Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the World Wide Conferencing Network Status: in progress Author: G. Hiddink, K.J. de Jonge Last Change: September 29th 1997 I N D E X ========= 1. GENERAL QUESTIONS Q 1.1 What is this World Wide Conferencing Network thing? Q 1.2 Who governs WWCN? Q 1.3 Why do we need yet another conferencing- or chat network? 2. GENERAL QUESTIONS Q 2.1 How can I open a channel? Q 2.2 How can I see when someone was last signed on? Q 2.3 How can I register a channel? 3. IRC RELATED QUESTIONS Q 3.1 How come some channels show the number of users on it, and some don't? Q 3.2 Why does my irc client say "channel does not exist" while it is clearly in /list? Q 3.3 why don't I sometimes see all of the channels a person is on when I do /whois? Q 3.4 Why do I see this incredible amount of people joining after I joined a channel? Q 3.5 Sometimes the /lusers information seems to be incorrect, for example: 10 users on 1 server, "I have 6 users". How come? Q 3.6 Sometimes when I join a channel that was in /list, there's no one there. How come? Q 3.7 Why do I see this when I do /names ? Q 3.8 When I do /list, why do some channels show up with a charter, while it says with others just "" ? Q 3.9 When I do /list, I don't see anything, or it is all garbled! 3. PROTOCOL RELATED QUESTIONS (technical) Q 3.1 Why have you built almost an entire data transport layer (in OSI terms) on top of TCP/IP? Q 3.2 Why don't you use a DNS-like scheme for your Channel Directory Service? ================================================================================= 1. GENERAL QUESTIONS -------- Q 1.1 What is this World Wide Conferencing Network thing? A: It is yet another conferencing network, currently in the process of being started. It is a "client-server" system, which means that persons who want to make use of the service will need a "client" program, that will connect to a "server" somewhere else. There are servers all over the world, connected together so that they can exchange information. -------- Q 1.2 Who governs WWCN? A: The World Wide Conferencing Network is not much a governed network. There is a Network Administration Group, that sees to it that the participating servers and users abide some basic rules. These rules are a minimum set of restrictions needed to create a loosely organized network. -------- Q 1.3 Why do we need yet another conferencing network? A: We don't. We need less actually. What we do need is a type of network that is much more scalable and can handle as much connections as all seperate conferencing networks currently existing. And one that provides for the demands of the future. ================================================================================= 2. GENERAL QUESTIONS Q 2.1 How can I open a channel? A: You can register your channel with the Network Administration Group. Public channels will be administered by the NAG. -------- Q 2.2 How can I see when someone was last signed on? A: For now you can use the /names comand which will show you who is on which channels right now. When the User Directory Service is implemented you will be able to see who was logged in and when. Once the UDS is implemented the /names command will disappear. -------- Q 2.3 How can I register a channel? A: Fill in the form on the web site (http://www.wwcn.org) ================================================================================= 3. IRC RELATED QUESTIONS -------- Q 3.1 How come some channels show the number of users on it, and some don't? -------- Q 3.2 Why does my irc client say "channel does not exist" while it is clearly in /list? -------- Q 3.3 Why don't I sometimes see all of the channels a person is on when I do /whois? -------- Q 3.4 Why do I see this incredible amount of people joining after I join a channel? -------- Q 3.5 Sometimes the /lusers information seems to be incorrect, for example: 10 users on 1 server, "I have 6 users". How come? -------- Q 3.6 Sometimes when I join a channel that was in /list, there's no one there. How come? A. The channel is a registered one, which (amongst others) means that it doesn't disappear when the last person leaves (like with IRC). This way, regular "meeting places" keep in existence so that you can just go sit there and wait until other people drop by. -------- Q 3.7 Why do I see this when I do /names ? A. This is a plug to become more or less compatible with the IRC protocol. If you want to know what server a user is on, you should use /whois. It will supply you with the server ID and the e-mail address of the administrator of the server that user is on. -------- Q 3.8 When I do /list, why do some channels show up with a charter, while it says with others just "" ? A. Not all information about all channels is stored on your server. It only knows the information of the channels it is interrested in, i.e. where its users are on. Once you join a channel with an "" charter, your server will find the details of the channel, and show it to you. The next time anyone does a /list, the new information will be presented. -------- Q 3.9 When I do /list, I don't see anything, or it is all garbled! A. You are using an IRC client which is not capable of showing the channel lists correctly. This doesn't mean it's broken, but you are advised to find a client that does work with WWCN. In the meantime, you can browse the channel list via the web at: http://wwcn.student.utwente.nl/wwcn/nag/channels-browse . ================================================================================= 3. PROTOCOL RELATED QUESTIONS (technical) -------- Q 3.1 Why have you built almost an entire data transport layer (in OSI terms) on top of TCP/IP? A. -------- Q 3.2 Why don't you use a DNS-like scheme for your Channel Directory Service? ================================================================================= =================================================================================