View source for EFnet

{{Short description|IRC network}}
{{Infobox IRC network
| name             = Eris Free Network
| image            = [[File:efnet.png|240px]]
| founded_on       = {{start date and age|1990}}
| located_in       = United States, Europe, Canada
| based_in         = Worldwide
| executive_board  = 
| website_url      = http://www.efnet.org/
| primary_dns      = irc://irc.efnet.org/
| average_users    = {{IRC NQNS link|EFnet|10224}}
| users_date       = 30 September 2023
| average_channels = {{IRC NQNS link|EFnet|6437}}
| channels_date    = 30 September 2023
| average_servers  = {{IRC NQNS link|EFnet|60}}
| main_content     = Public / unrestricted
}}

'''EFnet''' or '''Eris-Free network''' is a major [[Internet Relay Chat]] (IRC) network, with more than 35,000 users.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://searchirc.com/network/EFnet |title=Search IRC, displaying network information for EFnet |publisher=Searchirc.com |access-date=2011-09-04}}</ref> It is the modern-day descendant of the original IRC network.

== History ==
Initially, most IRC servers formed a single IRC network, to which new servers could join without restriction, but this was soon abused by people who set up servers to sabotage other users, channels, or servers. Restriction grew and, in August 1990, <code>eris.Berkeley.EDU</code> was the last server indiscriminately allowing other servers to join it,<ref>{{cite book | editor-last = Jones | editor-first = Steve | title = Encyclopedia of New Media: An Essential Reference to Communication and Technology | url = https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofne00jone | url-access = registration | edition = 1st | date = 2002-12-10 | publisher = [[SAGE Publications]] | location = [[Thousand Oaks, California]] | isbn = 0-7619-2382-9 | page = [https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofne00jone/page/256 256] | chapter = Internet Relay Chat | quote = But in August 1990 IRC users began complaining about one specific server, eris.Berkeley.EDU, which had particularly lax security }}</ref> [[Eris (mythology)|Eris]] being the Greek goddess of strife and discord.

A group of operators, with the support of [[Jarkko Oikarinen]], introduced a new "Q-line" into their server configurations, to "quarantine" themselves away from eris by disconnecting from any subset of the IRC network as soon as they saw eris there.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ircbeginner.com/ircinfo/undernet-history.html |title=#Beginner – Undernet History |publisher=Ircbeginner.com |access-date=2010-05-28 |archive-date=2017-09-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919051440/http://www.ircbeginner.com/ircinfo/undernet-history.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://my.pages.de/pub/net/irc/history/ |title=History |website=My.pages.de |access-date=2017-03-07 |archive-date=2016-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303211526/http://my.pages.de/pub/net/irc/history/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

For a few days, the entire IRC network suffered frequent [[netsplit]]s, but eventually the majority of servers added the Q-line and effectively created a new separate IRC net called ''EFnet'' (Eris-Free Network); the remaining servers which stayed connected to eris (and thus were no longer able to connect to EFnet servers) were called ''A-net'' (Anarchy Network). A-net soon vanished, leaving EFnet as the only IRC network.

Continuing problems with performance and abuse eventually led to the rise of another major IRC network, [[Undernet]], which split off in October 1992.

In July 1996, disagreement on policy caused EFnet to break in two: the slightly larger European half (including Australia and Japan) formed [[IRCnet]], while the American servers continued as EFnet. This was known as The Great Split.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irc.org/history_docs/TheGreatSplit.html |title=The Great Split |publisher=Irc.org |access-date=2010-05-28}}</ref>

In July 2001, after a string of [[DDoS]] attacks<ref>{{cite web|url=https://translate.google.com/translate?prev=hp&hl=en&js=y&u=http://www.onlinekosten.de/news/artikel/6280/0/Angriff-aufs-EFnet | date=December 7, 2001 |title=Attack on EFnet |publisher=OnlineKosten.de}}{{dubious|date=July 2012 }}</ref> a service called ''CHANFIX''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/ircd/chanfix.html |title=CHANFIX: EFnet op-less channel fixing |publisher=Irchelp.org |date=2006-10-01 |access-date=2010-05-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031009115351/http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/ircd/chanfix.html |archive-date=2003-10-09 |url-status=dead }}</ref> (originally ''JUPES'') was created, which is designed to give back ops to channels which have lost ops or been [[IRC takeover|taken over]].

In 2007, various EFnet servers began implementing [[Transport Layer Security|SSL]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://forum.efnet.org/ssl-test-t2131.html |title=EFnet IRC Network Forum • View topic – SSL test |publisher=Forum.efnet.org |access-date=2010-05-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090803060642/http://forum.efnet.org/ssl-test-t2131.html |archive-date=2009-08-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

February 2009 saw the introduction of a new ''CHANFIX'' module called ''OPME'', a mechanism for EFnet Admins to use to restore ops in an opless channel.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://voting.efnet.org/proposals/opme.txt |title=CFV380 OPME |date=August 18, 2006 |first1=Douglas |last1=Boldt |first2=Alan |last2=Milford |publisher=RFNet.org |access-date=March 5, 2009 |archive-date=July 26, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726020242/https://voting.efnet.org/proposals/opme.txt |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was proposed by Douglas Boldt to provide a much cleaner alternative to <code>masskill</code>, which was unnecessarily invasive and disruptive to the network.

