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freenode, formerly known as Open Projects Network, is an IRC network.
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Beginnings
freenode began as a 4-person GNU/Linux support channel called LinPeople on EFnet, another IRC network. By 1995 it moved from being just a channel to its own network, irc.linpeople.org. In early 1998 it changed to Open Projects Net with about 200 users and under 20 channels. In 2002 the name changed to freenode, a service of Peer-Directed Projects Center.
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Today
Today freenode is the biggest FOSS network in existence, encompassing around 30,000 users and 10,000 channels.
The top 5 channels (in number of users) are (as of September 15, 2006):
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Major Events
Freenode administrator Robert Levin, who used the IRC nick lilo, died on Saturday, September 16th 2006. • His death was caused by head injuries sustained in a hit and run accident while riding his bicycle on September 12th. He fell into a coma at the scene and did not regain consciousness. He is survived by wife Debbie and son Benjamin.
On June 24, 2006, a user with the nick ratbert (actually one of the lilo's services-linked nicknames) gained the network privileges of Rob Levin (lilo) and took control of the network. It is likely that approximately 25 user passwords were stolen as a result *. This user proceeded to k-line many freenode staff members, and most freenode servers subsequently went down for several hours ***. Messages from the user indicated that the GNAA or the free-for-all "tactic" phenomenon known as "Bantown" may have been involved.
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Disputes
It has been recently suggested that freenode has been the source of the social engineering of its users, in related to the donation of money to the charitable organization, and direct donations to its founder, Rob Levin *.
Freenode users in general were given a bad reputation after an April Fools joke on another IRC network (OFTC) which has been later classed as social engineering.
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