they haven't registered it on the irc network)?
Yeah, that's the ideal solution. It would make sure it's actually the user in question and not just a troll account. I like this idea if there's a way to authenticate via Mojang, like Minechat. If not, no. There'd be too many issues with IRC (Especially when its linked to the main server chat) without that.
Do we know that this bridge isn't going to cause it's own issues the way minechat does or in fact a whole breed of new ones? If it can all be authenticated the way minechat is but without the odd problem then great but without that all working out I think the problems it would cause would be far worse than the issues minechat causes.
Well that's great but I just realized that this will mean no commands work and I will not be able to access my mail which is the only reason I use minechat. If these bugs are causing serious issues it is worth it but I will not use the bridge while I do use minechat so that is kind of unfortunate. Unless there would be someway to echo the mail system through the bridge some clever person could manage.
I only use minechat to use commands like reading mail and also messaging people, From what i understand, I wont be able to do either of those -1 for now.
I'm pretty sure nearly everyone who uses minechat/other chat clients don't do so simply to talk in global chats. Some people like to lotto, some talk to friends, some attend to business, staff to moderate, etc, but none of those can be done with this solution.
From what I've read, my answer is no. I don't want to be limited to chatting in one channel only (as commands do not work, you would not be able to chat in other chats) and I want to be able to PM friends, read any mail. Plus the fact I would be reluctant to download the app if it cost irl money. I think we are better off just sticking with Minechat.
This sounds atrocious. IRC is terrible. Old and outdated. The only thing it has got going for it is how easy it is to connect to it. Besides, not being able to do anything but chat is pretty stupid. If I join using a chat client I do it because I want to play lotto, chat, pm, pay people, etc. So unless you can make it work like a fully fledged chat client, I don't want it.
You wouldn't be able to switch between chats on the new minechat so it would be pointless to even use it. I like to use minechat sometimes. -1