Later in 2009, some major IRC servers were delinked: <code>irc.vel.net</code>, <code>irc.dks.ca</code>, <code>irc.pte.hu</code>, EFnet's only UK server <code>efnet.demon.co.uk</code>, and EFnet's only UK hub <code>hub.uk</code>, which were sponsored by [[Demon Internet]].

In September 2010, the two western regions of the network (United States and Canada) merged into the North American region. While the North American and European regions are technically independent of each other, today many issues within EFnet are handled at a global level.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forum.efnet.org/viewtopic.php?t=2756 |title=US and CA region merges into NA|author=Hardy |date=September 6, 2010|publisher=EFnet.org}}{{dubious|date=July 2012}}</ref>

On April 1, 2018, as an [[April Fools' Day|April Fools' joke]], the 1990s IRC server eris.Berkeley.EDU server was resurrected. Some EFnet admins worked with the [[Open Computing Facility]] student group at UC Berkeley for months to resurrect the server for April Fools. Only a few EFnet staff were aware of the efforts and the server was linked in via a defunct H:line for the (normally) leaf (client-only) server <code>irc.efnet.nl</code>, bypassing the normal linking procedure. As of 12:30 UTC on April 01 2018, eris.Berkeley.EDU was once again a valid IRC server on the "Eris Free" IRC network and accepted clients.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://stats.efnet.org/servers/view/?sid=140 |title=eris.Berkeley.EDU on EFnet stats |access-date=2018-04-02 |archive-date=2018-04-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180403051733/http://stats.efnet.org/servers/view/?sid=140 |url-status=dead }}</ref> At the same time, efnet.org begin redirecting to erisnet.org.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.erisnet.org/erisnet_pressrelease.pdf |title="ErisNet Press Release"}}</ref> eris.Berkeley.EDU delinked on April 02 2018 at 19:50 UTC.

== Characteristics ==
[[Image:efnet-struc.png|thumb|upright|Efnet's server structure as of October 2009 (green = Europe, blue = USA, Red = Canada)]]

EFnet has large variations in rules and policy between different servers as well as the two major regions (EU and NA). Both have their own policy structure, and each region votes on its own server applications. However, central policies are voted upon by the server [[System administrator|admin]] community which is archived for referencing.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voting.efnet.org/ |title=EFnet Voting |website=Voting.efnet.org |access-date=2017-03-07}}</ref>

Due to EFnet's nature, it has gained recognition over the years for [[warez]],<ref>{{cite web|first=Andy |last=Patrizio |url=https://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2000/03/35141 |title=Forget Napster; IRC's the Place |website=Wired.com |date= 2000-03-27|access-date=2010-05-28}}</ref> [[hacker (computer security)|hackers]],<ref>{{cite news| url=http://edition.cnn.com/2002/TECH/internet/04/10/hackers.chat.rooms/index.html | work=CNN | title=Experts: Chat rooms a haven for hackers | date=April 10, 2002 | access-date=May 1, 2010}}</ref> and [[DoS attacks]].<ref>{{cite web|first=James |last=Middleton |url=http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2115605/efnet-eff-dos-attack |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204084130/http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2115605/efnet-eff-dos-attack |archive-date=2008-12-04|title=EFNet eff'd off with DoS attack – V3.co.uk – formerly |publisher=Vnunet.com |date=July 13, 2001 |access-date=2010-05-28}}</ref>

EFnet has always been known for its lack of IRC services that other IRC networks support (such as [[NickServ]] and [[ChanServ]], although it had a NickServ until April 8, 1994<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=%22Bechar-Israeli+Haya%22&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=au&_pageLabel=RecordDetails&objectId=0900019b800fd604&accno=EJ515813&_nfls=false |title=From <Bonehead> to <cLoNehEAd>: Nicknames, Play, and Identity on Internet Relay Chat|first= Haya |last=Bechar-Israeli|journal=Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication|volume= 1|issue= 2|date=November 1995}} ([http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol1/issue2/bechar.html#nickserv full text])</ref>). Instead, the ''CHANFIX'' service was introduced to fix "opless" channels.

All servers on EFnet run ircd-ratbox.

EFnet's channel operators are generally free to run their channels however they see fit without the intervention of [[IRC operator]]s. IRC ops are primarily there to handle network and server related issues, and rarely get involved with channel-level issues.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/ircd/ircopguide.html |title=IRC Operators Guide |publisher=Irchelp.org |access-date=2010-05-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110322175909/http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/ircd/ircopguide.html |archive-date=2011-03-22 }}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Portal|Internet}}
* {{official website|http://www.efnet.org/}}

{{IRC NQ|EFnet}}
{{IRC networks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Efnet}}
[[Category:IRC networks]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 1990]]